The NFL season hits its unofficial midway point this weekend, and for teams hoping to stay relevant over the final two months of the regular season, the margin for error is shrinking fast. Using SportsLine's projections, here is a look at the five most important games on the schedule and what their outcomes could mean for the playoff picture.
No division has been better or more competitive than the NFC North, where the last-place team, the 5-3 Packers, would still be in the playoffs if they started this week. The NFC North has a chance to become the first division in the current conference alignment to send four teams to the postseason, but with difficult in-division games ahead, none of its members can afford many slip-ups outside the division. Green Bay has done a terrific job rallying from an uninspiring 1-2 start, though its position remains precarious.
Packers at Patriots, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox: After unsteady starts from both teams, the Patriots and Packers would each be in the playoffs if they began now, but only as the No. 7 seeds in their respective conferences. That makes this meeting of big-play quarterbacks Jordan Love and Drake Maye a huge one. New England faces a tough upcoming stretch featuring the Packers, Lions, Chargers, Bills, Vikings and Chiefs, while Green Bay gets the Patriots, Vikings and Rams. One of these teams will enter the second half feeling very good, and the other will not.
Rams at Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on Fox: It is not quite an elimination game, but the 4-4 Rams dropping below .500 would be a massive blow for the preseason Super Bowl favorites. Los Angeles has won two straight and should make it three in a row, and there simply is not enough room for error left, especially in games where the Rams are favored. Washington is sticking around in the lowly NFC East, with a crucial Week 10 game against the Giants ahead, but an upset here would give its postseason hopes a nice boost.
Buccaneers at Bears, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC: For the third straight week, the Bears are in primetime, and if it goes half as well as their statement blowout of the Seahawks on Monday night, Chicago will win its fourth straight and move to 7-2. But it would be a mistake to hand this one to Caleb Williams and company. Tampa Bay has won three of four after a nightmarish 0-4 start and now looks like a potential frontrunner in the NFC South, a turnaround fueled by a dominant running game and terrific defense. Both teams sit in competitive division races for very different reasons: the NFC North is historically great, while the NFC South is awful.
Cardinals at Seahawks, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox: Similar to the Rams, the 4-4 Seahawks would not be finished with a loss, but it would be a devastating early blow. The reigning champions simply have to take care of business in games like this, because a slow start means their backs are already getting close to the wall by November. Arizona is looking to play spoiler, and last week's Gardner Minshew-led comeback win over the Cowboys showed the Cardinals are more than happy to do exactly that. Seattle's defense, though, is an entirely different beast.
Bengals at Falcons in Spain, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network: The NFL's international games resume after a one-week break, and it is a big chance for both teams. Cincinnati can keep pace in the AFC North, while Atlanta can get back into the win column and stay in the thick of the NFC South race. With both the Buccaneers, who visit the Bears, and the Panthers, who host the Broncos, facing tough tasks, a Falcons victory abroad would be a huge result.
