WEEK 9 POWER RANKINGS + MID-SEASON GRADES

Can you believe we are already half way through the NFL regular season? It has been a very interesting season thus far, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that it has been pretty entertaining, so, script writers, keep it up. Now I have been slacking and haven't done a blog post for the past few power rankings, but to make up for it, I am going to do mid-season grades. I am going to be giving grades to each team based on their expectations, and whether they didn't meet, met, or exceeded them. So maybe a bad team has a good grade, and a good team has a bad grade, because it will all be based off of their expectations before the season.

32. ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-7)

LAST WEEK 31

lost to the Ravens, 31-24

MID-SEASON GRADE: A

The Arizona Cardinals are tanking, which is what everyone thought they would do. However, they have been competitive in every game they have played this season due to coaching, and that is even more than they could have asked for, it's actually perfect. You are building a team for the future while still looking good while losing? To me, that is incredible, they could have 2 picks in the top 15, maybe a 3rd 1st rounder when it's all said and done. The Cardinals are exceeding their expectations.

31. CHICAGO BEARS (2-6)

LAST WEEK 29 

lost to the Chargers, 30-13

MID-SEASON GRADE: F

Yep. The Bears have been laughably bad so far this year. They were built to try and win a good amount of games, but literally everything has fallen apart since then. Nothing on this whole team has been considered a success.

30. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-6)

LAST WEEK 30

lost to the Dolphins, 31-17

MID-SEASON GRADE: D-

There really isn't much redeemable about the Patriots this year, the team sucks, and it doesn't have a bright future. The only reason they don't get an F, is that it is kind of expected that they would be bad.

29. NEW YORK GIANTS (2-6)

LAST WEEK 25

lost to the Jets, 13-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: F

This team made the playoffs last year, not only made it, but won a playoff game. What. Happened.

28. CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-6)

LAST WEEK 32

beat the Texans, 15-13

MID-SEASON GRADE: D-

The only reason they aren't an F, is simply that Bryce Young is still a good QB, and his connection with Theilen is really strong. Other than that, I know they are rebuilding, but no one else really looks that good for them so far this year.

27. GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-5)

LAST WEEK 22 

lost to the Vikings, 24-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: F

I'm sorry Green Bay fans, the Packers have been a failure so far this season. They still have a pretty decent roster, a solid defense, two good runningbacks, and pretty decent weapons. They just aren't playing good, in a conference where it should be pretty easy to get a Wild Card spot, but they don't look good this year, just plain and simple.

26. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-5)

LAST WEEK 26 

lost to the Lions, 26-14

MID-SEASON GRADE: D-

How do you commit to the year and say you are going to go for it, and then absolutely poop the bed? The Raiders don't have a future, and they don't have a present. I think this first half of the year has shown that.

25. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-4)

LAST WEEK 19

beat the Packers, 24-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: B

Man, losing Kirk hurts them, a lot. They had a pretty shaky start to the year, but it REALLY seemed that they were getting their stride back. The defense had started to play better, the run game was improving, and Kirk was an MVP candidate. Losing Kirk flushes the season down the toilet, and almost ensures that they will be moving on. Moving on to whom? No clue.

24. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-4)

LAST WEEK 23 

lost to the Bills, 24-18

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

Remember when the Bucs were 3-1 and everyone thought they were really good? Yeah, that was ahwile ago now. Since then, they have come back to Earth, and are playing closer to how everyone thought they would play. I still think they are playing above expectations though, the defense has shown to still have a good front 7, and the recievers are still good. Baker, has been interesting, and they have had no run game. I think we all under-estimated them, but I think they are probably going to struggle the rest of the season.

23. WASHINGTON COMANDERS (3-5)

LAST WEEK 28 

lost to the Eagles, 38-31

MID-SEASON GRADE: D

I think this team needs to re-build, but refuses to. They will continue to have faith in players that they maybe shouldn't, and win themselves out of good draft-picks. I don't dislike Sam Howell, he shows a lot of promise, but I think the way this team is built, it won't let him be successful, and that is the crucial problem. The line can't protect him, and they can't run the ball, two things that a young QB could greatly benefit from.

22. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-5)

LAST WEEK 17

lost to the Saints, 38-27

MID-SEASON GRADE: C

This team is still some-what early into a rebuild, and losing your rookie QB for the season due to shoulder surgery is not good. I think this team has shown a lot of glimpses of being a competitive team, I just worry about the health of Anthony Richardson and their outlook. I think they will be fine long-term, but for now, they may play themselves out of a good pick.

21. NEW YORK JETS (4-3)

LAST WEEK 22 

beat the Giants, 13-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

This was a tough grade to give out considering they have no control over Aaron Rodgers getting hurt. That changed everything for them, so I can't in good faith keep those same expectations with Zach Wilson. I do think Wilson has played better since the Cheifs game, and I think that is a good thing, but the offense is still bad. Is it Hackett? Probably. I can say that the defense has lived up to expectations this season, though.

20. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3)

LAST WEEK 20 

lost to the Jaguars, 20-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: C

look, I will keep it 100. The Steelers will not beat a playoff team with Matt Canada calling plays. For a team trying to compete, Keeping Matt Canada is only hurting them, regardless if they are 4-3.

19. LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-5)

LAST WEEK 16

lost to the Cowboys, 43-20

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

Expectations were low to mid at best for the Rams, and they have met those expectations. However, I don't feel like it is for the improvement of the team. Puka is nice, but coming out of this season, what are they walking away with? Stafford is getting older and more injury prone, so they may not even have him next season. Just, not much to talk about with LA.

18. TENNESSEE TITANS (3-4)

LAST WEEK 27

beat the Falcons, 28-23

MID-SEASON GRADE: C

Will Levis could save this team. I never thought I would say that, but that is where the Titans are at. I thought this team would be a bad team trying to win games and not tank, and that was the case at first. But now, I feel like they maybe could win some games. I can't say that they aren't meeting expectations, considering they were low going into the season.

17. DENVER BRONCOS (3-5)

LAST WEEK 24

beat the Chiefs, 24-9

MID-SEASON GRADE: C-

This was almost a D grade, but the Chiefs win could be huge for this team moving forward. The defense has been atrocious, however, the past 3 weeks, it has wierdly been elite. Russ has been playing like a top 10 QB, and they are running the ball well. If the defense was playing this good all season this team could have a way better record than they do, but this is a first half grade, so it's tough to place a grade for them.

16. ATLANTA FALCONS (4-4)

LAST WEEK 14

lost to the Titans, 28-23

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

This defense is good, this offensive line is good, the weapons are good, the qb and coach are not. It is as simple as that. Ridder has had his moments, but he struggles. Arthur Smith's REFUSAL to use some of the best weapons in the league is a criminal offense and he should be locked up for it.

15. CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-3)

LAST WEEK 12 

lost to the Seahawks, 24-20

MID-SEASON GRADE: D+

I am giving the Browns a D+ because they have given themselves self-inflicted wounds. The Watson dilema, has been a disaster. Not playing, and even when he has played, he's been not so good. This offense also needs a running game to work, and without Chubb, that is going to be way harder. Yes, they have the no. 1 defense in the league, and yes they have a winning record. I think this defense is great, but I'm not sure if it is great enough to overcome the huge organizational issues.

14. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-4)

LAST WEEK 18

beat the Colts, 38-27

MID-SEASON GRADE: C-

What a weird season so far for the Saints. The defense is top 5, no question about it, but the offense has been pretty bad. Derek Carr, has been, well, Derek Carr, and maybe playing hurt. The offense has been very reliant on Kamara since he has come back. I think they are capable of winning their division, but not much more than that.

13. HOUSTON TEXANS (3-4)

LAST WEEK 11

lost to the Panthers, 15-13

MID-SEASON GRADE: A+

On one-hand, the Texans have FAR exceeded expectations this year, but on another hand, giving them an A+ seems extreme since they are 3-4. However, I think it is because they have a new set of expectations because of how well they are doing. Keep in mind, this team is still in a re-build, but it they have their head coach, their QB, and the defense is building a solid unit. The Texans are going to be good in the years to come, and we have this half of the season to thank for that.

12. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (3-4)

LAST WEEK 15

beat the Bears, 30-13

MID-SEASON GRADE: C-

I am once again asking how Staley still has his job.

11. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-2)

LAST WEEK 13

beat the Browns, 24-20

MID-SEASON GRADE: B+

I feel like the Seahawks have done the opposite of what everyone expected them to do this season. After drafting JSN and bolstering the line, everyone thought the offense would be explosive, but they have had some serious issues. The run defense was a big worry going into the year, but it has been the bright-spot of the team so far this year. I like the defense, but it's Geno. I'm afraid he regressed from last year, he is making more mistakes with the ball, not being as efficent as he was last year, even though it is the same, if not better unit. I am curious to see how this team plays the Niners this season, but for right now, the Seahawks have been alright.

10. BUFFALO BILLS (5-3)

LAST WEEK 9

beat the Bucs, 24-18

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

The Bills have been off to an interesting start this year. They begun the year as one of the top offenses, and winning a big game against the Dolphins, but the past few weeks the team has been pretty shaky. I am relatively confident that this team can put it together, they have the roster, they have Josh Allen. The problem is they dug themselves a hole, so not only do they need to go back to themselves, but with the Dolphins playing as good as they are, they are going to have to be a better version of themselves, something that is going to be really difficult for them to do this season, but not impossible.

9. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-2)

LAST WEEK 6

lost to the Broncos, 24-9

MID-SEASON GRADE: B-

I know, that seems harsh, considering they are 6-2, but take a step back and look at their offensive season so far. They lost to the Lions in week 1, Their offense looked putrid in a ugly win against the Jaguars, beat a bad team in the Bears, probably should have lost to both the Jets and Vikings, as they got outplayed in both games, won another ugly game against the Broncos, the team with the defense that gave up 70 points, played a good 1st half of football against the Chargers but were quiet the 2nd half, and then didn't score a TD against the Broncos. In all fairness, that isn't that bad, however, when you have Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Travis Kelce, the defense should not be the reason you are 6-2. While the defense is good, it just lost it's best player in Nick Bolton for awhile, and I'm not sure how long the defense will continue to play this good. there's reason for both optimism and concern, but I think something isn't right about this team this year.

8. DALLAS COWBOYS (5-2)

LAST WEEK 10

beat the Rams, 43-20

MID-SEASON GRADE: B+

America's team has been good this year, but I'm a little hesitant to say that it is their year. They feel like the only team in the league that any given sunday, can punch a team in the mouth with their offense, dropping 40+, or punch them with their defense and get 2 TD's and 5 turnovers from them. That is all impressive to me considering they are 2nd in points/game and 2nd in yards allowed a game. So why aren't they higher than 8, and only a B+? Well, they lost to a team that is actively tanking for the 1st overall pick, and got demolished by 1 of the 2 teams with a winning record that they have played (49ers). So while I like them, and am actually rooting for them to finally make a deep-playoff run, they need to win some meaningful games, and they have some coming up.

7. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-2)

LAST WEEK 8

beat the Steelers, 20-10

MID-SEASON GRADE: B

The Jaguars this year feel like a scrappy-good team. They know how to win games, especially ugly. However, I feel like they haven't really won a pretty game. A game where you step back and are impressed with how they played, as they play good enough to win. Which, is the objective of the sport, so I'm not knocking them, there's just not that much to gloss over. Lawrence has been pretty solid this year, nothing incredible, and the defense gets turnovers like there is no tomorrow, but is also ranked 20th in yards allowed and 31st in passing defense. They are kind of like the Ravens in the sense that I am 90% sure that they are really good, but I would never bet money on them.

6. DETROIT LIONS (6-2)

LAST WEEK 5

beat the Raiders, 26-14

MID-SEASON GRADE: A

The Detroit Lions are in sole possession of 1st place in the NFC North. I don't see them losing possession of the North at all this season, as I think they are practically locked in to play a home playoff game. They have played great and have some of the best young talent across the roster in the league, explosive weapons, playmakers on defense. They have some embarassing losses to the Ravens in such getting blown out, but they are also the same team that beat the Chiefs week 1, Things have gone according to plan for them.

5. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-3)

LAST WEEK 3

lost to the Bengals, 31-17

MID-SEASON GRADE: B

The 49ers felt like the best team in the league, and that nothing would stop them: 3 weeks ago. A lot has changed in the past 3 weeks. Now, some people are beginning to feel that Brock Purdy maybe isn't as great a QB we thought, and that he is a system QB at best. The team has suffered some injuries the past few weeks, and Brock Purdy is included in that group. I still think when healthy, they have an incredible roster, there just might be a QB problem brewing.

4. BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-2)

LAST WEEK 4

beat the Cardinals, 31-24

MID-SEASON GRADE: A-

The Ravens have been pretty weird this season so far. They have crushed it in some games, and some, they don't. I don't have any trust in this team, because I don't know what team I am going to get on Sunday. However, I do think that the best possible Ravens team, is a huge threat in the league. Lamar is certainly in the MVP conversation, and the defense is top 3, they are playing typical Ravens football.

3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-3)

LAST WEEK 7

beat the 49ers, 31-17

MID-SEASON GRADE: B

I will start with this, I think the Bengals are pretty much back to normal. Joe Burrow and the whole offense is cooking, and the defense is doing its usual thing. However, I am only giving them a B, because there is still some hesitation for me. Yes, they beat the Niners, but they also feel like they are beating themselves as well. They are also 4-3, which is a solid record, but they play in a stacked division, in a stacked conference. Every game from here on out will be incredibly crucial for them, and they can't have silly losses to bad teams, because of their record.

2. MIAMI DOPLHINS (6-2)

LAST WEEK 2

beat the Patriots, 31-17

MID-SEASON GRADE: A+

I think the dolphins have far exceeded expectations this season. I think most people expected them to be a fringe wild card team this season, not to be the juggernaut of the AFC. I think some people had them winning their division, and even then they didn't expect them to be THIS good. Now, they don't have the division on lock, nor is their defense as good as some other top teams, but they are playing exceptional football.

1. PHILADEPHIA EAGLES (7-1)

LAST WEEK 1

beat the Commanders, 38-31

MID-SEASON GRADE: A

I think had they not beat the Dolphins 2 weeks ago, it would have been an A- or B+, but since they did I am giving them an A. They have played every-game this season extremely close, some way closer than they need to be. Jalen Hurts has also been a little sloppy as a passer this season, turning it over and not being super efficient. However, they are the no. 1 team in the leage up to this point in the season because they still have an elite offense and defense, realistically, there isn't that much to really complain about.