The NFL is halfway through its regular season. Time to give out midterm grades. Who is thriving? Who is treading water, and who is failing?
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona finished its first half getting schooled by the New Orleans Saints. That ended an unimpressive three-game winning streak. The Bengals, Falcons and Giants are a combined 3-21. Kyler Murray looks like a player. However, it will be a while before the Cardinals can be considered a contender: Grade: C-minus
Atlanta Falcons
The season was make-or-break for Atlanta. The Falcons are broken. They are 1-7, somehow having defeated the Eagles on a Sunday night. Dan Quinn has to be on the firing line. It feels like a matter of time before Arthur Blank lets his coach go. Grade: F
Baltimore Ravens
Talk about an exciting team. Lamar Jackson has everyone awed with his capabilities. Mark Ingram and Marquise Brown are nice additions to the offense and the team provides weekly highlights. Add in an always-solid John Harbaugh defense and struggles among fellow division rivals and you are looking at a team headed to the playoffs. Grade: A-minus
Buffalo Bills
The good news is Buffalo is 5-2. The bad is the losses came to the two teams the Bills could have proven something by beating. The defeats were at home against New England and Philadelphia. Buffalo has done its job beating teams it is supposed to beat. However, if you want to be considered a contender and not a pretender, you have to do more. Grade: C-plus
Carolina Panthers
The Kyle Allen experiment was magical … until he ran into San Francisco. Allen threw three picks to end the four-game winning streak. Although everyone is getting blitzed and battered by the Niners. Their success is tenuous. When will Cam Newton return? Grade: C-plus
Chicago Bears
Chicago ended last season with kicking problems and suffered against as Eddy Pineiro missed a field goal, saddling the Bears with a loss to the Bolts. The offense is inconsistent, starting with Mitchell Trubisky. David Montgomery has shown life as a rookie. The defense can only do so much without help from the other side. A rough 3-4 for a team that had that many losses all last season. Grade: D-plus
Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Taylor will have nightmares about his rookie season, which has Cincinnati at 0-8 going into its bye. Things are so bad that a TD pass in the waning seconds against the LA Rams on Sunday was overturned in review, costing bettors. It didn’t cost the Bengals anything. Their fate was already sealed as it the season. Grade: F
Cleveland Browns
So much was expected and so little has been delivered. A case of hype and headlines not being earned in any way. The Browns are 2-5 and look like they are going nowhere. They were throttled by Tom Brady and the Patriots in Week 8. Baker Mayfield is learning on the field and has to learn to be humble because his team is being humbled. Grade: F
Dallas Cowboys
After a fast start, Dallas suffered a three-game losing streak. One of the losses was arguably the worst by any team this season — to the Jets. A bounce-back win over division rival Philly helped. However, losing to Gang Green is hard to overlook. Grade: B
Denver Broncos
Denver absorbed some brutal losses before getting a couple of wins. Things fell apart against Kansas City in a game that probably left Joe Flacco with Sam Darnold in seeing ghosts. Another tough loss — to the Colts — was a fitting way for the team to end up 2-6. Grade: D
Detroit Lions
The Lions are an average 3-3-1. They lost games they should have won, in predictable Detroit fashion. Matt Patricia’s team looks ordinary and isn’t a threat to get on a playoff role. Average is what average does. Grade: C
Green Bay Packers
Matt LaFleur is proof you can succeed as a first-year head coach. Helps if you have a quarterback named Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay is 7-1 and coming off a sharp victory at Kansas City. Grade: A
Houston Texans
Houston is 5-3 after a come-from-behind victory that featured another remarkable play by Deshaun Watston. The team needs to show it can beat top teams in the second half. J.J. Watt went out against the Raiders with a shoulder injury. The offensive line is depleted. Credit to Watson and his offense in keeping them competitive. Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are 5-2 after slipping past Denver on a 51-yard field goal in the final half-minute. Credit to Jacoby Brissett, who has done a wonderful job replacing the retired Andrew Luck on short notice. Indy does enough to keep its fans nervous week to week. The record is impressive, probably brighter than it as a playoff threat. Grade: B
Jacksonville Jaguars
As long as Sacksonville rings up opposing QBs, it gives the offense a chance to do enough to win games. Gardner Minshew has been a gem in replacing an injured Nick Foles and Leonard Fournette finally is doing what Jacksonville wanted when it grabbed the RB out of LSU. The record of 4-4 is solid considering the team is playing a rookie at QB who is replacing a prized free-agent signing. Grade: B-minus
Kansas City Chiefs
If only every month could be September. The schedule looked favorable after a perfect opening month. Three home games in four weeks and a road trip to Denver. The Chiefs are tumbling, losing all three home games. Not good for Andy Reid’s team. Grade: C-plus
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers narrowly avoided having six losses after Week 8 as the Bears missed a field goal. Los Angeles has played far below what was expected in 2019 and 3-5 is as ugly as it sounds. Anthony Lynn kept the team together, getting a victory in Chicago. That is the highlight of a low season. And now, OC Ken Whisenhunt has been canned. Grade: D
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams started off with three victories, lost three in a row — including an awful effort against Tampa Bay — and have rebounded with a pair of victories to stand 5-3. They have not been impressive and will need to show more than they did in the first half coming out of the bye. Grade: C
Miami Dolphins
Atrocious, awful and headed for one of the worst seasons in NFL history. Welcome to head coaching, Brian Flores. A 14-0 lead over Pittsburgh turns into another ugly loss. Grade: F
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota has gotten its act together after incurring early season losses to division rivals, the Packers and Bears. Kirk Cousins has found his groove. Stefon Diggs has settled in after being upset and Dalvin Cook is proving to be one of the league’s top backs. A solid defense is feature. Now, Mike Zimmer simply needs to not go for it on fourth down in his own territory as he did against Washington … and failed. Grade: B-minus
New England Patriots
All the Patriots do is win, win, win. They are undefeated at 8-0 and looking like they plan on playing in another Super Bowl. Tom Brady is ageless. The defense is stifling. Good luck to anyone trying to get through them in the AFC. Grade: A-plus
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints showed Super Bowl-caliber play in the first half that ended with them 7-1. The only loss came in the game Drew Brees injured his thumb. Teddy Bridgewater was magical filling in for No. 9, who returned in vintage form in a victory over Arizona. Grade: A-plus
New York Giants
The stats will show Daniel Jones threw for four TDs against the Lions in a loss that left the Giants at 2-6. The rookie has problems holding the ball. He was responsible for another turnover TD in the loss to Detroit. He’s having rookie growing pains. That is to be expected. Saquon Barkley’s return should help. However, this is a team going nowhere or in reverse. Grade: D-minus
New York Jets
Can’t understate how bizarre the Jets’ lone win of the season is. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys. It tops Tampa Bay putting 56 on the Rams. Sam Darnold has seen ghosts. Le’Veon Bell has had precious little impact. This is a team playing for draft position. Grade: F
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are a much-improved team from 2018. They are 3-4 but are competitive and can give opponents troubles, as evidenced by Sunday against Houston. There is a way to go, but the Silver and Black seem to be making gradual progress. Grade: C
Philadelphia Eagles
Everyone expected Philly to be a prime contender in the NFC East. It has been erratic at best. The victory over Buffalo Sunday was a nice rebound off an awful loss against the Cowboys. Victories on the road at Green Bay and Buffalo mean there is hope for Doug Pederson to get his team on a roll to a playoff spot. Grade: C
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are 3-4. That can’t bring much comfort to their faithful. A team falls behind anyone but Miami 14-0 with Mason Rudolph at QB and you can’t expect to exit with a victory. The second quarter of the season was better than the first, but the road ahead feels treacherous. Grade: C
San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan is the Coach of the Year at the midpoint. The 49ers are on an astonishing run after Week 8, going 7-0 …. they had a bye earlier. San Francisco destroyed Carolina, 51-13, to continue its undefeated run. Next up is a visit to Arizona on Halloween. The scary Niners’ defense is not what Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingbury will consider a treat. Grade: A-plus
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are 6-2 and one of the top threats in the NFC. The problem in the standing is San Francisco is on top of the division. That said, this is a strong Seattle team that gets two shots at the Niners in the second half. The concern? Both losses came inexplicably at home. Grade: B-plus
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bruce Arians has a situation on his hand. Jameis Winston has not solidified his position as a franchise QB. The team has a brilliant receiving corps in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Its QB is inconsistent. Sunday’s loss to Tennessee following a comeback to take the lead is jarring. At 2-5, don’t be stunned if there is movement away from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Grade: D-plus
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee does not allow you to have confidence at any point. Ryan Tannehill has been solid since taking over for Marcus Mariota and leading a pair of victories. That said, the play against Tampa Bay Sunday mirrors a consisently inconsistent season that has the Titans at an unispiring 4-4. Grade: C-minus
Washington Redskins
Anything that can go wrong does go wrong in Washington. An awful season with the lone victory over the Miami Dolphins. Ugly. Dwayne Haskins is showing potential to be a bust and they took him at 15. The bright spots are a decent defense and third-round pick Terry McLaurin. Grade: F
