The NFL season is almost at the halfway point with the conclusion of Week 7 on Monday, Oct. 23.
With that, teams, players and fans have a pretty good look at how competitive their teams will be for the remainder of the season. Teams such as the Miami Dolphins are looking forward to continuing their success into the second half of the season while the winless Carolina Panthers probably can’t wait for the season to be over. Let’s take a look at the three best and worst teams in the NFL thus far:
Top Three:
#1 Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
The Kansas City Chiefs have been “Fearless” in the first seven weeks of the season, led by the “Enchanting” Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Much like Taylor Swift’s hit, their synergy and “Love Story” on the field has left Chiefs fans in a state of “Happiness.” Mahomes ability to find the “Blank Space” on the field, leaves the opposing team’s defences “Breathless,” while Kelce’s performances continue to get “Crazier” by the week. In his week 7 matchup, Kelce not only scored a touchdown but also registered 179 yards receiving by the “End (of) Game.” It’s safe to say the Chiefs will never, ever, slow down with Mahomes and Kelce at the helm.
#2 San Francisco 49ers (5-2):
The 49ers have dropped their second game of the season and second game in a row to the Minnesota Vikings after starting 5-0. The 49ers played a great game but were unable to limit Kirk Cousins on defence and had two costly INT’s, one coming at the end of the game. McCaffrey scored two TD’s for the 49ers and looked 100% after sustaining an oblique injury in week 6, which is good news for 49ers fans. Despite the loss the 49ers are still one of the top teams in the league and will still contend for the top of the NFC conference.
#3 Miami Dolphins (5-2):
The Miami Dolphins are a must-watch team for any football fan. Tua Taigovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert and DeVon Achane have been absolutely electric this season. Tyreek Hill is on pace for 2,000 receiving yards this regular season – a milestone that has never been reached in the NFL (Calvin Johnson had 1964 regular season receiving yards in 2012). But this week, Miami was handed their second loss by the Philadelphia Eagles. Taigovailoa had a rare off-week, but no one expects that to carry on to next week against the New England Patriots. Expect the Dolphins to bounce back with a big offensive performance.
Bottom Three:
30. New England Patriots (2-5)
The New England Patriots won their second game of the season beating the highly praised Buffalo Bills. It was the first time all year that the Patriots scored more than 20 points, beating the Bills 29-24. However, this does not take away from the fact that the team has been one of the worst in the league for the first seven weeks. Mac Jones is not the QB everyone thought he would be and it is hurting the offence. He is currently averaging just over 200 yards in the air per game, and for every touchdown he’s thrown, he has also thrown an interception. Bill Bellichek is running out of ideas and it is starting to show that even he does not believe in this team.
31. Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
The Cardinals were expected to be at the bottom of the league this season and they have lived up to expectations. Arizona lost their 3rd straight game on Sunday to the Seattle Seahawks 20-10. Their offence, which does not have many weapons, is struggling to get anything going this season with QB2 Joshua Dobbs at the helm. It is honestly a miracle that this team is not 0-7 and managed to beat the Dallas Cowboys in week 3 as their offence ranks 31st in the league and defence ranks 28th. The Cardinals can look forward to Kyler Murray making his return in the next couple of weeks along with a few of their defensive players.
32. Carolina Panthers (0-6)
Carolina Panther fans should be celebrating in the streets after a glorious week 7. This marks the first week where they did not record a loss, but they also did not play. The Panthers had a bye week this week, keeping them as the only winless team left in the NFL. Panthers fans have a bright future ahead of them with Bryce Young at QB, but you might as well throw in the towel on the 2023 season. Injuries to four key defensive players have plagued what could have been a very promising year for the Panthers. On the bright side, they do have a weak schedule coming up as they will play the Texans, Colts and Bears. If they were to win a game this season, it would be one of those three.