NFL Playoff Bracket 2020: Packers, Steelers hold No. 1 seeds after Week 10

The NFL Playoff Bracket is starting to take shape after Sunday in Week 10.

Now that we’re past the midway point of the 2020 NFL season, it’s time to start looking at the NFL Playoff Bracket and see how the standings in the AFC and NFC are shaking out. More importantly, we can also look at what matchups are awaiting us in Wild Card Weekend of the forthcoming NFL Playoffs and how things can change there.

After the action on Sunday in Week 10, though, we wouldn’t be seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers have led their teams to a current hold on the No. 1 see in the AFC and NFC, respectively, as the Steelers stayed perfect on Sunday with a blowout win over the Bengals while the Packers triumphed in bad weather against the lowly Jaguars.

The holds on the No. 1 seeds in the NFL Playoff Bracket, however, are anything but firm. There are teams nipping at the heels of the Steelers and Packers while there are also clubs that are jockeying for position below them in the standings, be it in the division or just for seeding.

Though the Chicago Bears, who play on Monday Night Football, are in the playoff mix, even a win over the Vikings won’t vault them into the playoff picture. As such, let’s take a look at the NFL Playoff Bracket for each conference after Sunday’s action in Week 10.

NFL Playoff Bracket after Week 10: AFC

1 Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) – First-Round Bye
2 Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) vs. 7 Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
3 Buffalo Bills (7-3) vs. 6 Miami Dolphins (6-3)
4 Indianapolis Colts (6-3) vs. 5 Las Vegas Raiders (6-3)
In the Hunt: Cleveland Browns (6-3), Tennessee Titans (6-3), New England Patriots (4-5)

As the only undefeated team in the NFL, it’s not surprising that the Steelers hold the No. 1 seed. But with the way the Chiefs, a team that had a bye in Week 10, are playing right now, one loss for Pittsburgh would make the AFC so much more fascinating.

But the Wild Card race right now is just as intriguing. After the Ravens loss to New England on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, the Patriots are not only barely alive but Baltimore is just clinging onto a playoff spot. With the Browns and Titans owning the same record, this is going to be a dogfight down to the final week of the regular season. Tennessee could also still retake the AFC South from the Colts.

Just as fun will be the race between the Bills and Dolphins, currently slated to meet on Wild Card Weekend. But Miami is surging while Buffalo’s cracks in the armor have started to show. If Tua Tagovailoa and the Fins can stay hot, they could set up a Week 17 matchup with the Bills that would decide the AFC East winner.

NFL Playoff Bracket after Week 10: NFC

1 Green Bay Packers (7-2) – First-Round Bye
2 New Orleans Saints (7-2) vs. 7 Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
3 Arizona Cardinals (6-3) vs. 6 Los Angeles Rams (6-3)
4 Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1) vs. 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
In the Hunt: Chicago Bears (5-4), NFC East teams

Given how bunched together these teams in the NFC are, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the final seven weeks of the regular season play out. Wins and losses have never been more critical for positioning in the NFL Playoff bracket.

The Packers seem like a safe bet in the NFC North but a narrow win over the Jaguars makes you wonder how well they can hold up at the No. 1 seed. Then again, the NFC West is a battle royale right now as the “Hail Murray” propelled the Cardinals to the top of that division, though both the Seahawks and Rams still make it in as of now.

Though it may not be the most fun to talk about, the NFC East is now even more wide-open. The New York Giants are just a half-game back of the Eagles and the last-place Dallas Cowboys are only 1.5 games behind. Anything could happen there, though a loss on Wild Card Weekend surely awaits whichever team emerges from this dumpster fire.