The NFL standings heading into Week 12 has the Patriots and Carolina Panthers undefeated at 10-0 after New England won against the Bills on Monday night. The wild card races in the AFC and NFC are crowded with a number of teams in contention, while the division leaders include the Pats, Panthers, Giants, Bengals, Green Bay, Broncos, Colts and Cardinals.
The Patriots have a big lead in the AFC East after winning over the Bills and they basically have the division title locked up after improving to 10-0 this season. The Panthers are also 10-0 and they will face off against the Cowboys on Thursday to see if they can stay undefeated. According to the Associated Press, the Panthers actually come into that game as underdogs based on the gambling point spread and head coach Ron Rivera called that "a little disrespectful" heading into the week.
The Patriots lead the Bills at 10-0 and both Buffalo and the New York Jets come in art 5-5 on the season. Buffalo has a head to head win over the Jets and the two teams will play to finish the season, while the Dolphins are in fourth place at 4-6 this season. The Bengals are leading the AFC North over the Steelers with an 8-2 record, while Pitt comes in ahead of the Ravens and Browns at 6-4 on the season. The Bengals have lost two in a row since starting 8-0.
The AFC South has been a weak division and the Colts are 5-5 along with the Texans and that could be a close race the rest of the season. The Jaguars are alive at 4-6 and remain in the wild card hunt, while the Titans are 2-8 on the season after losing to the Jags on Thursday night. The AFC West has the Broncos at 8-2, but the Chiefs have been one of the hottest teams in football and have won four in a row to improve to 5-5 ahead of the Raiders (4-6) and the Chargers (2-8).
The Giants remain in first place in the NFC East at 5-5 over the Redskins and Eagles, who are both 4-6, while the Cowboys are now 3-7 after snapping a seven game losing streak. The division title is up for grabs and the Cowboys feel they can go on a run with Tony Romo back. The NFC North is a close race and the Packers now lead the Vikings at 7-3 after winning last week against Minnesota. The Vikings are also 7-3 and they are in ahead of the Bears (4-6) and the Lions (3-7).
The Panthers lead the Falcons at 10-0 in the NFC South, while Atlanta is 6-4 ahead of the Buccaneers (5-5) and Saints (4-6). The NFC West has the Cardinals leading at 8-2, while Seattle is next at 5-5 ahead of the Rams at 4-6 and the 49ers are 3-7. The current playoff picture in the AFC has the Pats, Bengals, Broncos and Colts as division leaders, while the Steelers and Chiefs are in wild card position. The NFC has the Panthers, Cardinals, Packers and Giants as division leaders, while the Vikings and Falcons are the wild card teams heading into Week 12.
Check here for the NFL standings and playoff standings into Week 12.