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No professional sports organization sells competitive balance in the manner of the NFL: it’s the entire brand. But through 10 weeks in this campaign, this is not a competition featuring uniform distribution between the good, the bad and the mediocre. It’s one where the bulk of franchises is simply adequate.

NFC Standings Definition

In the NFC, to some degree, there is some clarity. The Rams along with the Seahawks (both standing at seven wins, two losses) look like the most balanced franchises in football, and delivered overwhelming triumphs in their weekend matchups. The Eagles with six wins despite their struggles still have one of the most talented rosters throughout football, similar to the Packers franchise (5-2-1). The Lions also (six and three), despite their uneven performances on offense and defense and navigating tension on their coaching staff, have shown they're capable of dominating quality opponents. For all five, it's straightforward to construct a championship trajectory.

AFC Playoff Chaos

Turning to the American Football Conference, the playoff picture is thoroughly confusing. Your four division leaders at this stage: Indianapolis, New England, Denver (each with 8-2 records) and the Steelers (five wins, four losses). Read that again. Kansas City isn't there. No Bills inclusion. Not the Ravens or Bengals. Historically strong franchises, featuring the league’s best quarterbacks, display either glaring roster weaknesses or have been hit by injuries.

League Equality Design

In some ways, this represents the NFL's perfect scenario. However, witnessing the current division frontrunners in the American Football Conference remains somewhat odd. Areas of each team meet championship standards, yet not completely. If someone requested to commit to your AFC Championship game picks at this moment, would you confidently pick any of the four division leaders?

Franchise Analysis

Colts Situation

Starting in Indianapolis, Daniel Jones hasn’t quite reached pumpkin status. Yet the past two games have been worrying. He’s back to committing turnovers and failing against blitzes. He took seven sacks versus Atlanta in the weekend game, and experienced a five-minute stretch during which he tossed an interception and lost three fumbles. This follows he committed turnovers five separate times versus Pittsburgh.

The Colts attack performed well initially as Jones prevented the disaster plays. Jonathan Taylor and the offensive line mean the Colts are capable of overcoming periodic mistakes, as demonstrated overseas. Yet Jones going back to his historically mistake-heavy play would finish postseason aspirations.

New England Analysis

The Patriots seem fairly alike. A year ago, they were league laughingstocks. Currently, they represent football's most unexpected success and the hottest team in the NFL post seven wins in a row. Had it not been for losing due to fumbles a winnable game facing Pittsburgh, they'd possess nine wins, one loss as the league's best. Last season, they were old and slow. Now they’re youthful, quick and confident. Nevertheless, one cannot overlook the ease of the Patriots' matchups. They've encountered the least challenging lineup throughout football, and there have still been cracks. Their quarterback has been brought down on 35 occasions – among the highest totals – with several hits he suffered last weekend proved brutal. Over time, that punishment compounds.

Denver Analysis

Denver stands at eight wins similarly, and it still feels that they're barely surviving. Their quarterback has shown inconsistency, and the offensive unit laboring, while the defensive unit provides most of the responsibility. Lacking competent QB performance, the Broncos aren’t scaring any playoff team. The Chargers are also contending in the AFC West with seven wins, but the injuries affecting their protection unit will present challenges to achieve championship contention.

Pittsburgh Situation

And then there’s Pittsburgh, inexplicably frontrunning their division even after suffering a decisive loss to Los Angeles in the evening game. Their scoring margin remains negative, their defense regularly vanishes, and the QB's current constraints given his veteran status regularly manifest. They maintain a 5-4 record while surviving, however, the Ravens, with their QB returning to health and the schedule softening, are riding a three-game streak. We shouldn't be completely astonished that the Ravens have narrowed to within one game of Pittsburgh, though the speed of this shift represents criticism toward Pittsburgh’s inconsistencies. Considering the Ravens opened losing five of six and still look like they should win the division speaks volumes regarding the conference as a whole.

Traditional Powers

The Ravens represent a segment of the Big Three – alongside the Bills and Chiefs – powered by their MVP quarterbacks, that would continue to generate the most fear among competitors if they qualified. They represent undesirable playoff matchups, however, both franchises cannot get out of their own way.

Bills Struggles

Last week, Buffalo was celebrating post Chiefs triumph. On Sunday they suffered among the season's worst defeats this year. They didn't merely fall to the Dolphins; they looked terrible, falling 30-13 on the road. The Dolphins secured their first triumph over the Bills in more than 1,000 days.

For those searching for a perfect summary of Sunday, here you go: Allen transforming {a quarterback sneak|a short-yardage play|a sneak attempt