This past weekend was very exciting for the NFL. There were numerous great games to watch, a few of which could change the landscape of the league. The most notable outcome of this past weekend was the New England Patriots’ 20–37 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens were led by their quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown. This was surprising to many fans as the Patriots’ defense has been stout all season long. To have the Ravens rip through it and score 37 points could have been a sign that the Patriots are not as invincible as they once seemed. Tom Brady and his offense were also unable to match up to the strong rushing attack of the Ravens.
The surprise team of the first half of the season has been the San Francisco 49ers, who are still boasting an undefeated 8–0 record. Similar to the Patriots, their defense has propelled them. The rookie out of Ohio State University, Nick Bosa, has led that unit, and has been one of the best defenders in the league so far.
The Patriots and the 49ers are the teams with the best records in their respective conferences being the AFC and NFC. However, both of these teams have extremely tough second-half schedules; it will be interesting to see if they can continue the momentum they have built during the first half of the season.
The two teams with the best chances to win the AFC, other than the Patriots, are the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens have shown that they are ready for high-level competition after their convincing victory over the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have proven repeatedly that they are the cream of the crop in the AFC. However, Patrick Mahomes has been injured since their win over the Broncos in week seven.Their offense has still been explosive, shown in a strong win over a terrific Minnesota Vikings team this past weekend. With a healthy Patrick Mahomes, the team looks to be extremely dangerous come playoff time. Each of these three teams are the leaders in their divisions, and the Houston Texans are currently leading the AFC South.
The NFC is more congested than the AFC, with about seven teams competing for the conference title. The most impressive teams, other than the 49ers, have been the Seattle Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints, and the Green Bay Packers. The Seahawks have been led by fantastic quarterback Russell Wilson, and the team is hoping to knock off the final unbeaten team in the league when they play the 49ers next week.
The Saints have battled hard; their backup Teddy Bridgewater has been playing for their regular starter Drew Brees, who returned last week, but the team did go on a five-game win streak with Bridgewater playing. The Packers have been anchored by their solid defense, stellar play from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the help of Aaron Jones rushing the ball. The Dallas Cowboys are the NFC East division leaders, with the Philadelphia Eagles not far behind. Both of these teams look to contend for the conference title. Also, Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings have been playing some great football, and are looking to take over from the Packers for the NFC North.
This football season has been tremendous so far, and it will hopefully become even more exciting as the season progresses and the Super Bowl becomes a realistic goal for many of these teams.
