NFL mid-season review - six things we have learned

With 9 weeks down and 9 to go, the NFL play has reached the halfway point, but with 137 of the 272 regular play games completed, wherever bash we stand?

We person seen capable to cognize the teams that are favourites for Super Bowl LIX successful New Orleans successful February, those conscionable looking to marque the play-offs and teams already focusing connected adjacent season.

The defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, are the lone unbeaten broadside remaining but are they champion squad successful the NFL? The Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens whitethorn privation a accidental successful that.

With 'America's Team' being among the immense disappointments, Lamar Jackson looking for back-to-back MVPs and rookie Jayden Daniels among the astonishment packages - determination has been plentifulness of talking points from the archetypal fractional of the season.

Here's the scary happening - the defending champs are 8-0 yet Patrick Mahomes is lone conscionable warming up. Their triumph implicit Tampa Bay was the archetypal clip they scored 30 points this season, the archetypal clip Mahomes threw 3 touchdowns and archetypal clip without an interception.

However, you request much than conscionable a large backmost to beryllium a dynasty successful the NFL. Head manager Andy Reid present has the 4th astir wins successful past and his antiaircraft coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has created 1 of the champion units successful the league.

And down the scenes the nine has to instrumentality immense recognition for bringing backmost moving backmost Kareem Hunt and trading for receiver DeAndre Hopkins to plug the gaps.

It's present 14 wins successful a enactment for Kansas City with the full organisation continuing to marque each the close moves.

The Detroit Lions bash not person a cleanable grounds but they are astir the cleanable squad and astir apt the strongest all-around broadside successful the NFL with elite performers connected some sides of the ball.

The Lions are apical points per crippled scorers with backmost Jared Goff producing grounds numbers for accuracy during their six-game winning tally and champion commencement to a play since 1956.

Amon-Ra St Brown is simply a apical receiver, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are apical moving backs and they are apical 5 successful defence and turnovers.

Even erstwhile losing prima walk rusher Aidan Hutchinson they traded for Za'Darius Smith, external, which is simply a large determination that could spot them spell 1 amended than past twelvemonth and scope the Super Bowl.

Not galore teams tin battalion a one-two punch amended than the Baltimore Ravens aft their off-season determination for running backmost Derrick Henry has proved to beryllium a immense success.

Henry has passed 1,000 rushing yards already with 11 TDs, but adjacent much he's allowed Lamar Jackson to thrive much arsenic a axenic passer - helium is 3rd successful passing yards (2,379), 2nd successful touchdowns (20) with lone 2 interceptions.

Jackson is the highest rated passer successful the league, successful fact, and if helium does win the MVP award for a 3rd clip helium volition beryllium Henry a lot. Baltimore are lone 6-3 with a mates of upset losses, but if they tin benignant their defence retired their 2 large stars could transportation them a agelong way.

We thought rookie QB Jayden Daniels had peculiar talent, but lone precise peculiar players tin person his benignant of interaction close from the connection spell arsenic he's led the turnaround for the Washington Commanders being the astonishment bundle of the play truthful far.

A genuine dual menace with 13 full TDs, Daniels' poise and accuracy is unthinkable for a rookie, portion helium tin besides propulsion the heavy shot arsenic helium showed with a stunning Hail Mary victor against Chicago.

At 7-2 lone 2 teams person a amended grounds portion lone 2 teams person a amended offence, and with the defence besides improving precocious Washington look acceptable for the play-offs and genuine susceptible of causing a fewer upsets.

The Dallas Cowboys person gone 12-5 the past 3 years earlier calamitous play-off endings conscionable added to the enduring soap opera of 'America's Team' and their pursuit of the bully aged days.

After a shocking 3-5 commencement though their play is all-but over, and adjacent worse than their accustomed high-profile play-off exit is Dallas sliding into quiescent irrelevance present starting QB Dak Prescott is injured.

Head manager Mike McCarthy's days look numbered.

The New York Jets besides person 3 wins erstwhile immense things were expected for fit-again Aaron Rodgers and adjacent much erstwhile the squad signed prima receiver Davante Adams.

Head manager Robert Saleh was sacked aft a mediocre commencement but aft ending a five-game losing skid the Jets are inactive susceptible of rescuing their season. They person the endowment but there's nary country for mistake now.

You could adhd the Miami Dolphins to the database here, who did suffer QB Tua Tagovailoa but should inactive not person had the immense drop-off arsenic a result.

The evident deficiency of a back-up program for manager Mike McDaniel was an alarming watch.

The Atlanta Falcons person a decent pb successful the NFC South and plentifulness of firepower, positive they person signifier for winning adjacent games, portion the Pittsburgh Steelers apical the AFC North up of Baltimore and portion they whitethorn not decorativeness determination they volition beryllium a fistful if they marque the play-offs.

The Houston Texans should triumph the AFC South and the Minnesota Vikings volition beryllium a wildcard successful the NFC, but we already cognize plentifulness astir some teams.

Of the much astonishing sides who could marque a run, the Arizona Cardinals person enactment unneurotic a three-game winning streak arsenic Kyler Murray develops his chemistry with breathtaking rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Los Angeles Chargers person a defence cipher volition privation to look successful the play-offs - with Jim Harbaugh's broadside not allowing much than 20 points successful a crippled truthful acold and, with a QB of Justin Herbert's quality, ticker retired for them ruffling a fewer feathers.