The Good And Bad For All 32 NFL Teams So Far This Year

As we approach the halfway mark of the NFL season, here is one good thing and one bad thing for every NFL team so far this year.

Heading into week nine of the NFL season, we can start to talk about more definitive terms for about NFL teams. For the most part, you are what you are at this point.

Some teams have had a lot more good than others, and some have had a lot more bad than others. But, every team has had a little bit of both. Here’s one good and bad thing for each NFL team so far.

Arizona Cardinals (1-7)

The Good: The Cardinals were picked by many to be the worst team in the NFL this year. And, they certainly are in the conversation through eight weeks of the season. But, they’ve played awfully hard for first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon, and have been competitive week-in and week-out.
The Bad: There’s a lot to choose from here, but the fact that second-round pick BJ Ojulari only has one sack and one tackle for loss through eight games is not encouraging whatsoever.

Atlanta Falcons (4-4)

The Good: Many thought that the Falcons shouldn’t have taken a running back in Bijan Robinson in the top ten, but Robinson looks incredible. He’s averaging over 5 yards a carry and has 655 scrimmage yards so far.
The Bad: Quarterback Desmond Ridder has been unable to get talented young pass catchers Kyle Pitts and Drake London involved enough. The two are averaging just 96 yards per game combined, and their talent suggests that number should be over 150. Hopefully newly-named starter Taylor Heinicke can get those guys more involved.

Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

The Good: Quarterback Lamar Jackson is arguably playing at the highest level he’s played at since his unanimous MVP season in 2019. He has a passer rating of over 100, and looks comfortable in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s offense.
The Bad: The situation at running back is not good. JK Dobbins is a star when healthy, but he tore his Achilles in week one. Justice Hill and Gus Edwards are not difference-makers at the position, and it could cost them.

Buffalo BIlls (4-4)

The Good: Quarterback Josh Allen has been absolutely outstanding. He’s leading the league in QBR, and is carrying an offense with a stagnant scheme and a shortage of reliable weapons.
The Bad: Injuries to All-Pros in cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano will keep them out of the rest of the season, and those are two players they simply may not be able to afford.

Carolina Panthers (1-7)

The Good: It’s a third straight quarterback being mentioned as the “good”, but this Panthers season was always about the development of first-overall pick Bryce Young. And, he’s looking more comfortable by the week.
The Bad: They’re 1-7, and to make matters worse, they don’t own their first-round pick, as they traded it to the Bears to as part of a package to trade up to draft Bryce Young.

Chicago Bears (2-6)

The Good: Wide Receiver DJ Moore was acquired as part of the trade that sent the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers, and he has been extraordinary, averaging 86.4 yards per game despite mediocre quarterback play.
The Bad: Pretty much everything else. They’ve been the league’s biggest dumpster fire, both on and off the field. It seems likely they will need to move on from Justin Fields in the offseason, who simply has not developed as a passer. Thankfully, they have their own first-round pick as well as the Panthers’ pick.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

The Good: After a 1-3 start, the Bengals have shown the mettle of the battle-tested Super Bowl contenders that they are. They’ve reeled off three straight wins to put themselves back into the thick of things in the AFC North and AFC Wild Card picture.
The Bad: Wide receiver Tee Higgins is one of the best at the position in the league, but he has simply not been himself so far this season. He’s averaging just 36.3 yards per game, and the Bengals will need him to get back to his Pro Bowl form if they want to bring home the Lombardi Trophy that has barely eluded them the last two seasons.

Cleveland Browns (4-3)

The Good: It’s been not quite as good the last two weeks, but the Cleveland Browns defense has been excellent so far. It’s the top-ranked total defense in the league, and superstar defensive end Myles Garrett has led the way with 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
The Bad: The Deshaun Watson trade and contract extension seems to be a massive mistake. He’s been poor this year when he’s played, and has missed three games under mysterious circumstances related to an arm injury. It seems like they may have gone all-in on the wrong quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys (5-2)

The Good: Superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons is absolutely unblockable. He has a solid six sacks and nine tackles for loss this year, but his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. There may not be another defensive player in the league that teams have to game-plan around more than they do for Micah Parsons.
The Bad: Dallas brought in WR Brandin Cooks to help Michael Gallup support CeeDee Lamb and take attention off the star, but neither Gallup or Cooks have been effective whatsoever so far. Outside of Lamb, there are simply no other pass-catchers on this team that scares anyone.

Denver Broncos (3-5)

The Good: After a terrible start to the season that included giving up a whopping 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, THe Broncos defense is improving quickly.
The Bad: The defense has been better lately, but they were largely responsible for the team digging themselves into a 1-5 hole. It may simply be too deep of a hole to come back from and make the playoffs.

Detroit Lions (6-2)

The Good: The Lions have shown that their red-hot finish to the 2022 season was no fluke. The Lions have looked like one of the best teams in the league so far this year, and a large part of that is due to the outstanding play on both lines.
The Bad: In a week 7, 38-6 loss to the Ravens, it was shown what could happen to this Lions team if they don’t dominate in the trenches. And, it’s hard to see them doing that against NFC powerhouses in the Eagles and 49ers.

Green Bay Packers (2-5)

The Good: Second-year inside linebacker Quay Walker is putting together an All-Pro caliber season, with 66 tackles and five tackles for loss so far this season. He appears to be a long-term building block for the franchise.
The Bad: The Packers seemed fine with Aaron Rodgers leaving the team so they could start 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love. But, he’s been one of the world’s worst starters, completing just 57% of his passes as Green Bay’s offense has sputtered, especially in the first half of games.

Houston Texans (3-4)

The Good: Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud has looked every bit of the franchise quarterback they hoped they were getting when they took him second-overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. With nine touchdowns and just one interception despite no running game to speak of, he’s been one of the league’s best starting quarterbacks this year at just 22.
The Bad: The other high-profile rookie, third-overall edge player Will Anderson, has been not quite as impressive. He has just one sack in seven games, and Anderson was expected to hit the ground running as one of the league’s better pass-rushers this season.

Indianapolis Colts (3-5)

The Good: First-year head coach Shane Steichen looks like a great hire by the Colts. The former Eagles offensive coordinator has been an excellent playcaller, and the team has been better than many expected.
The Bad: Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson showed signs of promise, but a shoulder injury in week 5 forced him to have season-ending shoulder surgery. It shouldn’t be a long-term problem, but I’m sure the Colts would’ve liked to have those extra weeks of development for a player that is far from a finished product as a passer.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)

The Good: The Jaguars were panned when they spent a first-round pick on running back Travis Etienne in 2021. But, He’s been an absolute star this year. Etienne has been averaging 105 scrimmage yards a game and has eight touchdowns already.
The Bad: It’s not as if 2022 first-overall pick Travon Walker has been bad this year, as he has 3.5 sacks and five fackles for loss. But, the guy they passed up, Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, looks to be one of the NFL’s best players, regardless of position. That pick could come back to haunt them for years.

Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)

The Good: In years past, the question for the Chiefs focused on whether the defense could get enough stops. But, Kansas City’s defense has been outstanding this year, and is ranked fourth in total defense.
The Bad: The Chiefs’ receiving corps, outside of tight end Travis Kelce, is absolutely dreadful. None of the young trio of Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, or Rashee Rice looks anything like a true number one, and it’s hampering the efficiency of the offense.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-5)

The Good: Owner Mark Davis wised up on Tuesday night and fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. The first stpe in solving a problem is admitting you have a problem, and the Raiders have done that.
The Bad: Once again, a franchise that has been desperate for stability for two decades is once again looking for a new head coach, general manager, and likely a franchise starting quarterback. At this point, few have confidence that they can figure out any of those three things.

Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)

The Good: Edge Khalil Mack has returned to form as one of the league’s best players. After just eight sacks last year in 17 games, he has seven in seven games this year.
The Bad: Head coach Brandon Staley still keeps making puzzling game-management choices that continue to put his team in precarious positions. Yes, it’s good to use analytics in your decision-making. But, he seems to not consider other important factors that should influence those decisions.

Los Angeles Rams (3-5)

The Good: 5th-round rookie WR Puka Nacua looks to be the hidden gem of the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s averaging 99.4 yards per contest, and that pace hasn’t slowed down much with the return of All-Pro Cooper Kupp to share targets.
The Bad: It’s very evident each week that the Rams defense severely lacks top-end talent outside of Aaron Donald. There’s a ton of work to do on that side of the ball to get it back to being a respectable unit.

Miami Dolphins (6-2)

The Good: After suffering numerous blows to the head last year, there were worries regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s long-term future in the league. But, he’s done an excellent job at avoiding those kinds of hits this year, and is also doing a much better job of rolling out of hits correctly to avoid head injuries.
The Bad: One of the players who is relied upon to keep Tagovailoa upright, All-Pro tackle Terron Armstead continues to struggle with injuries. If this team wants to reach its Super Bowl potential, he has to stay healthy.

Minnesota Vikings (4-4)

The Good: Defensive end Danielle Hunter has long been one of the better players at his position in the league. But, he’s taken it to a new level this year. His ten sacks and three forced fumbles through eight games has him firmly in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
The Bad: The bad is really bad. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was having arguably the best year of his career, but a torn Achilles suffered in Week 8 ended his season, and possibly the Vikings’ playoff hopes.

New England Patriots (2-6)

The Good: It’s slim pickings here, as even the “good” has some bad in it. Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez looks like he is going to be one of the NFL’s best cover corners for a long time in the NFL. Unfortunately, we likely won’t get to see him play agian till next year, as a torn labrum suffered in week five has him out for the year.
The Bad: We can only pick one, so we will go with the fact that it’s become evident that Mac Jones isn’t the type of quarterback to build a franchise around. This roster needs a major overhaul, and it starts at quarterback.

New Orleans Saints

The Good: Little-known wide receiver Rashid Shaheed has been one of the league’s breakout stars this year. He is on pace for a 1000-yard season, and at 20.2 yards per catch is one of the league’s best deep threats this season.
The Bad: Alvin Kamara has long been a mainstay in the Saints’ offense, but the running back is finally showing signs of wear and tear. He’s averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, and only 5.8 yards per reception. The excellent explosiveness he used to have may be mostly gone.

New York Giants

The Good: The Giants selected Kayvon Thibodeaux, a pass-rusher with unlimited upside, with the fifth-overall pick in the 2022 Draft. And, after an underwhelming rookie year, Thibodeaux has been a monster so far. His 8.5 sacks is an impressive total on its own. And, it’s even more impressive when you consider that the Giants have been frequently trailing, limiting his pass-rushing opportunities.
The Bad: The Giants have invested a ton into the offensive line, and they have absolutely nothing to show for it this year. Yes, stud left tackle Andrew Thomas has missed a ton of time, but 2022 top-ten pick Evan Neal has been dreadful at the other tackle position, and they’ve given up 38 sacks through eight games.

New York Jets (4-3)

The Good: Head coach Robert Saleh found a way to keep this team together after the absolutely devastatind injury to Aaron Rodgers just a handful of snaps in his Jets debut in week one. It could have all fallen apart, and been another embarrassing season for the Jets.
The Bad: Yeah, they stuck together, but the Super Bowl hopes for this team evaporated the second that Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles. It’s the hope that kills you.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)

The Good: With an honorable mention to wide Receiver AJ Brown’s fantastic season so far, the nod is going to Eagles’ rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Carter slipped due to some character concerns, but many thought he was the best overall player in the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s come to fruition, as the defensive tackle has been a complete game-wrecker, and may be an All-Pro as a rookie.
The Bad: Last year, the Eagles ran the ball at will. But, it hasn’t been as easy for them this year to run the ball as it was last year, as their yards per carry is down from 4.6 to 4.1. DeAndre Swift has been excellent, but the dropoff from him to the other running backs has been steep.

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)

The Good: Despite less-than-stellar quarterback play, second-year George Pickens has been a star. He’s averaging 75 yards per contest this year, and looks like he will be a true WR1 for years to come in Pittsburgh.
The Bad: Unfortunately for Pickens and Steelers fans, Kenny Pickett is simply not the answer at quarterback. Yes, he’s been hampered by poor play-calling from much-maligned offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but there’s nothing to suggest that he’s going to pay off the first-round position he was drafted in last year.

San Francisco 49ers (5-3)

The Good: Everyone knows that when running back Christian McCaffrey is healthy, that he is one of the most dynamic players in the league. And, he’s held off the injury woes that hurt him in his final few years in Carolina. All he’s done is averaging 118 scrimmage yards per game and score a league-leading 11 touchdowns.
The Bad: The defense seems to have taken a step back after defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans took the head coaching job for the Texans. He was replaced by Steve Wilks, and it’s not the same unit as a year ago. Despite being mostly healthy, a defense full of talent has been vulnerable at times, especially through the air.

Seattle Seahawks (5-2)

The Good: An honorable mention goes to stud rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon, but the honor goes to veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. They reacquired the Seahawk legend after a year with the Rams, and he’s been dominant. The 33-year-old has 76 tackles in just seven games and is aiming to make yet another All-Pro team.
The Bad: It’s not as if 2022’s feel-good story, quarterback Geno Smith, is playing poorly. But, he has not been nearly as sharp as he was during his Pro Bowl season last year. That’s been okay, because the defense has been much-improved. But, if they want to compete with the upper-echelon of the NFC, Smith will have to return to his form from last year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)

The Good: Baker Mayfield has been a surprisingly good solution at quarterback, and he’s earned himself a starting job somewhere next year. Despite playing behind a terrible offensive line, he’s moving the ball and avoiding turnovers. Mayfield only has four turnovers this year, among the league’s best for quarterbacks that have started all season long.
The Bad: The running game is flat-out awful. As a team, the Buccaneers are averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and only have one touchdown on the season. It’s unsustainable to have to try to win football games with that bad of a running game.

Tennessee Titans (3-4)

The Good: The sample size is small, but Will Levis shined in his debut. The rookie quarterback went 19/29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a week 8 win against the Falcons. He slid in the draft from being mocked in the top five all the way out of the first round, but the Titans may have found themselves their quarterback of the future.
The Bad: 2022 first-round rookie Treylon Burks was drafted to help replace AJ Brown. But, while Brown is on pace for a potential 2000-yard season in Philadelphia, Burks may be a bust. The Arkansas product is averaging just 24.8 yards per game so far this year, and 70 of his 99 yards came on one catch. That trade does not look good at all.

Washington Commanders (3-5)

The Good: Sam Howell has shown a ton of potential this year, and he’s probably earned himself another year as the Commanders’ starting quarterback. The second-year player is taking way too many sacks, a league-leading 41. But, he’s shown the ability to move the ball and make NFL throws. He’s played great football against really good teams, including two good performances against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bad: There is simply too much invested in this defense for it to be as bad as it’s been this year. They just traded away two of them in Montez Sweat and Chase Young, but there were high draft picks all over this defense, and through eight games they’re ranked 29th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense. It will likely cost head coach Ron Rivera his job.