Disparity

The NFL schedule rotation brought the AFC North against the NFC South this year. One has feasted upon the other.

AFC North
7-3-1 Cincinnati      
7-4     Baltimore    
7-4     Pittsburgh    
7-4     Cleveland      

NFC South
4-7     Atlanta          
4-7     New Orleans
3-7-1  Carolina        
2-9     Tampa Bay    

It's pretty easy to see which division is doing the feasting. Every team wants to play the NFC South this year. The AFC South gets that treat. The NFC North gets the same treat but hasn't taken advantage of it quite as well. Two of the New Orleans Saints four wins have come against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. The other two Saints wins are division wins. All four of the Atlanta Falcons wins are division wins. The AFC North is 10-1-1 against the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers for that lone NFC South win. The Carolina Panthers and the Cincinnati Bengals ended their game with a 37-37 thriller. The NFC North is 7-4 against the NFC South. Not bad but nothing close to the domination of the AFC North over the NFC South. Never before has all of the teams in a division been three games over .500 at the same time. It's probably pretty rare that a team with only two wins through eleven games is still in the thick of a playoff chase. Some of the supposed experts had the Saints as a Super Bowl contender before the season. Considering the sad state of their division, the Saints getting into the tournament for the Super Bowl is a very real, even likely, possibility. Anything can happen once a team gets into that tournament. The Buccaneers still have a chance to get there. Very sad.

There are still five games to play. The Falcons, Saints, or Panthers could put it all together in that time and end the season with a winning record. One of them would have to win all five of those games but the possibility is there. It would be a real surprise but it's possible. It's also very possible that two, maybe even three, AFC South teams with winning records will be sitting at home watching the playoffs. Sitting at home watching a team with a losing record, a team that they pummeled, still playing football.