Nick Jones’ NFL franchise chances prediction review

In pre-season, I thought I would have a bash at working out where the league was walking into the league. Well, we are nearly halfway through the season, and I figured that it’d be fun to see how badly I got it. Besides, as we all know, the season doesn’t start until after Thanksgiving so what better time to have a review…

As a reminder, the below categories were the ones I used.

• Win-now
• Next year
• Nearly there
• On the wane
• Rebuild
• Broken
• Dark Horses

This time I’ll go around the league division to division and see how I got on. The halfway review score (A to F) is a review of me, rather than a review of the team by the way, in case you thought I’d gone insane in some instances!

By the way, I started this just before the week nine slate of games and nearly three weeks has changed a lot. Basically, had to rewrite the whole bloody thing.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: Win now

Comment: When I started writing this, there was no doubt, the Bills were 6-1 and looked nearly unstoppable. I’m going to stand by it and say that the Bills are still (just) the best team in Football now and they’re going to the play-offs. In a surprisingly tough AFC East, they’re proving to be too much on both sides of the ball though Josh Allen is currently number one in turnover-able throws which has cost them in a couple of games.

Halfway review: A –Nailed this.

New York Jets

Record at time of writing: 6 – 4

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: The Jets have been a step ahead of where I thought they’d be. Rookies Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson have been great on the Offence though the loss of the former to injury for the season will have been a bitter pill to swallow for the green side of New York. The Defence has been where they have really been overachieving with Sauce Gardner proving to be a hit-the-ground running home run hit for the management of the Jets. My feelings are that Zach Wilson is too skittish under pressure for the team to continue their positive trajectory this season and their lack of depth is going to hamper them going forward and by the looks of things the team are benching him this week.

Halfway review: B+ – I’m confident this team won’t be challenging for the AFC title this year, but they’re headed in the right direction. Rebuild is on!

Miami Dolphins

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: Dark Horses

Comment: The ‘Phins started the year fast! Tyreek Hill level of fast! But as the season has worn on a little, they’ve probably been reined back to where they really are. Tua is proving to be a good to very good starter and their receiver corp is as scary as we thought it could be but whilst close wins over good sides like the Ravens and Bills (though the Lord only knows how they escaped with that one) have been overshadowed with a crushing in-division defeat to the Jets and the mess that occurred around the Tua head injury in game week four.

Halfway review: A- –The ‘Phins should be trying to cement second place at the very least in the division and a possible play-off position. Solid prediction.

New England Patriots

Record at time of writing: 6 – 4

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: The Pats have been an odd one. A lack of offensive weapons is stifling their upside and Mac Jones has not been on the same form that took him to the Probowl in his rookie season. Bailey Zappe seems to be OK which is good because I didn’t think the Pats could hit on another late round QB but we are looking at a tiny sample size. Rhamondre Stevenson has been powerful and one of the real upsides on their skill position set. The thing that makes the Pats good is that they’ve got Bill B and he can organise a D. Judon, McCourty, Mills and Dugger have looked effective and the rest of the cast on this side of the ball has been above average. There is work to do before the 2023 season though and I can’t see that they’ve got enough firepower to push the division this year.

Halfway review: B- – They’re overachieving, they’re basically in every game but I can’t honestly believe they’re going to challenge for more than 3^rd place in this division and, if my money was on it today, I’d stake it on they Jets.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs

Record at time of writing: 8 – 2

My prediction: Win now

Comment: The Chiefs lose Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, endure another year on the legs and shoulders of Travis Kelce, struggle to find a starting running back and yet they make what they’ve got work so well. It helps that you have the next in line for the throne of GOAT but that aside, shrewd signings have left the Chiefs looking their imperious selves. I see chinks in the armour, maybe even gaps, but they’re yet to be seriously exploited.

Halfway review: A – Smashed it. Chiefs are headed to the playoffs.

Los Angeles Chargers

Record at time of writing: 5 – 5

My prediction: Next year

Comment: Really the Chargers should be ahead of this schedule but, as I said pre-season, Chargers gonna charger. They haven’t looked anywhere near as potent as I expected and 5-5 is generous for their toils so far this year. I would say that they have been pretty unlucky on the injury front so far this season so maybe that’s played its part but all the same, it’s been a bit of a mess so far.

Halfway review: B – I do genuinely believe that next year will be their year. Probably.

Las Vegas Raiders

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Dark horses

Comment: It’s been a mess in Vegas so far this year. I mentioned consistency in my pre-season review but they’ve been abject for large parts of this year. It’s a shame because there is talent there but I really don’t think the coaching staff know what to do with it. We’ve seen flashes of Josh Jacobs here and there as the Raiders move between pass-heavy and run-heavy and they have seen a little success like that too but they’re way off the pace and need to start looking to next season already.

Halfway review: C- – 3 – 7 is fair for this team. They don’t deserve to be in the fight post-Thanksgiving. No longer dark horses, ready for the glue factory.

Denver Broncos

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Nearly There

Comment: Defensively this team is post-season ready. Offensively they’re a hot mess and it seems to lie at the feet of the new boy. Gifted with a massive contract and some lofty expectations DangeRuss has been both mediocre and a bit weird. Jerry Jeudy has failed to fire and the early loss of Javonte Williams was a bit of a sucker punch to the roster. They have been an absolute snoozefest to watch this season and yet made it to PrimeTime several times early on. Please keep them away from my TV set.

Halfway review: D – Yeah, the defence is the ‘there’ part of nearly there. The offence isn’t nearly anything.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: Next Year

Comment: The Ravens have been above where I thought they’d be though they are helped, looking forward, with a softer division than they’ve faced in years gone by. The Steelers are nowhere to be seen, the Browns are incredibly streaky, and the Bengals haven’t quite hit their stride as they did last year around this time and the Ravens are going to play these three a sum of four times over the course of the final weeks of the regular season.

Halfway review: B- – I didn’t think they’d be leading the division at this stage of the year but I knew they weren’t far off either.

Cincinnati Bengals

Record at time of writing: 6 – 4

My prediction: Nearly there

Comment: The Bengals have been less than I expected. I really felt that the additions on the line would make a significant difference. That said, Joe Burrow has looked phenomenal when he’s caught fire and he’s played the last handful of games without his star receiver. Joe Mixon turned up for one game before getting bashed up which hasn’t helped their post-season aspirations but there’s still plenty to look at from the aspect of positives.

Halfway review: B – I had them above the Ravens in my head but I guess they’ve got an opportunity in January to show me I was right…

Cleveland Browns

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Broken

Comment: I’ve not enjoyed the infrequent successes of the Browns and as we edge closer to Watson starting I feel a bit for Brissett too. He’s been a solid, if unspectacular, starter in Cleveland but it’s a combination of a leaky defence (269 points conceded to date) and a completely unfathomable wish to steer away from their incredible run game. Hunt and Chubb are about as good as an RB pairing get in this league and when they get the game right, they look unstoppable. But Kevin Stefanski seems hell-bent on resisting his rosters strengths. Go figure.

Halfway review: A – I maintain my strong dislike of this team. They deserve nothing more than they have so far this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: Yikes, it’s been ugly in Pittsburgh so far this season. Worse than I was hoping, for sure. Pickett looks like he might be OK if he gets some time to throw. Najee has taken a step back (likely to do with the O-Line too). On the bright side, the receiver corp is strong. Getting a second back for Chase Claypool was a solid move too. The Defence seems to be a bit gutless when TJ Watt is missing. Yes, they’re a step behind where I thought they’d be but they’re not without ANY positives.

Halfway review: C+ – The O-Line is an even bigger problem than I thought it would be but give Mike Tomlin ‘til the end of 2024 to sort it all and we’ll see the Steelers rise back to the top for sure.

AFC South

Tennessee Titans

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: On the wane

Comment: There is no doubt that the Titans have indeed benefited from a supremely week division, but you can only beat what is put in front of you. They have got a foot in the playoff berths already Tannehill has been his solid self, Henry has been shouldering a lot of the load again and Bobby Trees (Robert Woods) has been a good addition, if not quite AJ Brown. Bud Dupree and Kevin Byard have been working well such that the Titans have been tough to break down on the D side and they don’t seem to have been too phased with the losses of their starting LT, Taylor Lewan, or Harold Landry. If they can get a smidge healthier they could do some damage post-season. Scoring is definitely still and issue, with the team still having failed to break 30 points once this season.

Halfway review: B- – I know having Mike Vrabel there was going to be a massive positive but even in the dumpster fire that is the AFC South, they’ve outperformed my expectations.

Indianapolis Colts

Record at time of writing: 4 – 6 – 1

My prediction: Nearly there

Comment: Holy moly was I wrong here. The Colts have been wretched for the most part. Benched Matt Ryan, installed Sam Elingher only to re-bench him as Jim Ursay fired Frank Reich and hired never-coached-before Jeff Saturday. It’s been a mess down in Indianapolis. With the strength of the AFC it would take a miracle run to see the Colts break the play-off tape line and I don’t see it happening. JT hasn’t had the stellar season we were expecting, the young receiver corp haven’t been firing and they lack any kind of talent at TE.

Halfway review: D – I massively overrated the Colts. If my brother-in-law is reading this, I’m sorry. I’m just sorry.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Dark horses

Comment: Now, I feel that the Jags have been much closer to my expectations of their horsey-ness. They have been spicy at times but have been very Jags-y at others. They’re still struggling to really understand who they are, but their draft picks were solid, which is much better than can be said in previous years! And Christian Kirk looks like a real deal WR1. Trevor Lawrence is still making too many errors but he’s still young, give him time. I would not be surprised to see the Jags at around 5 – 5 this time next year.

Halfway review: B – One more win and I think I could have bolstered this to a B+.

Houston Texans

Record at time of writing: 1 – 8 – 1

My prediction: Broken

Comment: Solidly the worst team in the NFL this season. The Texans have barely got a handful of ‘good’ players. There isn’t one area that the team couldn’t stand to improve in. The one shred of positivity I can imbue on the boys out of Houston is that Dameon Pierce does look like he might do some damage given the right surroundings. However, if he stays around long enough for this to matter is another question.

Halfway review: A – Nail-on-head.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles

Record at time of writing: 9 – 1

My prediction: Dark horses

Comment: I wish I’d finished my first article sooner because I’d look a lot smarter. Looking back, it just looks like I jumped on the bandwagon, but it does have to be said, the team have enjoyed some preferential strength of schedule clashes and a lack of serious injuries which have helped them to their 9 – 1 record. That’s not to say they aren’t good. They’re definitely good, and their record says that they’re as good as anyone else in the NFC but as I said before, the season doesn’t really start until after Thanksgiving! I think they’ve got a bit to prove yet to be moved into a ‘Superbowl favourite’ category.

Halfway review: A- – Absolute bandwagon jumper.

Dallas Cowboys

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: On the wane

Comment: I’ll admit defeat here too, I was way off. The Cowboys have settled into this season superbly well. If anything, their record is a touch unfair as to a reflection of the quality of the team. Losing Dak for a few games was a tough blow to take so early on but the team weathered the storm well and they’re really looking forward now. Tony Pollard has hit a real rich vein of form and the defence is stacked with talent. If my money had to go on an NFC Champion today, it’d go on the Cowboys.

Halfway review: F – I was miles off. America’s team are in with a shout this year.

New York Giants

Record at time of writing: 7 – 3

My prediction: Broken

Comment: Eurgh. I’m torn here. The Giants’ record is good! Barkley has been good! Brian Daboll has been getting the most of his, I would say, limited roster. But this record has a whiff of the 2020 Steelers to them. Taking advantage of opponent off-days for sure but I really think they’re going to suffer the next few weeks. They go into a four game in-division run starting with the Cowboys on Thursday evening. I don’t see them coming out of this looking anything more than I was expecting at the beginning of the season. Badly.

Halfway review: D – I can’t possibly consider a 7 – 3 team totally broken but watch this space…

Washington Commanders

Record at time of writing: 6 – 5

My prediction: Broken

Comment: Yet to have their bye week, the Commanders have gone from woeful to hopeful. Losing Carson Wentz to a broken thumb was apparently not the damage that it could have been. Jahan Dotson has looked like a great fine, complementing Scary Terry McLaurin very well. Taylor Heinicke has held the fort in Wentz absence and the running room has been improving every week, especially with the return of shooting victim Brian Robinson. With more good news on the horizon as Chase Young begins taking training reps again, the Commanders aren’t out of this yet. Oh, but Dan Snyder is still an absolute chopper so it’s not perfect there.

Halfway review: C– – The Commanders are FAR better than I gave them credit for.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings

Record at time of writing: 8 – 2

My prediction: On the wane

Comment: At 8 – 2 I can hardly say the Vikings are a bad team, can I? No. I can’t. Do they smell a TOUCH fishy from time to time? Yes. They have a negative points differential which tells me that they’re getting the rub of the green most of the time and that isn’t a championship winning formula. They were absolutely smashed versus the Cowboys last weekend. On the flip side, there is no doubt that they have the single best WR in the league right now playing on the roster. They can’t afford many more pastings like that one though.

Halfway review: C+ – I swear they are on the wane. I swear. Just not yet.

Detroit Lions

Record at time of writing: 4 – 6

My prediction: Dark horses

Comment: Yes, it was Hard Knocks that lead me to think these guys could be a bit spicy but gosh darn is this the only team I’m happy to have seen another three weeks of from where I started writing this review. They’re finally grinding results out! They’ve found a spectacular goal-line weapon in Williams, though conversely, I’m a little concerned by the regression of D’Andre Swift. Jared Goff has been fine. Absolutely nothing more. Trading away Hockenson will leaving him even lighter but they got a good return on the trade so hopefully a good building block for next year.

Halfway review: B- They can cause problems.

Green Bay Packers

Record at time of writing: 4 – 7

My prediction: Next year

Comment: I should hide my face after making this prediction. Oh, hang on, you don’t know what I look like. Carry on. Green Bay have been BAD. So, so, so, bad. Aaron Rogers appears to refuse to take any responsibility for his actions. If it wasn’t for Christian Watson turning up the last couple of weeks I’d wonder if they actually had any receivers signed onto the team. Tripe.

Halfway review: F – Next year? Next decade maybe.

Chicago Bears

Record at time of writing: 3 – 8

My prediction: Broken

Comment: Are they good? No. Are they as bad as I predicted. No. Justin Fields has been showing us what he really is the last few weeks. Turns out Allen Robinson was just crap so getting rid was no biggy. They just (I think) overpaid for Claypool but they’re fun. Their D is wobbly which is probably why they’ve conceded amongst the most in the league to this point but there are glimmers of the team that could be.

Halfway review: C – They’re not broken anymore, just cracked.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record at time of writing: 5 – 5

My prediction: Win-now

Comment: I read back my reviews sometimes and wonder if I know even the first thing about this sport. The Buccs have sucked. It’s not even that Tom Brady has sucked, he’s been mostly fine. But maybe we are starting to see the golden boy start to fade and tarnish a little. They can’t score! They just can’t score. And in a division which makes the AFC South look like a solid, well-coached group of seasoned veterans, the NFC South should be theirs for the taking. I can’t put my finger on the precise problem because I don’t have enough of them. Fact is, no team in this division has a winning record so if the Buccs manage to scrape together another couple of wins they’ll find their way to football in January. I just don’t want to be the one who must watch them.

Halfway review: D- – Bad prediction, bad team. Legitimately still in the race.

Atlanta Falcons

Record at time of writing: 5 – 6

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: They’ve been just about asbad as I was expecting, losing Kyle Pitts to an MCL injury has just compounded problems. Drake London does look pretty damned special which is definitely something to focus on going forward however the rebuild will not be around Mariota. I wanted that rebound season but he’s just not the calibre of player that they need if they’re going to stake a claim for the NFC title or beyond.

Halfway review: A- – Definitely rebuilding.

New Orleans Saints

Record at time of writing: 4 – 7

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: @cantguardmike has once again proved you don’t need to guard him if he’s not on the pitch. An explosive week one showing has been followed up with a number of stellar bench-warming performances. Stuck between Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton isn’t where any franchise wants to find itself, either. On the plus side, Olave looks great, Landry has looked like his old self and, when he finally got off his suspension, Kamara still looks sharp as a knife. But I’m gonna stick my neck out and say on the wane is about right, ready for a proper rebuild next year.

Halfway review: A- Definitely waning, trying to hold on with two sub-par QBs was not the answer.

Carolina Panthers

Record at time of writing: 3 – 8

My prediction: Broken

Comment: Awful. Just woeful. Having to watch them try and cobble it together every week is a crime in itself. Between Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and PJ Walker, they haven’t got one complete QB. The receiver cupboard is bare. They traded away their prize pig when they finally realise that the season is over. I want to find a positive but I don’t see it.

Halfway review: A – Please don’t make me watch any more Panthers games.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

Record at time of writing: 6 – 4

My prediction: Nearly there

Comment: Yeah, the 49ers are nearly there. Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead have been rattling offences all year. Losing Trey Lance was slap in the balls but they’ve been able to ride it out with very competent play from Jimmy G. Deebo hasn’t lit the world on fire but there’s time to go and the signing of McCaffrey might be the difference maker that they were looking for to go from Nearly there to there. The Niners should be considered as up there with almost anyone else in the NFC, there is depth and talent everywhere you look.

Halfway review: B+ – They’re solidly a step ahead of where I put them.

Seattle Seahawks

Record at time of writing: 6 – 4

My prediction: Rebuild

Comment: Rebuild? Rebuild?! We don’t need no stinking rebuild. Geno Smith has proved capable beyond most people’s wildest expectations and it would seem that I am an idiot and Pete Carroll and the back-office team in Seattle are the geniuses here. Getting rid of Russell Wilson for the deal that they did looks like the best business completed in the League in a long old time. They clearly knew something that we didn’t. With the picks they’ve got going forward and the team that surrounds Geno, these guys could be ones to watch over the next couple of years. I really hope that Rashaad Penny recovers quickly and well because a one-two punch of Penny and Walker would be deadly!

Halfway review: D – Closer to nearly there / next year than rebuild.

Arizona Cardinals

Record at time of writing: 4 – 7

My prediction: Nearly there

Comment: Arizona have been mostly dreadful so far this season. Getting Nuke back has for sure helped matters but their in-division record (1 – 4) tells you that they’re not going anywhere this season. There seem to be consistent rifts between players and coaches in the Cardinals building. I’m not sure Cliff Kingsbury will be there much longer to try and paste over said rifts either… I really thought they were closer to challenging than they are but an aging defence hasn’t helped either. Rebuild time. Keep Kyler, get him onside and focus on improving for 2023 and beyond.

Halfway review: D – Closer to rebuild than nearly there / next year.

Los Angeles Rams

Record at time of writing: 3 – 7

My prediction: Win-now

Comment: I don’t think I could have been further off the track with this one. Many commentators have said that they bought the Lombardi on credit and the bill has come. Fair. The Rams will almost certainly end the season as the Superbowl champion with the worst record in the following season. The O-Line can’t pass protect and can’t run-block. The receivers, other than a now broken Cooper Kupp, can’t catch, the running backs (if there even are any in the building at this point) can’t beat a tackle. The elite stars on the Defence can’t seem to help the Offence but I wonder if that’s to do with what is being asked of them. With the Rams having only scored 168 points so far this season, you’re asking too much of your D to get you back into these games. Go home ,Rams. You’re drunk.

Halfway review: U – I give up.

So that’s that. A quick review of my self-scored review and we’ve got:

I might as well have thrown darts at a dartboard to decide my predictions.