The midpoint of this elongated regular season is upon us, and the two conferences have charged ahead along divergent paths.
In the N.F.C., just five teams — the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys — are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. There’s more parity in the A.F.C., where the 7-2 Titans have the best record, pacing nine other teams with respectable odds of playing in the N.F.L.’s final game of the season.
That logjam should start to clear Sunday, when Las Vegas and Kansas City will try to gain ground in the A.