NFL · 1 hour ago

Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Right Now: Going Into Week 8

Frank LaBella

Host · Writer

Where Does Your Team Stand?
Suddenly, it's the middle of the season, and things get serious. Mistakes turn into key losses, and divisions can slip away in the blink of an eye.

How is your team looking this season? Do you think they'll win their division? Did we miss the mark with any of our picks? Let us know in the comments!
Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Right Now: Going Into Week 8
Seven weeks of football have passed, and the NFL continues to shake up. Only one team remains undefeated, and division leaders are no longer comfortable. With a long way to go still, let's predict who will control each of the eight divisions when all is said and done this season.
AFC East Winner
Another year Buffalo stays in Super Bowl contention and remains at the top of the East.

Buffalo Bills Team Profile
- Head Coach: Joe Brady
- Offensive Coordinator: Pete Carmichael
- Defensive Coordinator: Jim Leonhard
- Stadium: Highmark Stadium
- 2026 Record: 5-1
AFC East Winner: Buffalo Bills

Sure, Josh Allen doesn't have a Super Bowl, but he has the Bills in the running every year, and that won't change anytime soon as long as he's still their quarterback. It's another season where the receiving options aren't pretty, but the MVP-level magic comes to life. What seems to hold Buffalo back is its defense. While it allows the third-most points per game and the second-most yards per game, the defense has held opponents under 25 points just once in six games. An explosive offense is phenomenal, but it competes with a defense that isn't putting up much of a fight.

The AFC East is one of the divisions with only two relevant teams right now. It's obviously a race between Buffalo and New England, who had much better success offensively last season. Truthfully, if this season's acquisition, A.J. Brown, can figure out how to catch again, the Patriots can serve as a threat.
AFC North Winner
The AFC North looks absurd after seven weeks, and Pittsburgh is rolling.

Pittsburgh Steelers Team Profile
- Head Coach: Mike McCarthy
- Offensive Coordinator:
- Briam Angelichio
- Defensive Coordinator: Patrick Graham
- Stadium: Acrisure Stadium
- 2026 Record: 5-2
AFC North Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

It's a legacy run for a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers this season, and he's making the most of his reunion with his coach Mike McCarthy. Pittsburgh has an underrated set of tools offensively, with names like D.K. Metcalf, Germie Bernard, and Jaylen Warren, who has boosted himself in the running back conversation this season in a backfield he can finally call his. Everything seems to be going smoothly for this team right now, with sights of Rodgers using his legs even appearing on your television screen.

Few fans expected the AFC North to have four teams above .500 through seven weeks. Yes, that's primarily a shot at the Cleveland Browns. All cards are on the table in this division right now, with the edge is slightly with Pittsburgh, which continues to win the tough battles.
AFC South Winner
Jacksonville remains comfortable in the AFC South, and things aren't changing.

Jacksonville Jaguars Team Profile
- Head Coach: Liam Coen
- Offensive Coordinator: Grant Udinski
- Defensive Coordinator: Anthony Campanile
- Stadium: EverBank Stadium
- 2026 Record: 4-2
AFC South Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars really are one of the more complete teams in football. When everything clicks, all sides of the ball are electric. Especially on defense, teams struggle against them, as they rank top three in rushing yards allowed and total points allowed.

A few weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that anyone in this division could come close to Jacksonville, and the gap hasn't narrowed. When three teams in the division have five losses in seven weeks, it says a lot about the quality of play. Houston looks like the only squad with a realistic chance of standing in the way, and they still keep missing the gas pedal.
AFC West Winner
Kansas City is holding on tight to the throne in the AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs Team Profile
- Head Coach: Andy Reid
- Offensive Coordinator: Eric Bieniemy
- Defensive Coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo
- Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium
- 2026 Record: 5-1
AFC West Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

For as long as you can remember, it's been hard to find a team more intriguing to watch than a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs offense, even during their rough patches. This season, Steve Spagnuolo has turned up the intensity, and Kansas City now has a top-two defense, allowing just 17.2 points per game. Kenneth Walker has ignited a run game that Patrick Mahomes has never quite seen, and the offense has looked great, for the most part.

Sunday Night Football didn't treat Kansas City kindly, as they lost by 17 points to the reigning Super Bowl champions. It's a tough pill to swallow, but this team isn't quite where it once was, though it can still hang with the big dogs, usually. Without overreacting, the Chiefs are still in first place in the division and just have to worry about a streaking Denver group.
NFC East Winner
Quarterback injuries have brought us to this point in the NFC East, and the second half will be painful for all four teams.

Dallas Cowboys Team Profile
- Head Coach: Brian Schottenheimer
- Offensive Coordinator: Klayton Adams
- Defensive Coordinator: Christian Parker
- Stadium: AT&T Stadium
- 2026 Record: 3-4
NFC East Winner: Dallas Cowboys

There may not be a more middle-ground NFL team than the Dallas Cowboys. They allow 374 yards and 26 points per game, but put up 354 yards and 27 points of their own. The receiving duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens is probably the best around when the connection is hot, or when Lamb does it on his own: he recorded a franchise high with 17 catches in a single game.

As in the last few weeks, this division keeps flipping between poor football and majestic wins. If not for the quarterback situation in New York, they would be the likely favorite here, but the question is whether J.J. McCarthy can sustain his success. In Philadelphia, the Jalen Hurts news felt like a dagger to their season, but the stars are still there, and they could still put together some decent games.
NFC North Winner
The NFC North sure is talented, but Dan Campbell's team can rise to the top.

Detroit Lions Team Profile
- Head Coach: Dan Campbell
- Offensive Coordinator: Drew Petzing
- Defensive Coordinator: Kelvin Sheppard
- Stadium: Ford Field
- 2026 Record: 4-2
NFC North Winner: Detroit Lions

Pure dominance is the only way to describe the Detroit offense. Even without Ben Johnson coordinating all the fun, they rank top two in yards per game and points per game. The firepower is endless on that side of the ball, and they have arguably the league's most talented back in Jahmyr Gibbs, who thrives on the ground and in the air. Time after time, this defense disappoints, and it's the only thing keeping them in third place through seven weeks. The defense gets particularly mauled in the passing game, allowing a league-high 291 yards per game.

Detroit has to tighten up fast, as Chicago is starting to light its own flame. Additionally, the league's only undefeated team sits in this division, though, quite frankly, they aren't as impressive. Minnesota's defense is remarkable, but it masks a team that ranks fourth-worst in yards per game. Green Bay is also starting to put it together offensively, but Detroit showed them last week where they stand.
NFC South Winner
The Atlanta Falcons have a chance to do what they haven't since 2016: topple the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons Team Profile
- Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski
- Offensive Coordinator: Tommy Rees
- Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Ulbrich
- Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- 2026 Record: 3-4
NFC South Winner: Atlanta Falcons

If you lost in your Survivor pool in the first seven weeks of the season, there's a fairly high chance it was because of an NFC South team. This division is unpredictable, and no team has four wins yet. You may not have much confidence in the Atlanta quarterback room, but they've beaten some serious competition so far, most recently the San Francisco 49ers.

It's really not hard to see any team in this division rising to the top, considering no one is more than two games behind. Carolina just can't stay hot despite a few incredible offensive outputs. Tampa Bay and New Orleans seem to be strolling in polar opposite directions. The Saints started well and are now losing the sauce, while Baker Mayfield has returned from injury and is showing real potential to turn the Buccaneers' season around. It may be slightly late at this point simply because of how good Atlanta is looking.
NFC West Winner
Just because they finally lost a game doesn't mean the 49ers aren't the team to beat.

San Francisco 49ers Team Profile
- Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan
- Offensive Coordinator: Klay Bubiak
- Defensive Coordinator: Raheem Morris
- Stadium: Levi's Stadium
- 2026 Record: 6-1
NFC West Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Yes, this is still probably the best team in football, despite an undefeated team out there. While scoring 28 points per game, they allow fewer than 20 points per game defensively. Was it expected that they would let their undefeated record crumble to the Atlanta Falcons on a random Sunday? Not really, but that doesn't change the fact that their weapons are impressive, injury-ridden as they are, and their defense is impeccable.

As usual, the NFC West is a juggernaut, and it's starting to come alive. Seattle got a massive win over Kansas City and is hungry to take on anyone. The Rams, though, have a much higher ceiling than they've shown, but they're still trekking along in search of at least a Wild Card spot. Furthermore, Arizona is winning games no one expected them to win. So, nothing is guaranteed in this shootout of a division, but the reins still have to be handed to what looks like the best team in the NFL.
Where Does Your Team Stand?
Suddenly, it's the middle of the season, and things get serious. Mistakes turn into key losses, and divisions can slip away in the blink of an eye.

How is your team looking this season? Do you think they'll win their division? Did we miss the mark with any of our picks? Let us know in the comments!
Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Right Now: Going Into Week 8
Seven weeks of football have passed, and the NFL continues to shake up. Only one team remains undefeated, and division leaders are no longer comfortable. With a long way to go still, let's predict who will control each of the eight divisions when all is said and done this season.

Predicting the 8 NFL Division Winners Right Now: Going Into Week 8

Buffalo Bills Team Profile

AFC East Winner: Buffalo Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers Team Profile

AFC North Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars Team Profile

AFC South Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs Team Profile

AFC West Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Dallas Cowboys Team Profile

NFC East Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions Team Profile

NFC North Winner: Detroit Lions

Atlanta Falcons Team Profile

NFC South Winner: Atlanta Falcons

San Francisco 49ers Team Profile

NFC West Winner: San Francisco 49ers

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES

EDITOR'S PICKS

BETTING NEWS

FUTURES