Entering Sunday's games on October 18, Minnesota and San Francisco were 5–0, while Kansas City was 4–0. Buffalo, Baltimore and Jacksonville each stood at 4–1. These are pregame records, not standings after Week 6.
The NFC North offers an especially useful comparison: Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago each entered Sunday at 3–2 behind Minnesota. A single result can change the appearance of that group without deciding its eventual winner.
Look at the whole record
The Giants were 3–1–1 and Washington 1–3–1. Include the tie when comparing their records; a table that shows only wins and losses leaves out useful information.
Our reading approach is to compare teams within their division first, then examine the wider conference. Also note games played: bye weeks can make two teams' win totals look more comparable than they really are.
Keep October in perspective
An early lead creates room for error, not a guaranteed playoff berth. For a fuller picture, consider remaining opponents, availability and performance across several games rather than treating one Sunday's swing as a verdict.
The NFL standings link below is the reference for updated positions. This snapshot was checked before Sunday's kickoff.
