It’s time to see how all 32 NFL teams are doing at the half way point of the season. It’s part of a segment I do on twitter after the Sunday Night game is over called, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ in the NFL. Some teams are good, some are bad and there are those that shouldn’t be mentioned. Lets see where your team(s) ended up this year.
The Good
Houston Texans 6-1
The three headed monster of Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson have been playing great this year. Their defense is doing just fine without Mario Williams, who left for Buffalo in the offseason. They have one big loss to the Green Bay Packers, but they responded with a beat down of the Baltimore Ravens the next week. Houston had a good run last year, but they won’t be satisfied with just making the playoffs this year.
New York Giants 6-2
They’ve been involved with some exciting games this year. And they’ve beaten up their division opponents early in the season. There isn’t any doubt about the Giants making the playoffs, but will they have the same success being the favorites as opposed to just barely getting in? As long as Eli Manning can still get the ball to Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks the Giants will be just fine.
Chicago Bears 6-1
Jay Cutler has already had some rough outings this year, but the Bears are standing atop the NFC North. Their defense is playing with renewed ferocity. If that trend continues and the Bears can protect Jay Cutler more often, Chicago could be looking at a bye going into the playoffs.
Atlanta Falcons 7-0
There’s no doubt that Matt Ryan has turned the corner and is becoming a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. With Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez to throw the ball to, RB Michael Turner has become an after thought on the offense. It’s amazing that defenses are having trouble adjusting to the Falcons gameplan, but it’s hard to double team any one of their weapons.
San Francisco 49ers 6-2
Easily they have the best defense in the NFL. Their offense has had moments of inconsistency and downright puzzlement. However, they are on the right track to win the now tough NFC West. As long as the offense can keep their defense fresh, the 49ers are still a favorite to make another deep playoff run in January.
Green Bay Packers 5-3
It was a rough start, but the Packers are now at the heels of the Chicago Bears. Green Bay’s defense is very sporadic though and that will have to be fixed if they want to win a playoff spot. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t had his entire receiving corps healthy at one time. And there isn’t a running game to take the pressure of off him. But he’s used to that and the Packers will be contenders.
Denver Broncos 4-3
Peyton Manning is back to his old self. They have a balanced approach on offense and their defense is looking like a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. Their schedule is very favorable with the AFC West opponents. It will be hard to imagine that a Peyton Manning led Broncos team doesn’t make the playoffs with him at the helm.
Baltimore Ravens 5-2
Their defense isn’t what it used to be, but now is the perfect time for Joe Flacco to prove that he is a top 10 quarterback. His draft counterpart, Matt Ryan is proving that and now it’s time for Flacco to do the same. He just needs to realize that he does have enough talent around him to do that, mainly Ray Rice who can give Flacco a balanced attack.
New England Patriots 5-3
They have perhaps the worst defense out of all the ‘Good’ teams. Yet when you have Tom Brady, that can be overlooked. The AFC is pretty weak this year, but the Patriots have shown that they’re vulnerable. Especially late in close games. But there is a sense that this will all be blown over when the playoffs are near.
Minnesota Vikings 5-3
They snuck up on a few teams this year, but lately they’ve fallen flat. Part of it is because of the defense and part of it is because of the offense. What it boils down to is that Adrian Peterson can’t do it all. Christian Ponder has to make big strides in the second half of the season if the Viking are to claim a playoff spot this year.
The Bad
Miami Dolphins 4-3
Surprisingly the Dolphins have been competitive in almost every game they’ve played this year. Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill has made some big strides this year, but has been sidelined to injury. Reggie Bush is becoming an everydown back this year, which surprises everyone. Their defense has been phenomenal and a big reason why they have a winning record.
Pittsburgh Steelers 4-3
They have almost no running game this year. Ben Roethlisberger is doing all he can to put points on the board. The defense has been wildly inconsistent and injured for most of the year. Their schedule won’t get any easier, but they have enough experience to know they’re in a good position at this stage of the season.
Cincinnati Bengals 3-4
They got off to such a hot start, but have now fallen flat. For some reason no one realized that A.J. Green is a pretty good receiver, but now defenses are double teaming him at will. The running game is almost invisible at times and the Bengals defense is beginning to look gased at crucial moments of a game.
Indianapolis Colts 4-3
Definitely the surprise of the season so far. They’ve looked great on offense. Far exceeding expectations. Andrew Luck is making tremendous strides and is being helped along by Reggie Wayne as a reliable target. The Colts defense is turning into a force at the half way point. All of this is happening without their head coach, Chuck Pagano who is out for the year while recovering from leukemia.
Tennessee Titans 3-5
With the turmoil on the quarterback front (Jake Locker out with an injury), Matt Hasselbeck has stepped in and done an admirable job leading the Titans. However, their defense has been all over the place. They’ve looked great one week, but down right terrible the next. To make matters worse has been the disappearance of RB Chris Johnson, yet again.
San Diego Chargers 4-4
Two straight losses to the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns have left the Chargers in a state of flux. Yes, they play in a weak division, but blowing a three touchdown lead to the Broncos in the second half and not scoring a touchdown the next week against the Browns have left many to wonder. Is this the year that the San Diego front office lets go of Norv Turner and begins to think about replacing Philip Rivers?
Oakland Raiders 3-4
Not much to say other than the Raiders really don’t have a lot for Carson Palmer to work with on offense other than Darren McFadden. The defense has been okay thus far, but in today’s NFL you have to score a lot of points if you want to win. Some players like Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey have made progress, but it won’t be enough to get into the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles 3-4
Like San Diego, the Philadelphia Eagles might need a new voice in the locker room after this year. It’s been down hill from the start when it was said by team chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie that another 8-8 season would be ‘unacceptable’. The Eagles could be heading down that road with an overrated defense and Michael Vick turning over the football. They will all have to do a 180º shift and that includes Andy Reid if they are to clinch a playoff spot.
Dallas Cowboys 3-4
Time could be running out for Jason Garrett. This season he has looked lost in crucial play calling situations. The basic stuff, he’s looked amateurish out there. There’s no urgency when this team is in a close game and some players are not rallying around Tony Romo. It’s never easy to coach this team with Jerry Jones having almost every say.
Washington Redskins 3-5
There have been moments of awe when Robert Griffin has been on the football field this year. And there have been far too many moments where you scratch your head at the play calling. Why would you throw a football to Robert Griffin the receiver I’ll never know. Either way, injuries have ravaged the defense, but they need to be smarter about the way they run the offense with Griffin at the helm.
Detroit Lions 3-4
Surprisingly the defense isn’t the reason they’ve been near the bottom this year. The offense has been all over the map. Matthew Stafford isn’t the same quarterback from a year ago. They don’t run the ball when it’s necessary to. And Calvin Johnson is actually being defended and sometimes overlooked in critical moments. Their record keeps them in, but they’re running out of time.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-4
I can never tell if the Bucs are going to turn the corner this year, but they have a new fire in Josh Freeman. He’s taking a big step forward from last year and the defense is getting better as the season progresses. Doug Martin should continue to get the ball more now that he seems more comfortable in the offense. That will only help Freeman more this year.
Arizona Cardinals 4-4
They had a great start, but have lost four straight. No one is sure whether Kevin Kolb or John Skelton is the quarterback going forward and that probably means that neither is the answer. Injuries have all but wiped out their running game and the defense can’t be on the field for more than 30 minutes on opposing teams possessions.
Seattle Seahawks 4-4
If they played more in Seattle they would probably have a better record. The Seahawks look terrible on the road and you can’t be considered a contender if you don’t win on the road. There are a few bright spots as Seattle’s defense is among the best at rushing the passer this year. Russell Wilson has made tremendous strides in his rookie year. Although some are wondering when there will be a change if he continues to struggle during road games.
St. Louis Rams 3-5
Their one weak spot is on the offensive and defensive lines. They can’t protect Sam Bradford and they can’t rush the passer. Patience will be needed to improve in those areas, but the Rams are playing better football. Jeff Fisher is known for quick turnarounds, but it will probably be another year and another good draft to get things going for them.
The Ugly
Carolina Panthers 1-6
It was probably too much to expect Cam Newton to take such a big leap forward, when teams have had a full offseason to gameplan for him. Plus, the Panthers defense has been the biggest disappointment in my opinion this season. Carolina doesn’t run the ball enough with their running backs and that is putting more pressure on Cam to do it all himself, which he doesn’t have to.
New Orleans Saints 2-5
Last I checked, the Saints were supposed to be a pretty good team before this season started. Bounty scandal aside, the offense has looked dreadful at times and the defense has no direction. Now that Joe Vitt is taking over the head coaching duties after his suspension. Things should get better, but no one on that staff can replace what Sean Payton brings during gameday. Just ask Drew Brees.
Kansas City Chiefs 1-7
It’s pretty bad when your head coach can’t answer for why the best player on the team wasn’t used more often during the game. Jamaal Charles is their best player and his workload has been surprisingly low for someone who has no injury problems this year. It doesn’t help that you don’t have a reliable quarterback and you’re constantly down by a lot of points early in the game. Time to prepare for 2013.
Jacksonville Jaguars 1-6
It wasn’t good when Maurice Jones-Drew was sitting out in a contract dispute during Training Camp. Now that he’s out with a foot injury, his season is pretty much lost and has no leverage for getting a new contract next year. The Jaguars are going backwards and that doesn’t bode well for Blaine Gabbert, last years first round pick. His play at quarterback when he’s healthy has been inconsistent at best, but his receiving corps has been terrible too.
Cleveland Browns 2-6
A lot of things will be changing for the Browns in the offseason, but for now they are playing better football. Their defense is doing a great job of rushing the passer and if rookie RB Trent Richardson can stay healthy for the rest of the season, the Browns might stay the course for one more year with a new owner at the helm. But history shows that a new owner wants to bring in his own people. New executive Joe Banner will surely do that when the season is over.
New York Jets 3-5
Just end the circus. Do us all a favor please. Put Tim Tebow at quarterback and the end the suspense. Why put him at the receiver spot or as a running back? That’s not going to fool anyone. Mark Sanchez has had his good and bad moments, but let Tebow throw the ball once in a while. This season is going no where in a hurry so why not make things interesting?
Buffalo Bills 3-4
The Bills are just not good. Plain and simple. Injuries did slow down Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, but Ryan Fitzpatrick is quite possibly the most overpriced quarterback in the league. And that’s saying something. He does have some good receivers to throw to, but his decision making has been terrible. The Bills defense hasn’t done any better and they’ve lost more games this year than Fitzpatrick has.
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