But a good portion of the league (13 teams) is still caught in the parity-laden middle with records ranging from 8-5 to 6-7.  So with only three games remaining in the season, there is little time left for the “Contenders” and “Pretenders” to sort themselves out before the playoffs, as only nine playoff berths remain. 

Though “mathematically” there are still a lot of teams in contention for the NFL’s remaining nine playoff spots, I believe after Week 15, the league will have a much clearer playoff picture.  With only two division races still really up for grabs (AFC East and NFC East), the real fun will be the fight for the wild card berths in both the AFC and NFC.