NFC North Could Send All Four Teams to the Playoffs

The NFC North strengthened its case as the NFL’s top division in Week 8. Green Bay beat Carolina, Detroit handed previously unbeaten Minnesota its first loss, and Chicago closed the week with a decisive victory over reigning champion Seattle. The division’s teams are 22-8 overall and 17-3 against opponents outside the division through eight weeks.

The overall record is the NFL’s best this season and the third-best by any division through Week 8 since the 1970 merger. The 17-3 mark against non-division teams is the best such start over that span, excluding the strike-affected 1982 season. Even last-place Green Bay is 5-3, a stronger record than every NFC East and NFC South team and all but one NFC West team.

SportsLine projections put Minnesota’s playoff chances at 88%, Chicago’s at 87%, Detroit’s at 83% and Green Bay’s at 56%. Multiplying those estimates gives the division about a 36% chance of placing all four teams in the postseason. If the playoffs began now, all four would qualify.

Since the NFL realigned to four divisions per conference in 2002, no division has sent four teams to the playoffs. The expanded, seven-team playoff format has made it possible since 2020. The 2023 AFC North came close, but Cincinnati finished 9-8 and missed out as the conference’s eighth seed.

The main immediate obstacle is Seattle, which has a projected 58% chance of reaching the playoffs and an upcoming schedule that includes the Cardinals, Raiders, Cowboys and Giants in four of its next five games. The NFC North’s own teams also have questions to answer: Green Bay is gaining 60.6 yards on the ground per game, while Minnesota’s offense, Detroit’s defense and Chicago’s secondary remain concerns. The Rams are another potential contender, with Myles Garrett expected back at practice on November 3.