The AFC North is on a historic pace.
Through nine weeks of the 2023 season, all four teams in the division are currently in playoff positioning. The 7-2 Baltimore Ravens lead the pack, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals -- all 5-3 -- hold the AFC's three wild card spots.
No division in NFL history has placed all four teams in the postseason, though the format only recently expanded to three wild card teams in 2020.
How does the 2023 AFC North stack up historically? Here's a deep dive of all the best divisions in NFL history:
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NFL division with the most wins in a single season
Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only one division has surpassed 50 combined wins in a single season: the 1984 AFC West. The 13-3 Denver Broncos won that division, followed by the 12-4 Seattle Seahawks, 11-5 Los Angeles Raiders, 8-8 Kansas City Chiefs and 7-9 Los Angeles Chargers to total 51 combined wins. The Broncos, Seahawks and Raiders made the playoffs that season.
NFL
NFL divisions were realigned in 2002, with divisions downsizing from either five or six teams to four. Since the realignment, the record for combined wins by a division is 43. That record was set last season by the 2022 NFC East, which sent three teams to the postseason and had none under .500. The 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles led the way, followed by the 12-5 Dallas Cowboys, 9-7-1 New York Giants and 8-8-1 Washington Commanders.
Through nine weeks in 2023, the AFC North has 22 combined wins with all four teams in playoff positions. A lot can change in the second half of the season, but this pace is impressive.
Which NFL division is the best historically?
There are several divisions in the conversation for best ever. Here are some of the standouts:
2013 NFC West
Teams: Seattle Seahawks (13-3), San Francisco 49ers (12-4), Arizona Cardinals (10-6), St. Louis Rams (7-9)
Playoffs: Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed, 49ers earned the No. 5 seed; Seahawks beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game; Seahawks won the Super Bowl
1997 NFC Central
Teams: Green Bay Packers (13-3), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6), Detroit Lions (9-7), Minnesota Vikings (9-7), Chicago Bears (4-12)
Playoffs: Packers earned the No. 2 seed, Bucs earned the No. 4 seed, Lions earned the No. 5 seed, Vikings earned the No. 6 seed; Lions lost in the wild card round; Bucs and Vikings lost in the divisional round; Packers lost in the Super Bowl
1990 NFC East
Teams: New York Giants (13-3), Philadelphia Eagles (10-6), Washington (10-6), Dallas Cowboys (7-9), Phoenix Cardinals (5-11)
Playoffs: Giants earned the No. 2 seed, Eagles earned the No. 4 seed, Washington earned the No. 5 seed; Eagles lost in the wild card round; Washington lost in the divisional round; Giants won the Super Bowl
1998 AFC East
Teams: New York Jets (12-4), Miami Dolphins (10-6), Buffalo Bills (10-6), New England Patriots (9-7), Indianapolis Colts (3-13)
Playoffs: Jets earned the No. 2 seed, Dolphins earned the No. 4 seed, Bills earned the No. 5 seed, Patriots earned the No. 6 seed; Patriots and Bills lost in the wild card round; Dolphins lost in the divisional round; Jets lost in the AFC Championship Game
2007 AFC South
Teams: Indianapolis Colts (13-3), Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5), Tennessee Titans (10-6), Houston Texans (8-8)
Playoffs: Colts earned the No. 2 seed, Jaguars earned the No. 5 seed, Titans earned the No. 6 seed; Titans lost in the wild card round; Colts and Jaguars lost in the divisional round
What division has the most Super Bowl wins?
Every division in the NFL has at least two Super Bowl wins, but one stands far above the others. The NFC East leads everyone else with 13 titles -- getting contributions from each squad (Cowboys five, Giants four, Washington three, Eagles one). Here's how all the divisions rank in order of Super Bowls:
1. NFC East: 13 (Cowboys five, Giants four, Washington three, Eagles one)
T-2. AFC East: 9 (Patriots six, Dolphins two, Jets one)
T-2. AFC West: 9 (Chiefs three, Broncos three, Raiders three)
T-4. AFC North: 8 (Steelers six, Ravens two)
T-4. NFC West: 8 (49ers five, Rams two, Seahawks one)
6. NFC North: 5 (Packers four, Bears one)
7. NFC South: 3 (Buccaneers two, Saints one)
8. AFC South: 2 (Colts two)
