One month can swing an entire season in the NFL. When one loss snowballs into two, three or even four in a row, it can be near impossible to make up for that rough stretch in the standings come January. The same goes for stringing together a few surprise wins, which can prove to be the difference between picking in the top 10 and playing on Wild Card Weekend.
The 2022 Lions are a perfect example of the power of that pendulum swing. They went 0–4 in October last season to fall to 1–6. Detroit then finished the season by winning eight of its final 10 games yet still missed out on the postseason because of the hole the team was in after that winless month. That stretch included a three-point loss to the Seahawks, who then held the head-to-head tiebreaker that gave them the final playoff spot in the NFC, and a four-point loss to the Dolphins in a game the Lions led by 14 at one point. Brutal.
Detroit is just one example of the impact a pivotal month can have over the course of a 17-game schedule. With that premise in mind, let’s take a look at 10 teams, five in the AFC and five in the NFC, that have potential make-or-break months on the schedule.
