There seems to have been a shift in the balance of power from east to west and south to north in both conferences!
Not long ago, the AFC West was the laughing stock with an 8-8 Denver team backing into the playoffs. The NFC West didn't cause too much fuss with the QB carousel over in San Francisco and Seattle and Arizona never recovering from their Super Bowl appearances.
Meanwhile, it was all about the Pats vs. Giants in the east, with the Saints, Falcons, Colts, and Texans all proving to be contenders.
Now the balance of power has shifted. Denver, San Diego, and Kansas City are all likely to make the playoffs, while Seattle, San Francisco, and Arizona seem to be in a league of their own (though SF has some work to do). Meanwhile, the East has been a hot mess with New England struggling and Philly being ever so shaky. The Texans are a far cry from what they were, while the Bengals, Ravens, Bears, and Packers from the north looking good, while the Saints, Colts, and Falcons all face consistency problems.
Still, the beauty of the league is even if it looks like the Steelers over the Bucs is a safe bet, the Bucs can recover from a shellacking at the hands of the Falcons and beat Big Ben!