Sports Column: Around the League: Midseason Status of every NFL Team
Bradie Gray
Following the conclusion of week nine, the NFL has reached the midpoint of the 2024 season. At this point, many of the teams have sorted themselves out about who’s a contender and who’s just excited to get to next season. So, where do the teams stack up?
Better luck next year: Panthers, Saints, Giants, Jaguars, Titans, Browns, Raiders, Patriots, Dolphins.
These teams all have some good things to look forward to (minus Carolina), but none of these teams are making the playoffs this year. They have some awesome defenses scattered throughout, like the Raiders, Browns, and Titans, but each of their offenses are atrocious. Other teams, like the Dolphins and Saints, were ravaged by injuries early and fell too far out of contention. These teams are already jockeying for first place in the Draft rather than the Super Bowl.
On life support: Cowboys, Jets, Buccaneers, Colts
Whether it’s due to injury or a lack of direction, these teams better do something to thwart off their seasons being pulled out from under them. The Jets are adjacent to a dumpster fire, as is the Colts’ quarterback situation. Tampa Bay looked unstoppable out the gates, but their injury report is probably the most consequential in the entire league right now. Dallas is a ton of both. They have both bad injuries and zero indication of even remote competency. If any of these teams have any shot at the playoffs, they need to make a drastic change now or just punt on the season.
Hanging around: Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks, Bears, Chargers, Broncos.
These teams all have a legit shot at the playoffs, but they have to earn their way in. All are good teams, but if you look closely, all are also in very competitive divisions. A ton of talented youth is scattered among these teams, with several extremely important veteran pieces tying them together. Each team (aside from the Rams) is probably one star piece away from true contention but may just be arriving too early to the party in 2024. We’ll see which teams can kick the door all the way in and make the playoffs this season, and which ones will just be playing spoiler.
True contenders: Bills, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Texans, Commanders, Eagles, 49ers, Lions, Packers, Vikings, Falcons.
A few surprises. Who really thought the Commanders, Steelers, and Vikings would be here at this point? That being said, these teams have a combination of unexpected superstars and great coaching, leading to each of them truly deserving this title. On the flip side, the rest of the teams are where we expected them. This is the tier where the superstars are. Every single team here has several Pro Bowlers and All-Pros interwoven throughout their rosters as well as great coaches. The sky is the limit for each one and, in all likelihood, the Super Bowl Champion is in this tier. Which one is it? On the other hand, who will have the biggest end-of-season collapse? We’ll just have to wait and see.
In a league of their own: the Kansas City Chiefs.
Who else is tired of it? I certainly am. But you cannot deny what we’ve been watching for the past eight years. Patrick Mahomes is on track to potentially be the greatest quarterback we’ve ever seen. Andy Reid has solidified his place in the pantheon of the best coaches in the Hall of Fame. Travis Kelce is already probably the greatest receiving tight end ever. And oh yeah, they’re a defensive team now. Chris Jones, Trent McDuffie, Nick Bolton, George Karlaftis, Justin Reid, all studs. Their defense is extremely talented. Plus, Steve Spagnuolo is the best defensive play caller and designer in the sport. The second the Chiefs’ offense lost their way in recent years, the defense decided to become the best in the sport. But that’s not what makes this team great. What makes them great is the fact that the offense is totally okay and secure with winning through their defense and managing the game until it’s truly go-time. No egos, just winning ball games. Love it or hate it, you have to respect it. They are on track for the first three-peat in NFL history for a reason. If any of the true contenders want to hoist a Lombardi, you have to go through the Chiefs to do it.