The NFL is in full swing as the season meets the middle mark almost the same storylines as last year. The Chiefs and Eagles are good, the NFC South is hard to watch, and someone bought expensive tickets to see their team get blown out by 20. But now we have Taylor Swift’s fans understanding football, teams like Detroit and Cleveland have winning records, and much more. So without further ado, here is the NFL Mid-season review.
The Good
The Best Way to Honor an Angel: Chicago bounce back after having the NFL’s longest Losing Streak
After losing to the Packers during the season opener, Bears fans’ thoughts of another losing NFL season returned. It got worse when they lost to the Buccaneers, Chiefs, and Broncos back-to-back. It was understandable seeing the Bears lose to the Chiefs. As of now, they’re 6-1 and undefeated since their opening-game loss to Detroit. So compared to Chicago, that team’s in a league of its own.
The loss to the Buccaneers was a little questionable since they aren’t a juggernaut like the Kansas City Chiefs. But they aren’t a bad team, Baker Mayfield is a good QB and Mike Evans is still a dangerous NFL receiver.
But the loss to the Denver Broncos left fans scratched heads. This is the same team that lost to the Oakland Raiders and Washington Commanders in winnable games. The Broncos who then next game, lost by 50 points ( final score 70-20) by the Dolphins, managed to beat Chicago. It was then that a lot of fans gave up on the season for Chicago
All of that stopped during Week 5. It was announced that Bears legend Dick Butkus passed away before the game, and what better way to honor the Hall of Famer than with the team’s first win. It’s exactly what Chicago did against the Commanders as they beat them 40-20. Justin Fields played phenomenal throwing for 282 yards and four touchdowns with three of them thrown to D.J Moore, who had 230 receiving yards of his own. The Bears are 2-1 since the loss to the Broncos, and Tyson Bagent looks like he’ll be an efficient quarterback while Field is out due to injury.
The Bad
Primetime Kirk Strikes Again: Another underwhelming 49ers loss
No one, except Vikings super fans, expected Minnesota to pull a win off the 49ers. Kirk without his star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, threw for 378 yards to win against one of the best teams in the NFL. Taking Jefferson’s place as the go-to receiver, rookie Jordan Addison caught two touchdown passes for 123 yards.
For the Vikings, this game shows that Minnesota could make it out of the mid-season slump while Justin is recovering from injury. But for San Francisco, this is the time for quick thinking as they’ve lost two games in a row. Their next opponents consist of playoff favorites like the Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, Brock Purdy is on concussion protocol, Deebo Samuel has a hairline fracture in his shoulder and Christian McCaffery is out with an oblique injury. Without their star starters, San Francisco may be looking at some more losses.
Bryce Young’s Rookie year is looking rough
Not every rookie will have a breakout year the first time their on the field. But for Carolina fans, seeing your first-round pick start with a 0-6 win record is underwhelming. His other draft classmates, Anthony Richardson, and C.J. Stroud are doing good if not great for their first season. Both team’s win percentage is over .400 with Stroud and the Texans having a 3-3 record and Richardson’s Colts having a 3-4 record.
Bryce Young’s team success may not be on the same level as his 2023 counterparts but his performance as a quarterback is to be noted. Young completed 115 of the 182 passes attempted for 967 yards and threw more touchdowns (six) than interceptions (four). Fan Nation’s Schuyler Callahan says Bryce needs some team tweaks and more playing experience.
“Once he gets a healthy offensive line, he’ll prove to be a quality quarterback. The kid hasn’t had much of a chance, so give him time.”
The Ugly
Chris Olave was arrested Monday for reckless driving
The wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints was arrested in Kenner, Louisiana on Monday. Police said the NFL player drove over the speed limit while recklessly swerving between lanes and around other drivers. Chris Olave got booked at Kenner jail the same day of the arrest and was released at 11:30 p.m.
When asked about their thought on the situation, The Saints said they were aware of the arrest but had no comment. With this information, Olave may be looking at a fine from the NFL and the Saints organization.
Final Remarks
Once again another normal season of football. Bad teams randomly getting wins against title contenders, and off-the-field shenanigans to keep even the Taylor Swift fans entertained. As the season continues, teams are now focused on getting good playoff spots or draft pick selections. Either way, it will be a fun ride-watching.
Written By Daylontie Jasper
Sources :
Fan Nation: Roundtable: Grading Bryce Young through his First Five NFL Starts: By Schuyler Callahan
CBS Sports: Chicago snaps 14-game losing streak behind D.J. Moore’s career night; By Jared Dubin, Jordan Dajaini & Garrett Podell
ESPN: Jordan Addison, Kirk Cousins lead past 49ers; By Kevin Seifert & Nick Wagoner
ESPN: Saints WR Chris Olave arrested on Suspicion of reckless driving By Kathern Terrell
Feature Image Courtesy of Brad Hagan‘s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
Inset Courtesy of Matt Radick‘s Flickr Page- Creative Commons License
