Halfway through the season (OK, there's a game tonight, when the Chiefs play yet another team that was crippled just in time for their matchup with KC). The defending champs are still relying on defense; Washington has quickly proved that their owner was the problem all along, as we suspected; the Lions are the class of the NFC; the Steelers may or may not have found their QB, but they rely more on their defense than the Chiefs; and the Ravens are the best team in the NFL, except for one game out of every three, when they play like crap.
Aaron Rodgers is not the answer for the Jets, because there is no answer for the Jets. Two head coaches have been fired, and that total could and should double within a couple weeks. The trade deadline is tomorrow, and it's always fun to see which team that has absolutely no chance for the playoffs will delude themselves into thinking that one more player will put them over the top.
The Patriots may have also found a QB, but not much else. The 49ers are seeing their window inexorably close as injuries and future salary cap challenges thwart their struggle for a Lombardi. The Cowboys? The owner needs to fire the GM (yes, they're both Jerry Jones).
What else, what else? Oh. Of course. The Cleveland Browns. I don't know if their story would work better as a Shakespearean tragedy or the next National Lampoon movie. Maybe both. Have fun paying Watson $72 million next year to not play again. Browns gonna Brown, and the Curse of Art Modell remains powerful.
So who are the favorites?
AFC: Chiefs, until someone beats them. Maybe the Ravens, if their defense can rise to mediocre level, and the offensive coordinator doesn't sabotage Lamar.
NFC: Lions. Surprise of the year if it isn't them.
Super Bowl: Lions. They can score a lot, and they can harass Mahomes. (Note: if the Ravens make it, Lamar is 22-1 lifetime against the NFC, including a blowout of Detroit last season, so the Lions had better root for the Chiefs)
MVP? Realistically, two candidates:
1) Jared Goff - QB of the best team in the league, makes all of the throws, doesn't make many mistakes. Not bad for a former #1 pick who got dumped by his team. But he wins only if voters have gotten tired of casting ballots for the other guy.
2) Lamar Jackson - the ultimate cheat code. A guy who was told by NFL executives to try out for WR or RB, who now has more games with a perfect passer rating than any QB in history. His offensive line has struggled to block, his receivers have struggled to catch, and the defense looks horrendous after most of the staff got promotions with other teams after they were #1 last year. But they brought in a battering ram RB who's a perfect complement (and would be an MVP candidate in any other season), and he's making it work. He's playing better than he did in the years he was unanimous and near-unanimous MVP.
Rookie of the Year? Jayden Daniels, Washington QB. Anyone who doesn't vote for him needs to be drug tested. He's having one of the best rookie years this side of Jim Brown, who won the MVP in his first season.
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