We’re officially at the halfway point of the NFL season, which means it’s time for midseason report cards. Some teams are cruising toward the playoffs as real Super Bowl contenders, while other teams should probably just fire everyone.
Let’s hand out some grades. And I’m not giving anyone extra credit for beating the Browns. However, losing to the Browns knocks you out of Super Bowl contention.
Contenders
The Bills, Vikings, and 49ers are looking pretty good at 6–1 and could be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. But let’s remember that these three franchises have a combined ten Super Bowl losses and haven’t lifted a Lombardi Trophy this century. Apparently, winning in the regular season is the easy part. January will be their biggest challenge.
Buffalo Bills — Grade: A
Buffalo is 6–1, Josh Allen is doing Josh Allen things, and Bills Mafia is once again convinced this is their year. We’ve seen this movie before. The Bills dominate the regular season and get Bills Mafia even more hyped up. Then January arrives, and Bills Mafia is back to sleeping with the fishes. Buffalo doesn’t need another impressive regular-season record. The Bills need to figure out how to win when the Lombardi Trophy is actually on the line.
Minnesota Vikings — Grade: A-
Minnesota started 6–0 before Detroit handed the Vikings their first loss. With their new QB, Kyler Murray, the Vikings have gone from a pleasant surprise to a legitimate contender, which is precisely when Minnesota sports fans should start getting nervous. This franchise has mastered the art of giving fans hope before getting knocked out in the Wild Card game. Six wins are impressive. But Vikings fans know the difference between a promising season and a Super Bowl parade.
San Francisco 49ers — Grade: A-
The 49ers are 6–1, sitting atop the NFC West, and Brock Purdy is playing some of the best football of his career. Kyle Shanahan has San Francisco looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender again, despite the Falcons handing them their first loss before the bye week. But let’s be real: at this point, the 49ers have been chasing their sixth ring longer than some of their fans have been alive. They’re excellent at making championship runs. It’s the championship part that keeps causing problems.
Complete Dumpster Fires
I’m not going to waste time talking about how pathetic the 0-7 Chargers are or the 1-6 Dolphins and Titans. The NFC South is 11–19 as a division, and the NFC East is 11–17–2 as a division. Woof! But for today, we are just going to focus on the NFC East.
New York Giants — Grade: C-
Under Coach John Harbaugh, New York is 4–2–1 and somehow looks like the most functional organization in the division with QB1 out for the season. Of course, leading the NFC East this season is a little like being named valedictorian of summer school. The competition isn’t exactly Super Bowl material. Still, the Giants deserve a little credit for exceeding expectations.
Dallas Cowboys — Grade: D
Dallas is 3–5 after blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against Arizona and losing 33–30 in overtime. Jerry Jones has built a franchise that excels at selling merchandise, dominating headlines, and disappointing fans. The Cowboys haven’t appeared in an NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, yet every September, we’re told this is their year. Jerry says he has no plans to fire head coach Brian Schottenheimer, but honestly, he should fire everyone.
Washington Commanders — Grade: D+
Washington beat Philadelphia 27–10 on Sunday night, and Jayden Daniels didn’t have to seek medical attention afterward. Talk about a big win! But we’re not ordering any playoff merchandise. This is a team that entered Sunday with one, ONE, victory, and the Eagles were without QB1. As a Washington fan, we’ll take a win any way we can.
Philadelphia Eagles — Grade: F
Philadelphia has lost six straight games, including a 27–10 embarrassment against Washington. The Eagles have gone from Super Bowl aspirations to a full-blown identity crisis. After a promising 2–0 start to the 2026 season, they sit at the bottom of the NFC East at 2–6. Not having Jalen Hurts as QB1 really hurts the Eagles. There is currently a medical investigation into why and how Hurts was cleared to play in London with a blood clot in his leg. It was later discovered that the clot had moved to his lungs when the team returned to Philly. I’m not an Eagles fan, but I’m rooting for a healthy recovery for Jalen Hurts.
Final Report
The good news? There’s still half a season left. The bad news? For some of these teams, there’s still half a season left. And if there’s one thing the NFL has taught us, it’s that on any given Sunday, contenders can become pretenders, but dumpster fires and Jerry Jones will never change.
You can help keep the posts coming! Donate any amount. I would really appreciate your support! https://alisonstclair.com/donate/