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Five NFL teams that could be on the rise in the second half of the season

Harry November 7, 2024

The NFL season has officially reached its halfway point. So will this week also be a turning point for some teams?

Over the course of 17 games, every team can experience a few fluctuations. The layout of the program can be a significant factor in the emergence of any inequalities, as built-in advantages or disadvantages can emerge quickly. However, teams can hold out hope that their performance to date need not define the entire year, as it is not uncommon each season to see a few groups move up the standings in recent months.

Taking a closer look at their remaining schedules and other factors that could contribute to their rise, here are five teams that could be on the rise in the second half of this season:

In 2023, the 49ers earned a bye in Week 9, making it six straight wins for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and another conference crown. Could another such revival await Kyle Shanahan’s team?

Although San Francisco (4-4) hasn’t quite achieved those accomplishments, there are plenty of indications that a breakout is coming. Main reason for optimism: Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey may start the season for the first time as early as Sunday after sitting out the first half of the season with bilateral Achilles tendinitis. His unique all-purpose skills are changing the landscape of the offense, which went from fourth in yards after the catch last season to 29th so far this year without him. The team’s red zone efficiency has also dropped from first to near worst (28th), and McCaffrey should be a force multiplier as someone who can open things up for a passing attack that is hopelessly missing momentum. Brandon Aiyuk is out of season with a torn ACL.

Defensive outlook may not be as promising with defensive tackle Javon HargraveTorn triceps leaves San Francisco weak on the interior and strong safety Talanoa HufangaMore than a month has passed since he tore the ligaments in his ankle, and the timeline is still unclear. defender Dre GreenlawBut general manager John Lynch said he is “close” to returning from the Achilles injury he suffered in this week’s Super Bowl.

There are almost no easy outs in the program, there are trips to confront Green Bay Packers And Buffalo Bills and a house slope against Detroit Lions They’re all getting closer. But better chances in close matches; San Francisco is 1-3 in matchups decided by six points or less, 1-3 without wins. Dallas Cowboys It never looks as close as the final score suggests, and on the health front, it could put the 49ers atop the NFC West in no time.

Arizona, a trendy preseason pick that emerged as the breakout team of the fall, didn’t quite live up to lofty expectations early on as they fell to a 1-3 start. Looking back, it’s easy to see why this team was set to stumble, as all three of those defeats came against teams currently leading their respective leagues. But Jonathan Gannon’s group showed surprising resilience, rallying back to 5-4 to take the lead in the hyper-competitive NFC West.

Now Arizona should have a much easier time navigating the remaining slate, which includes just one game against a team with a winning record. Minnesota Vikings) and five against teams under .500 ( New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks twice, New England Patriots And Carolina Panthers). Arizona also looks to pass the ball after losing leading threats BJ Ojulari And Dennis Gardeck as for the season deadline purchase Baron Browning He joined the defense where 16 players put pressure in last week’s win. Chicago Bears. Bad luck with turnovers — Arizona ranks second with eight turnovers — hasn’t been able to derail a hard-charging offense that ranks second in yards per carry (5.3), but offensive coordinator Drew Petzing still needs to find better feed routes Marvin Harrison Jr.Extremely talented rookie wide receiver who has failed to find consistency this season.

If the Cardinals can put together wins before closing the game Los Angeles Rams In the final two weeks of the regular season, the 49ers should be within striking distance of their first division title since 2015.

Make as many Chortle as you want. During Aaron Rodgers While he hasn’t yet brought back the idea that his team can “run the table”, there is at least a clear path towards play-off contention.

Ending their five-game series with one score Defeated Houston Texans 21-13 last week, Jets (3-6) showed several signs that bode well for a run. Yeah, Gang Green can’t keep undermining themselves with terrible mistakes like this. Malachi Corley delivers the ball at the goal linenor may it depend Garrett Wilson will save the team with catches that set social media on fire. But Rodgers’ connection to Wilson and Davante Adams Even if the unit never reaches the high levels many dream of, it can move the offense to a point of stability. Meanwhile, a defense that racked up eight sacks and angered C.J. Stroud could go back to providing a respectable margin for error.

If the Jets can take advantage of a small bye to beat the Cardinals, this is an extremely positive remaining schedule; There will be no matches against teams with a winning record until Week 17. Buffalo Bills – could help spark a second-half rally. New York may have plenty of ground to end the league’s worst 13-year playoff drought, but the outlook suggests the team is more likely to settle at least around the playoff picture rather than top the table. five draft picks.

The Buccaneers (4-5), who have lost their last three games and four of their previous five, might seem like an odd choice for this list. And with wide receiver Mike Evans He will be held out of Sunday’s game against the 49ers due to a hamstring injury — and other outages Chris Godwin He’ll be out for the year with an ACL tear – Tampa Bay’s slide could be even longer.

But from now on, Buccaneers will enjoy this match, which is the easiest option for the final stage of the league. Five of the final seven games will be against teams that currently have two wins, with one of the remaining contests coming against the reeling Cowboys. Despite having to make up for widespread defensive deficiencies — Tampa Bay ranks 27th in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.8) — Baker Mayfield and Co. should have enough firepower to fill their records. Although their three-year dominance of the NFC South will likely come to an end, the Buccaneers appear to have a solid shot at the 10-win mark, which would undoubtedly put them past at least a few of the teams currently ahead of them. in the conference hierarchy.

They have yet to join the league’s elite contenders, and a long-standing pass rush (their nine sacks is the fewest of any team and their 16.7% pressure rate ranks 30th) is still weighing on the Falcons. Still, Atlanta (6-3) is in a much better position than others on this list as the team looks poised to run away with the NFC South for its first division title since their Super Bowl run in 2016.

But while five of the Falcons’ six wins have come by six points or less, there’s reason to believe there will be less close results going forward. Half of their remaining opponents have the worst record in the league at 2-7 (New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants And Carolina Panthers), other potential playoff threats on the schedule (Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings And Washington Commanders) has records that seem overly inflated. Unless Atlanta suffers a setback like the 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks three weeks ago, the team is within striking distance of its first 12-win season since 2012.

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