We’re already halfway through the NFL season and anyone who can guess who will win the next Super Bowl is smart. The hunt for the Vince Lombardi Trophy is very open and the serious predators that break away from the pack are numerous, but without being unashamedly dominant.
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There are currently four teams leading Conference USA with the same record of 6-2: the Dolphins, Ravens, Jaguars and Chiefs.
To tell you how unusual this is, it’s the first time in 12 years that four teams are atop the conference with identical records after eight weeks.
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Each of them has good reasons to be considered the most serious contender. Each of them also has obvious flaws that portend failure.
First, let’s take the defending champions, the Chiefs. Contrary to the usual formula since Patrick Mahomes became quarterback in 2018, it is the defense that calls the shots. She is allowing just 16.1 points per game and has recorded 28 quarterback sacks. In any case, that’s good for second place in the league.
But oddly enough, Mahomes could be having his worst season statistically, as he is on pace to have 17 interceptions on his record if this trend continues. His group of receivers, consisting of young Rashee Rice, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, is developing slowly.
Strengths and weaknesses
Raheem Mostert and the Dolphins are collecting wins on the ground. Getty Images via AFP
The dolphins are the opposite. Their fiery attack produces 33.9 points per game and dominates in both passing (301.5 yards per game) and on the ground (151.8 yards per game). The deficiencies of the offensive line and the difficulties against the top teams could bother them. Sunday’s duel against the Chiefs as well as the three games at the end of the schedule against the Cowboys, the Ravens and the Bills will show what they have in their stomachs.
The Jaguars are the epitome of opportunism with 18 forced turnovers, including 11 interceptions. The defense is playing much better than expected, but despite defensive end Josh Allen’s strong season with nine sacks, there is little support elsewhere to apply pressure. As far as the aerial attack goes, he has lacked consistency so far, but Trevor Lawrence can explode at any time.
As for the Ravens, they will go where Lamar Jackson goes. At this point, he is at the top of his game with a career-high 70.5% of his passes completed.
He still contributes just as much on the ground with 16 carries of 10 yards or more. The doubt in his case? His playoff record is 1-3, with three touchdown passes and five interceptions, but he’s honestly well supported by a good defense.
Not to mention the Bills and Bengals, who may be the real contenders, are still flying under the radar due to a shaky start.
And the others?
DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown form a roaring duo for the Eagles. Getty Images via AFP
The American Conference is all well and good, but the National Conference can’t be beat. The Eagles (7-1) are still dominating up front and receiver AJ Brown is destroying everything in his path. The defense may not be at the level it was a year ago, but the arrival of Kevin Byard is a godsend.
The 49ers (5-3), with their three straight losses and Brock Purdy finally showing signs of being human, are suddenly raising doubts. Don’t worry about dying for them, they will get back on their feet and be strong.
The Cowboys (5-2), Seahawks (5-2) and Lions (6-2) are the other credible chasers and it’s hard to imagine another team emerging. All three have pretty complete teams, but the Lions haven’t had the big moments yet, while the Cowboys have the defense that can wreak the most havoc but an inconsistent offense.
Three weeks ago, the 49ers were considered the team to beat. Now the image is much blurrier and the amateur wins if the crystal balls are foggy.
WEEK 9
THURSDAY
MY CHOICE
- Tennessee near Pittsburgh STAHLER
SUNDAY
MY DECISIONS
- Miami to Kansas City (in Frankfurt) (9:30 a.m.) Chiefs
- Minnesota at Atlanta (1 p.m.) FALCON
- Seattle to Baltimore (1:00 p.m.) RAVENS
- Arizona at Cleveland (1 p.m.) BROWN
- LA Rams at Green Bay (1 p.m.) PACKER
- Tampa Bay at Houston (1 p.m.) TEXAN
- Washington in New England (1 p.m.) PATRIOTS
- Chicago to New Orleans (1:00 p.m.) SAINTS
- Indianapolis, Carolina (4:05 p.m.) PANTHER
- NY Giants at Las Vegas (4:25 p.m.) robber
- Dallas at Philadelphia (4:25 p.m.) COWBOYS
- Buffalo at Cincinnati (8:20 p.m.) BENGAL
MONDAY
MY CHOICE
- LA Chargers at NY Jets (8:15 p.m.) CHARGER
*Teams furloughed: Broncos, Jaguars, Lions, 49ers
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: 13 out of 16 (81.3%)
OVERALL THIS SEASON: 79 out of 122 (64.8%)
THE CHOICES OF NEWSPAPER
Miami Dolphins (6-2) v. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
BIG GAME IN GERMANY
Tyreek Hill will look to make spectacular catches against his former team. Getty Images via AFP
For a premiere in Frankfurt, it’s quite a first! The Germans will provide a crazy atmosphere in explosive receiver Tyreek Hill’s first matchup against his former team. He’ll definitely make some big plays, but the Chiefs are only giving up 176.1 passing yards, the second-best total in the league. The Dolphins need to improve their play as they have only played winning teams twice and lost by an average of 21 points both times. This time it will be tight.
Minnesota Vikings (4-4) v. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
CHALLENGING SEASON
Jaren Hall will try to prove to the Vikings that he can be the man for the job. Getty Images via AFP
The Vikings’ season was completely turned upside down by the loss of their quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Joshua Dobbs is coming to reinforce Arizona, but for now young fifth-round pick Jaren Hall will hold down the fort. The Vikings throw a league-high 39.4 passes per game. Their approach needs to change drastically, but the game on the ground is abhorrent. The Falcons turn to Taylor Heinicke, who led the attack to 20 second-half points last Sunday as a replacement for Desmond Ridder.
Seattle Seahawks (5-2) v. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
ONE annoying choice
Geno Smith will find the Ravens less likable than the Seahawks mascot. Getty Images via AFP
What an annoying matchup… The Ravens run the ball well, but the Seahawks only give up 3.6 yards per carry. The Ravens also have an excellent aerial arsenal, but the Seahawks have a good tertiary arsenal to counteract. The Seahawks have a balanced attack, but Geno Smith can be generous. I almost want to give you the choice…but Lamar Jackson is 26-8 at home and 17-1 with 37 touchdowns and 7 interceptions against National Conference teams in his career.
Arizona Cardinals (1-7) vs. Cleveland Browns (4-3)
I’m waiting for Murray
Clayton Tune could be the starter for the Cardinals. Getty Images via AFP
The Cardinals hinted all week that Kyler Murray’s return would be delayed a week and that rookie quarterback Clayton Tune, a fifth-round pick, would make his debut. However, Murray is headed to Cleveland and could play… The Browns have Deshaun Watson back, at least until his next mishap. The safe bet in this matchup is the Browns’ defense, which is the league’s best against the pass at 163.3 yards per game and will be the difference.
Los Angeles Rams (3-5) v. Green Bay Packers (2-5)
TWO CLUBS ON THE ROAD
Jordan Love is looking for solutions to revitalize the Packers’ offense. Getty Images via AFP
The Packers have lost four straight games in which they have surpassed the 200-yard mark only once. The Rams have lost three of their last four games and have failed to gain more than 219 yards in that span. Their quarterback Matthew Stafford is suffering from a thumb injury and his presence is uncertain. In short: things are going badly in the store on both sides. The Packers at least have the merit of being solid against the pass and playing at home.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) v. Houston Texans (3-4)
THE RECRUITMENT WALL?
CJ Stroud has faced some adversity in recent weeks. Getty Images via AFP
Is CJ Stroud hitting the Texans’ rookie wall? He averaged 303 yards in his first four games. It has now fallen to 196. In his case it was probably just a normal adjustment phase. The Bucs rank 28th against the pass and the opportunity for Stroud to be more aggressive is great. Despite Sunday’s loss, the Texans’ defense managed nine tackles for a loss. The Bucs’ ground game is a farce.
Washington Commanders (3-5) vs. New England Patriots (2-6)
IN THE ARMS OF UNCLE BILL
Bill Belichick has had a lot of success against inexperienced centers in his career. Getty Images via AFP
Bill Belichick is known to take a Machiavellian delight in tormenting inexperienced quarterbacks. Technically, Sam Howell isn’t a rookie quarterback, but he only has nine starts under his belt, which automatically makes him delicious prey for Belichick. On the Patriots’ offense, Mac Jones should have time to compensate with the departures of Chase Young and Montez Sweat to the Commanders. There is no guarantee that he will draw well, but that is another matter.
Chicago Bears (2-6) v. New Orleans Saints (4-4)
A REGENERATION OF LIFE
Rashid Shaheed left last Sunday’s contest against the Colts. Getty Images via AFP
The Saints are once again hopeful about their enigmatic attack. Last Sunday’s 511-yard rush was the most productive in nearly two years. Alvin Kamara threatens again. Derek Carr connected on three long plays with Rashid Shaheed. It was against the Colts, whose defense has been hijacked in recent weeks, but it’s not like the Bears, who are 30th against the pass, did much better.
Indianapolis Colts (3-5) v. Carolina Panthers (1-6)
AND TWO?
Bryce Young was finally able to celebrate his first win in the NFL. Getty Images via AFP
The Panthers have a chance to win two games in a row, which would allow us to blow the lead. Well, maybe not, since the Panthers don’t generate much more interest than a short film about rutabaga farming, but their rise could still be real. The Colts have given up an average of 38 points over the last three weeks, which should benefit Bryce Young and the Panthers’ offense. The Colts can also score a lot of points.
New York Giants (2-6) v. Las Vegas Raiders (3-5)
It’s time to wake up
Aidan O’Connell gets a second start this season. Getty Images via AFP
It’s unimaginable that the Raiders’ offense is more annoying than music in a mall. Davante Adams dies in Las Vegas with 142 yards rushing in his last four games, his worst record for such a series since 2015. To revive him, new interim coach Antonio Pierce will hand the ball to rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell rather than Jimmy Garoppolo , who sat on the bench after his nine interceptions. The air exchange will put the troops in temporary distress.
Dallas Cowboys (5-2) v. Philadelphia Eagles (7-1)
Shock in the East
Dak Prescott will be on a mission against the division rival Eagles. Photo Getty Images via AFP
Although these two rivals play each other twice per season, since 2020 there has only been one game with the two quarterbacks, Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts. Prescott has had recent success against the Eagles with three wins in the last three meetings in which the Cowboys averaged 44 points. Prescott threw 11 touchdown passes and one interception in those games. Hurts against the Cowboys is more like 2-2 with five touchdowns and four interceptions. His knee injury won’t help.
Buffalo Bills (5-3) v. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
IMPORTANT DUEL
The Bengals and Bills meet again in a rematch of last January’s series. Getty Images via AFP
The last time these two American Conference powers met in the playoffs, the Bengals dominated. After a difficult start to the season, they are back on the right track. The Bills are 2-2 in their last four games against teams with an overall record of 13-18. They are 1-3 away from Buffalo this season and Josh Allen had eight turnovers. The Bengals have forced at least two turnovers in five of their seven games. The Bills won’t come back to their senses right away.
Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) v. New York Jets (4-3)
Lack of clout
Zach Wilson and the Jets offense are struggling. Getty Images via AFP
How much longer can the Jets keep going despite their terrible offense? On Sunday they were 2-for-15 on third downs. Six out of seven times this fall, they didn’t even manage 200 yards. Every little glimmer of hope that Zach Wilson provides sends fans into a frenzy, but the truth is that 98.7% of the time it’s painful to watch. It will be difficult to win against the Chargers by scoring 20 or fewer points, which they have done five times.