It seems like only yesterday that the new NFL season kicked off and Peyton Manning surprised us all with a seven-touchdown barrage.
That was only the beginning of a half-season’s worth of surprises – both good and bad. So at the halfway point of the NFL campaign, it’s as perfect a time as any to take a look back at the past two months and evaluate some of these teams’ performance.
NFL Midseason Grades
The Surprisingly Good
1. Kansas City Chiefs – 8-0 SU (5-3 ATS)
Kansas City wasn’t much of a sleeper coming into this season; the key additions of Coach Andy Reid and QB Alex Smith made it almost certain that this team would be better than 2-14. But no one anticipated that the Chiefs would be the last undefeated team standing.
The Chiefs owe their perfect 8-0 SU start mostly to their lockdown defense, but the offense is to blame for a good but not great 5-3 ATS mark (the Chiefs averaged only 19 points in those ATS losses). That offense-defense combination has also led to six games where the total went under — the most in the league.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: A+
AGAINST THE SPREAD: B
DEFENSE/OFFENSE: A/D
OVER/UNDER (UNDER): A
2. Dallas Cowboys – 4-4 SU (7-1 ATS)
When Jerry Jones and Dez Bryant are involved, be prepared for some Big D Drama all season. But those off-the-field issues are clouding a secretly decent half-season by the Cowboys. [sc:NFL240banner ]
The Cowboys are a pedestrian 4-4 SU so far, but three of those losses (at the undefeated Chiefs, the 7-1 Broncos and at the Lions) were by a combined five points. It also helps that the rest of the NFC East is terrible and .500 is good enough to lead the division.
But what’s been most surprising about this Cowboys season is that they lead the NFL with a 7-1 ATS record, which has been aided by those close defeats. The ‘Boys have been especially potent ATS as underdogs, with a perfect 4-0 record.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: C
AGAINST THE SPREAD: A
DRAMA: A
3. San Diego Chargers – 4-3 SU (5-1-1 ATS)
First year head coach Mike McCoy has led an unlikely revival for San Diego due to the unlikelier resurgence of Philip Rivers. The Chargers are 4-3 SU thanks mostly in part to Rivers and his NFL-best 74% pass completion.
The Chargers trail only the Cowboys in terms of ATS records at 5-1-1, and they also have an undefeated mark as underdogs at 4-0-1 ATS.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: B
AGAINST THE SPREAD: A
McCOY & RIVERS: A+
The Surprisingly Bad
1. Pittsburgh Steelers – 2-5 SU (2-5 ATS)
There’s a first time for everything and this season looks poised to be Ben Roethlisberger’s first losing season as a pro. The writing was on the wall when Steelers were dropping like flies left and right at the start of the year.
After losing their first four games, Pittsburgh currently stands at 2-5 SU; they have an identical 2-5 mark ATS. Often the dominant favorites, the Steelers are just 1-3 when giving up points. They get some consideration for their many injuries but suffer deductions after being the only conquest of the 1-6 Vikings.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: D
AGAINST THE SPREAD: D
TEAM HEALTH: F
2. New York Giants – 2-6 SU (3-5 ATS)
The Giants are on a modest two-game winning streak, but their 0-6 start guarantees their place as one of the most surprisingly awful teams of the season. Eli Manning leads the league in interceptions and their running game needed the exiled Brandon Jacobs to bring it back to life.
New York has also won three in a row ATS to bump their record to a more respectable 3-5. The Giants have not had success this year when they’re favored, as they hold a 1-4 mark. They also haven’t established a real pattern with totals, going an even 4-4 this year.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: D
AGAINST THE SPREAD: C
OVER/UNDER: C
3. Houston Texans – 2-5 SU (1-6 ATS)
The defending AFC South Champions are free-falling. After 12 wins the previous year, the Texans are almost halfway to 12 losses this season. They won their first two games (both via last-second field goal) but have now lost five straight. And if not for the lousy Chiefs offense, Houston could have been winless ATS through the first seven games.
Leading the fall has been QB Matt Schaub, who set the all-time record with four consecutive games with a pick-six. Had he not gotten injured, fans may have resorted to more than burning his jersey in protest.
GRADES:
STRAIGHT UP: D
AGAINST THE SPREAD: F
SCHAUB: F
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