NFC Midseason Report Cards: One Team Rises Above the Rest

The NFC West hasn’t been as strong as last year, but the division might have the best team in the conference, and it’s not the one that stole all the headlines in the offseason.

The 49ers haven’t looked back since upsetting the Rams in Australia in September. Many were quick to write off San Francisco due to injuries and age. And many of those doubters were quick to crown Los Angeles after acquiring Myles Garrett and convincing Aaron Donald to come out of retirement.

While the Rams haven’t morphed into a super team, the Seahawks also haven’t looked as mighty in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Both Seattle and L.A. have 5–4 records, with San Francisco sitting atop the division at 7–1.

But maybe we should be talking less about the NFC West and more about the NFC North, which has four teams with records above .500, including the new-look Bears with Jeffery Simmons. Also, the Vikings might have fixed their offensive issues after Tuesday’s trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Meanwhile, no one should be talking about the NFC South, with all four teams having only three wins and records under .500. Then again, many expected the NFC South teams to struggle. The NFC East has been just as bad, but at least John Harbaugh’s Giants have been a pleasant surprise.

Here are the midseason grades for the NFC teams.

Arizona Cardinals (3–6)

The Cardinals had three of the most surprising wins in the first two months of the season. They were the first team to beat the 0–8 Chargers, shut down the Rams’ offense in Week 6 and rallied in Week 8 to beat the Cowboys in overtime.

Arizona has become accustomed to being the feisty bad team. Mike LaFleur’s first season in the desert resembles the one Jonathan Gannon had in 2023. It didn’t work out for Gannon because he never fixed the offense. It’s been a slow start for LaFleur in that regard (Arizona is averaging 19.8 points per game) despite his background being on the offensive side. It’s also been a slow start for rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, who’s on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Perhaps third-round rookie quarterback Carson Beck sparks this unit if he gets a chance to play in the near future.

Grade: C-

Atlanta Falcons (3–6)

Michael Penix Jr. showed flashes of being a legitimate franchise quarterback during an impressive five-game stretch, with wins over the Packers and 49ers. But flashes can no longer be enough for a team that has invested plenty in a core group that hasn’t done enough winning. Also, patience isn’t on Penix’s side with a new regime and playing for a franchise that hasn’t been to the postseason since 2017.

These results should be unacceptable after handing Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts lucrative contract extensions in the offseason. Penix does deserve some credit for igniting this team after missing the first two games of the year—Atlanta started 0–2. Then again, his lengthy injury history, which goes back to his college days, is another strike on his résumé. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the Falcons need to win the subpar NFC South to avoid drastic roster changes in the offseason. They already traded Jessie Bates III to Jacksonville.

Grade: D-

Carolina Panthers (3–5)

Carolina allowed 59 points to Chicago in the season opener, fell by 30 points to Tampa Bay in Week 7 and fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero less than two weeks ago. Yet somehow, this team sits atop the NFC South heading into the second half of the season.

Clearly, coach Dave Canales, who might be on the hot seat, is blaming the defense for the poor start to the season. In his defense (no pun), Bryce Young has played well, and his unit ranks ninth in total offense, averaging 362.4 yards per game. However, Canales’s offense has been held to 21 points or less during this three-game skid. This team should be much further along in its development, with a coach in the midst of his third season.

Grade: D

Chicago Bears (7–2)

Caleb Williams has turned into an MVP candidate, and Chicago’s defense hasn’t looked back since the arrival of Simmons. The Bears have turned into a legitimate Super Bowl contender in coach Ben Johnson’s second season.

However, it’s concerning that Williams had four interceptions in Sunday’s narrow win against the Buccaneers. He also struggled and lost against the stout defenses of the Vikings and Packers. Maybe there’s a blueprint out there for containing this explosive Chicago offense. Still, Williams was exceptional in the wins against the Patriots and Seahawks.

Chicago might not be the league’s best team, but it will likely be in the mix until the end.

Grade: A-

Dallas Cowboys (4–5)

It’s been the same ol’, same ol’ with the Cowboys. They’re still bad on defense, and the offense still isn’t elite. Sure, Dallas’s offensive numbers are fine (27.3 points per game), but Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are making too much money to be outplayed by undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels and the Buccaneers, and Gardner Minshew II and the Cardinals.

The Cowboys need greatness from their offense to overcome a poor defense that hasn’t improved despite all of the repairs in the past year. Dallas has added Quinnen Williams and Joey Porter Jr. via trades, and used first-round picks on safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence, who was recently placed on injured reserve. And still, the Cowboys are near the bottom in total defense (372.7) and points allowed (26.2).

But at least Dallas isn’t too far behind the Giants in the race for the subpar NFC East.

Grade: D

Detroit Lions (6–2)

The Lions’ offense is back on track after spending all of 2025 searching for ways to account for the loss of Johnson, who left his post as offensive coordinator to coach the Bears. First-year Detroit offensive play-caller Drew Petzing built on Johnson’s blueprint and found creative ways to improve the blocking and rushing attack.

Jahmyr Gibbs is a front-runner for Offensive Player of the Year and Amon-Ra St. Brown is well on his way to another All-Pro team. But the biggest positive for this team is the recent defensive turnaround. The seat was getting warm for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, but the Lions haven’t allowed more than 21 points during this four-game winning streak.

However, Detroit could be without linebacker Jack Campbell, who sustained a scary neck injury in Week 8.

Grade: B

Green Bay Packers (6–3)

Jordan Love might be playing the best football of his career. He has elevated his teammates and shown strong chemistry with wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. He’s certainly in the mix for MVP, but the Packers are more than just their ascending offense.

Jonathan Gannon, the team’s new defensive coordinator, has gotten fast results for a unit that hasn’t played a game with star edge rusher Micah Parsons. Green Bay is 11th in total defense (322.9) and points allowed (21.2). While many teams made trades to improve for the stretch run, the Packers could soon add one of the league’s most impactful players to an already good defense. Parsons is getting closer to suiting up after recently returning to practice.

Grade: B+

Los Angeles Rams (5–4)

The Rams spent most of the first two months of the season playing catch-up after coach Sean McVay’s strange decision to have his team arrive in Australia 36 hours before the season opener against the 49ers.

Record-wise, L.A. appears to be in O.K. shape, but now it has to move forward without star receiver Puka Nacua, who could miss more than a month after sustaining multiple injuries in last week’s win against the Commanders. The Rams have been decimated by injuries, including losing cornerback Jaylen Watson for the season, and it could be a while before Davante Adams is even cleared to practice.

However, there’s hope for the heavy preseason Super Bowl favorites. Garrett was dominant in his three-sack return against the Commanders, his first game since the Australia game.

Grade: C

Justin Jefferson is set to reunite with Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Minnesota Vikings (6–2)

The Vikings have a special defense and a lousy offense that has tested the patience of star receiver Justin Jefferson. But that could soon change after Minnesota acquired old friend Kirk Cousins hours before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Cousins and Jefferson had plenty of success when they were teammates from 2020 to ’23—Jefferson won Offensive Player of the Year in ’22.

For the first six games, Brian Flores’s rugged defense was enough to overcome the sluggish offense, recording impressive wins against the Packers and Bears to open the season. But Minnesota also benefited from facing the Dolphins, Saints and Colts in October.

Kyler Murray’s struggles were exposed in the Week 8 loss against the Lions, but it got worse the following week, when the football world saw backup Carson Wentz deliver a disastrous performance on Monday Night Football against the Bills.

Grade: B-

New Orleans Saints (3–5)

At least one team in the NFC South had to get a failing grade. The Saints lack identity and strengths on either side of the ball.

The defense had a strong first season with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, but the unit has gone the opposite way in 2026, allowing 27 points per game. Coach Kellen Moore has produced a mediocre offense for a unit that had high hopes heading into the season. All the injuries didn’t help, and rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson didn’t make his debut until last week.

Perhaps the lone positive for this team is how well second-year quarterback Tyler Shough has looked at times this season. But all the injuries haven’t allowed Shough to take off.

Grade: F

New York Giants (5-2-1)

John Harbaugh has gotten plenty right in his first season in New York. The defense has played fast and physical with rookie sensation Arvell Reese. The offense has had its ups and downs, but J.J. McCarthy has kept them afloat ever since taking the job from Jameis Winston.

If McCarthy is forced to miss time due to his hip injury, Harbaugh will likely find a way to make it work, just like he did after Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Harbaugh has laid down the law (mostly on running back Cam Skattebo) and set the standard for success. Perhaps the Giants have benefited from a somewhat feasible schedule, but they sit in first place in the NFC East with plenty of room to grow down the stretch.

Grade: A

Philadelphia Eagles (2–7)

The Eagles haven’t won a game since Jalen Hurts beat Simmons’s Titans in Week 2. Plenty has changed since that verbal spat between the two star players, with Simmons traded to Chicago and Hurts ruled out for the rest of the season with blood clots.

Hurts played three more games after the victory in Tennessee. But he probably should have played one fewer game after the team learned about Hurts’s blood clots the day before playing the Jaguars in London.

Philadelphia has waved the white flag on the season after trading away Jordan Davis and Cam Jurgens. Perhaps the biggest surprise for the Eagles is how much this defense has struggled—they’re 24th in total defense with 353.4 yards per game.

Grade: F

San Francisco 49ers (7–1)

Many were quick to write off San Francisco after a summer filled with injuries. Well, the injuries haven’t stopped, and yet the 49ers appear to be the league’s best football team.

While they might not look complete on the weekly injury reports, this has been a well-balanced operation, with coach Kyle Shanahan operating an offense averaging 29.4 points per game and new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris guiding a unit that’s allowed just 19.5 points per game.

San Francisco started the year 6–0 with wins over the Rams, Seahawks and Broncos. With Nick Bosa recently returning, perhaps the 49ers get healthy at the right time. And they just landed Keenan Allen to assist the ailing receiving corps.

Grade: A+

Seattle Seahawks (5–4)

The Seahawks would be lost without the greatness of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He’s been practically the entire offense for an operation that hasn’t been the same without running back Kenneth Walker III, now with the Chiefs, and former offensive play-caller Klint Kubiak, now with the Raiders.

Many have been quick to blame the regression on new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, but Sam Darnold has struggled and has been in and out of the lineup due to injury. Even the defense has been shaky, but it stepped up in notable wins, including against the Patriots in Week 1 and against the Chiefs in Week 7.

Grade: C+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3–6)

Coach Todd Bowles is in the midst of some of his best work on the defensive side, but he might also be on the hot seat.

Tampa Bay started 0–4 in large part because Baker Mayfield failed to get the passing attack going. However, the Buccaneers have gotten back into the NFC South race because Bowles leaned on his defense and running back Bucky Irving, who’s fourth in rushing yards with 825.

In Week 8, Tampa Bay beat the Falcons without getting a single completion from Mayfield. Perhaps the Buccaneers have regrets about giving Mayfield a three-year, $165 million contract extension, but there’s always time to get it turned around in the league’s worst division.

Grade: D+

Washington Commanders (2-5-1)

There’s been plenty of chatter regarding the poor late-game management by coach Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels.

Perhaps Washington would be in contention for the NFC East title had it made better decisions in crunch time. Daniels inexplicably killed the remaining seconds against the Giants and settled for a tie in Week 5. And just last week the Commanders didn’t even take a shot into the end zone while marching down the field in the final seconds of a one-score loss against the Rams.

Daniels likely isn’t going anywhere despite the poor decisions. However, the same can’t be said for Quinn, who’s long removed from his magical 2024 season in Washington.

Grade: F

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