Separating the NFL’s contenders, pretenders and draft-pick dreamers — and what’s ahead in unpredictable season

As we head into the Week 9 midway turn of another NFL season, the league has been filled with surprise storylines in both directions.

Look no further than the first-place, deadline-buyer Giants and the already-out-of-it Jets, landing on clearly divergent paths.

Here is a breakdown of every NFL team, sorted into four distinct categories, and what their status is as they head into the back nine in 2026.

Bills (6-1): Buffalo will cruise into the playoffs behind MVP-caliber QB Josh Allen, but no NFL team has more to prove come playoff time.

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