Separation in the AFC, a jumble in the NFC

The East is intriguing with no teams under .500, and there remain five head-to-head matchups among the Cowboys, Redskins, Giants and Eagles.

Maybe the surest bet in the entire league is that the Browns and 49ers will bumble it out for the top overall draft pick.

The Dolphins, riding a five-game winning streak, are in the wild-card mix, with their only opponent that currently owns a winning mark being the Patriots in the finale.

Who knows, the Raiders could challenge the Patriots for home-field advantage throughout the AFC postseason.

That not only makes for an intriguing December in the AFC West, but perhaps a wild scramble with the defending NFL champion Broncos (7-3) and the usually study but currently injury-prone Chiefs (7-3).

At 10-1, with a dynamic offense led by rookie stars Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott and the league's best line, they seem destined to win this highly competitive division.

The stumbling block could be the Giants (7-3), whose five-game winning string pales compared to Dallas' 10-gamer.

The Lions' big win on Thanksgiving — yet another comeback success — gave them a sweep of the Vikings, and a clear path to their first division crown since 1993.

Russell Wilson has the look of an MVP candidate, and the Seahawks' passing offense is formidable.

The rest of the West is hard to look at, especially the Cardinals (4-5-1), a club many called the most talented in the NFL back in September.