With nine weeks down and nine to go, the NFL season has reached the halfway point, but with 137 of the 272 regular season games completed, where do we stand?
We have seen enough to know the teams that are favourites for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February, those just looking to make the play-offs and teams already focusing on next season.
The defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the only unbeaten side remaining but are they best team in the NFL? The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens may want a say in that.
With ‘America’s Team’ being among the huge disappointments, Lamar Jackson looking for back-to-back MVPs and rookie Jayden Daniels among the surprise packages – there has been plenty of talking points from the first half of the season.
Chiefs dynasty is more than just Mahomes
Here’s the scary thing – the defending champs are 8-0 yet Patrick Mahomes is only just warming up. Their win over Tampa Bay was the first time they scored 30 points this season, the first time Mahomes threw three touchdowns and first time without an interception.
However, you need more than just a great quarterback to be a dynasty in the NFL. Head coach Andy Reid now has the fourth most wins in history and his defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has created one of the best units in the league.
And behind the scenes the club has to take huge credit for bringing back running back Kareem Hunt and trading for receiver DeAndre Hopkins to plug the gaps.
It’s now 14 wins in a row for Kansas City with the entire organisation continuing to make all the right moves.
Goff’s Lions ready for Super Bowl bid
The Detroit Lions do not have a perfect record but they are almost the perfect team and probably the strongest all-around side in the NFL with elite performers on both sides of the ball.
The Lions are top points per game scorers with quarterback Jared Goff producing record numbers for accuracy during their six-game winning run and best start to a season since 1956.
Amon-Ra St Brown is a top receiver, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are top running backs and they are top five in defence and turnovers.
Even when losing star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson they traded for Za’Darius Smith, which is a great move that could see them go one better than last year and reach the Super Bowl.
Henry & Jackson – Baltimore’s dynamic duo
Not many teams can pack a one-two punch better than the Baltimore Ravens after their off-season move for running back Derrick Henry has proved to be a huge success.
Henry has passed 1,000 rushing yards already with 11 TDs, but even more he’s allowed Lamar Jackson to thrive more as a pure passer – he is third in passing yards (2,379), second in touchdowns (20) with only two interceptions.
Jackson is the highest rated passer in the league, in fact, and if he does win the MVP award for a third time he will owe Henry a lot. Baltimore are only 6-3 with a couple of upset losses, but if they can sort their defence out their two big stars could carry them a long way.
Daniels & Commanders the biggest surprise
We thought rookie QB Jayden Daniels had special talent, but only very special players can have his kind of impact right from the word go as he’s led the turnaround for the Washington Commanders being the surprise package of the season so far.
A genuine dual threat with 13 total TDs, Daniels’ poise and accuracy is incredible for a rookie, while he can also throw the deep ball as he showed with a stunning Hail Mary winner against Chicago.
At 7-2 only two teams have a better record while only two teams have a better offence, and with the defence also improving recently Washington look set for the play-offs and genuine capable of causing a few upsets.
Dallas lead biggest disappointments
The Dallas Cowboys have gone 12-5 the past three years before calamitous play-off endings just added to the enduring soap opera of ‘America’s Team’ and their pursuit of the good old days.
After a shocking 3-5 start though their season is all-but over, and even worse than their usual high-profile play-off exit is Dallas sliding into quiet irrelevance now starting QB Dak Prescott is injured.
Head coach Mike McCarthy’s days seem numbered.
The New York Jets also have three wins when huge things were expected for fit-again Aaron Rodgers and even more when the team signed star receiver Davante Adams.
Head coach Robert Saleh was sacked after a poor start but after ending a five-game losing skid the Jets are still capable of rescuing their season. They have the talent but there’s no room for error now.
You could add the Miami Dolphins to the list here, who did lose QB Tua Tagovailoa but should still not have had the huge drop-off as a result.
The apparent lack of a back-up plan for coach Mike McDaniel was an alarming watch.
Dark horses to watch for the play-offs
The Atlanta Falcons have a decent lead in the NFC South and plenty of firepower, plus they have form for winning close games, while the Pittsburgh Steelers top the AFC North ahead of Baltimore and while they may not finish there they will be a handful if they make the play-offs.
The Houston Texans should win the AFC South and the Minnesota Vikings will be a wildcard in the NFC, but we already know plenty about both teams.
Of the more surprising sides who could make a run, the Arizona Cardinals have put together a three-game winning streak as Kyler Murray develops his chemistry with exciting rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
The Los Angeles Chargers have a defence nobody will want to face in the play-offs – with Jim Harbaugh’s side not allowing more than 20 points in a game so far and, with a QB of Justin Herbert’s quality, watch out for them ruffling a few feathers.
