It’s a simple question with a simple answer. And though technically said answer is “yes” for every NFL team, each of whom could theoretically go 13-0 to end the year, we’re dealing with reality, not fantasy.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: (2-1), Yes, the Cowboys can make the playoffs

Staying afloat with Brandon Weeden won’t be easy. Staying afloat without Dez Bryant will be harder. Staying afloat in the NFC East? Not as much of a problem.

New York Giants: (1-2), Yes

If this were the “woulda, coulda” NFL, the Giants would be 3-0 and everyone would talking about a bro-on-bro Super Bowl or figuring out in which embarrassing way the Patriots would lose to the Giants in the big game once again. But two horrible losses changed that and now the Giants are just another team that could really go either way this year.

Philadelphia Eagles: (1-2), Yes

Good news: Chip Kelly’s offense resembled its former self on Sunday in a win over a 2-0 team. Bad news: That team was the New York Jets.

Washington Redskins: (1-2), Yes

Do I think the Redskins are going to make the playoffs? No. But would anything surprise me in this up-and-down NFC East? Not at all.

NFC North

Detroit Lions: (0-3), No, the Lions cannot make the playoffs

After the Lions fell to 0-3 on Sunday night, coach Jim Caldwell had this to say: “We do have 13 games left. They’re not handing out any trophies after three games and you can’t be eliminated after three games.”

And that’s true, if you played in a division that could be won with a mediocre record, but not in a division that has the Green Bay Packers and not in a conference in which there are too many teams already primed for 10-6 seasons.

Green Bay Packers: (2-0), Yes

Before Week 2, Green Bay had the best playoff odds of any team in the NFC. That won’t change throughout the year.

Minnesota Vikings: (2-1), No

If you can find seven wins on this schedule, have at it. After a probable loss to Denver next week, the Vikings have an easy stretch: Chiefs (at home), Lions, Bears, Rams and Raiders. That has 3-2 record written all over it — maybe 4-1. Then, the season ends: Packers, Falcons, Seahawks, Cardinals, Bears, Giants, Packers. Not happening.

Chicago Bears: (0-3), No

At least the Cubs will keep Chicago entertained in October.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: (3-0), Yes

When the schedule came out, Falcons fans were probably hoping for a 1-2 record to start against the three best teams in the NFC East (yeah — odd scheduling). Instead, Atlanta is 3-0 and there’s a lot of stink in the 13 remaining games.

Carolina Panthers: (3-0), Yes

Carolina has made the playoffs in the past two years so this is just old hat for a team that definitely doesn’t feel like its made the playoffs the past two years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (1-2), No

C’mon.

New Orleans Saints: (0-3), No

Again, an 0-3 team has a shot to make the playoffs if its four-team division is average. If this were last year’s NFC South, for interest, New Orleans would be fine. But when the Saints are basically four games behind Carolina and three behind Atlanta, it’s not just uphill, it’s up-mountain.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: (3-0), Yes

I think I speak for the rest of football nation (outside the NFC West) when I say, keep up the good health Carson Palmer and let’s see where this thing goes. Remember, Kurt Warner came within a horrible interception and a miraculous catch of winning a Super Bowl late in his career with the Cardinals.

St. Louis Rams: (1-2), No

Your field catching on fire isn’t just something that happened, it’s a metaphor for everything that will happen and not in the good metaphorical way, like when the field caught fire with Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt, Issac Bruce and Az-Zahir Hakim in 2000.

San Francisco 49ers: (1-2), No

Of the four, great, young, breakout quarterbacks of 2012, all have losing records in 2015 and the one who has been benched (Robert Griffin III) is somehow having a better season than one who is playing (Colin Kaepernick).

Seattle Seahawks: (1-2), Yes

This might be the last ride for the team as currently constituted, but it still should be a long one.

AFC East

New England Patriots: (3-0), Yes

Moving on.

New York Jets: (2-1), No

Moving on.

Buffalo Bills: (2-1), Yes

There was the feeling this preseason that one “other” team from the AFC East would emerge from out of the Patriots shadow in 2015. Well, not out of the shadow, but a little closer to the edge of that shadow. With a fine coach, hungry fans, a great defense and an offense that is better than expected, Buffalo can be that team.

Miami Dolphins: (1-2), No

There was the feeling this preseason that one “other” team from the AFC East would emerge from out of the Patriots shadow in 2015. Well, not out of the shadow, but a little closer to the edge of that shadow. Then the Dolphins started to play and you realized it wouldn’t be them.

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals: (3-0), Yes

If I were Andy Dalton, I’d just go to the mall during the day and stare at people until they apologized.

Pittsburgh Steelers: (2-1), Yes

I don’t think Mike Vick is going to be able to keep the Steelers in shouting distance of a playoff spot. But Ben Roethlisberger always comes back from injury quicker than anyone thought possible and with Le’Veon Bell back, the offense gets back a missing part after losing another.

Cleveland Browns: (1-2), No

Crowds that chant for Johnny Manziel are not crowds that will be filling a stadium in January.

Baltimore Ravens: (0-3), No

The only problem with the Ravens being 0-3 is that we’re going to have to listen to Ray Lewis talk about what the team can do to turn it around for the next 14 weeks. “THEY NEED MORE FIRE. THEY NEED MORE ENERGY. THIS IS NOT A TEAM. IT IS A FAMILY.”

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars: (1-2), No

The answer to this question will always be “no” until the Jags officially prove otherwise.

Houston Texans: (1-2), Yes

Someone has to win the AFC South.

Indianapolis Colts: (1-2), Yes

Someone has to win the AFC South.

Tennessee Titans: (1-2), Yes

Someone has to win the AFC South.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: (3-0), Yes

What, you didn’t think something little like a debilitating back injury, an inability to throw the ball downfield with consistency, a shoddy running game and a new coach would keep Peyton out of the playoffs, did you? (Oh yeah, that defense doesn’t hurt.)

Oakland Raiders: (2-1), No

Awesome job getting to 2-1. It’s a good building block for the future. But once the schedule stops being teams from the AFC North, the real Raiders will emerge.

Kansas City Chiefs: (1-1), Yes

San Diego Chargers: (1-2), Yes

After watching that 31-14 loss to the Vikings on Sunday, I wouldn’t pick the Chargers to make the Pac 12 championship. But teams have bad days and teams with solid quarterbacks such as Philip Rivers have fewer of them.