On that playoff possibitliy note: here's a computer simulated projection for the odds of various teams for the playoffs (following week 9). It's click-bait, with some subjective calculations involved.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2022-nfl-playoff-picture-here-are-the-projected-postseason-chances-for-all-32-teams-heading-into-week-10/NFC Playoff Projection
1. (NFC East Champion)
Eagles
The Eagles are the 29th team in the Super Bowl era to start 8-0 and the previous 28 all made the playoffs, which is probably why the computer view Philadelphia as a lock to get in. The Eagles currently have a 99.9% chance of getting to the postseason, which is currently the highest of any team. However, they're not a total lock to win the division: According to SportsLine, the Eagles have an 85.9% chance of winning the NFC East, which is waaaaaay ahead of the Cowboys (7.6%) and Giants (6.5%),
2. (NFC North Champion)
Vikings
Halfway through the season, the computer only views one team as an absolute lock to win its division and that team is the Minnesota Vikings (7-1). According to SportsLine, the Vikings have a 99.5% chance of winning the NFC North, which is the highest percentage of any division-leader in the NFL. Of course, Vikings fans probably don't feel too comfortable considering this team once started 5-0 and didn't make the playoffs (2016).
3. (NFC West Champion)
Seahawks
The Seahawks (6-3) are one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season and the computer thinks they're going to be able to ride this surprise all the way to the playoffs. According to SportsLine, the Seahawks have a 92.7% chance of getting to the postseason.
4. (NFC South Champion)
Buccaneers
The NFC South is the ugliest division in football right now and although the Bucs are currently tied for first with the Falcons, the computer thinks Tampa Bay (4-5) will end up running away with it. According to SportsLine, the Buccaneers have a 74.4% chance of winning the division. One thing working in the Buccaneers' favor is that they have the NFL's fourth-easiest schedule over the second half of the season. The Falcons have the second-easiest, but the computer thinks that Tampa Bay is a better team.
5. Wild Card 1
Cowboys
The Cowboys (6-2) haven't made consecutive trips to the playoffs since 2006 and 2007, but the computer thinks that drought is going to end this year. According to SportsLine, the Cowboys have a 97.9% chance of getting into the postseason, which is the highest percentage in the NFL for any non-division leading team.
6. Wild Card 2
Giants
The Giants haven't made the playoffs since 2016, but the computer thinks the drought is going to end this year. According to SportsLine, the Giants have a 92% chance of getting into the postseason. The computer likes the Giants' chances despite the fact that New York has the fourth-toughest remaining strength of schedule of any team in the NFL.
7. Wild Card 3
49ers
The 49ers are being given a 73.7% chance of getting in the postseason and the notable part here is that no other team below them is even being given a 25% chance. The computer doesn't seem to think that there's really a dark horse contender in the NFC. With nine weeks left to play in the season, this might sound crazy to say, but the computer thinks that all seven NFC playoff spots are more or less locked up.
Here's a list of the playoff chances for all the other NFC teams (their percentage chances of getting into the playoffs is listed next to them in parentheses): Falcons (22.6%), Saints (12.8%), Rams (9.9%), Commanders (7%), Packers (6.4%), Cardinals (4.9%), Bears (2%), Panthers (1.4%), Lions (0.6%).
