As the NFL moves past the midway point of the season, who are the current frontrunners for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans?
Week 10 kicked off on Thursday night with a thrilling shootout between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals and as we enter the second half of the season, who is on course for the playoffs, whose season is petering out, and who has their eyes on the number 1 pick in the draft next spring?
The AFC – Can anyone stop the Chiefs love story? – Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs might be the NFL’s premier story away from football, with it even being imagined as a Hallmark Christmas film, but on the field, they are still the team to beat. And what is worrying is, they seem to only have just got started. Their week 9 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the first time they had scored over 30 points this season and the first real look at the ‘instant synergy’ from the Deandre Hopkins trade. Steve Spagnuolo’s defence have led the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, and if they are only just getting started, it is a major worry for anyone looking to challenge the Chiefs recent dominance.
If anyone is to challenge the Chiefs dynasty in the AFC, it looks like it could be the Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson is looking for back-to-back MVP seasons, and with the addition of Derrick Henry to the running game, the Ravens have demonstrated a real dual threat. Despite all the talk of the Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers currently lead the division, and although they are unlikely to finish there due to their schedule, they have made a good start and should be part of the playoff picture.
The other divisions already look sewn up. The Buffalo Bills are ticking along nicely at 7-2, and it may suit them if the attention is being drawn away from them, alleviating the pressure of previous seasons. With an almost unassailable lead, they are already play-off bound. In the south, the Houston Texans have a healthy lead and proved last season, that if they get in them, they should be able to cause any team a problem.
The NFC – Motoring towards the playoffs
It looks like the road to New Orleans will head through the Motor City in the NFC. Jared Goff has led the Detroit Lions to a mightily impressive 7-1 start, their best since 1956. The Lions have the top points per game and they are top five in defence and turnovers. And as the trade deadline passed this week, having lost Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit went and improved their defence with the addition of Za’Darius Smith, showing a real intent to go deep in the post-season. Unfortunately for the Lions, they are in arguably football’s most competitive division, with the Minnesota Vikings chasing, the Green Bay Packers improving and even the Chicago Bears at .500 making a case for the post-season.
Elsewhere, all eyes are on Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. Behind their rookie quarterback, they have produced an incredible turnaround from last season and look on course for the playoffs. Daniels has poise, presence and a calmness rarely seen in rookie quarterbacks. He has 13 touchdowns, including an incredible Hail Mary finale against Chicago in Week 8. They are being chased by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC North, but both should comfortably make the playoffs.
In the south, it looks like the Atlanta Falcons could break the recent dominance of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a comfortable lead in the division. In the west, it’s anyone’s guess. The Arizona Cardinals currently lead it, but with only two games between all four sides, it is up for grabs. With Christian MacCaffrey returning in Week 10, it could be time for the San Francisco 49ers to justify their position as one of the pre-season favourites.
The best and worst of the rest
In any other season, we would be talking about Baker Mayfield as a leading MVP candidate. Having found a home in Tampa, Baker is baking, showing what he is capable of, leading key statistics in the NFL, even without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. However, unfortunately for him, Todd Bowles defence has been uncharacteristically poor, they’ve lost key games in close situations and the Bucs are struggling to catch the Falcons.
In contrast, some of the big name quarterbacks are struggling both for form and with injuries. The New York Jets sacked Robert Saleh after a dreadful start and old Father Time might be catching up with Aaron Rodgers. With all the promise of the Dallas Cowboys, their season is all but over. With the injury to Dak Prescott and the lack of production on both sides of the ball, Dallas have been the seasons biggest shock. In Miami, Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion worries have raised their ugly head again and we may never get to see the full potential of Tua.
With such contrasting records in so many decisions, it is hard to see where the potential dark horses will come from. Arizona Cardinals have produced a three-game winning streak to put themselves in contention. And although the west looks won in the AFC, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos will be looking to cause an upset.
International game fans have a battle of the basement as the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers face off in Munich this weekend and it is likely that the number one pick will come from the loser of this one. They are two of six sides with a 2-7 record so far, including the once great New England Patriots and London regulars Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although the front runners look set for the Super Bowl, there is still a lot of time to go in the season, and as we all know, anything can happen on any given Sunday.