All 32 NFL teams have played either seven or eight games, meaning they’re nearly halfway through the regular season. So we thought it was fitting to assess the performance of each team as is. Some have earned an A+, while others are flunking their way to an F. How does your team’s NFL report card look ahead of Week 9?
Arizona Cardinals: D
The good news is the Cardinals were on a bye this week, so they didn’t have to worry about extending their five-game losing streak. However, they’re now almost a full three games behind every other team in the NFC West, meaning the Cardinals have a lot of ground to make up in the second half of their season. Strangely enough, the biggest thing holding the Cards back is their passing offense, and one might argue that Jacoby Brissett performed better in his two starts than Kyler Murray did in five. That trend can’t continue after their bye. But Murray also leads the team in rushing, which both showcases his playmaking ability and highlights the team’s lack of RB depth.
Atlanta Falcons: C-
Anyone interested in seeing if a veteran QB could get more out of this Falcons offense got their chance in Week 8, but Kirk Cousins let his teammates down. He also didn’t do anything to improve his trade value. If anything, the Falcons saw why teams haven’t blown them away with a strong trade offer. Once Michael Penix gets back to 100%, he’ll have to find a way to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, because this group is far too talented to rank 28th in scoring.
Baltimore Ravens: D-
Suddenly, the Ravens might be back in this thing. We’ll see what comes of the whole Lamar Jackson injury designation fiasco, but Baltimore is only two games behind the leaders of the AFC North. If Jackson can return to health, Derrick Henry stops fumbling, and most importantly, the defense can start playing better (and getting healthier), then the Ravens might still have a fighting chance to sneak into the postseason yet.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
Buffalo Bills: A-
They’re not atop the division, but the Bills are scratching and clawing their way back toward the top of the standings. This week, we saw them demolish what was a red-hot Panthers team that came in feeling confident after three consecutive wins. Plus, seeing James Cook establish himself as one of the NFL’s best running backs takes a lot of pressure off Josh Allen, which could pay off once the playoffs arrive.
Carolina Panthers: B
Carolina will have to head back to the drawing board after facing a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the Bills and losing by 31 points. Still, we’re finally seeing strong signs of progress in Carolina, so even a 4-4 start should be appreciated by Panthers fans. Plus, Rico Dowdle looks like one of the biggest steals of NFL free agency, giving the Panthers a formidable 1-2 punch with Chuba Hubbard.
Chicago Bears: B
Congratulations, Chicago, the Bears scored fewer points against the NFL’s third-worst defense than anyone else the Ravens have faced this season. Aside from somehow limiting the Cowboys to just 14 points in Week 3, the Bears’ defense is a big concern, as they’ve allowed 24 or more points to every other opponent (except the lowly Saints). Ranking 29th in passing and rushing yards allowed per attempt, Chicago isn’t doing anything well on defense quite yet.
Cincinnati Bengals: D+
The Bengals are 1-2 in the Joe Flacco era, which is still better than Jake Browning did (0-3). Really, it’s the Bengals’ defense that has let them down once again. After all, they just let the Jets get their first win, and New York did so while scoring a season-high 38 points. To no surprise, the Bengals have allowed more points than anyone in the NFL, which suggests Lou Anarumo definitely wasn’t the problem.
Cleveland Browns: D
Myles Garrett is the Bugatti in the trailer park. Tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks, Garrett’s probably regretting signing that record-breaking $160 million contract to stay in Cleveland. He’s a top-five player in the NFL, but the rest of the Browns are experiencing growing pains, which is to be expected when a third-round rookie is your starting quarterback. On the bright side, this rookie class is gaining very valuable experience, which hopefully sets them up for a better future.
Dallas Cowboys: C-
It’s hard not to think Jerry Jones ruined the Cowboys’ chances to compete this season by trading their superstar defender seven days before their opener. Of course, there’s no guarantee that one player would have guaranteed a couple more wins, either. It’s just that the offense is elite, but the Dallas defense is atrocious, and someone like Parsons is exactly what the Cowboys are missing.
Denver Broncos: A-
It hasn’t always been pretty, but no one in Denver is complaining about a 6-2 record. After all, the Broncos have the NFL’s 10th-highest scoring offense and a defense ranking fifth in points allowed. Other teams would love to be in Denver’s position, atop a tough division, but they don’t have much leeway in the standings yet.
Detroit Lions: A-
Even without Ben Johnson, the Lions are back to having the NFL’s third-highest scoring offense. They’ve scored less than 20 points just twice. Detroit’s defense is even back to ranking nearly in the top ten (11th) in points allowed. Yet, the work is far from done; the Lions are still a half-game behind in the NFC North standings, but this team is equipped to potentially go all the way, and a trade deadline upgrade could help strengthen their odds.
Green Bay Packers: A-
We’re still not quite sure how the Packers lost to the Browns, but they’ve impressively scored 27 or more in every other game. Green Bay’s defense also ranks 10th in points allowed. Overall, after adding Micah Parsons, the Packers may have what it takes to compete for a Super Bowl, and this is a young group that will continue improving with more experience.
Houston Texans: C+
An NFL-best defense allowing a ridiculous 14.7 points per game is helping keep the Texans afloat. On Sunday, we saw the offense explode for 475 yards. C.J. Stroud is performing better as of late, but really, it’s Houston’s rushing offense that’s averaged 126 YPG in their past three contests that’s helped spur their recent success. Relying on so many young players, the Texans could keep improving throughout the season.
Indianapolis Colts: A+
Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor are playing like All-Pros, and the rest of the team has really bought into Shane Steichen’s leadership. First-year defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo even has the Colts allowing the NFL’s sixth-fewest points. Overall, the Colts aren’t just playoff contenders, they look like they could end up in the Super Bowl, but there’s a lot of season left.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B
A bye week gave the Jaguars a chance to reset after suffering back-to-back losses in Weeks 6-7. Perhaps we’ll see a better effort from 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr, who’s been struggling with his hands this season. Meanwhile, Travis Hunter is beginning to break out, and his impact on both sides of the ball will play a huge factor in how successful the Jaguars are in the second half of the season.
Kansas City Chiefs: B+
After all the talk of their early-season struggles, the Chiefs suddenly have the NFL’s seventh-highest scoring offense. They’re even better defensively, ranking second in points allowed. Considering their offense has only recently gotten their best playmaker back and is still waiting for left tackle Josh Simmons to return, this Chiefs team may not even be close to their final form.
Las Vegas Raiders: F
If the Raiders had a better option, they’d probably turn to him instead of Geno Smith. After all, leading the NFL in interceptions is never a winning formula, hence why the Raiders rank 31st in scoring. The defense has been put in a lot of tough spots, so it’s hard to judge them too poorly. One bright side is the Raiders rank 10th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Whether that’s sustainable remains to be seen, but it won’t matter if Vegas keeps scoring fewer than 10 points, as they have three times this season.
Los Angeles Chargers: B+
After three losses in four games, the Chargers got back on track in a big way with a convincing 37-10 win over the Vikings in primetime on Thursday night. Not only was it their best offensive performance of the season, it was also the defense’s best effort too, holding the Vikings to just 164 yards. With a very winnable Titans team up next, the Chargers could heat up pretty quickly.
Los Angeles Rams: A-
There’s no question that the Rams’ passing offense is elite, with Puka Nacua being one of the NFL’s best receivers when healthy. Yet, the Rams are staying competitive by also having the league’s third-best scoring defense too. That’s a surefire recipe for success and they shouldn’t have any trouble rolling the Saints in Tyler Shough’s first start on Sunday.
Miami Dolphins: D
Of course, 2-6 isn’t where the Dolphins wanted to be at this point in the season, but they moved in the right direction with a huge 34-10 win over the Falcons on Sunday. Now they face the Ravens on a short week, and both teams have fallen well short of expectations. Though, maybe we’ll see Miami maintain some of their momentum, keeping their very slim playoff hopes alive for another week.
Related: Miami Dolphins Could Trade Star Pass-Rusher
Minnesota Vikings: C-
Knowing their QB situation could be a bit shaky, the Vikings tried to load up the roster this offseason. While Carson Wentz had a couple of decent performances, he’s now lost for the season. Yet, now J.J. McCarthy could be ready to return. Though, if he still takes too long to process information, this season could turn even uglier pretty quickly.
New England Patriots: A+
Myles Garrett may have sacked him five times, but Drake Maye and the Patriots got the last laugh in the end. Winners of five in a row, the Patriots and Broncos are the NFL’s hottest teams. New England hasn’t scored fewer than 23 points since Week 3 and defenses haven’t scored more than 20 since then either.
New Orleans Saints: F
How in the heck did these Saints score 26 points and hold the Giants to just 14 in Week 5? At 1-7, they’re tied with the Jets for the NFL’s worst record. Perhaps Tyler Shough can create a spark in New Orleans, but we wouldn’t expect it behind this bottom-rate offensive line.
New York Giants: D+
Having lost their two best playmakers to season-ending injuries, it’s only fair that the wind has been taken out of the Giants’ sails. Yet, it sure looks like Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll found a franchise QB in Jaxson Dart. While they won’t go anywhere this year, the Giants can focus their attention on evaluating young players who could factor in for years to come.
New York Jets: D-
Finally, we can bump the Jets up from an F. Justin Fields heard the criticism and stepped up with arguably his best game yet, avoiding turnovers and sacks while producing 275 yards and a touchdown. There’s still a lot of work to do on a defense that has allowed 398 or more yards in three games, but we’ll take a win for now.
Philadelphia Eagles: A-
Even though they were still winning, much was made of the Eagles’ passing offense early on due to a lack of opportunities for A.J. Brown. Yet, Jalen Hurts has been on fire as of late, and is suddenly just three passing touchdowns behind his 2024 total. If there’s one concern, it’s that Philadelphia’s defense has allowed 20 or more points in seven of their eight games this season,
Pittsburgh Steelers: B-
Pittsburgh’s offense is still scoring 2.6 more points per game than the 2024 Steelers were, but the defense is also allowing 4.6 more points per game. Aaron Rodgers has the Steelers’ offense playing well, but Mike Tomlin still needs to figure out how to get the defense to play better.
San Francisco 49ers: B
They haven’t been able to run the ball well (last in YPA). But Christian McCaffrey still leads the NFL in touches, and he’s been excellent as a receiver, with 1,049 yards from scrimmage. The 49ers have still performed fairly well, considering Brock Purdy has missed six starts due to injury. Now we’ll find out if their injuries will derail another season, but they’ve handled them well so far.
Seattle Seahawks: A
Boasting a top-seven offense and defense, the Seahawks are rolling with Sam Darnold under center. He leads the NFL in yards per passing attempt at 8.3 YPA. Yet, Seattle’s ground game is stunted, averaging just 3.7 YPC, ranking 31st in the NFL. If the Seahawks can get their rushing offense on track, their offense would feel unstoppable, but they’re making it work for now.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A-
The Buccaneers are adjusting to some major injuries, including losing Mike Evans for the season. But they’re also getting significant contributions from Emeka Egbuka, who’s since emerged as Tampa Bay’s top receiver. The rushing offense hasn’t been able to get on track as of late, but a bye week could help stabilize things in the second half of the season.
Tennessee Titans: F
There is absolutely no reason why the Titans shouldn’t be active sellers at the trade deadline. While some cornerstones will be kept off limits, aging players and expiring contracts need to go in exchange for more draft picks. But at least they racked up a season-high 341 yards on Sunday. We’d love to see more from Cam Ward, if possible.
Related: Identifying Tennessee Titans Coaching Candidates to Replace Brian Callahan
Washington Commanders: D
With Jayden Daniels missing three starts, Washington’s season has taken an ugly twist. While Marcus Mariota was able to earn one win, Washington has lost four of their past five games. That’s not what we expect from a team that reached the NFC Conference Championship a year ago.
