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No professional sports organization promotes parity like the NFL: it's their core marketing message. Yet following the first ten matchups in this campaign, this isn’t a league that is equally balanced among elite teams, poor performers, and average squads. Instead, it's a scenario where most of the league is simply adequate.

Clear Picture in NFC

In the NFC, for the most part, we see clearer definition. Los Angeles and Seattle (both standing at seven wins, two losses) seem like the most balanced franchises across the league, and delivered blowout wins during Sunday's action. The 6-2 Eagles despite their struggles still have among the most gifted lineups in the league, comparable to Green Bay (five wins, two losses, one tie). Even the Lions (6-3), with their fluctuating form along both lines of scrimmage and navigating tension on their coaching staff, have shown they're capable of dominating good teams. For all five, one can readily envision a route to the final game.

AFC Confusion

Turning to the American Football Conference, postseason landscape is a jumbled mess. The four teams leading their divisions at this stage: the Colts, Patriots, Broncos (each with 8-2 records) and the Steelers (5-4 record). Read that again. Not the Chiefs. Buffalo is missing. Not the Ravens or Bengals. The traditional powers, supported by the league’s best quarterbacks, possess either obvious team deficiencies or have been hit by injuries.

Parity Mechanics

To some extent, this represents the NFL's perfect scenario. But watching this season's top AFC teams in the AFC continues to seem unusual. Aspects of each franchise pass the championship smell test, yet not completely. Were you questioned to finalize your AFC title game selections today, could you assuredly pick any of these four teams?

Team Breakdowns

Indianapolis Colts

Starting in Indianapolis, their quarterback hasn’t quite reached pumpkin status. Yet the past two games have caused alarm. He has returned to committing turnovers and struggling against pressure. He suffered seven sacks versus Atlanta during Sunday's contest, and experienced a brief period where he delivered a pick and coughed up the ball thrice. This is a week after he gave away possessions on five occasions versus Pittsburgh.

The Colts attack thrived early in the season since Jones evaded the disaster plays. Taylor along with the blockers make the Colts capable of overcoming occasional setbacks, like their German performance. However, if Jones reverts to his historically mistake-heavy play would terminate any playoff run.

New England Analysis

New England appears relatively comparable. A year ago, they were league laughingstocks. Now, they’re the league’s happiest surprise and the most successful franchise in football post seven wins in a row. Had it not been for losing due to fumbles a contest they should have won against Pittsburgh, they'd possess a 9-1 record with the best record. In the prior year, they seemed veteran and plodding. Today they appear young, fast and unafraid. Still, it’s hard to ignore the ease of the Patriots' matchups. They've played against the least challenging lineup in the league, and flaws have still emerged. Drake Maye has been brought down thirty-five times – the second-most in football – and some of the shots he endured during the game were vicious. With continued play, those beatings accumulate.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos hold also 8-2, and the perception remains as if they’re holding their breath. The Denver signal-caller has been erratic, and the offensive unit laboring, with the defense doing the majority of the work. Without serviceable quarterback play, the Broncos aren’t scaring playoff opponents. The Chargers are also hovering in the Western division at 7-2, but the injuries within their blocking corps will present challenges to achieve championship contention.

Pittsburgh Steelers

And then there’s Pittsburgh, somehow still leading the AFC North despite being thumped a decisive loss to Los Angeles in the evening game. Their scoring margin remains negative, their defensive unit frequently falters, and Aaron Rodgers’ limitations given his veteran status continue to show up. They maintain a 5-4 record while surviving, however, the Ravens, featuring a recovered Jackson and facing easier opponents, are riding a three-game streak. We shouldn't be completely astonished that Baltimore has closed the gap to just one game, though the speed of this shift highlights deficiencies within Pittsburgh’s inconsistencies. That the Ravens started the season 1-5 and still look like capable of division victory reveals much about the conference as a whole.

Traditional Powers

The Ravens represent a segment among three elite teams – joined by Buffalo and Kansas City – driven by elite quarterback play, who could still create the greatest concern among competitors should they reach postseason. They represent undesirable playoff matchups, yet Kansas City and Buffalo cannot get out of their own way.

Bills Struggles

Previously, Buffalo was celebrating after beating the Chiefs. During Sunday's action they experienced one of the most disappointing losses during the campaign. They didn't simply fail to the Dolphins; they suffered humiliation, falling 30-13 on the road. It was Miami’s first win versus Buffalo in more than 1,000 days.

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