Why, you ask? Well, the Minnesota Vikings are now firmly in the mix. The club went into Ford Field and took down the Detroit Lions, 27-24. On top of simply notching a divisional win, the key development in this game and what makes the victory hold bigger ramifications for the second half was the return of J.J. McCarthy .

With the 2025 NFL season at the midway point, every game takes on even greater significance as the playoff picture takes shape.

The Colts have looked like a machine for most of this year. Coming into Sunday, they were leading the league in almost every offensive category, with Jonathan Taylor looking like

The Packers are on top of the North at 5-2-1, followed closely by the Bears and Lions at 5-3 and the Vikings at 4-4. It's the only division in the NFL in which every team is .500 or better.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/browns/onsi as Where the Browns stand in updated AFC North standings after their bye. Save for a last second meltdown of epic proportions, the bye at Week 9 didn’t really do the Cleveland Browns many favors.

The 2025 season has turned into one of the most unpredictable years in recent NFL history. The Chiefs have won the AFC West nine straight times but enter Week 10 in third place. The Bills have won every AFC East title since 2020 but currently look up at the Patriots in the standings.

The Green Bay Packers have won three consecutive games after the bye week, beating the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The team is now 5-1-1 in the season, in the first place of the NFC North Division and first seed in the NFC.