One Thing We Learned About Every NFL Team Halfway Through the 2026 Season

The halfway point of the 2026 NFL campaign has arrived. The first half of the season has revealed plenty about teams across the league, from the Chargers and Eagles dropping to the bottom of the NFL standings to the Giants becoming a playoff contender.

Plenty is still set to change over the remaining nine weeks of the season as teams clinch playoff berths and draft positioning, but for now, here is one thing we have learned about every team through the first half of the season.

Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. did not pan out in the desert

The Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 pick in 2024, hoping to select the franchise’s next Larry Fitzgerald. Instead, Harrison is already on his second team after he was traded to the Texans in October. Harrison saw his role decrease under new coach and play-caller Mike LaFleur, catching just five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown before the trade. The Cardinals invested in Michael Wilson as their top receiver, signing him to a contract extension before the season and funneling more targets his way until he sustained a season-ending neck injury.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons have a high ceiling with Michael Penix Jr., but remain inconsistent

Michael Penix Jr.’s return was terrific for the Falcons, as he helped them earn a massive win on Thursday Night Football while Bijan Robinson ran all over the Packers. He’s played well in their wins over the Packers, Saints and 49ers, but has yet to find consistency. He completed fewer than 60% of his passes in losses to the Ravens and Bears, and recently threw four interceptions in a rainy loss to the Buccaneers. There are moments when Penix looks like he is the team’s franchise quarterback, but Atlanta still needs much more consistency from him—especially if the Falcons want to make a run at the NFC South.

Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter has not immediately fixed this defense

Jesse Minter’s hiring as head coach has not been a quick fix for the Ravens’ defense, which is fresh off giving up 33 points to the Jaguars last Thursday. Minter quickly helped the Chargers become a top defense while serving as their DC—even though Los Angeles didn’t feature a star-studded unit. The same has not been true in Baltimore as the Ravens rank 23rd in passing yards allowed (229.8 per game), 25th in points allowed per game (26.2) on defense and 18th in success rate (43.4%). They’ve lost by 20 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history.

Minter acknowledged after the loss to the Jaguars that their secondary has not played up to standard. “Just things that we can play better,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in the secondary. We haven’t gotten the results that we’re after.”

Buffalo Bills: DJ Moore opens up the offense

He hasn’t always been healthy, but when DJ Moore has been available, he has been a game changer for the Bills’ offense. The Bills have needed receiver help since Stefon Diggs’s departure, and traded for Moore in the offseason to expand their passing game. He’s done that. While the Bills still remain a run-first squad, Moore gives them a legitimate threat in the passing attack while also opening more opportunities for playmakers such as Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer and Khalil Shakir.

DJ MOORE'S FIRST TD AS A BILL 🚨

BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/CiM8LpAQEc
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young is playing better, but that’s not enough to lift the Panthers

The Panthers had a breakthrough season in 2025 by making the postseason for the first time since 2017. While they benefited from playing in the NFC South, a division they won with a losing record, it wasn’t unrealistic to think they could make another leap with the offseason additions of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd, combined with quarterback Bryce Young taking more steps forward. Young hasn’t been perfect, but he’s on track for the best year of his career so far. He’s completed 60.4% of his passes for 2,197 yards, 16 touchdowns and six picks while averaging a career-high 7.1 yards per attempt and EPA per play of (0.02). Thus far, the defense has let the Panthers down—resulting in DC EJ Evero’s firing. The unit is dealing with injuries to its top corners, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, but has particularly struggled against the run, ranking 28th in rush yards allowed per game (133.4).

The Panthers still could win the NFC South because the division remains weak this year, but they have not shown much growth as a whole team.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams has taken the next steps

Outside of a four-interception performance against the Buccaneers on Sunday—an outlier for a quarterback that has been historically good at avoiding picks, Caleb Williams is cementing himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. He took major strides forward during his sophomore campaign in 2025, though the passing game remained inconsistent and Williams completed only 58.1% of his passes.

Now, it feels he is playing up to his potential on a week-by-week basis. He is regularly making elite throws to his receivers, including impressive throws to Rome Odunze against the Seahawks and Patriots. His accuracy has improved tremendously. He completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,546 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks, and as a result, inserted his name into the MVP conversation.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Dexter Lawrence II addition is paying dividends

The Bengals’ defense remains a flawed unit, but the addition of Dexter Lawrence II appears to be a hit so far. Cincinnati’s decision to trade a first-round pick for Lawrence was seen as risky by some, but it’s hard to imagine any rookie the Bengals could have drafted at No. 10 having the impact that Lawrence has had.

After tallying just one sack for the Giants in 2025, Lawrence already has five for the Bengals this season, which is second among all defensive tackles. He also ranks top-10 among defensive tackles in pressure rate (11.1%) and pressures (24). A season ago, the Bengals ranked 22nd in pressure rate (33.1%) and 23rd in sacks (35). Lawrence is a key reason they’ve risen to 13th in pressure rate (36.4%) and 10th in sacks (23).

Cleveland Browns: Picking up Jared Verse has not been an immediate success

At 5–4, the Browns have gotten off to a nice start under Todd Monken. What hasn’t gone as well thus far is the addition of Jared Verse, whom the Browns brought in as part of the Myles Garrett trade. Part of the reason the Browns were willing to trade Garrett to the Rams over other teams was the chance to bring in Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year and a rising young pass rusher.

“I’ve not done myself a service in playing the way I want to play,” Verse told reporters last week. “I think a lot of attention has been focused on me not doing enough on this aspect, that aspect, I don’t think we’ve been getting enough third-and-longs to put myself in the position to get the stats and stuff like that. I think stats can be rather confusing for a lot of people.”

“I think attention has been focused on me not doing enough on this aspect, that aspect, I don’t think think we’ve been getting enough 3rd and longs to put myself in the position to get the stats,” Jared Verse on his lack of production this season. pic.twitter.com/0T8eD5RAOb
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 5, 2026

ESPN Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi pointed out shortly after Verse’s comments that Cleveland’s defense ranks fourth in average conversion distance at 8.7 yards. Verse has recorded just a 9.3% pressure rate and no sacks this season.

Dallas Cowboys: Their offense has been underwhelming

As Bob Seger might put it, the Cowboys’ defensive issues are “Still the Same,” but that isn’t a mighty surprise. What’s been more disappointing is the lack of juice from the offense. They had their moments early in the year—recording more than 30 points in three consecutive games against the Commanders, Ravens and Texans—but have yet to be consistent when they face good defenses. The Buccaneers and Packers both held Dallas to 16 or fewer points. Even though the Cowboys tallied 30 points against the Cardinals, they managed only 261 yards of offense and went three-and-out in overtime.

As Dak Prescott said before their game against the Colts when asked whether they’ve found their offensive identity, “Yeah sure, I mean, is it one we’re proud of? I don’t know.”

Dak Prescott if the Cowboys found an offensive identity: "Yeah sure, I mean, is it one we're proud of? I don't know."
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 5, 2026

Denver Broncos: They’re winning, but still need more out of Bo Nix

The Broncos didn’t just survive a difficult schedule to start the season, they came out of the stretch against the Chiefs (twice), Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, Cardinals and Chargers at 6–2 and atop the AFC West again. While they ought to be pleased with this result, it’s fair to say they could have cruised through those games even easier had quarterback Bo Nix been playing better. Nix’s play has been underwhelming midway through 2026. He’s completing 60.6% of his passes for 1,730 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Early this season, he has passed up a number of available completions and not been super aggressive. He has looked better, and notably more aggressive with both his arm and legs, against the Cardinals, Chiefs and Panthers. He will look to build upon that over the second half of the year.

Detroit Lions: Drew Petzing has been a better fit for the offense

The Lions’ offense wasn’t quite itself in 2025 under OC John Morton, leading to Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties midway through the year. Detroit hired Drew Petzing as its OC, and he appears to be a much better match for this offense. This season, their success rate has jumped from 13th (44.4%) to fifth (48.37%) while Petzing has impressed with some creative play-calling moments. They are 6–2, and in the thick of the NFC North race. Overall, they seem to have found a more consistent rhythm offensively, which has them ready to contend again.

Green Bay Packers: Jonathan Gannon has impressed with the defense

New DC Jonathan Gannon has done a nice job with the Packers’ defense, especially considering Green Bay has yet to get Micah Parsons back from the torn ACL he sustained last December. Gannon’s defense has improved from 22nd to sixth in both EPA per play (0 to -0.13) and EPA per pass (0.05 to -0.14). They are getting to the quarterback more even without Parsons. Last season, they ranked 20th in sacks with 36. This year, they already have 26 midway through the season, which is tied for the third-most in the NFL. They also rank second in the NFL in takeaways with 19, including four from the Patriots this past Sunday.

Houston Texans: Their defense is not as good as we thought

The Texans have been a disappointment at 3–5, but perhaps the biggest surprise is that their defense—not their offense—has been at fault for the slow start that could keep Houston out of the playoffs. After throwing four interceptions in their playoff loss to the Patriots, C.J. Stroud has been on fire this season, completing 64.2% of his passes for 2,251 yards, 16 touchdowns and two picks.

The Texans’ defense, on the other hand, has not done its part. Houston ranks 27th in passing yards allowed per game (235.6), 17th in points allowed per game (24), 19th in EPA per play (-0.01) and 18th in EPA per pass (0.03). Last season, the Texans ranked sixth in passing yards allowed (183.5), second in points allowed (17.4) and first in both EPA per play (-0.16) and EPA per pass allowed (-0.22). Blame us for the preseason cover jinx, but they aren’t nearly the ferocious defense they were expected to be. Not only are they far from their historic expectations, they have simply not been good in 2026. They’ve given up over 400 yards in offense in each of their past two of their past three games, including to the Giants in J.J. McCarthy’s first start with the team.

Indianapolis Colts: The end of an era is coming

The Colts ran it back with the same regime in hopes of replicating the success they saw before Daniel Jones’s torn achilles last season, but are already turning the page amid a 2–7 start. They fired general manager Chris Ballard and traded longtime Colts Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner two weeks before the deadline, setting the stage for a potential rebuild ahead. The Colts are set to have a new GM and potentially a new coach by the time next March rolls around as they reconstruct the roster. They will not have a first-round pick, however, as they traded their 2027 first-rounder to the Jets as part of the Sauce Gardner trade last season. They picked up some extra draft capital in the Nelson and Buckner trades, but that lost first-rounder looms large as they are on pace to finish with a top-10 pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars: They are going all in on a title

No team was more active as the deadline approached than the Jaguars, who made three trades on the day before the deadline. They acquired safety Jessie Bates III along with defensive tackles Davon Godchaux and Jordan Davis, filling two of their biggest needs with premium players. In the process, they gave up first- and second-round picks in the 2027 draft, putting their focus on winning a title now. The Jaguars have never made a Super Bowl appearance, but they’ve proved they are certainly contenders as they’ve dominated inferior opponents and beaten good teams such as the Patriots and Bengals.

Kansas City Chiefs: A running game is just what Patrick Mahomes & Co. needed

The Chiefs pulled off the best move of the offseason when they signed reigning Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III. The former Seahawk has been the engine of the Chiefs’ offense, rushing for 872 yards (second) and seven touchdowns (eighth) while averaging 5.5 yards per carry through the first half of the season. His rushing production also masked the weaknesses of the Chiefs’ receiving core, allowing Kansas City to get off to a 5–0 start without relying on their passing attack.

Las Vegas Raiders: They have found their coach

The Raiders might not make the playoffs this season, but it appears they finally found the right coach in Klint Kubiak. Kubiak, who was the Seahawks’ OC during their Super Bowl campaign last season, has impressed with his play-calling in Las Vegas thus far. Kubiak has done a nice job getting the ball to a variety of playmakers from Tre Tucker to Michael Mayer and even Ashton Jeanty in the passing game, while also feeding their best player, Brock Bowers, every week. He also had veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins looking rejuvenated, ranking top-five among all quarterbacks with 2,340 yards and 20 touchdowns, before he was dealt to the Vikings. The Raiders can trust that No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza will be under the right guidance when they turn to him starting this week.

Los Angeles Chargers: The Mike McDaniel–Justin Herbert partnership has been a disaster

Mike McDaniel’s hiring as Chargers OC was seen as a home run move, and the chance to see him work with Justin Herbert was heavily anticipated. That hype died down quickly. The Chargers’ offense has been a complete mess, ranking 26th in yards per game (291.6), 26th in passing yards (177.1) and last in points (15.1 per game) and EPA per play (-0.25).

Herbert has struggled greatly in the offense. He leads the league in turnovers and has Rams safety Quentin Lake saying on The St. Brown podcast that he’s throwing “deli meat” and “seeing ghosts” on the field. A Pro Bowler just last season, Herbert has quickly dropped from his status as a top-10 quarterback and ranks 34th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per play (-0.27).

Los Angeles Rams: They are far from the NFL’s best team

The Rams were by far the favorites to win the Super Bowl in the preseason, but midway through the year, they have shown they are far from the NFL’s best team. From falling flat to the 49ers in Australia to blowing a second-half lead to the Broncos to losing a clunker to the Cardinals, the Rams have fallen short of expectations thus far this season, starting 2–4.

Even though they’ve won three consecutive games since then, they haven’t looked impressive while doing so as the offense has sputtered, particularly when they aren’t throwing to Puka Nacua. It hasn’t helped that they’ve been significantly hampered by injuries this year, missing players such as Nacua, Myles Garrett, Davante Adams, Jaylen Watson, Poona Ford and Terrance Ferguson for parts of the year. They’ll have to overcome these injuries just for a shot at the playoffs, a far cry from their Super Bowl aspirations.

Miami Dolphins: They might be bad, but their rookie class is promising

Player development has been a priority for the Dolphins’ new regime, and they’re getting it from their rookie class. They selected 13 players in this year’s draft and several of them are already becoming important contributors for Miami. First-round pick Kadyn Proctor has become a stout member of the offensive line. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who was known for forcing turnovers at Texas Tech, has already forced a fumble and intercepted a pass during his rookie year. Receivers Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas, both drafted in the third round, have each made splash plays in the passing game when healthy. Douglas was particularly helpful in the Dolphins’ first win of the season over the Jets, catching two passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.

Caleb Douglas is such a hit 😍 pic.twitter.com/3l5QgnGxU3
— Nico (@elitetakes_) November 8, 2026

Minnesota Vikings: Kyler Murray has not solved their quarterback conundrum

Even with the addition of Kyler Murray and trading J.J. McCarthy to the Giants, the Vikings remain in quarterback purgatory. The Vikings are 6–2, but their quarterback play has underwhelmed. They rank 31st in passing yards per game (160.8), 27th in points per game (18.3) and 30th in EPA per play (-0.20). Murray ranks 29th in success rate (40.40%) and 26th in EPA per play (-0.09).

The Vikings’ offense simply lacks efficiency or rhythm with their current level of quarterback play, which reached a new low with Carson Wentz on Monday night. Both Wentz and Murray have missed opportunities in the passing game, leaving All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson frustrated once again. With their defense, the Vikings would be a Super Bowl contender if they had quality quarterback play. As such, the Vikings traded for Kirk Cousins before the deadline, hoping to spark the offense and improve their title odds.

New England Patriots: Drake Maye’s playoff turnover woes have crossed over into 2026

Drake Maye has been inconsistent to start the 2026 season. After finishing his sophomore campaign as the NFL MVP runner-up, Maye became turnover prone in the postseason, committing eight during their playoff run.

Early in 2026, Maye has similarly been culpable of committing too many turnovers. He is tied with Justin Herbert for the lead in interceptions at the midpoint of the season. He turned the ball over seven times in the Patriots’ first three games. While he appeared to move past those struggles and return to 2025 form after a 1–2 start, his turnover woes came back to bite this past Sunday when he threw three interceptions in a loss to the Packers. If these turnover woes continue to strike for the Patriots, it will be hard for them to make another playoff run.

New Orleans Saints: The defense has regressed

The Saints were seen as a potential riser in the standings this offseason. While they are still in contention in the NFC South, they haven’t taken the leap like some predicted. Part of the reason for this is the defense, which has taken steps back so far in 2026. Last year, the Saints ranked fourth in pass yards allowed (179.2 per game), 19th in rush yards allowed (120.6), 16th in points allowed (22.5), 10th in EPA per play (-0.09) and fifth in success rate (41.22%). This season, they’ve dropped to 28th in passing yards allowed (236.6), 29th in rushing yards allowed (133.9 per game), 27th in points allowed (27 per game), 25th in EPA per play (0.03) and 31st in success rate (46.83%). Point being, they’ve been bad across the board, rather than building off their efforts a year ago.

New York Giants: They’re the NFC East favorites

As the Commanders, Eagles and Cowboys have floundered, the Giants find themselves with a lead in the NFC East midway through the season. At this point, New York is the clear favorite to win the division, which would be a mighty accomplishment in their first season under John Harbaugh.

The Giants are 5-2-1 despite dealing with adversity of their own. Starting quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with an injury in Week 2 and their best edge rusher, Brian Burns, also sustained a season-ending injury early in the year. Even so, the Giants have kept winning. They traded for J.J. McCarthy, whom the Vikings gave up on after 10 starts. Many quickly wrote McCarthy off, but he is playing better for the Giants. Most importantly, he’s helping them maintain their lead in the division as he has gone 2–0 as their starter.

New York Jets: They have a lot of weapons

After Garrett Wilson led the Jets with 395 receiving yards in 2025 despite missing 10 games, New York has assembled a nice group of weapons this season. Along with Wilson, they drafted two rookie playmakers in tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper Jr., both of whom have put together moments this season. Wideout Adonai Mitchell, whom they acquired in last season’s Sauce Gardner trade, has also flashed, recording a career-high 147 yards against the Raiders in Week 8. Beyond the passing game, the Jets have two stellar backs with the emergence of Braelon Allen, who complements Breece Hall in the run game.

Geno Smith has done a nice job distributing the football to his weapons this season, but if the Jets draft a quarterback next spring, he’ll have plenty of playmakers to help him adjust to the NFL.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles have an important offseason ahead

For the Eagles, the 2026 campaign quickly went from a 2–0 start to a team now in transition. Philadelphia has lost seven consecutive games, and will soon be facing questions about its future and how to proceed after this year. Will the Eagles fire Nick Sirianni and rebuild? Or will they focus on retooling the roster they already have? They will have plenty of draft capital to do so after landing first- and second-round picks with the Cam Jurgens and Jordan Davis trades this season, plus the A.J. Brown trade last offseason. Among the biggest questions will be the health of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is missing the remainder of the season due to blood clots in his lungs.

Pittsburgh Steelers: They have a strong run game

One of the biggest keys to the Steelers’ 6–2 start has been the emergence of their run game with Jaylen Warren. After ranking 26th in rushing yards per game (103.3) and 11th in EPA per rush (-0.02) in 2025, the Steelers are now 12th in rushing yards (117.9) and fourth in EPA per rush (0.04).

Warren is in the midst of a career year. He has rushed for 704 yards (sixth) while averaging a league-best 5.9 yards per carry. He has recorded over 100 yards in three of his past four games, including a season-best 143 yards in a win over the Browns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. On top of his rushing numbers, he also has been productive in the passing game, catching 25 passes for 294 yards. Warren recorded a career high of 958 yards in 2025, but is on pace to shatter that mark this season.

The improved run game has helped the Steelers’ offense become more balanced and less reliant on the passing attack—which has been particularly helpful given the injuries to receivers such as Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson.

San Francisco 49ers: Raheem Morris’s defense has been a revelation

The 49ers’ 7–1 start has been fueled in part because of their defense under new DC Raheem Morris. San Francisco’s defense was expected to improve with the return of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, but it remained stout even when Bosa missed weeks due to injury thanks to an aggressive secondary and improved defensive line. Now, the Niners are reuniting with defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who returns to the Bay Area after nearly seven years in Indianapolis. He should bolster a defense that already ranks third in yards allowed (291.9), sixth in points allowed (19.5) and eighth in EPA per play (-0.11).

Seattle Seahawks: Letting the SB MVP leave might have backfired

The Seahawks watched Kenneth Walker III leave for the Chiefs in free agency, and they sure have missed him. While they drafted a running back, Jadarian Price, in the first round, they have not had the success in the run game that they had with Walker, who is now excelling in Kansas City. Perhaps the loss of OC Klint Kubiak or the play of the offensive line have also played a role in Seattle’s struggles, but either way, they have one of the worst rushing attacks in the league, ranking 27th in EPA per rush (-0.17). They’ll look to see the ground game improve as Price and Zach Charbonnet continue to see more action since their returns from IR.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles’s defense has improved

In recent years, the Buccaneers have given up a lot of passing yards. From 2023 to ’25, the Buccaneers have ranked in the bottom-six of the league in passing yards allowed per game. Halfway through this season, they’ve taken major strides forward in that area. While their run defense has been stout, ranking top-five in rushing yards allowed over that same span, their pass defense is catching up. So far, they’ve been allowing 213.8 pass yards per game, which ranks 10th, and rank first in EPA per pass (-0.25). Their defense as a whole now ranks first in EPA per play (-0.21) and third in EPA per rush (-0.14). On top of this, they’re forcing more turnovers than any other team with 21 total takeaways, including eight interceptions over their past two games.

Tennessee Titans: Rookies Carnell Tate, Anthony Hill Jr. living up to the billing

The Titans have a new coaching staff in place this season, but in many ways, not much has changed—particularly in terms of the results. The Titans are 1–7, the same record they were through eight weeks last season and quarterback Cam Ward still ranks near the bottom of the league in many passing statistics—though he did throw for a career-high 304 yards in his last game before the bye.

What has been good for the Titans this season is the play of their rookies, and especially that of receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. Tate, the No. 4 pick, missed the Titans’ loss to the Bengals due to injury, but has caught 34 passes for 413 yards and a touchdown this season and captured Offensive Rookie of the Month for October. His best showing came against the Ravens, when he logged nine receptions for 145 yards. Hill, their second-round selection, ranked second in the NFL in tackles entering the bye week with 82. He’s also recorded three pass breakups and a forced fumble this season while winning Defensive Rookie of the Month in September.

Washington Commanders: Their game management has cost them

Game management has been a recurring theme for the Commanders this season, and for all the wrong reasons. The Commanders’ biggest faux pas came against the Giants in Week 5, when they failed to spike the football in time to kick a potential game-winning field goal. The offense had plenty of time to set up their kicker, but seemingly didn’t realize they did not have a timeout or were in a hurry. Beyond that mistake, Jayden Daniels received scrutiny for throwing the ball away on fourth down in their Monday night loss to the 49ers, as well as their play calls for their two-point conversion attempt against the Eagles in Week 1 and final play against the Rams in Week 9.

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