| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITFor the first half of the season, the Lions are giving up too many sacks. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: Lions quarterback Jared Goff is at risk of taking more sacks this season than he ever has in his career. He says he and the offensive line know that needs to get fixed. Goff has been sacked 18 times in eight games, which puts him on pace to take 38 sacks in a 17-game season. That would top his previous career high of 35 in 2021. He took five sacks in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, and took four sacks the game before that against the Buccaneers, and he’s eager to reduce that number this week against the Commanders. “You don’t want to have that, you want to limit that as much as you can, and I think the last two weeks is not indicative of who we are,” Goff said. “I’ll try to get rid of the ball a little faster to help those guys, and I know they want to play better too.” The 5-3 Lions have already lost more games this season than they did all of last season, when they finished 15-2 and were the No. 1 seed in the NFC. After a frustrating first half of the season, keeping Goff upright will be a key to a better second half of the season. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASDE MARASHAWN KNEELAND is dead. The story is a police chase, then a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It’s a stunning tale that started with a traffic violation. Bryan DeArdo ofCBSSports.com: Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, 24, died Thursday morning. Kneeland’s cause of death is said to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police chase for a traffic violation, according to the Frisco Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. While pursuing Kneeland as he chose not to stop amid his traffic violation, DPS officers lost sight of his vehicle. When Kneeland’s automobile was eventually found, it appeared to have been involved in an accident. Police subsequently found Kneeland, deceased at the time of discovery, while searching the surrounding area. “Initial reports indicated that a male subject, later identified as 24-year-old Marshawn Kneeland of Plano, TX fled the scene on foot. Officers established a perimeter and initiated a search of the area with the assistance of the FPD K-9 and Drone units. During the course of the search, officers received information that Kneeland had expressed suicidal ideations. Kneeland was later located at 1:31 a.m., deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Frisco Police shared in a statement. A Plano Police Department spokesperson said officers had earlier responded to a “welfare concern” at Kneeland’s residence at 11:40 p.m. on Wednesday but did not make contact with anyone at that time. Kneeland’s family shared their despair in a statement released to the media: “We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief. As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field — as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson and friend. He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love. His light shone brightly in every life he touched, and his spirit will continue to live on through the countless hearts he inspired. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends, fans and the community. During this difficult time, we ask for privacy as we come together as a family to honor and remember Marshawn’s life and legacy.” The Cowboys related their thoughts in a team statement: “It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning. Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization. Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.” A 2024 second-round pick, Kneeland was in the middle of his second season in Dallas. He recorded his first career sack in Week 1 against Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. During Kneeland’s last game against the Arizona Cardinals — in primetime on”Monday Night Football” — he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for his first career touchdown. The Cowboys lost 27-17. Kneeland enjoyed a successful prep and college career, including a standout effort as a linebacker/tight end at Michigan’s Godwin Heights High School and a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection during his final season at Western Michigan, where he registered 57 tackles (7.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. “He was a great person, eager to learn … wanted to be great,” one of Kneeland’s former coaches, Mike Zimmer, told NFL Media. “He didn’t take any crap from anyone on the field. He studied hard — loved playing the game. My last conversation with him was, ‘Keep being you. You’re going to have a great career.'” |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONAThe Cardinals have decided that QB KYLER MURRAY really, really needs to concentrate on his health as he has been placed on IR. The Arizona Cardinals will turn to Jacoby Brissett at quarterback this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, as Kyler Murray continues to recover from a foot injury suffered in Week 5, coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. Brissett has started the last three games, leading the team to a 27-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Monday night, completing 67.7% of his passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score. The Cardinals now have Brissett leading the offense on a short week as they travel to Seattle to face a 6-2 Seahawks team coming off a blowout road win over the Washington Commanders. Murray will be out longer than originally anticipated. Multiple doctors have advised that Murray’s foot injury could require 4-8 weeks to fully heal, according to ESPN, and on Wednesday the team placed Murray on injured reserve. That ensures Brissett will be Arizona’s starter for the next four weeks in a critical stretch for the Cardinals against quality opponents with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars and Buccaneers on their schedule. Murray being moved to injured reserve will remove the constant questions about when he’ll return, but it also could add to some of the drama around who should start when Murray is cleared to return if Arizona continues to improve with Brissett under center. “He’s doing well,” Gannon said of Murray. “He wants to be out there. He’s a competitor. I talked to him today. He’s a good teammate and he’s working to get healthy.” Murray hasn’t played since Oct. 5. He was limited in practice last week before the team announced on Saturday that Brissett would start. Gannon said last week that Murray could have a role in the Dallas game, but he was later ruled inactive. Brissett has performed well in Murray’s absence, throwing for 320 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a narrow Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, followed by a 279-yard, two-touchdown effort in Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Brissett became the second player in Cardinals franchise history to pass for 250 yards, two touchdowns and rush for a touchdown on “Monday Night Football,” joining Jim Hart in 1974, according to CBS Sports Research. He has played well enough to spark a quarterback controversy. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out that Brissett is in a thrilling battle with a Hall of Fame-to-be QB for a somewhat important career record: Since taking over for the injured Kyler Murray, Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown just one interception in his 112 pass attempts this season. And in the process he has lowered his already low career interception percentage to a rate unprecedented in NFL history. Through Monday night’s win over the Cowboys, Brissett has thrown 25 career interceptions in 1,873 pass attempts. That’s an interception rate of 1.3 percent, the NFL’s all-time record. The second-lowest interception rate in NFL history belongs to Aaron Rodgers, who has thrown an interception on 1.4 percent of his passes. Brissett’s ability to avoid interceptions is one of the reasons Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has talked about how pleased he is with the way the offense has performed with Brissett — while tiptoeing around actually saying he thinks Brissett is playing better than Murray. The Cardinals have put Murray on injured reserve and are continuing to avoid explicitly saying who will start once Murray’s injured foot is fully healed. But if there’s any chance of Murray getting the starting job back, it’s safe to say that has more to do with Murray’s status as a first overall pick in the draft who has a contract guaranteeing him $39.8 million next year than with the Cardinals’ coaches actually thinking their offense runs better with Murray than with Brissett. Brissett has not been a great quarterback during his 10-year NFL career, and has more often been a backup than a starter. But he’s been the kind of backup who can be relied upon not to throw the game away. And that’s a trait that sometimes earns a starting job for a quarterback who had been a backup. |
| SEATTLEWR RASHEED SHAHID has an expiring contract, but the newly-acquired Seahawk already sounds ready to re-up. Brady Henderson of ESPN.com: When the Seattle Seahawks acquired wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in a trade with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, they gave up a pair of middle-round picks for a player who’s in the final year of his deal. But they didn’t do so with the thought that he was going to be around for merely half a season. Shaheed isn’t thinking that either. “I’m here to stay,” he said Wednesday during his introductory news conference at Seahawks headquarters, repeating the line when asked about his expiring contract and the possibility of becoming a free agent in March. “I’m excited, and we can figure something out after the season ends.” Shaheed, 27, had stepped foot inside the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the first time only a few hours earlier when he said he views this as a “long-term” arrangement. But an extension will have to wait. The Seahawks, who parted with fourth- and fifth-round picks in the swap, have a long-standing policy of not extending trade acquisitions right away. They prefer to wait until the season ends to begin negotiating — so long as the player has no more than one year left on his contract by that point — which is how they ultimately worked out long-term deals for trade pickups such as Jamal Adams, Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones IV, to name some recent examples. That means Shaheed will likely have to play out the remainder of the two-year, $6.185 million contract he signed with the Saints in 2024, with his agent and the Seahawks then trying to work out a deal before he reaches free agency. In the meantime, the Seahawks are hoping he can reinforce their banged-up receiver corps and give their already-potent passing game another weapon for Sam Darnold to go along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL with 948 receiving yards. “This guy can really help us,” coach Mike Macdonald said, “and it’s our job now to make sure it comes to life.” Macdonald downplayed the degree to which the Seahawks needed Shaheed, saying they weren’t trying to plug a hole and instead describing the move as “just an opportunity to get a great player and to augment what we were doing.” But Shaheed, who reunites with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, gives them a few things they could use. One is a healthy body, as Cooper Kupp (hamstring/heel) and reserve wideouts Jake Bobo (calf) and Dareke Young (hip) are dealing with injuries that kept them out of the Seahawks’ win over the Washington Commanders last Sunday night. All were listed as nonparticipants on the team’s practice report Wednesday, which was an estimation as Seattle held a walk-through. Shaheed also gives the Seahawks one of the league’s top deep threats, someone who has proved he can stretch the field over his 3½ seasons in the NFL. Signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Shaheed ranks third in air yards per target (13.63) and ninth in yards per reception (14.9) over his career. He has six career touchdowns of at least 50 yards, and all but two of his 12 scores were from at least 30 yards out. “He’s a playmaker,” Macdonald said. “The speed’s real.” The Seahawks hope that speed can open things up for their run game, which has managed only 3.7 yards per carry — second worst in the NFL — as defenses have constantly loaded the box. Shaheed saw that happen early last season in New Orleans while playing opposite another speedy receiver in Chris Olave, before Shaheed suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in October, one of several injuries that decimated the Saints’ offense. “I feel like that’s why we had so much success going on early on in last season,” he said. “Just the ability to for me and Chris to stretch the field vertically, it opened up and so many different things. That was kind of the name of our game on offense last year.” Macdonald said Shaheed will be part of the Seahawks’ return game. It sounds like it’ll be as one of their kickoff returners, as Macdonald said rookie receiver Tory Horton will still return punts. Shaheed made the Pro Bowl after the 2023 season as a returner and was a first-team All-Pro as a punt returner that year. Shaheed called it a “bittersweet feeling” to be traded and said he tried to ignore the speculation that had been mounting in recent weeks that he could be dealt. “There was a lot of stuff circulating, but I had to stay focused on what I had in front of me,” he said. “But now that it’s here, I feel like I’m ready for it, and everything is going to be a smooth transition.” That transition will be aided by his familiarity with Kubiak’s offense. Shaheed said that from what he has gathered so far, it’s “pretty much the same” as what Kubiak was running last season as the Saints’ OC, save for some tweaks here and there. “I’m super glad to be connected back with him,” Shaheed said. “He’s familiar with me. He knows my strengths, and I know what his mindset is going into games. It shouldn’t be too hard to get acclimated with him and just find my role in the offense.” |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREBefore he ran wild in the NFL, before he dominated at Alabama, RB DERRICK HENRY set the national high school career rushing record. And now it is under assault. Grant Gordon of NFL.com: Despite the Baltimore Ravens’ struggles to start the 2025 season, Derrick Henry has continued to make his way up the NFL rushing record books. Henry also maintains an eye-popping national high school record, but he’s rooting for it to be broken. Knox High (Indiana) senior running back Myles McLaughlin is closing in on Henry’s astounding Yulee High (Florida) career record of 12,124 yards, and the five-time Pro Bowler hopes the kid shatters it. “Go break it man,” Henry told Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams Show” this week. “That’s what meant records meant, they meant to be broken. I’ve had it for 10-plus years, man, go get it, go break the record. I hope you win the state championship with it.” McLaughlin currently sits at 11,004 career yards, needing 1,121 yards to pass him with a potential four games remaining in his season. In four ridiculous seasons for Yulee, Henry, from 2009-2012, rushed for more than 2,400 yards in each year, culminating with a senior campaign in which he posted more than 4,200 yards. McLaughlin will need to average 280.25 yards per game, which seems like an improbable number, but he’s coming off a 400-yard-plus showing in his previous game. Of most importance is that McLaughlin and Knox are in the Indiana 3A State Tournament, meaning they have one more game guaranteed on Friday and potentially four to go. So as long as Knox keeps on winning and McLaughlin keeps on churning out yards, he’s got a chance. “Running tough, breaking tackles, he’s a beast,” Henry said of McLaughlin. Interestingly enough, Henry might well surpass his high school yardage mark this week against the Minnesota Vikings. He currently sits at 12,052 career yards (regular-season only, unlike his HS tally). In a Week 9 win over the Miami Dolphins, fittingly in his native Florida, Henry became just the 17th player in NFL history to rush for 12,000 yards. Along with that, Henry has surpassed Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Walter Payton on the all-time TD list this season, as he now stands in fifth place with 112 career rushing touchdowns. As Henry has surpassed legends who played before him, he’s cheering on McLaughlin can do the same. Similarly, Henry remains in search of his first Super Bowl with the Ravens attempting to rally from a 1-5 start. So, Henry’s hoping McLaughlin can finish a stellar senior season — and high school career — by passing him up and winning it all, in the process. “I hope he rides off in the sunset,” Henry said, “with the record and the championship.” Knox, Indiana, population 3,600, sits in the middle of nowhere in northern Indiana, southwest of South Bend, north of Lafayette, southeast of Merrillville. McLaughlin, who looks like Christian McCaffrey, isn’t all that big at 5-10, 190 or so. He plays three sports (also basketball and baseball). He was also all-state as a defensive back. He’s pretty fast (4.49 in the 40) and has, duh, strong legs (500-pound squat). It takes six games to win the Indiana 3A State Championship presented by the Indianapolis Colts. The Knox Redskins have beaten Jimtown, 50-21, and Griffith, 50-35, so far with a big match-up Friday night hosting Mishawaka Marian. So far his exploits haven’t set the recruiting world afire. We see an offer from Valaparaiso, 31 miles up the road from Knox, and a visit to Eastern Illinois. |
| CINCINNATIQB JOE FLACCO has a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. He had it Sunday, when he passed for 470 yards. Ben Baby of ESPN.com: If Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco was feeling any pain, either physical or emotional, following a stunning loss to the Chicago Bears, it was impossible to tell. Seated at the table in the team’s news conference, Flacco didn’t wince after the 47-42 loss. Flacco, 40, played 68 offensive snaps with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that limited his practice availability in the week leading up to the game. That’s what made his performance last weekend even more impressive. He finished with a career-high 470 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions (though one was a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the game). He became the first 40-year-old in NFL history to have more than 450 passing yards and four touchdowns in a game, according to ESPN Research. “Flacco, he could barely lift his arm this week, and he’s willing to go put himself out there for a bunch of teammates he’s known for three weeks,” coach Zac Taylor said after the game. “He’s a football player — that’s what he got up here and said [earlier in the week]: ‘I play football for a living. That’s what I do.'” In Flacco’s mind, there was never a question about whether he was going to miss the game with the shoulder injury he suffered a week earlier in a 39-38 loss to the New York Jets, one of his six former clubs. Flacco only practiced on Thursday and said he wasn’t “throwing without a little help” when it came to dealing with the injury. He struggled with short, checkdown throws against the Bears. Joe Flacco became the first 40-year-old in NFL history to have more than 450 passing yards and four touchdowns in a game, and he did it with an injured throwing shoulder. Joshua A. BickelBut when the Bengals needed it, there was no hint of an issue. He was 31-of-47 passing on the day. He threw two touchdown passes in the span of 49 seconds and also tossed the 2-point conversion that gave Cincinnati a 42-41 lead with :54 remaining. “Flacco fought like a warrior with the way his shoulder was,” said Bengals running back Chase Brown. “Things weren’t perfect but we made things work on our end.” Flacco’s performance was ultimately in vain. The Bengals (3-6) lost their second straight game and are now staring at the brink of another lost season. But Flacco’s injection into the offense is the primary reason Cincinnati carries any hope into its bye week. Flacco is the team’s third starting quarterback this season. The Bengals traded a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Flacco, who threw six interceptions in four games with Cleveland before being benched. The Bengals brought him in to replace Jake Browning, who was starting in place of injured star Joe Burrow after Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2. After arriving in Cincinnati on Oct. 7, Flacco started on the road against the Green Bay Packers just four days later. While that was a loss, he steered the Bengals to a much-needed win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 16. Over the past four games, Flacco has been one of the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks. He ranks seventh in Total QBR during that span and has thrown a league-high 11 touchdowns. Four of those were against Chicago while dealing with an injury that has been known to sideline quarterbacks for extended periods of time. In 2023, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder in Week 5 and missed the rest of the season following surgery to repair the issue. The way Flacco described dealing with frustration could also be applied to why he was on the field against the Bears. “This is our profession,” Flacco said after the game. “We do this for a living and we take pride in doing it. I hope that you would continue to take pride in doing what you do for a living, no matter what the outcome is. And yeah, maybe that’s easier said than done, but that’s what you’ve got to do because this league will eat you up and it will not be good.” On Monday, Flacco was sent home to New Jersey to get rest and spend time with his wife, Dana, and their five children. He missed Tuesday’s practice before players were dismissed for the bye week. The debate about Flacco’s standing as an elite quarterback has made for online fodder over the years. But in a nearly two-decade career that includes a Super Bowl MVP honor and a Comeback Player of the Year award, Flacco arguably had the most impressive performance of his career Sunday. If he plays against the Steelers on Nov. 16, that will mark his 200th start of his career, excluding playoff games. And he’s not thinking about the idea of being too banged up to miss it. “I finished the game last week,” Flacco said of the contest. “I played this week. I mean, it’s not even in my mind that I wouldn’t be able to do something like that.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLEAccording to those doing the counting at SportRadar.com – the Jaguars lead the NFL with 30 dropped passes. For context, that’s 8 more than any other team. The NFL average is 11.3 per team. If your QB JALEN HURTS of the Eagles, the stats say you only have had 1. QB SAM DARNOLD of the Seahawks has had 3. Now, there can be a discussion as to how much QB TREVOR LAWRENCE has contributed to the count with errant ball placement within the theoretical catch radius. But in any case, GM James Gladstone is aware of the problem – and he thinks WR JAKOBI MEYERS will alleviate it. Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com is working off other drop numbers from ESPN research: Jakobi Meyers has worn No. 16 his entire seven-year NFL career, but he knew that wasn’t going to be the case after being traded to the Jaguars. That number belongs to quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which is why Meyers didn’t even ask. “I just understood the price tag that would’ve came with it, and I wasn’t trying to take out another mortgage,” he said. “I’m good where I’m at.” In more ways than just avoiding writing a big check. Meyers has gone from a 2-6 Las Vegas Raiders team to a 5-3 Jaguars team that is still alive in the playoff race at midseason, and from being the No. 2 option in the pass game behind tight end Brock Bowers to potentially being the Jaguars’ top option. The Jaguars are happy because they have a player who can help them with their biggest weakness in the passing game: catching the football. “We’re looking forward to seeing how his skill set fits within the system,” Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said. “I think from afar it does. You think about where we’re at in terms of volume of drops, what’s his superpower? It’s not dropping the football, right? So you just take it from the surface level, it seems fitting.” Meyers, who decided to wear No. 3, arrived in Jacksonville on Tuesday night, passed his physical Wednesday morning and was on the practice field Wednesday afternoon. He has reunited with receivers coach Edgar Bennett, who is in his first season with the Jaguars after spending seven seasons in the same position with the Raiders. That prior relationship should help Meyers’ crash course in the Jaguars’ offense, which he needs because the plan is for him to play significant snaps against the Houston Texans in NRG Stadium on Sunday. “That’s a great thing,” Meyers said. “He’s one of my favorite people in life. So I’m just happy to be here with him. … Anytime you have a relationship with somebody, it’s a little bit easier to kind of move along in the process.” Meyers has wanted to move along from the Raiders since August. That was the first of multiple times that he has said he wanted to be traded, including last week when he told reporters that he wants “to be in a good spot.” It appears he has landed in one. The Jaguars’ top three receivers entering the season are all injured: Travis Hunter is on IR with a knee injury, Brian Thomas Jr. is battling shoulder and ankle injuries and did not practice Wednesday, and Dyami Brown is battling a shoulder injury and is in concussion protocol. Veteran Tim Patrick also has a groin injury and did not play last Sunday. Parker Washington and practice squad call-ups Austin Trammell and Tim Jones were the only healthy receivers on the active roster until Meyers arrived Tuesday night. “I’m excited to add him and get him involved and get him up to speed as soon as possible and he seems really smart,” Lawrence said. “It’s like he’s picking it up pretty quick already. Obviously going to help him as much as I can and get him going, but yeah, glad we have him.” Lawrence should be glad because Meyers is automatically the most sure-handed pass catcher on the roster. The Jaguars lead the NFL with 19 drops, according to ESPN Research, including five by Thomas. He struggled with that as a rookie, too, and has nine drops in his 25 career games. For comparison, Meyers has 11 drops in 98 games and has never had more than two drops in any of his seven seasons. That’s why Gladstone called it his superpower. “I appreciate it,” Meyers said of his new GM’s comment. “Even knowing that … that’s been an issue, seeing the guys work after practice, work during practice, how serious they take it, it’s ball drills all over. So that’s a testament to them, honestly. “They’re working on it. They’re getting better every day, and I respect that. So hopefully I can come in and do my part and I don’t add to the problem.” Meyers is in the final year of a three-year contract and is scheduled to become a free agent in March, but the Jaguars giving up two 2026 draft picks (fourth- and sixth-rounders) indicates there’s some interest in an extension. Gladstone said they’re taking a wait-and-see approach. So is Meyers. “I’ve got to play good football first,” he said. “Honestly, I’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m not about to come in and ask for a pay raise on the first day, you know what I mean? That’s crazy. But we’ll see.” The SportRadar drops number for Meyers in his career is 17, up from 11. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSThe Jets now have a huge draft haul. Matt Miller of ESPN.com takes a swing at how they might use some of them. How could the Jets use four 2026 picks in the top 64? Miller: Let’s do a quick mock draft, using ESPN’s Football Power Index projections for first-round order. Second-round order is still unclear, so I’ll ballpark those pick spots. Round 1, No. 4: Dante Moore, QB, Oregon. There will be pressure on the Jets to find their next quarterback. Moore is dominating at Oregon this season, showing the arm talent and mobility to be that guy. He has thrown 19 touchdown passes to just four interceptions in 2025, though he is still a third-year sophomore. Round 1, No. 30: Makai Lemon, WR, USC. The Jets have needed a running mate for Garrett Wilson at wide receiver. Lemon might not have game-breaking speed, but his route running is incredibly efficient, and his hands are some of the best in the entire country. He has 776 yards in eight games. Early Round 2: A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon. Washington won’t exactly replace Quinnen Williams, but his movement ability at 330 pounds would give the Jets an anchor on the defensive line. Late Round 2: Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke. The talent pool at cornerback in the second round of the 2026 class is very deep. Rivers has ball skills and toughness that would make him a seamless fit in Aaron Glenn’s defense. He has six INTs over four seasons. What about options for those three 2027 first-round selections? If the Jets don’t find a quarterback they like in 2026, they have the selections to move up for someone like Texas’ Arch Manning or even Moore, should he return to Oregon for another season. It should be a loaded 2027 group. It’s also worth remembering that superstar wide receivers Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Ryan Williams (Alabama) and Cam Coleman (Auburn) will be draft-eligible in 2027. Pass rushers Colin Simmons (Texas) and Dylan Stewart (South Carolina) round out what could be a legendary group of prospects. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| NFL RANKINGS – ERIK EDHOLMErik Edholm reports on NFL.com rankings history being made in Week 9: Folks, we just experienced Power Rankings history. Never before — at least on my watch — have the top four teams all lost in the same week. But that happened on a wild Sunday, as the Lions, Colts, Chiefs and Packers all went down, with two of those nominal Super Bowl contenders falling at home. Perhaps we’re underrating the Panthers and Vikings (with J.J. McCarthy back), yet it’s still a tough look for those of us who slave all week long in the Power Rankings laboratory, trying to cook up the most accurate NFL pecking order. That’s why I wanted to reward the Seahawks for their rollicking win at Washington on Sunday night, when they controlled the game from jump street. Some eagle-eyed Seattle fans rightfully raked me over the coals last week for dropping their team two spots after its bye, even if my intent was to spotlight a few clubs that shined while the Seahawks enjoyed their rest. The ‘Hawks looked beyond rested against the Commanders, improving to 4-0 on the road in dominant fashion. Also dominant were the division-rival Rams, who have won three straight. We’re at the midpoint of the 2025 campaign, and it’s hard to say many teams have been as consistently good as these NFC West rivals — who, we should note, are set to meet in two Sundays. It’s rarely clean or easy around here, but when it comes to the Power Rankings, we aim to right wrongs and get everything as correct as we can, even if that means swabbing down the entire deck every few weeks. 1 (up 5) Seattle Seahawks 6-2In the last edition of the Power Rankings, I dropped the Seahawks following their bye, looking to reward some teams that had done well in Week 8. Boy, that blew up in my face. Spanking the Commanders something fierce reminded me of what I first saw in Seattle when I had it cracking the top three not long ago: a really dangerous football team when the ‘Hawks are playing at their best. And their best best could still be in front of them, with the acquisition of WR Rashid Shaheed and with a lot of younger players manning big roles, especially on defense. They can also get healthier on that side of the ball, which makes Sunday night’s dominance all the more impressive. Seattle’s defense really only has been stressed once this season — in the Week 5 loss vs. Tampa Bay — and Sam Darnold looked pretty great Sunday following some so-so play before the bye. 2 (up 5) Los Angeles Rams 6-2Even with a facemask penalty that wiped out a touchdown, the Rams were pretty flawless offensively in a beatdown of the Saints, Los Angeles’ third straight W. Matthew Stafford threw four touchdown passes, bringing his season total to an NFL-best 21 TDs — against just two picks. Kicking issues once again reared their ugly head against New Orleans, with Joshua Karty missing an extra-point try as well as a 39-yard field-goal attempt, and neither was all that close. That’s certainly something to monitor for tougher games, and Sean McVay’s team has plenty left in a schedule still featuring five more road contests. But when the offense and defense are humming the way they did on Sunday, the Rams can survive some hiccups. They’ve now allowed 20 points in their past 12 quarters while scoring 86. 3 (down 1) Indianapolis Colts 7-2The Colts looked like the better team for the first 18-plus game minutes in Pittsburgh, with stifling play on defense and a pair of promising drives on offense, but everything seemed to turn on Daniel Jones’ first strip-sack. Indianapolis’ quarterback lost two fumbles, which resulted in 10 Steelers points, and all three of Jones’ interceptions were crushing, leading to 14 more Pittsburgh points. That was the game right there. The Colts were shockingly dominated up front by a maligned Steelers defense that came in struggling. All season long, Indy’s offense has been fueled by the line, but that unit was manhandled on Sunday. Perhaps the defense will be juiced by the acquisition of Sauce Gardner, who could be exactly what the Colts need on the back end. And trading two firsts for him means they believe in Jones at QB, for better or worse. 4 (up 5) Buffalo Bills 6-2The Bills’ defense turned in its most important showing of the season in the 28-21 win over the Chiefs, while the offense hit most of the right notes in yet another crucial victory over an AFC heavyweight. New England remains ahead of Buffalo in the division, and we have to wait more than a month for the rematch, but the Bills can take the AFC East again if they continue playing at their post-bye level. The defensive injuries keep mounting, with Michael Hoecht (torn Achilles) joining Ed Oliver (torn bicep) as key recent losses. But rookie CB Maxwell Hairston stepped up with a big, late interception against Kansas City, and second-year safety Cole Bishop enjoyed one of his best NFL games. The Bills haven’t suddenly fixed all of their issues, and there are some tough opponents upcoming, but this was a massive victory for a number of reasons. 5 Philadelphia Eagles 6-2Despite spending last week on the bye, the Eagles clearly remained active on the phones, landing Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins on Monday to help beef up the pass rush. Phillips played one year with Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in Miami, logging 6.5 sacks in eight games before getting hurt. If Phillips can match that production down the stretch, the Eagles will be thrilled. They also traded for CBs Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander, once again looking hell-bent on positioning themselves to win another Super Bowl. Whether that happens is anyone’s guess in this wide-open season, and the A.J. Brown drama/tension/whatever still merits monitoring, but Philly looks to be in better shape coming out of the week off. 6 (down 3) Kansas City Chiefs 5-4Kansas City’s defense looked slow and reactive in Sunday’s 28-21 defeat at Buffalo, losing the line-of-scrimmage battle and leaving pass catchers running free too often. James Cook became the first running back to rush for more than 100 yards against the Chiefs in 35 games (including the playoffs), and the Bills’ tight ends consistently carved them up for big plays. Patrick Mahomes also had one of his worst games in memory, completing fewer than 50 percent of his passes, taking three sacks and heaving up a late interception. There were big plays from Kansas City, but not nearly enough down-to-down consistency. The Chiefs have the bye to recover before a big showdown at Denver in Week 11, but this loss doesn’t sting any less. 7 (down 6) Detroit Lions 5-3In games where the Lions run for 100 yards this season, they’re 5-0. Less than 100, they’re 0-3. Teams have learned that if you corral Detroit’s ground game early, it makes the offense one-dimensional — and that especially hurts in a contest like Sunday’s, when the Lions had multiple injuries along the O-line. They also were without Kerby Joseph on defense and couldn’t get enough stops against J.J. McCarthy. They held the Vikings to 13 points over the final 49 game minutes, but it wasn’t enough after allowing TDs the first two drives. Detroit’s special teams are also partially to blame, giving up long returns and allowing a blocked field goal in the fourth quarter. A humbling home loss for our former top dogs. 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-2The Buccaneers pulled into the Week 9 bye with their defense arguably playing its best ball of the season and the offense struggling to generate points the way it did early on. They’ll have to show that the bye was productive, with three games vs. teams currently in the playoff field coming out of it and the Panthers starting to nip at their heels in the division. The hope is that there is improved health at receiver and along the offensive line, and that Bucky Irving can return to fuel the ground game. The Bucs have the offensive talent to thrive if they get well on that side of the ball, assuming the defense can keep pace. There are Super Bowl-caliber qualities to this team, but it also feels a bit delicate at the moment. I’m still bullish, for now. 9 (up 1) Denver Broncos 7-2Glass half full, the Broncos held the Texans to 3-for-17 on third downs in an important road victory and didn’t give up a touchdown even though they were without the injured Pat Surtain II. Glass half empty, Bo Nix struggled until the fourth quarter, Denver’s special teams cost the club points and more than half of the Broncos’ defensive efforts came against a backup QB. Sunday’s game was sort of a microcosm of this organization’s season: Denver won a big game, but it came littered with questions and shortcomings. You can’t deny the Broncos’ fourth-quarter magic in 2025, but it’s the rest of the game that often makes them look human. Denver is minus-1 in point differential in the first three quarters, but a stunning plus-60 in the fourth. That’s both good and glaring, and it’s held me back from elevating the Broncos farther. 10 (down 6) Green Bay Packers 5-2-1The Packers came into Sunday with three turnovers all season but coughed it up twice, the first one costing them points and the second leading to a Carolina TD. They also missed a 43-yard field goal attempt and turned the ball over on downs, which is how you go from a triumphant win in Pittsburgh to a shocking home loss to the Panthers. Matt LaFleur’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-8 from the Carolina 13-yard line with 11 minutes left certainly can be debated. But this feels like an indictment on the offense, which wasted decent chances Sunday. Jordan Love insists on making just enough mistakes to stunt his growth and cap Green Bay’s potential as a team, and the loss of TE Tucker Kraft (torn ACL) is nothing short of massive. Super Bowl dreams haven’t been denied yet, but they’re looking a little far-fetched after games such as this one. 11 New England Patriots 7-2Style points be damned; the Patriots have won six straight games. Yes, this was a step back in terms of execution, as they nearly blew a two-TD lead with a shaky second-half performance. New England had outscored its previous two opponents (Tennessee and Cleveland) in the second half by a combined tally of 37-6, but Atlanta was the better team after the break on Sunday, nearly stealing a win. This is a reminder, I think, that while the Patriots are indeed vastly improved, they’re ultimately only as good as Drake Maye is. Maye was sacked six times, lost a key fumble and threw a wild pick. He’s been terrific this season, but New England is letting him take way, way too many hits. 12 (up 1) San Francisco 49ers 6-3Significant injuries have rocked San Francisco’s defense, with first-round pick Mykel Williams’ torn ACL the latest blow. It was tough enough to lose Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the season, but now the defense has to wonder where the pressure will come from with the emerging Williams abruptly sidelined. Defensively, they were good enough against the Giants, with the offense and special teams carrying the load after falling behind early. Mac Jones hit on his first 14 pass attempts of the game, and the Christian McCaffrey–Brian Robinson duo really kept the Niners on schedule. A good bounce-back game prior to the huge showdown vs. the Rams. Do the Niners have enough defensive juice to make it through the season? 13 (up 1) Pittsburgh Steelers 5-3Who could have seen this defensive performance coming? After back-to-back humbling outings on that side of the ball against the Bengals and Packers, the Steelers were lights out versus the Colts, not allowing Indianapolis’ run game to develop while disrupting the timing of the pass attack. With the defense racking up five sacks and five takeaways (Indy nabbed a sixth TO on special teams), this was the unit’s best showing of the season, stifling an offense that had averaged 36.8 ppg in its previous four outings. It wasn’t a banner day for Pittsburgh’s offense, but the defense picked up the slack in a major way. After Baltimore won on Thursday, the Steelers could have seen their division lead fall to a mere game. This was a massive victory when they needed it most. 14 (down 2) Los Angeles Chargers 6-3The Chargers’ too-close-for-comfort win and another injury to Joe Alt (this time, a season-ender) has me once again questioning their credentials, even if they remain in the current playoff field and still boast a 3-0 mark against the AFC West. Perhaps the Trevor Penning trade can help stop the bleeding, but they’re just a different offense with Alt — and Justin Herbert can’t take six sacks in 40 dropbacks and hope to win too many more games. He also threw an early pick-six, and the Chargers allowed a punt-return TD, so the self-inflicted mistakes were aplenty. That’ll have to be cleaned up before tougher games against the Steelers and Jaguars, with the bye still a few weeks away. This team keeps riding the razor’s edge, and it’s making me nervous about its chances to truly contend. 15 Jacksonville Jaguars 5-3The Jags needed a record-breaking 68-yard field goal to get their first points of the game 30 minutes in, needed another long field goal near the end of regulation and relied on a failed two-point try in overtime by the Raiders to survive in Vegas. In the absence of Travis Hunter and Brenton Strange, the passing game had plenty of clunky moments, including a bad end-zone interception by Trevor Lawrence. He ran for two scores, including the eventual winner in overtime, and Travis Etienne was a steady force, especially late, but this was not a performance to rally the troops behind. Ending a two-game losing streak was most important; still, the Jaguars looked a bit hiccup-y after their Week 8 bye. 16 (up 3) Baltimore Ravens 3-5It’s amazing what two victories in a five-day span can do for the soul, as well as the playoff hopes. From 1-5 to Lamar Jackson throwing for four TDs in his return is a pretty amazing swing for a team you suddenly can’t count out at all, maybe even to host a home playoff game. The Week 14 showdown with Pittsburgh looms, and Baltimore can’t suddenly go into cruise control, but the schedule does line up quite nicely. Jackson’s return was a huge catalyst, of course, but the Ravens probably wouldn’t even be in this position had it not been for the upswing of the defense. They’re still bailing out some water, but the Ravens are nearly back to full steam here. 17 Chicago Bears 5-3How do you take stock of a bonkers game in which the Bears were exceptional in some regards and truly awful in others? A win’s a win, but the special teams were mostly horrendous, starting from the opening kickoff, and the defense blew a two-TD lead in the final few minutes. The Bears’ run game was incredible without D’Andre Swift, as rookie Kyle Monangai looked like a feature back, even against arguably the worst defense in the NFL. Ben Johnson also had all the play-calls going, and Caleb Williams put the Bears in a position to score on 10 of their 12 possessions. That it took a miracle deep shot to Colston Loveland (and a missed tackle) to win made it difficult to give this victory too much credit. 18 (down 2) Houston Texans 3-5Each loss makes the climb that much more difficult, and Sunday’s setback to the Broncos came with an added tax. C.J. Stroud left the game with a concussion, and his status will be the current focus, with two straight division contests coming up next. Davis Mills came out ready to throw against the Broncos, but he had very little going in the second half against a good Denver defense. The Texans gained just 87 yards on 27 second-half plays, watching their tenuous eight-point lead dissolve over the final 20 minutes. They controlled the clock most of the game and held the Broncos in check but couldn’t get key stops in the fourth quarter. Houston can still climb back to .500 with wins over the Jaguars and Titans, but we don’t yet know if Stroud will be able to help. 19 (up 2) Carolina Panthers 5-4The Panthers deserve a ton of credit for coming into Green Bay with a smart game plan and executing it well. This is one of the biggest wins for Dave Canales in Carolina — and the team’s on a roll, taking four of the last five to pull above .500 for the second time in the head coach’s tenure. Bryce Youngwasn’t prolific in his return to action, and his end-zone INT felt costly at the time, but he made enough key conversions and generally kept the Panthers out of trouble. Between an opportunistic Carolina defense and the hard running of Rico Dowdle, the Panthers had just enough to spring the upset and make gains on first-place Tampa Bay, which was on a bye. If they can keep pace until the home stretch of the season, they’ll have a chance to battle the Bucs for the NFC South crown. 20 (up 3) Minnesota Vikings 4-4J.J. McCarthy’s return to action was a wild affair, filled with ups and downs and everything in between, but the end result is that he played well enough to win, making several clutch plays throughout. The consistency still needs to arrive, but this is the type of game performance the Vikings were hoping for when they traded up for him in the 2024 draft. He only threw nine times in the second half, and three in the fourth quarter, but Kevin O’Connell trusted McCarthy enough to deliver the final nail to Jalen Nailor. The Lions had carved up Brian Flores’ defense in multiple previous meetings, but on Sunday, that unit got after Jared Goff relentlessly. Just a shocking win after the Chargers debacle, and just like that, Minnesota is back to .500. 21 (down 1) Atlanta Falcons 3-5The Falcons’ third straight loss was pretty painful in that they outplayed the Patriots from the final minute of the first half pretty much until the end. Drake London was feasting on New England’s defense, and Atlanta had all the momentum. But a few offensive penalties really hurt, and Michael Penix Jr.’s return was marred by some inconsistencies, even with big plays mixed in. It didn’t help that the run game once again stalled, looking clunky in the past few outings. Atlanta’s defense rallied to turn in a good game overall, holding the Patriots to three points over the final 35 minutes, but Parker Romo’s late missed PAT was a killer. The Falcons never could take the lead and seize control. 22 (up 2) Arizona Cardinals 3-5Kiss the five-game losing streak goodbye. How about Arizona’s defensive performance, led by the awesome Josh Sweat? Sweat made several game-changing plays, Walter Nolen was loud in his NFL debut, and Calais Campbell dunked on Dallas late with two sacks. The Cardinals held the Cowboys without an offensive touchdown for the first 49 game minutes in AT&T Stadium, where the home team had reached 40 points in every game until Monday. The fourth-quarter blues looked like they were returning when the Cardinals stopped blocking for Jacoby Brissett, but the offense looked efficient for most of the game coming out of the bye. In Brissett’s three starts, the Cardinals have scored 27, 23 and 27 points. With Kyler Murray starting, the Cardinals have averaged 20.6 points per game. It’s not enough to create a QB controversy, but it’s worth noting. This was an important victory after so many close losses, but how good is this Arizona team? 23 (down 1) Dallas Cowboys 3-5-1Dak Prescott and the offense never really found a rhythm against Arizona until late on Monday night, and they were ultimately buried by Javonte Williams’ fumble, one of five Dallas turnovers (if you count the two fourth-down stops) on the night. Brian Schottenheimer opted to go for it — down 17 points early in the fourth quarter — instead of kicking a field goal, with Next Gen Stats calling it a toss-up play, slightly favoring going for it (by 0.4%). But Dallas never got back within single digits, and that’s now three losses in the past four games. Not even the blocked-punt touchdown could get this team going early enough. Another disappointing loss where the offense couldn’t do enough to make up for clear defensive shortcomings, although the trades for Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson could help. But is it too late? The Cowboys might need to win six of their final eight games to have a shot at the playoffs. 24 (down 6) Washington Commanders 3-6I got a little blowback on D.C. radio this summer when I said that I still felt like this was not a complete roster and that a fallback was possible, but I didn’t know it would go this way. Not like things were going great before it, but the Bears loss was really the harbinger of terrible developments. As if Sunday night’s home blowout wasn’t harsh enough, Jayden Daniels’ late injury — down 31 points with eight minutes left — was the cruel knife twist, right after he’d re-entered the lineup. Washington’s defense was torn to shreds early and only marginally better late, and nothing is truly working as it should. With injuries mounting, this season feels like it’s just slipping away, painfully. 25 Cincinnati Bengals 3-6With a bum shoulder, having practiced only once last week, Joe Flacco went out and threw for 470 yards in an all-time gutsy effort, even chasing down a turnover all the way to the end zone in the fourth quarter. He nearly beat the Bears, too, but the Bengals’ defense once again collapsed late. The Bears weren’t that much better defensively, and they had a horrific special teams game, but even with Flacco’s massive game, Cincinnati couldn’t win. That’s how bad things are defensively. Two straight gutting losses have dropped the Bengals to 3-6 heading into the bye, and about the only thing going for them is the 2-0 divisional mark. Perhaps an upset at Pittsburgh in Week 11 can keep them on life support. 26 (up 1) New York Giants 2-7After the opening-drive TD against the 49ers, the Giants punted four straight times and then missed a field-goal try. Jaxson Dart and Co. finally got cooking a little in the second half, but they showed a surprising lack of urgency while trailing by double digits and never really had a chance to turn the game. The Giants’ defense has really struggled to stop the run during the past three games, and they’ve forced only one turnover over that span — all losses since the big Week 6 win over the Eagles. Injuries surely have been a huge part of the story, and Dart can’t do it all himself, but the Giants really need to make something happen down the stretch if several of the key decision-makers want to ensure their return in 2026. They still have four tough games (three on the road) before the Week 14 bye hits. 27 (up 2) Las Vegas Raiders 2-6Pete Carroll made the right call going for two in overtime, even if the Raiders lost. This season is pretty much toast, but they had a chance to steal a game in front of fans who haven’t had much to applaud. Brock Bowers nearly carried his squad to victory, catching 12 passes on 13 targets for 127 yards and three TDs, also taking an end-around into the red zone in the fourth quarter. His second TD gave Las Vegas the lead in the final few minutes of regulation, and his OT score could have been the game-winner. Not bad for a guy who just missed three games with a knee injury. But there was little else to cheer about, even with it being a one-score game throughout. 28 Cleveland Browns 2-6They crawled into the bye with a humbling loss at New England, and questions at quarterback have reemerged. Dillon Gabriel has flatlined, and there will be more Shedeur Sanders talk in the coming days and weeks, even if neither he nor Gabriel are a long-term answer. Still, it might behoove the Browns to throw Sanders out there, both as a way of gauging his talent and also potentially showcasing it for an offseason trade. Cleveland’s defense has been mostly terrific and could yield a few more wins, but questions at QB must be answered down the stretch prior to an offseason in which the club will have two first-round picks to help them determine the next course at the position. 29 (down 3) Miami Dolphins 2-7Well, at least they had Week 8. Chris Grier had been with the Dolphins for a quarter century and the general manager since 2016, and then on Friday, after another demoralizing loss, he was out the door. Just another depressing development in this wicked season, with the all-important trade deadline rapidly approaching. Several big-name Dolphins have been bandied about and could be dealt by the time you’re reading this. (They shipped out Jaelan Phillips on Monday.) It’s hard to gauge where the franchise sits with head coach Mike McDaniel and QB Tua Tagovailoa. Basically, this thing is coming apart like a ball of yarn around an eager kitten. It’s hard to imagine we’re suddenly going to see the best of this team with two marquee games, against the Bills in Miami and the Commanders in Madrid, up next. 30 (up 1) New York Jets 1-7In Dan Campbell’s second season as Lions head coach, with Aaron Glenn as his defensive coordinator, Detroit started 1-6 before getting white hot down the stretch and finishing 9-8. It was a stunning in-season improvement, the likes of which Glenn will preach is possible for his Jets, who have some winnable games and wind at their backs following the dramatic Week 8 victory and a restful bye. Of course, the problem is that the Jets must now do it without Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. That’s arguably two top-five defenders at their respective positions they’ve suddenly lost, with big drop-offs to their potential replacements. It’s hard to see too many more wins on the schedule. 31 (down 1) New Orleans Saints 1-8The Saints had a chance to change the trajectory of Sunday’s game against the Rams, trailing only 20-10 at halftime. But a 10-minute TD drive by L.A. and a New Orleans fumble at midfield turned it into a laugher — the Saints’ fifth loss of the season by double digits. Tyler Shough had some good throws in his first NFL start and led a solid TD drive just before halftime, but the second-round pick had only nine completions through three quarters. Part of that was because the Rams controlled the clock, with nearly a three-to-one advantage in time of possession, gaining 30 first downs on 77 plays. After a respectable defensive showing in Week 8, the Saints were flat-out bad Sunday. 32 Tennessee Titans 1-8The Titans’ overall effort and execution against the Chargers was better than we’ve seen in most of their games this season, but the offensive struggles continued. A pick-six and punt-return TD from the defense and special teams provided 14 of Tennessee’s 20 points Sunday. Offensive penalties killed the Titans early on. Cam Ward was sacked four times and completed just four of his 11 first-half passes. Tennessee found some rhythm after halftime but was stopped on goal-to-go from the 1-yard line and never really threatened to steal the game. The next head coach will have an intriguing talent in Ward, but it’s clear he will need more help and a better direction offensively after what’s been a frustrating rookie season so far. |
| MIDSEASON GRADES – two setsTyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com and Frank Schwab of YahooSports give out midseason grades for the 32 member clubs with three teams in the NFC West among those getting As. Let’s see where they differ: AFC East New England Patriots Sullivan: AAre the Patriots … back? It sure looks like it. New England finds itself in first place in the AFC East after a 7-2 start to the year, which includes a win in Buffalo against Josh Allen and the Bills. The key aspect of the club’s hot first half has been the second-year leap from Drake Maye, who has played himself into the MVP conversation. Maye currently leads the NFL in completion percentage (74.1%), which is made only more impressive when paired with his 9.0-yards-per-attempt average (third-highest in the NFL). On top of Maye’s ascent, Mike Vrabel has completely changed the culture for the Patriots, particularly on the defense side of the ball, as they are holding opponents to 18.8 points per game (tied for fifth-lowest in the NFL). They have exceeded expectations. Schwab: AYou can’t ask much more of the Patriots (aside from not losing to the Raiders at home in Week 1). Drake Maye has been near an MVP level, they have a huge win at Buffalo and lead the AFC East. New England has benefitted from a very soft schedule, but they’ve mostly handled business against bad teams. Buffalo Bills Sullivan: BBuffalo was the heaviest favorite in the NFL to win its respective division, so to see the Bills outside of first place in the AFC East at the midway point is somewhat alarming. They had a two-game losing skid to the Patriots at home and then to the Falcons on the road, but they’ve rebounded well. At 6-2, they are still well within play in the division and have head-to-head victories over the Baltimore Ravens (Week 1) and Kansas City Chiefs (Week 9), which are strong feathers in their cap. Josh Allen continues to be arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and the defense is top 10 in the league in points allowed per game (20.9). Schwab: BOn one hand it’s not great that the Bills are behind the Patriots and have lost their home game against them. But Buffalo isn’t in bad shape, and the win over the Chiefs could be important. There are questions about the defense, but this is still a team capable of winning a Super Bowl. They’re fine. Miami Dolphins Sullivan: D-Coming into the season, the Dolphins were pegged as a team teetering on a free fall. And they’ve since fallen to the depths of the AFC. Miami finds itself 2-7 at the midway points, already parting ways with GM Chris Grier, and it feels like both Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa’s days are numbered as well. They are coming off a demoralizing loss to the Ravens, which was the largest home loss under McDaniel. More broadly, the Dolphins defense is among the worst in the league, surrendering 5.9 yards per play (tied for fourth-highest) and allowing an opposing passer rating of 114.4 (worst in the NFL). Offensively, they’ve committed a league-high 15 turnovers this season. Schwab: FWhat exactly has gone right for the Dolphins? It looks like a team that will look entirely different in 2026. GM Chris Grier is gone, head coach Mike McDaniel is probably next and there’s talk of benching QB Tua Tagovailoa. At least the Dolphins got two wins. Everything else has been a nightmare. New York Jets Sullivan: FThe Jets have given up on 2025, and it’s hard to blame them. At the deadline, New York had a fire sale, shipping away the likes of Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in exchange for a treasure trove of picks. This comes after they began the year 0-7 and looked on their way to possibly going winless before pulling off an upset over the Bengals in Week 8. Despite that lone victory, this has been an abject failure of a season for the Jets, who have already benched Justin Fields for Tyrod Taylor and are 0-5 at home for just the fourth time in franchise history. It may be early November, but New York is already looking toward the 2026 NFL Draft. Schwab: FEven with the low bar the Jets set for themselves, the first half was rough. At least they got Aaron Glenn one win. Given the moves at the trade deadline, sending off Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, there won’t be many more wins. Though those moves were necessary for the future. AFC North Pittsburgh Steelers Sullivan: B+The Aaron Rodgers experiment has largely worked out for Pittsburgh. They Steelers currently sit atop the AFC North with a two-game lead entering Week 10, and Rodgers has found a bit of the fountain of youth. His 17 touchdown passes this season are the most by a Steelers quarterback through eight games since Ben Roethlisberger in 2021. He’s been particularly dialed in on the road with a 114.7 passer rating in three games outside of Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers also just took it to the Colts, who came into their Week 9 matchup with an NFL-best 7-1 record. So what keeps them out of the “A” range? Their defense has been spotty. They generated six takeaways in the winning effort last week, but are allowing 278.3 yards passing per game (most in the NFL and most through eight games in franchise history). Schwab: B+Not many people had the Steelers leading the AFC North at the midway point. There are flaws. The defense has had extreme ups and downs and the offense is limited. Still, who in Pittsburgh wouldn’t have signed up for being two games up on every other team in the division by midseason? Baltimore Ravens Sullivan: CIt was a nightmarish start for Baltimore to begin 2025. Not only did the Ravens begin the year 1-5, but they were hit with a slew of injuries, which included Lamar Jackson. Despite that horrid start, they’ve rebounded well, and it’s no surprise that it coincided with them getting healthier on both sides of the ball. Jackson looked like his MVP self against Miami and currently leads the NFL in passer rating (136.7). Defensively, they’ve held opponents to just 13 points per game since Week 6, which is tied for second in the NFL. They’ve inched closer to the Steelers for first place in the AFC North, and are still the betting favorite to ultimately win the division. It hasn’t been a perfect start by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s a path toward landing on their feet. Schwab: DA Super Bowl favorite started the season 1-5. That’s not going to result in a great grade. But we all know injuries played a part in that, and the Ravens are far from dead this season with Lamar Jackson back. The Ravens deserve a poor grade for the first half, but it might look a lot different by season’s end. Cincinnati Bengals Sullivan: FThe Bengals have been one of the more maddening teams in the NFL. Yes, Joe Burrow got hurt and has been sidelined, which has put them behind the eight-ball. That said, this team has had opportunities to weather the storm, but has failed miserably in doing so. Defensively, they might be the worst unit in the NFL. It doesn’t matter if the offense drops anywhere between 38 and 42 points; they’ll find a way to let the opposition score more. They are surrendering a league-high 33.3 points per game and have just gone back-to-back games allowing the game-winning score inside of two minutes. Last week, it came with just 25 seconds remaining. Given those numbers, would it even matter if Burrow were under center instead of Joe Flacco? If the defense is giving up 47 points like it did last week against Chicago, you’re losing regardless. Schwab: D-The Joe Flacco trade made the Bengals more competitive. That saved them from getting an F. The defense is horrendous. It’s a little weird how Zac Taylor has avoided any hot seat talk. Given how bad the defense is, it’s fair to wonder if a healthy Joe Burrow would have made much difference. Cleveland Browns: D Sullivan: DCleveland wasn’t expected to be competitive in 2025, so the Browns are probably right about where most thought they’d be. The defense has remained their calling card, while the offense is still a work in progress. They’ve hit a number of pieces in the 2025 NFL Draft from Mason Graham to Quinshon Judkins to Harold Fannin Jr., but it’s still a question at quarterback. Dillon Gabriel has shown flashes, but not enough that make him a bona fide franchise centerpiece. He currently has an NFL-low 4.9 yards per attempt this season. Schwab: C-It’s not like the Browns were expected to be good, and they’re not. The positive is clearly the rookie class, which looks like it might produce a few long-term starters. A win over the Packers was impressive. A 2-6 start isn’t worthy of a parade, but there have been good signs. AFC South Indianapolis Colts Sullivan: AIndy’s ascension is the biggest surprise of the first half. At the moment, they Colts are 7-2 and the No. 1 seed in the AFC with Daniel Jones leading the way. No one saw that coming. Even after falling to the Steelers in Week 9, the Colts still lead the NFL in points per game (32.2) and in points per game differential (+12.1). Jonathan Taylor has been a one-man wrecking crew out of the backfield, leading the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren has also been a Day 1 contributor. This team has been so good that the front office doubled down on them and pulled off a deadline day blockbuster for former Jets All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner. The good times may continue to roll in the second half. Schwab: AA dud of a loss at Pittsburgh dropped the grade from A+. Everything else has been far better than anyone could have expected. Daniel Jones has been fantastic, Jonathan Taylor should be an MVP candidate, and the move to get Sauce Gardner indicates the Colts think they have a Super Bowl contender. Jacksonville Jaguars Sullivan: B-Jacksonville is one of the tougher teams to pinpoint. On the one hand, the Jaguars are 5-3, nipping on the heels of the juggernaut Colts in the division and currently in the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed. On the other hand, however, they haven’t exactly jumped off the page when watching them on the field. Defensively, they are third in the league in takeaways (15), but have the fewest sacks (10) in the NFL. Offensively, Trevor Lawrence is 32nd among 33 qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (59.7%) this season. It’s been good, not great, so a “B-” is sufficient. Schwab: B-The 5-3 record is hard to argue with. There were quality wins at San Francisco and vs. the Chiefs. Then why does it seem like everything with the Jaguars is labored? It’s hard to buy that the Jaguars won’t have a dip in the second half, though the good news is they’re still in the AFC South race. Houston Texans Sullivan:C-Houston entered the season as the betting favorite to win the AFC South and is now struggling to stay in the playoff conversation. The Texans’ 3-5 record is the worst eight-game start to a season under DeMeco Ryans, and they are an NFL-worst 0-5 in one-score games. The offense can’t seem to find its footing and owns the worst red zone touchdown percentage (36.4%) in the NFL, and is also the second-worst third-down offense (32.4%). What keeps them out of falling into the “D” range has been their stellar defense. The unit is first in the league in points allowed per game (15.1) and yards allowed per game (267.4). Schwab: DThe Texans doing nothing substantial to fix their offensive line in the offseason was strange, and it has played out as poorly as expected. The Texans’ defense is elite and it has led to a 3-5 record. The Texans have really failed their young quarterback, C.J. Stroud. Tennessee Titans Sullivan: FTennessee still lives at the bottom of the NFL barrel, despite acquiring quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick this offseason. The situation around the former Miami Hurricane hasn’t been ideal, with lackluster talent and a coaching staff that has already been upended with the firing of Brian Callahan earlier this year. The defense is allowing the third-most points per game (28.6), while the offense is scoring the fewest points per game in the league (14.4). Schwab: FIf Emari Demercado didn’t drop the ball before scoring for Arizona, leading to a ridiculous Titans comeback win, we’d have to start talking about a possible 0-17 season. The Titans are embarrassing. They might not win another game. It’s shocking an NFL team could be this bad. AFC West Denver Broncos Sullivan: AThe cardiac Broncos! Denver is currently tied for the longest winning streak in the NFL this season as the Broncos have ripped off six-straight victories to push them to 7-2. They are atop the AFC West, and they could very well be the No. 1 seed in the AFC had it not been for a bizarre leverage penalty called against them in last-second Week 2 loss to Indy. Regardless, this team has had a knack for coming alive in the fourth quarter, owning a +66 point differential in the final period. On top of that winning quotient, the defense has been among the best in the NFL, leading the league in sacks (40) and is the best on third down (28.2%) and in the red zone (34.8% touchdown rate). Schwab: B+The offense could be better. They’ve been fortunate to win a few times. But they’re also 7-2, in front of the AFC West, have an elite defense and a coach that theoretically should be able to fix the offense. The Broncos have room to get better, but they’re in an excellent place. Los Angeles Chargers Sullivan: B+L.A. opened 2025 firing on all cylinders, ripping off three-straight wins against each of its division rivals. The Chargers cooled after that with a 1-3 record over the next month, but have recently stabilized. They wrapped up the first half of the year with back-to-back wins that brought them to 6-3 on the year and firmly in the playoff mix, and just a game behind the Broncos. Defensively, they are holding opponents to just 5.2 yards per play, which falls inside the top 10 in the league. L.A. also leads the NFL in total yards per game differential (+87.8), along with being the best third-down offense (49.2% conversion rate) in the league entering Week 10. While Justin Herbert has played well, the key question in the second half will be whether or not the offensive line can hold up with Joe Alt going down for the year. Schwab: BThe Chargers have injury concerns going forward and that might cost them a shot at a division title. But they have had a very good start to the season. It’s just a shame players like Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Omarion Hampton didn’t stay healthy, because this could have been a great season for the Chargers. Kansas City Chiefs Sullivan: CKansas City remains the betting favorite to win Super Bowl LX, but that’s largely based on reputation. In a vacuum, it’s been up and down for them in 2025. The Chiefs began the year 0-2, losing to the Chargers in the opener and then the Eagles. They were able to claw back to .500 by ripping off back-to-back wins, but then had a puzzling defeat to the Jaguars to push them back down. More recently, the Chiefs looked like their old selves, averaging 29.6 points per game over a three-game winning streak between Week 6 and Week 8. As has been the theme, however, they came back down the earth in Week 9 in a loss to Buffalo, where Patrick Mahomes was sacked three times and hit 15 times. They are still well within range of making a Chiefs-like surge in the second half, but they’ll need to be gangbusters out of the bye. To this point, it’s been hot and cold. Schwab: C-It’s hard to give the Chiefs an above average grade for a 5-4 start. The losses have all been in one-score games, but it’s still four losses in early November. They are going to be in a fight to win the AFC West, which is unusual for them. It has not been a good start, but there’s time to turn it around. Las Vegas Raiders Sullivan: DThe Raiders acquired Geno Smith and hired Pete Carroll this offseason in hopes of boosting the organization to a more respectable level. That hasn’t materialized. After pulling off a win in Week 1, Las Vegas lost four straight and six of its last seven, sitting at 2-6 on the year and well within last place in the AFC West. Part of the issue was the club missing offensive linchpin Brock Bowers, but Smith was also sloppy with the football. Meanwhile, the defense has started to falter. On the year, the unit is giving up 26.3 points per game (eighth highest in the NFL), but that has ticked up in the last two weeks, allowing 30.5 points per game. Schwab: DHiring a 74-year-old head coach and trading for a 35-year-old quarterback always seemed weird, but the Raiders wanted to be more competitive right away. They have not been. The Raiders have been a mess, as usual, and there aren’t many signs the Pete Carroll era is going to work out as they hope. NFC East Philadelphia Eagles Sullivan: A-For all the hemming and hawing surrounding the Eagles this season, they are still 6-2, in a strong position in the NFC East, and enter Week 10 as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Yes, the passing attack has its warts, but the offense has committed just three turnovers this season (fewest in the NFL) and is the best red zone unit in the NFL with an 85% touchdown rate. Defensively, they had issues at outside corner and at edge rusher, but Howie Roseman did his best to address those concerns with deadline deals for corners Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander, along with pass rusher Jaelan Phillips. They should still be considered the team to beat in the NFC. Schwab: BThere’s always something to complain about with the Eagles, and the first half of the season hasn’t been clean. They’re still 6-2 and have the deepest roster in the NFL. It just hasn’t been as easy as it was for most of last season. Overall, the Eagles are right on track to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Dallas Cowboys Sullivan: C-The Cowboys have a high-flying offense. They are tied for the third-highest yards per play total in the NFL, seventh in the league on third down (42.9% conversion rate), and are fourth in points per game (29.2). Throwing it around the yard and putting up points isn’t what has them under .500. It’s the defense. In essentially every key metric, they are in the bottom third in the NFL. They are just one of two teams (Bengals being the other), allowing over 30 points per game (30.8) this season. They are the only team allowing opponents to convert on third down more than half the time (league-worst 52.59%). Jerry Jones made deadline deals to try and help remedy that problem, bringing in linebacker Logan Wilson and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, but they have some ground to make up because of this lackluster unit. Schwab: CA C- might be generous, but it’s not like there were grand expectations after trading Micah Parsons. The offense has been good, the defense has been bad and the Cowboys have three wins over terrible teams. The trade for Quinnen Williams was weird because it’s not like Dallas is going anywhere this season. Washington Commanders Sullivan: DThe Commanders have taken a considerable step backward after bursting onto the scene in Year 1 with Jayden Daniels. They’ve gone from an NFC Championship participant to a 3-6 club that is struggling to stay in the playoff picture. Of course, a key reason for their downtrodden 2025 campaign has been due to injuries, particularly with Daniels. He missed time due to a hamstring injury earlier in the year and is now on the shelf indefinitely following a gruesome elbow injury. While Daniels is a key driver for their lack of success, it isn’t the only reason. Their defense has looked slow throughout the year and is allowing 6.2 yards per play (second-highest in the NFL) and an opposing passer rating of 110.7 (third-highest). They are currently on a four-game losing streak, which includes three-straight losses of 20 or more points entering Week 10. Schwab: D-A massively disappointing follow-up to a dream season. Jayden Daniels’ injury makes it worse. The Commanders have the oldest roster in the NFL, and it was a mistake believing they were closer to championship contention than they were. There will be a lot of work to do in the offseason. New York Giants Sullivan: C+Yes, the record isn’t good at 2-7, and the Giants again find themselves in last place in the NFC East. However, the No. 1 priority for the franchise was hitting on 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart, which it seems to have done. Since taking over as the starter over Russell Wilson, Dart has looked the part of a franchise centerpiece. He’s led the Giants to their only two wins on the year (2-4 as a starter), while completing 62.3% of his throws, averaging 195.8 yards passing per game and 41.8 yards rushing per game. Dart also has 15 total touchdowns and just three interceptions. Most of that production has been without top wideout Malik Nabers, who went down with a season-ending ACL tear in late September. If you ask a Giants fan, the first half has been a success because of Dart’s emergence, even if the record still isn’t where they’d want it to be. Schwab: DThere was a little jolt of life when Jaxson Dart became the starter, but that has faded despite Dart still playing well. Cam Skattebo’s injury was deflating. There are renewed questions over Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen’s future. NFC North Green Bay Packers Sullivan: BThe Packers looked unstoppable over the first two weeks of the regular season. They pulled off back-to-back wins over the Lions and Commanders, and the addition of Micah Parsons looked like it was going to make them the overwhelming Super Bowl favorite. After that, however, they came back down to earth in shocking fashion. They were upset on the road by the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 and then tied the Cowboys in Dallas after the defense gave up 40 points. That took the shine off the Cheeseheads, and it was restored briefly with a three-game winning streak, but subdued once more with another shocking upset loss in Week 9. There, they fell to the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field, where the offense mustered just 13 points in the losing effort. It does seem like they play up or play down to their competition, which is a frustrating development for such a talented club. It’ll also be interesting to see how much the offense will be impacted in the second half following the season-ending injury to star tight end Tucker Kraft. Schwab: B-Two of the biggest upsets of the NFL season were the Browns over the Packers in Week 3 and the Panthers over the Packers in Week 9. A tie against the Cowboys was nothing to be proud of either. The Packers are supposed to be good, but there has been way too much inconsistency. Detroit Lions Sullivan: BThe Lions are another team that has run a little hot and cold through the first half. They bounced back well after dropping the opener to Green Bay, rattling off four-straight wins and averaging 40.3 points per game in the process. However, they’ve more recently lost two of their last three, and the offensive production has been cut in half (21.7 points per game). Despite the up-and-down nature, Detroit remains one of the key players in the NFC, and Jared Goff continues to be efficient. He’s second in the NFL in completion percentage (73.8%) and tied for second with a 2.1 passing touchdown per game average. Defensively, they are top 10 in the league in yards per play allowed (5.0), but are middle of the pack in points per game (22.3). Schwab: BIt’s hard to be too excited about the Lions’ start. They lost two games all of last season and have three already this season. Some games they have looked like the best team in football though, with the same explosive offense and a very good defense. There’s a lot of potential with this team. Chicago Bears Sullivan: B-The Bears are in the playoff mix at the midway point of the regular season, which is a fantastic development for Year 1 under Ben Johnson. Yes, they’ve largely beaten up on bad competition, but they’ve also shown resiliency, including last week’s last-second victory over the Bengals, where Caleb Williams uncorked a 58-yard touchdown to Colston Loveland with less than 30 seconds to play in regulation. As expected, Johnson’s arrival has seen the offensive production improve. Chicago has 36 plays of 20-plus yards this season (fifth in the NFL) after having 47 such plays last season (28th). The Bears are also averaging 378.4 yards per game (fourth-most in the NFL) and 26.9 points per game (sixth-most). Defensively, they need to improve as they rank 29th in the league, allowing 28.4 points per game. Schwab: BThere has been some angst about Caleb Williams’ inconsistency, but could Bears fans have expected much more? Chicago has won five of six and is in the NFC North race. There have been good moments for Williams in Ben Johnson’s offense. The Bears are on the right track. Minnesota Vikings Sullivan: C+Injuries at quarterback knocked the Vikings off kilter through the first half of the season. They began the year with a comeback win over the Bears, led by J.J. McCarthy, but then the second-year signal-caller struggled in a Week 2 blowout loss to the Falcons. After that, he was put on the shelf due to a high ankle sprain, which thrust Carson Wentz into the fold. Wentz was able to lead them to a 2-1 record before dropping his final two starts, where he was playing injured. In McCarthy’s return last week, he led an upset win over the Lions in Detroit to claw Minnesota back to .500, and could be a wild card in this second half after staying afloat. Schwab: CA win over the Lions in Week 9 might have saved the Vikings’ season. They have looked good in some wins and terrible in some losses. A 4-4 record is fitting. It’s hard to tell where the Vikings go from here. A lot of that will depend on J.J. McCarthy’s development, and that’s still a big unknown. NFC South Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sullivan: A-The Bucs find themselves at 6-2 on the year and currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC at the halfway point of the regular season. Baker Mayfield has pushed this team well above .500 despite a slew of injuries. Out of the gate, he was without starting tackle Tristan Wirfs and wideout Chris Godwin, and other key figures like wideout Mike Evans and running back Bucky Irving have also missed considerable time. Part of that has been thanks to first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka bursting onto the scene, but he’s been quiet over the last month, so they’ll need to get healthy on that side of the ball. While the record itself is stellar, their losses to Philadelphia and Detroit do raise a small red flag. Overall, however, they are in a strong position for the second half. Schwab: AThe Buccaneers built a 6-2 record on a ton of close wins, but they deserve credit for fighting through many injuries. Tampa Bay is in an excellent position to run away with the NFC South and even stay in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. Injuries aside, they couldn’t have asked for a better start. Carolina Panthers Sullivan: AThe expectation for the Panthers was low entering 2025. Folks did not think they’d be a game behind the Buccaneers for first place in the division and in the hunt for a wild card spot to begin the year, but here we are. Carolina has already matched its win total from last season and is fresh off one of the biggest upsets of the season as they defeated the Packers at Lambeau Field. Rico Dowdle has been a diamond in the rough for them as the veteran back has taken the NFL by storm. His 735 yards rushing and 5.6 yards per carry rank third-highest in the league. It hasn’t been perfect for the Panthers as they are averaging just 18.9 points per game (sixth-worst in the NFL), but to find themselves above .500 at this point when factoring in their expectations coming into the year deserves an “A” grade. Schwab: BThe Panthers are fortunate to have a winning record. They’re not particularly good on offense or defense. But here they are, at 5-4 coming off a big win over the Packers. Eventually they’ll need to play better to keep up with the Buccaneers, but it has been a fun first half for Carolina. Atlanta Falcons Sullivan: C+Atlanta began the year with a 3-2 record, which included what in the moment felt like a statement victory over the Buffalo Bills at home in Week 6. From there, however, they’ve since dropped three straight to fall below .500. Within that losing streak were some offensive duds against San Francisco and then against Miami (with Kirk Cousins at quarterback). That inconsistency has made them a frustrating watch at times, especially when there are performances from Drake London and Bijan Robinson that take over games. Still, Atlanta is scoring just 17.9 points per game (28th in the NFL). Defensively, the Falcons are giving up the fewest passing yards per game (158.1) in the NFL entering Week 10, which again makes their record frustrating. If the pieces fall into place, there are the makings of a team that could go on a run, but the Falcons haven’t consistently put together complete performances. Schwab: C-There have been some baffling performances by the Falcons. Shut out by the Panthers? Blown out by the Dolphins? Yikes. There are signs of progress for a team with a lot of young talent, but the terrible losses are hard to ignore. That makes the start disappointing. New Orleans Saints Sullivan: DNew Orleans was one of the favorites to be the worst team in the NFL in 2025, and they’ve kept themselves in the running for that through nine weeks. They were feisty at times in the early going (which helped them from receiving a failing grade), but they couldn’t truly put teams on upset alert. Spencer Rattler went 1-7 as the starter before first-year coach Kellen Moore sent him to the bench in place of Tyler Shough for Week 9, but it didn’t provide much of a spark as they were blown out by the Rams. The Saints defense is giving up 27 points per game (seventh-highest in the NFL), while the offense is barely mustering two touchdowns with a 15.3 points per game average (31st). They are in the early stages of what could be a long rebuild. Schwab: FThe Saints have been competitive in some games, but the first half was bad. They were expected to be one of the NFL’s worst teams and that has come to pass. The Saints are in play for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they need to start a rebuild that should have happened a few years ago. NFC West Seattle Seahawks Sullivan: AIn the offseason, the swapping of Geno Smith for Sam Darnold at quarterback was looked at as a semi-improvement or maybe even a lateral move. Boy, was that off. Darnold has not only been able to replicate his late-career breakout with the Vikings in 2024 as he transitioned over to Seattle, but the veteran has been even better. Darnold’s 9.6 yards per attempt average leads the league and is on pace to throw for over 4,400 yards this season. He also has 16 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions on a 116.0 passer rating so far. When you pair Darnold continuing to take the NFL by storm with a top-flight defense, the Seahawks are arguably the most balanced team in the NFL. They are No. 5 in the league in points per game (28.9) and points per game allowed (18.8). They are a sneaky Super Bowl contender. Schwab: AThe second year of the Mike Macdonald era has been a smash hit. Choosing to swap out Geno Smith for Sam Darnold was a brilliant move. The Seahawks have an explosive offense and a strong defense. Even though they blew two winnable home games, this first half couldn’t have gone much better. Los Angeles Rams Sullivan: AMatthew Stafford should be getting more MVP attention. The veteran is white hot at the halfway mark of the season, leading the NFL with 21 passing touchdowns. That number already exceeds his total from last season (20 passing touchdowns). Stafford has thrown 16 touchdowns over the last five games and has tossed zero interceptions over that stretch as well. That play gives L.A. a championship-caliber season, especially with the defense playing equally as well. The unit is allowing just 15.9 points per game this season, which is the second-best in the NFL. They are a major threat and feel a lot like their championship team from Super Bowl LVI. Schwab: AThere was worry about Matthew Stafford’s back throughout August. Then the season started and Stafford has played at an MVP level. There’s nothing keeping the Rams from winning a Super Bowl. They’re excellent on both sides of the ball. A great start, especially considering Stafford’s health concerns. San Francisco 49ers Sullivan: AThis might be Kyle Shanahan’s most impressive coaching performance. San Francisco has been ravaged by injuries to some of its most important players on the roster, and the coach still has them tied record-wise for first place in the NFC West. The Niners have lost Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the year, and have been with Brock Purdy for most of the season as well. Mac Jones has filled in admirably at quarterback, owning a 5-2 record as the starter. That said, it’s been Christian McCaffrey who has helped weather the storm offensively as the back leads the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,222. Currently, McCaffrey is on pace for 1,125 yards rushing and 1,182 yards receiving this season. For reference, no player has had 1,100 rushing and receiving yards in a single season. It’s a credit to their perseverance that they are still in a playoff position, but the key question for the second half is whether or not these injuries will start to catch up, particularly on defense. Schwab: A-The 49ers being 6-3 despite massive injury losses is remarkable. Kyle Shanahan is doing a great job. Many teams would have fallen hard by now. The 49ers are still in the playoff hunt and while there are long-term concerns about their defense without Fred Warner and Joey Bosa, it was an impressive start. Arizona Cardinals Sullivan: C+The Cardinals are one of seven teams to lead in every game this season, but they are the lone team of that bunch to be under .500 at the moment. Arizona’s inability to close has been a problem in 2025, and has the Cardinals in a massive hole in what is a wildly competitive NFC West. Recently, the offense seems to have found a spark with Jacoby Brissett, who will remain the starter in Week 10. This represents a possible seismic moment for the organization. While Kyler Murray is currently dealing with a foot injury, coach Jonathan Gannon did tell Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that Brissett would’ve been named the starter this week even if Murray were healthy. That leaves plenty of questions for the long-term view of the Cardinals, but in terms of where they stand at the midway point, their five-straight one-score losses have them looking up at the rest of the division. Schwab: D+A win over the Cowboys offered a reprieve. Before that, the Cardinals were on a five-game losing streak. They have a quarterback controversy after Kyler Murray struggled, got hurt and has been competently replaced by Jacoby Brissett. This isn’t the growth season Arizona wanted. |
