The Chiefs are 8-0, and they are nearly halfway there. They have withstood injuries and a two-year Superbowl hangover. They have dealt with a sluggish start from their future Hall of Fame TE. They have managed a Patrick Mahomes start to the year that often has looked rather normal.
Kansas City Chiefs:
They have a very legitimate shot at going 17-0 at this point…, with only a couple of potential speed bumps the rest of the way. Mahomes and Reid are masterful, and as long as the game is close, there is always the feeling that they are going to pull out the victory.
Detroit Lions:
They keep dominating their opponents. They are the best team in the NFC and might be the most balanced in the entire NFL. Goff is playing great, and their running backs can take over any game. At the midway point, it’s looking more and more like a Chiefs-Lions Superbowl.
Buffalo Bills:
Well, if the Bills have something to say about it, it will be a Bills-Lions Superbowl. Josh Allen has to get over the hump at some point. The question is whether or not he can play mistake-free football in the playoffs. He hasn’t been able to do that yet.
Baltimore Ravens:
Well, if the Ravens have something to say about it, it will be a Ravens-Lions Superbowl. Lamar Jackson has to get over the hump at some point. We thought it might happen last season with the Ravens having home field against the Chiefs, but once again, Mahomes got it done.
Green Bay Packers:
The weather conditions were awful, but at this point, the Packers felt like a second-tier team, thoroughly manhandled by the Lions. They will be in the playoffs and maybe even win a game, but it looks like they are outclassed by the Lions, and it will be even worse when the two teams meet in Detroit.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers may be overachieving at this point, but Bill Parcells always said you are what your record says you are. And at the moment, the Steelers are actually in first place in the AFC North with a 6-2 record, ahead of the Ravens. Russ looks good, and we know they can play good defense.
Washington Commanders:
For my money, the Commanders are the biggest wildcard heading into the playoffs. If the season ended today, they would be in first place in the NFC East, with a shot at the No. 1 seed currently held by the Lions. They made a big trade to bolster their defense.
Philadelphia Eagles:
The Eagles are still hanging around, only a half-game behind the Commanders, and tied in the loss column. Although they haven’t always looked good doing it, they are winning football games. Saquon Barkley is looking like one of the best free-agent signings of the year.
Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings rebounded nicely from their two-game losing streak, which seemed like twice as long. At 6-2, they are still smack dab in the playoff race in the NFC and could still win their division. Although he has been good, can Sam Darnold win a big game against Goff or Purdy in the playoffs?
Atlanta Falcons:
The Falcons are starting to run away in the NFC South. They are 6-3 and have a two-game lead in the division. The Saints and Panthers were never much of a threat, and the Bucs became much less of a threat when they started dealing with injuries to their wide receivers.
Houston Texans:
Something feels off with the Texans this season. They burst onto the scene last season behind their rookie phenom, who is seemingly in the midst of a sophomore slump. They are lucky that their division is one of the worst in the league.
San Fransisco 49ers:
The 49ers had a well-needed bye last week, and although they are in the top third of this list, they aren’t looking like a Superbowl team at the moment. Right now, they aren’t even a playoff team. Getting Christian McCaffrey back is going to be big for them.
Los Angeles Chargers:
A 5-3 record would either be in first place or at least right on the heels of the first-place team in every other division. But in the AFC West, they are three games behind the undefeated Chiefs. Their path to the playoffs is to crack one of the three AFC wildcard spots.
Los Angeles Rams:
All of a sudden, the Rams have won three in a row, are sitting at .500 with a 4-4 record, and are tied with the Cardinals in the loss column in this crazy NFC West. Stafford, Kupp, and Nacua are good enough to lead this Rams team to the playoffs, as we saw a year ago.
Seattle Seahawks:
Speaking of the crazy NFC West, the Seahawks are 4-5 and in last place but still within reach of winning the division. Their defense has fallen on hard times, and Geno Smith is turning the ball over far too often. They can’t seem to win within their division, either.
Denver Broncos:
At 5-4, HC Sean Payton has done a remarkable job with his rookie QB Bo Nix. They are in the middle of the AFC playoff race. They’ve scored more than they’ve given up, and their record is no mirage. The defense is good, and they might be able to lean on it as the weather gets colder.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Here comes the Bengals. They are still below .500 with a 4-5 record but have the talent to string a few wins together and make a run at the playoffs. As long as Burrow is healthy, the Bengals can beat anyone. Running back Chase Brown has been great for them lately as well.
Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals are currently in first place, but by many accounts, they are not the best team in the division. They have a net -7pt differential, but they are on a hot streak, winning three games in a row. They were expected to be a good offense, but their defense has surprised some people over the past few weeks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Bucs have been on a bad beat the last few weeks. They are still near .500 with a 4-5 record but have lost three games in a row. They may not be able to overcome the injuries to WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. If they can play like they did against the Chiefs moving forward, there is still a chance, though.
Chicago Bears:
The Bears lost to the Cardinals, and their fans are starting to show concern. They are 4-4 but have lost two in a row. Caleb Williams has been very inconsistent, and you can see that his star wide receivers are getting frustrated with him. They are open, and he is either misfiring or not throwing it at all.
Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts didn’t look great this past week with Joe Flacco at the helm. The team said benching Anthony Richardson wasn’t just a short-term blip, but they had to make a decision. A 39-year-old Flacco isn’t the long-term plan, and they need to actually figure out if Richardson can be the guy.
New York Jets:
It’s a week-to-week league. This has never been truer than with the Jets the past two weeks. They go to New England for what should have been a fairly easy win but lose. Then, Houston came to the Meadowlands in what should have been a tough game for the Jets, yet they won. At 3-6, they aren’t going anywhere this season.
Dallas Cowboys:
Speaking of a team not going anywhere this season, Dak Prescott is out for multiple weeks. Their coaching staff is a mess, and their offensive line has underachieved, but mostly, the injuries to Bland, Parsons, and Lawrence have just been too much for this defense to overcome.
Miami Dolphins:
Tua Tagovailoa returned a couple of weeks ago, yet the Dolphins keep losing. At 2-6, I wish they would just sit him for the rest of the season. They had to beat the Bills last week, and although they played well and came close, a loss is still a loss.
Tennessee Titans:
The victory against the lowly Patriots gave them their second victory and a lower draft pick. In the long run, I wonder if the win will work against them. Their signing of Tony Pollard has looked good, but that might be the only thing that has worked out for them.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
The Jaguars lost again and now have a 2-7 record. They are the biggest disappointment this season, and their head coach, Doug Pederson, cannot survive the year. It’s not all on Pederson, but they paid QB Trevor Lawrence a lot of money, so they won’t be firing him any time soon.
Cleveland Browns:
The excitement of the prior week’s win against the Ravens lasted exactly one week. The loss this week now has them sitting at 2-7. Their defense has been a shell of itself from a year ago, and the offense makes too many mistakes. Winston will have his moments, but there will be as much bad as there is good.
Carolina Panthers:
With losses by the Saints, Raiders, Patriots, and Giants, the Panthers win moved them up this list. But this is about their ceiling. Bryce Young is at least looking a lot better than he did last season and early this season. So, there is at least a bright spot for this team.
New Orleans Saints:
They looked so good after two weeks. Since then, they have lost seven straight. Their latest loss ended Dennis Allen’s coaching tenure in New Orleans. The only thing I am surprised about is that they didn’t trade Kamara at the deadline.
Las Vegas Raiders:
The Raiders lost again, and although the HC still has his job, their offensive coordinator doesn’t. Someone on a 2-7 team has to be made the scapegoat. I don’t even think the Raiders are worse than last season; I just think the rest of their division improved while they stayed the same.
New England Patriots:
And speaking of a 2-7 team…everyone’s job in New England is seemingly safe at the moment. There weren’t high expectations to begin with this season, but the play of rookie QB Drake Maye at least gives some hope for the future.
New York Giants:
And at the moment, the Giants have fallen to the bottom of this list…also with a 2-7 record. And unlike Jerod Mayo in New England, HC Brian Daboll’s job is absolutely on the line. Daniel Jones cannot be relied upon to win a big football game, and the defense is still giving up too many points despite having a great pass rush.