It’s a good time to assess how NFL teams have fared now that we have reached the midway point of the 2023 season.
Over in the NFC, not much has changed at the top with the Eagles having the No. 1 seed. The 49ers aren’t too far behind, but they’ve lost three consecutive games, which has been one of the biggest surprises of the season.
But losing three in a row isn’t as bad as the six straight the Panthers dropped to open their first season with rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The Cardinals, Bears, Giants and Packers also did plenty of losing during the first half of the season, but only three teams in the NFC received a failing grade.
Here are our NFC team grades for the first half of the 2023 NFL season.
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Arizona Cardinals
Grade: D-
The Cardinals avoided an F because of their fight during the first quarter of the season. They beat the Cowboys and pushed the Commanders and Giants during the first three weeks. But the Cardinals are no longer feisty, which might not be a bad thing when it comes to being in the running for a top-five draft pick. Kyler Murray, however, will try his best to ensure the Cardinals don’t end up with the No. 1 selection. But even if Murray quickly returns to top form—he missed the first half of the season rehabbing a torn ACL—the Cardinals don’t have enough talent to win games.
Atlanta Falcons
Grade: C-
Falcons coach Arthur Smith made the mistake of starting the season with quarterback Desmond Ridder, who constantly turned the ball over and failed to get the passing game going. With a different quarterback, perhaps the Falcons would have a sizable lead in the NFC South. The Falcons finally pulled the plug on Ridder, making Taylor Heinicke the starter in Week 9. Heinicke passed for 268 yards and a score in a 31-28 loss to the Vikings. Eventually, Atlanta will need to find a franchise quarterback to best utilize Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. But the Falcons got plenty right with the revamped defense they invested in during the offseason. Although, it wasn’t a good look for Atlanta to get carved up by Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis in his starting debut.
Carolina Panthers
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Grade: F
The Panthers made many moves in the offseason with the hopes of giving Young the right supporting cast for a successful rookie season. Those moves, however, have mostly backfired. The offensive line they kept intact regressed, and the signings of running back Miles Sanders and tight end Hayden Hurst haven’t worked out. But at least Young developed chemistry with veteran wideout Adam Thielen, who has 62 receptions for 610 yards and four touchdowns. As for another wrong decision, Panthers coach Frank Reich waited until the team was 0–6 before handing play-calling duties to Thomas Brown. Carolina has many issues on the offensive side, and it doesn’t have a first-round pick next year to add talent. The Panthers should have traded Brian Burns to gain a few more draft picks.
Chicago Bears
Grade: F
I nearly didn’t fail the Bears because they own the Panthers’ first-round pick, which might be a top-three pick in 2024. But similar to Carolina, Chicago also failed to gain many positive results from its young quarterback. Justin Fields had a slow start and was again inconsistent as a passer, despite the addition of DJ Moore. Fields appeared to have turned a corner after a solid two-game stretch against the Broncos and Commanders, but was then sidelined because of a thumb injury. Chicago improved the defensive line with the trade for Montez Sweat, but this roster was in no position to trade away high draft picks.
Dallas Cowboys
Grade: B
The Cowboys had a roller-coaster first half of the season, crushing the Giants 40–0 in Week 1 before losing to the Cardinals 28–16 in Week 3. They were also embarrassed 42–10 by the 49ers in Week 5. But Dallas finally developed a rhythm offensively by getting CeeDee Lamb more involved in recent games, including 11 receptions for 191 yards in a Week 9 loss to the Eagles. Mike McCarthy as the team’s offensive play-caller has been productive now that they have Lamb and Tony Pollard making plays. The defense has been better than the offense, despite losing cornerback Trevon Diggs for the season. Defensive back DaRon Bland has stepped up with his stellar coverage and touchdown returns.
Detroit Lions
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Grade: B+
The Lions are well on their way to winning their first division title since 1993. They’re also a borderline Super Bowl contender. They defeated the Chiefs in Week 1, but fell to the Seahawks and Ravens. The Lions are stout in the trenches and have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make noise in the postseason. It’s a new era in Detroit, and coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes deserve a ton of credit.
Green Bay Packers
Grade: D
First-year starting quarterback Jordan Love has struggled to protect the ball and has failed to get the offense going during the first half of the season. Coach Matt LaFleur’s play-calling hasn’t put Love in the best positions to succeed, and Aaron Jones and Christian Watson haven’t made much of an impact due to injuries and inconsistent play. As for the defense, the unit continues to underperform under defensive coordinator Joe Barry, despite having many playmakers.
Los Angeles Rams
Grade: C-
After many pundits predicted the Rams would be one of the worst teams in the league, they opened the season with an upset victory in Seattle. And they were competitive in four games without Cooper Kupp to start the season thanks to rookie Puka Nacua. But Matthew Stafford sustained a hip injury in Week 4 against the Colts, and the offense hasn’t been the same since. Also, the Rams’ offensive line struggled to protect Stafford after the fast start. The Rams’ defense lacks talent outside of Aaron Donald, but defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has done a fine job getting the most out of his inexperienced players.
Minnesota Vikings
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Grade: C+
The Vikings overcame an 0–3 start by winning four out of five games behind superb performances from Kirk Cousins, who leaned on rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison, while Justin Jefferson rehabbed a hamstring injury. But the Vikings’ playoff hopes took a massive hit after Cousins suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. Joshua Dobbs then rescued Minnesota on Sunday with an heroic effort in a win over the Falcons. On the defensive side, the unit has drastically improved under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. But it was surprising the team decided not to trade edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
New Orleans Saints
Grade: C+
The Saints were forced to lean on their stout defense, while the offense slowly adjusted to new quarterback Derek Carr. It got ugly at times for the Saints’ offense, but it has shown improvement in recent weeks. Carr has his highs and lows, but he’s had success getting many playmakers involved such as wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. The familiar duo of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas have also stepped up. But Carr will need to get more out of Chris Olave to win the NFC South.
New York Giants
Grade: F
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The Giants might have buyer’s remorse after the four-year, $160 million contract extension they agreed to with quarterback Daniel Jones in the offseason. Jones played poorly during the first quarter of the season and missed games due to a neck injury. And now he will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a torn ACL against the Raiders on Sunday. But it didn’t help that the Giants played mostly without left tackle Andrew Thomas, and Darren Waller is again dealing with a hamstring injury. The defense, however, has been a pleasant surprise in recent weeks. They held the Bills, Commanders and Jets to 14 points or fewer during Weeks 6–8.
Philadelphia Eagles
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Grade: A
The Eagles are a level above the other NFC teams. They make life difficult for opposing defenses with their controversial QB sneak known as the Brotherly Shove. The play has allowed them to extend drives and keep opposing offenses cold on the sidelines. But the Eagles offer a lot more with the standout duo of Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, who might be the front-runner for Offensive Player of the Year. The Eagles have issues in the secondary, but they traded for safety Kevin Byard before the deadline. Rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter might be the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
San Francisco 49ers
Grade: B
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The 49ers surprisingly limped into their bye week with a three-game losing streak and a laundry list of issues, including Brock Purdy’s concerning interceptions. They have bigger problems on the defensive side with a poor secondary and an inconsistent pass rush. But the 49ers dominated the first five games of the season, and should get back on track once Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams are cleared to play. San Francisco also added reinforcements with the addition of Chase Young at the trade deadline.
Seattle Seahawks
Grade: B
Geno Smith hasn’t been as good as last season, but he’s done enough to keep the Seahawks near the top of the NFC West standings. Smith has gotten rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba more involved as the weeks have gone by. The Seahawks will be tough to contain if Smith protects the ball and produces downfield completions with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. But this team might be better on the defensive side with playmakers in all three phases, including cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who is in the mix for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Grade: C-
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The Buccaneers are now familiar with the Baker Mayfield roller-coaster experience. Mayfield started off well quickly building a connection with Mike Evans, but the offense has been bad since the team returned from its Week 5 bye. The defense has also delivered inconsistent performances, despite having many Pro Bowl–caliber players. Tampa Bay still has a shot at winning the subpar NFC South, but the team is going to need Mayfield to break out of his funk.
Washington Commanders
Grade: C-
The Commanders and Ron Rivera hitched their season to quarterback Sam Howell, but the poor offensive line did him no favors during the first half of the season. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy might get the bulk of the blame for Washington’s offensive struggles, even though he’s not the one who tabbed Howell as the starting quarterback. Those in charge of personnel decisions might not be around much longer because of the new team ownership. Washington avoided a lower grade because it started the rebuilding process early by trading Montez Sweat and Chase Young for Day 2 draft picks.
