NFL midseason team grades include two A's and one F

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAYThu, November 12, 2026 at 1:22 PM UTC

The halfway point of the 2026 NFL regular season necessitates some midterm grades.

As the league enters the back half of the schedule, there's a clear sense of separation between the top contenders and the also-rans. Meanwhile, several teams have already sunk to the bottom, with seven organizations having two or fewer wins.

With nine weeks remaining, there's still a good deal of time for coaching staffs and players to reshape their fortunes. Still, the trends that emerged in the first two months of the season could be hard to shake.

Here are USA TODAY Sports' midseason grades for each team, with marks determined by how every franchise fared relative to the roster's capabilities and preseason expectations:

ASan Francisco 49ers

Kyle Shanahan's team remains the NFL's standard setter for efficiency and resilience. With injuries continuing to pile up in the receiving corps, San Francisco has still managed to get MVP-level play out of Brock Purdy while ranking first in EPA per play and second in points differential (+79). Health seems like the only thing that can truly trip the 49ers up late in the season, though a pass rush that hasn't registered a sack in the past two games will have to ramp up for Raheem Morris' unit to reach its full potential.

New York Giants

Amid what many saw as a potentially lost season, the Giants have found themselves. While some teams might have been sunk by losing their starting quarterback in Week 2, John Harbaugh's ingenuity paid off with the midseason acquisition and switch to J.J. McCarthy. The defense's cohesion despite the loss of Dexter Lawrence this offseason and Brian Burns to a torn anterior cruciate ligament should put coordinator Dennard Wilson on the short list for some head-coaching roles come January. Even if New York falls short of the NFC's contending class, Harbaugh has instituted some winning ways in a remarkably short window.

A-Buffalo Bills

Under first-year coach Joe Brady, the Bills have tapped into a newfound sense of perseverance. The league's leading offense in yards per game (386.4) and scoring (32 points per game) has also set the bar for malleability, with Josh Allen able to transform the attack as needed to flatten opponents. Jim Leonhard's defense is still figuring things out on the fly, but the unit is coming up with enough game-flipping plays to sustain itself as it searches for a better sense of consistency.

Jacksonville Jaguars

After a trio of trade-deadline moves, there's no doubt that general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen believe this team is a leading title contender. Should you? Maybe. At the very least, Jacksonville – which boasts the NFL's only triple-digit point differential (+108) – might be the league's most balanced team, ranking fifth offensively in EPA per play and second defensively. Trevor Lawrence looks fully in command of a system that allows him to wield any number of weapons on a given play, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's opportunistic group might lessen its reliance on splash plays after its midseason acquisitions. With a fairly forgiving schedule, however, it might not be clear until the playoffs whether Jacksonville truly can make a push for the organization's first Super Bowl appearance.

Chicago Bears

With Caleb Williams coming into his own, anything feels possible for Chicago. An already sky-high ceiling was pushed even higher with the trade for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who changes the entire complexion of the unit he just joined. Williams' four interceptions in an unnecessarily close call against the Buccaneers emphasized the volatility that might be in play for this team, but the Bears look capable of leaning on their defense in key stretches rather than relying on Ben Johnson's machine-like offense not to have its gears get jammed every once in a while.

Green Bay Packers

Remember when people were trying to put Matt LaFleur on the hot seat? That dramatic September start now feels like a distant memory. The offensive equilibrium is difficult to trust, with Jordan Love having to generate explosive plays at the league's highest rate in order to compensate for a last-ranked rushing attack. But as LaFleur joked last week, "Well, you guys said you wanted to let him cook, so we’re letting him cook." On the other side of the ball, Jonathan Gannon has done some of the best work of any coordinator this season, harnessing the aggressiveness of a unit that should step things up another notch once Micah Parsons returns.

B+Denver Broncos

For most teams, the 16 consecutive wins in one-score games would be a flashing sign for a forthcoming regression. At this point, though, it's difficult to write off Denver's late-game fortitude as a matter of mere luck. The Broncos' process, which has led to the team having the league's third-worst yardage differential, certainly looks to be lacking. But if Bo Nix and the rushing attack continue to make even incremental improvements, particularly on early downs, there might not be many tougher outs in the AFC.

Detroit Lions

A secondary prone to springing massive leaks still isn't fully in the clear. Despite being dealt a bad hand on the back end, however, Dan Campbell has managed to keep Detroit squarely in the NFC North hunt. The Lions will have to continue to be innovative defensively after largely standing pat at the trade deadline, though the offense also has to pick things up a bit after hitting a midseason lull.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kenneth Walker III has certainly done his part in rejuvenating the run game and offense at large. There's a disturbing trend in play, however, with the explosive plays that fueled the 5-0 start eroding as of late. Kansas City might have to settle for its old ways with an aerial attack that operates primarily in the underneath area for yards-after-catch opportunities, but the offense still might have more flexibility than it did in previous years. The unpredictability of the pass rush and the kicking game loom as major points of concern.

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow has pushed his way to the forefront of the NFL MVP conversation. Dexter Lawrence has turned the defensive line into a bunch of bullies at the line of scrimmage. What's not to like about Cincinnati's trajectory? The botched Arnold Ebiketie trade didn't reflect well on the organization's attention to detail, and the fallout could have a minor effect on the pass rush that's powering the defense. Overall, though, this feels like the Bengals team that everyone has been waiting to see after a three-year playoff drought.

BSeattle Seahawks

This hasn't been the fully dominant title follow-up that some might have expected. Still, there's plenty of reason to believe another late-season surge could be in the cards. Sam Darnold's turnovers and injuries have compounded the problems of an offense that only looks right when it's feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But with Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet both finally healthy, the ground game could be poised to take off. A defense that still smothers all of its opposition increases the margin for error and gives Seattle staying power down the stretch.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike McCarthy might not be producing much panache in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers are prevailing thanks to an efficient ground game and revitalized defense. In a conference where few teams seem truly reliable, this is at least a fairly trustworthy group. Though it seems inevitable that better competition will exploit the troubles Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack have in dealing with the blitz and trying to work deep downfield, the Steelers can count on clean play to keep them afloat in tight matchups.

B-Minnesota Vikings

Maybe this seems like a harsh mark for a group that was the NFL's last to suffer a loss and still is in the thick of the NFC North race at 6-2. But leadership continued to embrace this specific version of a build that necessitated a cheap solution at quarterback, and it whiffed there through the first half of the season. Waking from that delusion and grabbing Kirk Cousins at the eleventh hour was a necessary step to have any hope of salvaging the season, though the 38-year-old's presence only can do so much to assist a run game that's lagging behind where it should be.

New England Patriots

Things have looked dire at times for the defending AFC champions, who have seen Drake Maye flounder in critical spots. New England has demonstrated it can escape those valleys, but this is still an outfit that's relegated itself to the fringe of the AFC playoff picture. Given the lack of help elsewhere in the receiving corps, the Patriots probably can't afford to have A.J. Brown be out of the lineup or a non-factor for much longer.

Cleveland Browns

The bottom line of a 5-4 start sure looks good for a franchise that entered the year outwardly pushing scaled-back expectations after the Myles Garrett trade. Nevertheless, it's difficult to feel as though much of Cleveland's formula – which includes the 29th-ranked scoring attack and a -32 point differential – is sustainable. Deshaun Watson continues to weigh down an offense that can't overcome his limitations, which might be inhibiting the development of the young core. And Cleveland can't seem to shake its rampant mistakes, from penalties – no team has more than the Browns' 82 – to the missed tackles dogging a defense that struggles to stop the run.

C+Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay said he's never faced a run of personnel hits in his 10 seasons as Rams coach like he has this season – and that was before Puka Nacua landed on injured reserve. That doesn't fully absolve the preseason Super Bowl favorites for how much of a letdown this campaign has been to date, though. Los Angeles is paying for a lack of receiver depth it was long warned about, and a team that's beat up on inferior foes looks ill-equipped to grapple with the likes of the 49ers and Seahawks down the stretch.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Silver and Black's crash landing after a 3-0 start revealed a fundamental truth about the franchise: This roster is still a long way off from competing in the AFC West. Credit first-year coach Klint Kubiak with finding ways to try to mitigate the myriad shortcomings. But the midseason pivot to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza marked a fitting inflection point for a franchise that's now focused on reaping long-term rewards. The rookie quarterback, however, faces an inauspicious setup with a stalled-out run game and defense that has given up 30 or more points in five consecutive games.

CTampa Bay Buccaneers

This is going to be the grouping for the entirety of the NFC South, which seems stuck in football purgatory. Todd Bowles' defense, which now leads the NFL in EPA per play allowed, did a nice job righting the ship. But it remains to be seen whether offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can actually deploy Baker Mayfield as a value-added resource rather than something to be worked around, particularly after the quarterback's return from a dislocated right thumb. If anyone looks poised to take command of the league's most moribund division, however, it might be Tampa Bay.

Carolina Panthers

Bryce Young finally brought out the explosive side of Carolina's offense. Then, everything else detonated for the Panthers, who are mired in a three-game skid. An iffy pass-protection setup has fully broken apart, with Young taking 14 sacks during the losing streak. The biggest disappointment, however, has been the unraveling of the defense. Perhaps the decimation of the injury-ravaged secondary was merely too much to overcome, but the decision to fire highly regarded coordinator Ejiro Evero on Oct. 30 demonstrated that the team clearly expected more out of this unit.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta briefly came back to life for what first seemed like an ill-fated three-week residency in prime time. But the Falcons have dropped four of their last five games, with a surprising takedown of the battered 49ers being the only outlier result during that stretch. It's fitting that a team led by Michael Penix Jr., the league's ultimate mystery-box quarterback, would prove so difficult to pin down. Trading away safety Jessie Bates III seems to indicate that general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan believe the best iterations of this group are in the years to come.

New Orleans Saints

A fairly uninspiring start to the season has served as a reminder that the worst-to-first projections were largely a reflection of the division rather than the Saints. Ultimately, Kellen Moore's crew doesn't have much to hang its hat on in Year 2 of the coach's tenure. Maybe the offense can reach a new level with running back Travis Etienne, who's played in just three games due to a hamstring injury, finally nearing a return.

Arizona Cardinals

In their surprising three wins to date, the Cardinals have proven themselves capable of punching above their weight class. That's an encouraging development in Mike LaFleur's first year, but there's still not enough of a clear core to have much confidence in what's been built to date. The final two months of the season might be a bit dodgier with Carson Beck taking over the offense, but at least a team with no clear path forward at quarterback will get a robust assessment of its third-round rookie.

C-Dallas Cowboys

What exactly can Dallas be confident about at midseason? It's certainly not the defense, which has made minor strides in recent weeks but still shows major vulnerabilities (including ranking last in third-down stop rate)? Meanwhile, the offense that was supposed to be the engine behind this group is stalling out with alarming frequency. Brian Schottenheimer's group has now authored two of the season's most embarrassing collapses and often shows a disregard for details. The Cowboys are somehow still a factor in the chase for the NFC East crown, but the wide-open nature of the division further underscores the missed opportunity here.

Miami Dolphins

With a new regime driving home that wins and losses can't capture the progress of a teardown project, Miami makes for a difficult team to measure. At first glance, there aren't many areas that seem settled on a roster rife with holes. But first-year coach Jeff Hafley has clearly instituted a sense of determination in a group that, for all its deficiencies, hasn't lost by more than 10 points in a game since Week 3.

Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud has slung Houston out of its early slump by propelling the team to wins in three of its last four games. Yet DeMeco Ryans' crew might still have too steep of a climb to re-enter the AFC playoff picture without some massive help. The dissolution of the back end of the defense is tough to swallow, while the offensive front's lack of push for a do-nothing ground game has left general manager Nick Caserio at a loss for answers. While surrendering the AFC South crown to Jacksonville last year felt like a possible one-season aberration, it now seems plain to see that Houston is no longer the class of the division.

More: Vikings' Kirk Cousins deal might doom NFC West: NFL trade deadline winners, losers

DWashington Commanders

It's never a good sign when postgame news conferences become a matter of sussing out blame for late-game meltdowns. That's pretty much become the expectation for Washington, though. Dan Quinn and Co. have done little to wash away the foul taste of last season's disappointing follow-up to an NFC championship game run, leaving the distinct sense that this staff is on borrowed time, barring a sharp turnaround.

Baltimore Ravens

It's tempting to give Baltimore a pass on this season given how Lamar Jackson's injuries have derailed Jesse Minter's inaugural campaign. Yet the Ravens clearly were counting on a quick revival, and they've done little to support that cause. Minter hasn't brought the cohesiveness and cleanliness that were hallmarks of his Chargers defenses. In all, not nearly enough has changed in what was supposed to be a new era for the organization.

Philadelphia Eagles

A calamitous run of injuries has unquestionably informed Philadelphia's ongoing seven-game losing streak. So, too, has the collapse of the infrastructure that once entrenched the Eagles as a lead NFC contender for the last half-decade. And personnel hits alone can't account for just how discouraging first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's system has been, with the run game never truly taking root. Good on Howie Roseman for seeing what's brewing and equipping himself with plenty of resources – 10 picks in the first two rounds over the next three years – for a reboot.

Tennessee Titans

In hiring Robert Saleh and bringing on a horde of high-priced free agents, Tennessee seemed to be aiming for a rapid revival. Once that notion fizzled, the Titans seemed to embrace a longer timeline for establishing competitive relevance by trading away Jeffery Simmons and Amani Hooker. At least Cam Ward has finally exhibited some heartening progress, though the team can hardly feel settled about where things stand for the 2025 No. 1 pick.

D-Indianapolis Colts

At least they eventually concluded this season was a lost cause, even if that realization came about 10 months too late. Dropping general manager Chris Ballard and shedding several key contributors on expiring contracts were necessary measures for a rebooting team with limited draft capital. Keeping running back Jonathan Taylor, however, was an odd move for a franchise that no longer looks positioned to capitalize on his prime.

New York Jets

Sitting at 2-7, Aaron Glenn maintained this week that the Jets feel as though they're "right on the cusp of trying to break through." Some evidence of that supposed trajectory would be nice. Frustrations have led Garrett Wilson and Geno Smith to near their boiling points in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the defense Glenn intended to supercharge with his play-calling is on the brink of collapse after a disastrous October. Perhaps worst of all: Gang Green has an ugly track record of coming through when it counts, whether it's in the red zone or at the end of either half.

FLos Angeles Chargers

Did you ever imagine you might see Jim Harbaugh robbed of his joy when discussing football? That's the toll that the Chargers' 0-8 start has taken on their typically ebullient leader. It's still hard to square how a team that won 22 games in the first two years of Harbaugh's tenure has managed to bottom out so quickly, though offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's scheme has been nothing short of a disaster for Justin Herbert and Co. Perhaps worst of all, however, is Los Angeles' aversion to pursuing any meaningful in-season change, from the refusal to enact a staff shake-up to the incomprehensible decision to hold firm at the trade deadline. With a clear deleterious effect in play, this season might not be able to be simply flushed by the organization once it's over.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL midseason team grades include two A's and one F

Source: Sports