We are entering the halfway point of the 2022-2023 National Football League (NFL) season. Fortunately for some, and unfortunately for others, we have enough evidence to indicate how the rest of the season will go for most teams. Occasionally a slow starter may catch headwinds, ultimately shocking the rest of the league at the end, but generally speaking, this is rare. Without further ado, here are my five thoughts at the NFL midway point.
Mile High Disaster
My Denver Broncos came into the season with lofty expectations. Immense draft capital was expended for star quarterback Russell Wilson, and with big name free agent signings like edge rusher Randy Gregory. “Let’s ride” was Wilson’s patented phrase to induce fandom in Mile High. Unfortunately, the Broncos have been terrible. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett has been incompetent at best, and purposely deceitful at worst. Wilson has become an internet meme. From his “Danger-Russ” commercials to his insistence in acting like an attention-seeking teenager, Wilson has been a complete and utter disappointment. Am I overreacting at 3-5? Probably. Could the fact half the team is injured be an excuse? For sure. But when I hear rumours about how Wilson requires teammates to request meetings with his publicist or how he did high knees on the team flight to London, I cannot help but think my team made a huge mistake. It makes it worse when Geno is cooking in Seattle.
Empire State of Mind
It has been nearly a decade since a team in New York was relevant. Surprisingly, both the Giants and the Jets are decent teams this year. The Giants are 6-2, with new head coach Brian Daboll instituting a new culture within the franchise. He has used a sort of voodoo magic to ensure both quarterback Daniel Jones not turn the ball over, and star running back Saquan Barkley not get injured every game. That has led to a gritty and relatively successful season so far for the G-Men. Unfortunately, the 7-0 Eagles and the 6-2 Cowboys are in the same division. The Jets are currently 4-3. Although you may think barely being over .500 is not all that impressive, please remember this is the Jets. Quarterback play has been shaky, with veteran Joe Flacco controlling the reins until youngster Zach Wilson returned in Week 4. Wilson has been underwhelming, but rookie running back Breece Hall was dominating games until he tore his ACL in Week 7. Between the two, I would pick the Giants to continue their relatively successful season since I believe in their top end talent compared to the Jets.
The Contenders
In my opinion, the Super Bowl contenders have already emerged. The Philadelphia Eagles are a perfect 7-0. They have one of the best offences in the league with quarterback Jalen Hurts elevating his passing game to find star receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. The defence should not be this good, but it has been among the NFL’s best this season. Going undefeated is probably not going to happen for the Eagles, but they would take a Super Bowl over winning every regular season game in a heartbeat. The Buffalo Bills are a snake-bitten franchise. Legendary quarterback Jim Kelly of the Bills lost four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s and the franchise has been porous since those years. After a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs last season, the Bills re-upped with star pass rusher Von Miller. The Bills already had a stout defence, but Miller has been icing on the cake. Well, at least early in the season. Lady Luck has been unkind to the Bills as literally their entire secondary is either injured long-term or out for the entire season. Star quarterback Josh Allen has his work cut out for him. The Chiefs sent mercurial wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami for draft picks but Patrick Mahomes still remains their quarterback. Thus they are a contender.
The Trade Deadline
Teams on the periphery of mediocrity will look to elevate themselves to pretender status with the upcoming trade deadline. However, if you are a team with limited upside and limited draft capital, it may be time to blow it up. So far, the Jets have traded for former Jaguars star running back James Robinson, while attempting to hold onto high-upside wide receiver Elijah Moore who has demanded a trade. The Eagles got even better by acquiring veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn to solidify their defensive front. The Niners acquired an offensive savant with running back Christian McCaffrey. For the potential sellers, now is the time to commit to the tank. My Broncos will not be good this year and should look to recoup draft capital by trading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and pass rusher Bradley Chubb. The Detroit Lions are fun to watch, but only have one single win this season. Someone like running back Jamaal Williams should be on the trading block. Finally, the Raiders should look to offload often injured star tight end Darren Waller, as their season looks bleak with only two wins on the season.
No Country for Old Men
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady chose a mediocre team over his supermodel wife Giselle Bundchen. The Buccaneers have been snake bitten by injury but they still have a lot of hope because they play in a horrible division. However, Brady has been exposed without an elite offensive line to protect him when he is in the pocket to throw. At forty-five, Brady has already accomplished everything and more. He is ruining his legacy by playing this season. It is clear he does not want to take the hits anymore: Brady is not in his physical prime. The Buccaneers have one of the worst offences in the league and Brady must bear significant responsibility. Over in Green Bay, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been frustrated with the lack of receiving help. The Packer front office was not able to retain All-Pro receiver Davonte Adams, and the replacements they have provided have performed inadequately. However, like Brady, Rodgers bears responsibility as well. In my opinion, he bears all the responsibility. He has complained that his new receivers are not adjusted to the playbook. Well, Rodgers decided to not help any of them in the summer during the offseason. He has complained that they are dropping passes. Well, rumours are out that the communication between the receivers and quarterback have been poor. He has complained the team overall makes too many mistakes. That is true, but Rodgers has also been throwing more interceptions than previous seasons. For Rodgers, the blame always lies elsewhere. For Brady, he is only chasing himself. For the preservation of both of their legacies, please retire.