The NFL’s regular season is winding down. The playoffs are nearing and the elite teams should be separating themselves from those in the “Everyone Else” category.

That is true in the NFC, where the Dallas Cowboys clearly stand alone as the front-runner and there’s room to wonder if there will be a viable postseason challenger, given the setback suffered by the Seattle Seahawks when they lost safety Earl Thomas to a broken bone in his leg Sunday night.

But it’s a far, far different situation in the AFC. The won-loss records suggest the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots are the Super Bowl co-favorites, but in reality everyone in the postseason field but the AFC South winner will have a legitimate chance to emerge as the last team standing.

The Cowboys (11-1) had Sunday off following their controversial victory Thursday night at Minnesota that extended their winning streak to 11 games. It was a good Sunday for Dallas even without playing. Washington’s loss at Arizona clinched a playoff spot for the Cowboys. The New York Giants’ loss at Pittsburgh increased the Cowboys’ lead in the NFC East to three games.

And while the Seahawks seemed to remain within striking distance of the Cowboys for conference supremacy by beating Carolina 40-7, it came at a steep cost. Thomas was carted off with an injury to his lower leg. Coach Pete Carroll said Thomas broke his leg.

Thomas’ absence will weaken the defense considerably, but the Seahawks cannot be dismissed. They have Russell Wilson at quarterback. Their rushing offense was highly productive against the Panthers with Thomas Rawls at tailback. But their issues along the offensive line can be glaring: Wilson’s pass protection was positively Vikings-like on some plays Sunday night. Would the Seahawks really be able to win a postseason game at Dallas?

Is there any NFC team capable of that? The Giants have a history of unlikely runs to Super Bowl titles with Eli Manning at quarterback, and they beat the Cowboys in the opener. But their performance in Pittsburgh didn’t suggest there is postseason magic in the offing. The Detroit Lions lead the NFC North, are on a four-game winning streak and have quarterback Matthew Stafford playing at a near-MVP level. But few are ready to declare them an honest-to-goodness powerhouse.

Who is capable of coming out of nowhere in the NFC to make an improbable Super Bowl run? The fading Atlanta Falcons? Washington? Tampa Bay? Just reaching the postseason would be an accomplishment in quarterback Jameis Winston’s second NFL season.

Identifying an AFC favorite isn’t as easy. The Patriots (10-2) beat the Rams but Rob Gronkowski is on the injured reserve list after undergoing back surgery Friday for a herniated disk. Quarterback Tom Brady has missed practice time each of the past two weeks with a knee injury. The aura of invincibility has been punctured.

The Raiders (10-2) came from behind Sunday in a 38-24 victory against Buffalo, but their MVP candidate, quarterback Derek Carr, didn’t take any snaps under center in his first game since suffering a dislocated pinky on his throwing hand. It’s difficult to imagine that injury won’t affect him.

The AFC playoff field will be deep and full of possibilities. Kansas City keeps finding ways to win, as it did Sunday at Atlanta with Eric Berry’s interception for a decisive 2-point defensive anti-conversion. Denver is having quarterback issues, but also had them last season and its defense carried it to a Super Bowl title.

The Steelers and Baltimore are in a virtual tie for first place in the AFC North with 7-5 records. Each has been wildly inconsistent, but the Steelers have a two-time Super Bowl winner at quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, and has players such as tailback Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown. They’ve won three straight, and who would be eager to face them in the playoffs?

The Ravens have a top-notch defense and their offense looked better in Sunday’s 38-6 dismantling of Miami. Quarterback Joe Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP, threw for 381 yards and four TDs. The Ravens would back down from no one in the playoffs. They would face a postseason game in New England without flinching. As Dolphins Coach Adam Gase said, teams like the Ravens know how to play at this time of the year.

“I think we have really great leadership. … Those guys have been there,” Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said.

Now the chore is to get there again. It could happen.

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