It’s hard to believe we’re already in the home stretch of the NFL season with only eight weeks to go.

In this week's edition of The NFL From A to Z, we take a look at a few fringe playoff teams that fans shouldn’t give up on, while examining a few squads that may be paper tigers. We also have Week 11 bets, injury updates and more news from around the league.

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—Wes Roesch, Newsletter Editor at A to Z Sports

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3 teams to stick with in the second half of the season, and 3 teams to bail on

We may think we know what the NFL playoff bracket will look like, but don’t be so sure just yet. November and December are the months when some teams find their identity and lock in, while others that got off to a good start may crumble under the pressure. This week I’ll highlight three teams that I think still have a shot to make a run for the playoffs, and three squads that probably aren’t as strong of contenders as their record suggests.

Stick with: Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)

Cincinnati has had a strange season so far. Considered a Super Bowl-contending team in the preseason, the Bengals began 0-3 and have tried to climb out of that hole all season. They’ve gone 4-3 since then, with two very close losses against the Baltimore Ravens.

Luckily for Cincy, its schedule lightens up a bit in the final months of the season. The Bengals have winnable games against the Dallas Cowboys (with no Dak Prescott), Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. The real test, though, will be what they can do in two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, plus games against two fringe wild-card teams in the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos. Winning those winnable games and splitting in the tougher games would put the Bengals at 9-8, which could be enough to squeeze into the playoffs as a wild-card team. And once you’re in the tournament, anything can happen.

Bail on: Denver Broncos (5-5)

Don’t get me wrong, the Broncos have looked good several times this season. Quarterback Bo Nix is playing very well in his rookie season, and Denver’s defense is among the strongest in the NFL. But, despite Nix’s positive development, the offense isn’t quite there yet. Sure, Denver has beaten up on weaker squads like the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, but has lost to stronger teams this year like the Ravens, Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs.

These final months will be make or break for the Broncos, who have upcoming games against the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, Bengals and Chiefs. They’ll need to win at least one of those games in order to stay above .500 and remain a playoff contender. Even if Denver does sneak into the playoffs, I don’t see them making much noise against a strong group of contenders in the AFC.

Stick with: San Francisco 49ers (5-4)

The injury bug has decimated the Niners this season, and yet they’ve managed to stay above .500. Now, they have running back Christian McCaffrey back in the mix and are healing up as a team, plus rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall is starting to break out.

Down the stretch, the 49ers have some tough games against the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, but also have some winnable games against the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins. I could see San Francisco going 5-3 or 4-4 down the stretch, finishing 10-7 or 9-8 which might be enough to win the NFC West. That Week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals might be the key to winning the division.

Bail on: Houston Texans (6-4)

The Texans were expected to be a Super Bowl contender this year, but those hopes may have been a bit too high after they dropped three of their last four games. Two of those losses were against strong teams (Green Bay, Detroit), but those games showed that Houston isn’t quite ready to hang with the big dogs.

The Texans are still good enough to make the playoffs rather easily. Plus, they have a ton of favorable matchups left on their schedule, and have wideout Nico Collins set to return to the offense. However, their offensive line has been unreliable, allowing QB C.J. Stroud to be sacked 34 times this season, behind only Bears QB Caleb Williams (38) for the most in the NFL. Once the Texans reach the playoffs, it seems likely that they’ll get bounced by one of the stronger contenders like the Chiefs, Bills or Ravens.

Stick with: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)

It’s been a tough season for the Bucs, who have lost four-straight games after starting with a hopeful 4-2 record. Three of those four losses were very close, too, including a down-to-the-wire overtime loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

The Bucs are on a bye in Week 11, allowing them to rest up and get right. Meanwhile, the team should bring back wideout Mike Evans in Week 12, providing a huge boost to the offense. Down the stretch, six of the Bucs’ seven remaining opponents have just three wins or fewer, with the Chargers as the only winning squad left. It’ll be tough for Tampa to win the NFC South with two losses (and therefore, no tiebreaker) vs. the Falcons, but the Bucs could slip into the wild-card picture at 9-8 or 10-7 if they can beat up on these weaker teams left on their schedule.

Bail on: Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

The Falcons will need to stay on their A-game to avoid slipping up and allowing the Bucs to catch up. Having two wins over the Bucs certainly helps, but the Falcons still have to play the Broncos, Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. Atlanta just lost a close one against a beatable Saints team, so they really can’t afford to drop any more winnable games down the stretch.

Even if the Falcons do make the playoffs, which it looks like they will, do we think they can compete as a realistic contender? Maybe — they do have a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles — but I don’t think their defense is strong enough to carry them deep into the postseason. Their pass rush is particularly brutal, generating just nine sacks all season, worst in the NFL.

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