The NFL season is in full swing. Some teams have made their mark and are well on the way to the playoffs; others have not fared so well. Here is a link to the NFL standings and the cases for some of the teams on the edge of playoff contention:                     

NFL standings: http://www.nfl.com/standings

The main teams in playoff contention in the NFC, who are not currently in the playoff picture would be the Seahawks, Falcons and Lions.

The Seahawks are only one game behind the division leader, the Rams, and they will try to return to their winning ways after a three point loss to the Redskins last Sunday. Before their loss to the Redskins on Sunday, the Seahawks won four straight games.

One of the two teams that made the Super Bowl last season was the Falcons. After winning their first three games of the regular season, the Falcons have dropped four of their last five. If the Falcons continue to play like they have in the past couple weeks, they will not return the playoffs in the already tough NFC.

The final team that is on the edge of the playoff picture would be the Lions. After defeating the Packers in Green Bay, the Lions will look to continue stringing together wins to get back to the playoffs. There is not much competition ahead for the Lions; only one team, the Vikings, who they have previously beaten, have a win percentage above .500.

Compared to the NFC, there is not as much contention for playoff spots in the AFC. The two teams in the AFC who are “in the hunt” and have the best chance to make the playoffs would be the Raiders and the Dolphins.

The Raiders have not played as well as they did last year, even with quarterback Derek Carr back from injury. The majority of the Raiders’ wins have been by just a couple of points. If they can continue to get wins, even if they are only by a couple points, they will be able to make the playoffs in a weak AFC.

The Dolphins have also won the majority of their games by only a slim margin like the Raiders. They are wins, nonetheless. In a tough division, including the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Patriots, the Dolphins will look to claim a wildcard spot in the AFC.

These are the cases for some of the teams that are on the edge of the playoffs. Who knows, maybe a new team will emerge into playoff contention.