NFL midseason superlatives and teams to watch in a year of wide-open races

A split image of Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield, on the left wearing a white No. 6 jersey and a pewter hat, smiles after a victory and Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, right in a blue No. 28 jersey reacting with his mouth open.

Eagles vs. Packers on “Monday Night Football.”

The NFL season has officially reached its halfway point, and unlike some years past, the picture remains very muddled. Would-be contenders have yet to fully find their footing. Projected contenders find themselves on roller-coaster campaigns. Early surprise squads still are working hard to earn credibility.

The only thing that’s certain: The remaining eight weeks of the regular season will feature all kinds of twists and turns. But first, here’s a look at what we’ve learned, teams and players to keep an eye on, and a couple of predictions on how things will play out in the next eight weeks.

Lessons learned

There are no dominant teams this year

Sure, we still tend to hold teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles in higher regard. But none of those four own the commanding advantages over the rest of the league as they have in previous years. All have faltered at points during the first half of the season.

After 4-0 starts, the Eagles and Bills both experienced two-game losing streaks and showcased weaknesses that opponents can exploit. Philadelphia has all the key pieces back from last season yet can’t quite figure out its identity or how to attack with any consistency. The Bills struggle against the run defensively and have lacked a dynamic offensive option to help Josh Allen put games away.

The Chiefs got off to a slow start and have shown signs of rebounding to an elite level. But issues remain both along their offensive and defensive fronts, and they can’t run the ball with the effectiveness they need. After years of dominating in the clutch, Kansas City is 0-4 in one-score games. Meanwhile, the Ravens have battled injuries on both sides of the ball and have looked toothless on defense.

At their core, all four remain quality organizations, and hope remains alive for each. However, the road features more obstacles than in previous years, thanks in part to slippage and the competition catching up.

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It’s hard to win in this league. Just ask those four teams. Or ask Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders or DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans — both coaches of playoff teams in 2024 that have losing records at this midway point. Just ask Kevin Stefanski, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year (2020 and 2023), who appears to have lost his touch in Cleveland, where the Browns own a 2-6 record and couldn’t get anything out of Joe Flacco, who’s now slinging touchdowns left and right in Cincinnati. Or Mike McDaniel, a once-heralded offensive genius, who seemingly has seen the magic wear off in Miami, where the Dolphins own a 2-7 record and once-prized quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL with 11 interceptions through Week 9.

The list goes on. Prior success truly has no bearing on the following season. Talent drops off, competition improves, opposing coaches gain better insight on how to thwart efforts, injuries hit. For now, six of the eight divisions have new divisional leaders, and they seemingly have a good chance to remain in contention.

Life hasn’t been as easy for Patrick Mahomes and the 5-4 Chiefs this season. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)

There are dangerous yet flawed teams in the hunt

A group of on-the-rise teams have forced their way into the spotlight. The Indianapolis Colts own one of the best records in the league while leaning on Jonathan Taylor, a strong defense and resurgent Daniel Jones during the first half of the season. The Denver Broncos are on a seven-game winning streak and the New England Patriots have won six straight and both lead their divisions while relying on second-year quarterbacks and stingy defenses. The Seattle Seahawks have ascended to the top spot in the NFC West with Sam Darnold thriving in his new surroundings.

However, despite the signs of promise, each of these teams has true flaws that could limit their potential. Indianapolis has done a great job of attacking with balance. But the Pittsburgh Steelers showed on Sunday that when a defense can make Indianapolis one-dimensional and also pressure Jones, the

And then you have familiar fringe contenders like the Steelers and Green Bay Packers, who rank among the league’s stable franchises, but frequently tend to fall short of their potential. Pittsburgh and Aaron Rodgers have turned out to be a perfect union, and at times, Mike Tomlin’s team looks every bit of a contender with a balanced offense supported by impactful defensive plays. But then there are times when the defense appears feeble, and the offense struggles to move the ball beyond midfield. And Green Bay can look like the most dominant team in the league on any given week, and also get pushed around and beaten by weaker opponents like the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers.

Teams to watch: Los Angeles Rams, and a few up-and-comers

At 6-2 with its only losses coming against the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams somehow have flown under the radar but just might be the most well-rounded team in the league, boasting a top-10 offense and defense. They’re in a tough division, but have the chance to really rack up some statement wins with the 49ers, Seahawks (twice), Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the pesky Panthers and Arizona Cardinals (twice) all waiting.

If they emerge from this stretch largely unscathed, then the Rams could wind up as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Several other work-in-progress squads will be interesting to monitor down the stretch of the season, even though chances for contention may prove unlikely.

Things have started to click in Chicago, where Ben Johnson’s Bears have won five of their last six games, and where Caleb Williams appears more confident and decisive while also taking fewer sacks.

Their NFC North neighbor Minnesota Vikings have experienced some ups and downs, but last week’s win over Detroit looked way more like what Kevin O’Connell envisioned entering the season: Punishing defense, strong run game and a handful of impactful throws from young J.J. McCarthy. This season is all about supporting and developing McCarthy, but the 4-4 Vikings might manage to make things interesting if they can stick with this recipe.

The Panthers might not work their way into the contender ranks. But Dave Canales’ young team is finally starting to make some strides. Quarterback Bryce Young remains inconsistent. But the cohesion of the offensive line has paved the way for a quality rushing attack, easing pressure on Young. And Carolina’s defense has gotten better against the run, and more effective on third downs, and those two major areas of improvement have factored into the team winning four of its last five games to improve to 5-4 and match last season’s win total.

Bold prediction: The Baltimore Ravens will win the AFC North

Despite their 1-5 start, the Baltimore Ravens are going to be OK. They got a much-needed win in Week 8 to stop the bleeding, and then Lamar Jackson returned with an effective outing and a victory over Miami. Derrick Henry appears to have his groove back. The much-maligned defense has started to gel. And the back half of the schedule isn’t all that daunting. The November slate features winnable games against the Vikings, Browns, Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. So, Baltimore could own a 7-5 record and some momentum as the Ravens enter December and their first meeting with Pittsburgh. Three home games (Bengals, Packers, Steelers) in the next four contests close out the regular season. Baltimore could rank among the most battle-tested teams in the postseason.

Despite their 1-5 start, the Ravens are still strong AFC North contenders. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)

Superlative check-in

MVP: QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Has any quarterback dealt with as many injuries to his supporting cast? And yet, Mayfield and the Bucs remain in first place in their division at 6-2. (Challengers: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Drake Maye)