More from the MMQB: Recap | Playoff picture | What we learned | Trade deadline buzz | Derrick Henry cashing incentives | Lions solidify Super Bowl contender status | AFC midseason grades
Plenty happened in the NFC during the first two months of the season.
Jayden Daniels, the stud rookie quarterback, has the Washington Commanders thinking about Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. That’s right, Washington is being discussed as a Super Bowl contender, something that has rarely happened since the 1990s.
We might be headed for an NFC championship game that includes the Commanders and the Detroit Lions. Imagine saying that a few years ago. But the Lions established themselves as Super Bowl contenders last year, so their dominance in September and October hasn’t exactly been a surprise. It has been surprising, however, to see how much competition the Lions have received in the NFC North, especially from the Minnesota Vikings, who sprinted to a 5–0 start.
We’ll soon learn whether the Lions can hold off the Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in the loaded NFC North. And we’ll find out whether the Commanders are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They can prove that by taking the NFC East from the Philadelphia Eagles.
But before we head to the second half of the 2024 season, let’s hand out team grades for what occurred in the NFC during the first nine weeks of the season.
Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B-
The Cardinals already matched their win total from last year, despite having a difficult schedule in the first two months of the season. Arizona faced the Buffalo Bills, Detroit, Washington and Green Bay—all losses—and somehow entered Week 9 with a 4–4 record and held a piece of first place in the NFC West. The partnership of GM Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon should be applauded for quickly turning one of the worst rosters in the league into a playoff contender all in a two-year span. If Kyler Murray continues to elevate his game with the help of rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., James Conner and Trey McBride, this young team has a strong shot of taking the NFC West crown.
Atlanta Falcons
Grade: C+
The Falcons are certainly a better team than last year, but they haven’t found consistency with Kirk Cousins and new coach Raheem Morris. Then again, consistency has never been a strength of Cousins, who has had many highs and lows throughout his career. But it’s been a successful first two months with Cousins in Atlanta because Drake London and Kyle Pitts finally played up to their high potential, and that doesn’t even include Darnell Mooney, one of the most underrated signings of the offseason. It’s hard to trust the Falcons because most of their wins have come against NFC South opponents, but there’s plenty of optimism around the new quarterback and regime.
Carolina Panthers
Grade: F
Somehow, this season’s Panthers team is worse than last year’s dreadful squad. Coach Dave Canales was hired to help develop Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 pick, but the team quickly ditched that plan after two disastrous games to open the season. The offense played better under veteran Andy Dalton, but this group struggled to properly execute plays on both sides of the ball. The defense has been a problem most of the season, especially after defensive tackle Derrick Brown was lost for the season due to injury. There’s no sense of direction in Carolina and certainly no patience from the ownership. The Panthers spent plenty of money in free agency only to be sellers again at the trade deadline. This team will likely have the No. 1 pick for the 2025 draft.
Chicago Bears
Grade: C
The Bears are somewhat of a disappointment after the amount of hype they received for building a strong roster on paper. But having household names at the skill positions didn’t improve the Bears’ offensive line, possibly the worst unit in the NFL. The poor protection led to a rough first month for Caleb Williams, this year’s No. 1 pick. But Williams did flash his high potential during a three-game winning streak and nearly had an impressive game-winning drive before Daniels’s walk-off Hail Mary in Washington. Chicago has a strong defense, but it’s hard to trust coach Matt Eberflus in late-game situations. Expect the Bears to make a playoff push, but they’ll likely come up short playing in the rugged NFC North.
Dallas Cowboys
Grade: D
Many saw this disastrous start in Dallas coming from a mile away because of all the offseason drama, starting with coach Mike McCarthy not receiving a contract extension from owner Jerry Jones. It’s not easy to inspire confidence as a coach with everyone in the locker room knowing that the owner has one eye on the list of future head coach candidates, including Bill Belichick. The Cowboys ended up paying Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but Jones never addressed the roster needs at running back and on the defensive front. It’s not surprising that Dallas struggled to run the football and defend the run during the first two months of the season. McCarthy might have the hottest seat among all the coaches in the NFL. He desperately needs to stack wins in November and December.
Detroit Lions
Grade: A
The best offense in the league resides in Detroit and it may not even be close. The Lions dropped more than 40 points on the Seattle Seahawks, Cowboys and Tennessee Titans and found ways to win close games against the Vikings and Los Angeles Rams. The best part of this offense is that they can break down defenses in various ways with a stout offensive line and a stacked group of skill players. And it definitely helps that Jared Goff continues to get better in Detroit. On the other hand, the Lions did take a brutal hit after the season-ending injury to edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. But the defense is still playing freely and confidently, one of the perks of having a high-scoring offense. Don’t be surprised if this team is in New Orleans come February.
Green Bay Packers
Grade: B+
Perhaps no team in the NFC plays complementary football better than the Packers, with an opportunistic defense and a high-scoring offense led by star quarterback Jordan Love. That’s a testament to the work of first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and coach Matt LaFleur, who deserves serious consideration for Coach of the Year. The Packers overcame an early injury to Love by winning back-to-back games with backup Malik Willis, another strong sign of good coaching in Green Bay. If Love stays healthy and cuts back on his turnovers, the Packers could be just as dangerous as the Lions.
Los Angeles Rams
Grade: C
The Rams had a slow start because of injuries to key offensive linemen and star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. It also didn’t help that the defense struggled to adjust in its first season without Aaron Donald and it took new defensive coordinator Chris Shula time to find his rhythm during games. But the Rams managed to beat the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders in the first six weeks to buy time to overcome the obstacles they faced. It finally came together during an impressive Thursday night victory against the Vikings, with Matthew Stafford once again dealing with the returns of Nacua and Kupp. Don’t count out the Rams to win the NFC West if they continue to get healthy.
Minnesota Vikings
Grade: B+
The Vikings quickly silenced the doubters who believed they would struggle with Sam Darnold as the starting quarterback. They opened the season 5–0 and had impressive wins against the 49ers, Houston Texans and Packers. Some of those doubters are chirping again after Minnesota fell to Detroit and Los Angeles in a five-day span. (But the Vikings nearly beat the Lions before going on the road during a short week.) Minnesota showed enough in the first five weeks to be taken seriously as a contender in the conference and the competitive NFC North. With Justin Jefferson on their side, the Vikings could take advantage of an easier schedule before ending the regular season vs. the Packers and Lions.
New Orleans Saints
Grade: F
After a 2–0 start, the Saints plummeted to the bottom of the standings because of a brutal six-game losing streak. It didn’t help that Derek Carr missed three consecutive games due to injury, but New Orleans also didn't do well with the veteran quarterback on the field. The Saints’ offense is similar to the Miami Dolphins in that they struggle to adjust when the deep ball isn’t landing during games. Carr often looked to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, who sustained a season-ending knee injury, to bail him out during the first month of the season. But the defense was worse in the first nine weeks—they allowed 594 total yards and 51 points to the Buccaneers in Week 6. With an aging roster, it’s time for drastic changes in New Orleans.
New York Giants
Grade: F
Daniel Jones put many Giants fans to sleep with brutal offensive performances in the first two months of the season. Giants GM Joe Schoen failed to add another quality quarterback option in the offseason, forcing coach Brian Daboll to make the most of a bad situation with Jones as the starter again. For a few games, it seemed Jones was going to be O.K. with stud rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, but the small steps forward ended after Nabers sustained a concussion and missed two games. It’s gotten so bad that Nabers and Daboll have thrown subtle jabs at Jones for the poor offensive performances. Daboll and Schoen could both be on the hot seat for, once again, tying a season with Jones as the starting QB.
Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: B
The Eagles have found their stride after a rocky start to the season. Many were upset with coach Nick Sirianni for trash-talking with his own fans and for questionable late-game decisions in September. But the Eagles now enter the second half of the season with a four-game winning streak. It’s no coincidence that Jalen Hurts regained his top form after wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith returned from injury. Also, Sirianni deserves credit for the hires of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Both units have played well since the up-and-down four games in September. The Eagles have the experience and talent to hold off the surging Commanders in the NFC East.
San Francisco 49ers
Grade: C-
The 49ers’ star-studded group of skill players was decimated by injuries the past two months. But Brock Purdy’s impressive performances kept the team afloat, and now San Francisco could regain its top form with more healthy players returning after the bye week, including Christian McCaffrey, who has yet to play this season. The team could struggle to adjust without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who sustained a season-ending knee injury, but rookie Ricky Pearsall has shown flashes in the past few weeks. After ugly losses to the Rams and Cardinals, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 49ers win the NFC East for a third consecutive season.
Seattle Seahawks
Grade: C-
The Seahawks had a rough October to erase the 3–0 start they amassed with new coach Mike Macdonald. Injuries played a factor, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for three disastrous home losses against the Giants, 49ers and Bills. Geno Smith tends to have a few killer mistakes every week and hasn’t played well with DK Metcalf nursing a knee injury the past two games. It’s tough to get a good gauge on the Seahawks because of the injuries, but they might be more of a middling team than a contender in the wide-open NFC West. It will be interesting to see if Seattle runs it back with Smith if they don’t make the postseason this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: C-
The Buccaneers had the look of being a strong playoff contender before they ran into the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7. That ugly loss left a lasting impact as wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin ended the game with significant injuries. Godwin was lost for the year with an ankle injury and Evans will likely miss a few more games after sustaining an aggravated hamstring injury in the first quarter against the Ravens. Coach Todd Bowles took heat for playing a hobbled Evans and leaving Godwin on the field during garbage time. To make matters worse, Bowles’s defense played poorly in October, allowing an average of 33.7 points in the four games. This team is heading in the wrong direction and there’s not much optimism for a second-half turnaround.
Washington Commanders
Grade: A
Daniels swiftly turning the Commanders into a Super Bowl contender was probably the best story of the first half of the NFL season. Perhaps the Commanders aren’t as good as the teams in the NFC North, but it’s difficult not to buy into what Daniels has done as a rookie. They’re playing with plenty of confidence and have an unwavering belief that Daniels will continue to provide clutch moments in tight games. For example, throwing the walk-off Hail Mary against the Bears and the game-sealing touchdown pass on third down vs. the Cincinnati Bengals during Monday Night Football. It wasn’t a difficult first nine weeks on the schedule, but we’ll learn plenty about Daniels’s Commanders with upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Eagles.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFC Midseason Grades: Lions on Track for First Super Bowl Appearance.
