Green Bay keeps winning without escaping last place. Carolina keeps losing without surrendering first. Entering Week 10, the Packers’ 6–3 record leaves them at the bottom of the NFC North, while the Panthers lead the NFC South at 3–5.
The contradiction is more than an awkward standings graphic. Under the NFL’s postseason format, winning a division secures a place among the conference’s top four seeds, ahead of wild-card qualifiers whose records may be considerably better.
With the second half of the season approaching, the two races illustrate how differently the same goal can be priced: Green Bay is chasing three winning rivals, while Carolina remains ahead of its division despite three consecutive defeats.
Why the Packers are last at 6–3
The NFL’s official standings put Chicago first in the North at 7–2, followed by Detroit and Minnesota at 6–2. Green Bay has played one more game than the Lions and Vikings and has one more loss.
All four teams have at least six victories. The division has a combined 25–9 record, compared with 12–22 in the South, calculated by adding the eight teams’ listed wins and losses. Those totals include divisional games, which necessarily produce a win and a loss, and are not records against opponents outside each division.
The Packers have won two straight, including their latest victory over New England. Their previous 27–19 win over the Panthers adds another twist: Green Bay has already beaten the team currently occupying the top position in the other division.
Last place therefore describes Green Bay’s position within a particularly strong group, not a losing season. Nor does fourth place automatically put the Packers outside the postseason: wild-card qualification is a separate conference-wide race.
Carolina’s lead survives three straight losses
The South offers almost the reverse picture. Carolina and New Orleans are both 3–5, with Tampa Bay and Atlanta at 3–6. Fox Sports’ standings list the Panthers first and the Saints second.
That makes Carolina the current leader, not a runaway contender. Every team in the division has exactly three wins; the difference between first and fourth is narrow enough that a single weekend can rearrange the race.
The records also caution against treating every losing team as equally weak. Tampa Bay has scored 24 more points than it has conceded despite its 3–6 record. Carolina’s points differential is minus-20, New Orleans’ minus-31 and Atlanta’s minus-35.
Why division titles still change the playoff route
The NFL’s published 2026 postseason format gives seven teams in each conference a playoff berth. Division champions occupy seeds one through four; the next three qualifying teams take seeds five through seven.
Only the top seed receives a first-round bye. The second seed hosts the seventh, the third hosts the sixth and the fourth hosts the fifth. A division champion can consequently host a wild-card opponent with a superior regular-season record.
That is the practical difference between winning games and winning a division. The North’s strength can push a successful team toward a lower seed and a road opener, while the South’s eventual champion can earn a home game without matching that team’s record.
None of those outcomes is settled. Green Bay hosts Minnesota on November 15, while Carolina visits New Orleans, according to the league schedule. Both games directly involve division rivals.
The Packers’ next task is to catch a team above them. The Panthers’ is to keep a team with the same record below them. For now, six wins buy Green Bay less divisional standing than three buy Carolina.
