The 2026 NFL season has reached the halfway mark, and it looks very little like the one most people predicted in August. A preseason dark-horse Super Bowl pick is winless. The Eagles, a playoff team last season, sit at 2-7. A first-year coach has the Giants in first place. And the MVP race has a new leader after Monday night.
Here are the 10 storylines that defined the first half, with the numbers behind each one and what to watch over the final nine weeks.
1. The Bills are 7-1 and grinding teams down
Buffalo closed Week 9 by beating the Vikings 23-6 on Monday night to match its best start since 1993, according to CBS Sports. It was not a pretty win. Minnesota blitzed Josh Allen on 68.6% of his dropbacks, the highest rate he has ever faced, and sacked him four times, per HNGN.
The Bills answered by holding the ball for 42:32 and handing it to James Cook 31 times for 107 yards. The defense did not allow a touchdown. We broke down that game in our Bills-Vikings recap.
General manager Brandon Beane also added safety help at the deadline by trading for Amani Hooker, the NFL’s interception leader at the time of the deal. Next up is a road game against the Jets, previewed in our Bills vs. Jets story.
2. Joe Burrow takes over the MVP race
For most of the fall, Allen was the MVP favorite. That changed after Week 9. Joe Burrow is now +210 at DraftKings, ahead of Allen at +240, SI reported.
Burrow’s case is built on volume and efficiency. He has 2,386 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes and six interceptions with a 74% completion rate, per Bleacher Nation. SI added that he has three rushing touchdowns and 17 total touchdowns over his last four games, as Cincinnati climbed from 2-2 to 6-2.
His latest big game came in Madrid, where he went 24 of 29 with three touchdown passes and a rushing score against Atlanta, according to Sportsbettingdime. Our Bengals-Falcons recap has the details, and we tracked the race in our earlier MVP odds story.
Allen is still very much alive. He has nine rushing touchdowns to go with 12 touchdown passes and six interceptions, per SI.
3. Brock Purdy and the 49ers own the NFC
San Francisco is 7-1 and leads the conference. The 49ers came out of their bye and beat the Raiders 38-17, with Purdy throwing two touchdowns and running for another, according to The Fantasy Footballers.
That game included a franchise milestone. Purdy threw his 100th career touchdown pass in his 57th regular-season game, faster than any quarterback in 49ers history, NBC Sports Bay Area reported. He sits third in the MVP odds at +425.
The 49ers also stayed active at the deadline, adding receiver Keenan Allen from the Colts for a sixth-round pick.
4. The NFC North could make history
All four NFC North teams have winning records. Chicago is 7-2, Detroit and Minnesota are 6-2, and Green Bay is 6-3. Bleacher Report noted that four playoff teams from one division would be a first in NFL history.
Each team arrived there differently:
- Packers: Jordan Love threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a 45-27 win at New England, per Sportsbettingdime. His MVP odds jumped from +2500 to +650. Read our Packers-Patriots recap.
- Bears: Chicago keeps winning despite turnovers. Caleb Williams threw four interceptions in a 27-24 win over Tampa Bay, and his MVP odds fell from +500 to +1600. We looked at how worried the Bears should be.
- Vikings: Minnesota’s quarterback room collapsed. Carson Wentz went 8 of 25 for 81 yards with two interceptions against Buffalo, according to the Bills’ official site. The Vikings responded by trading for Kirk Cousins, who is expected to start Sunday at Green Bay.
- Lions: Detroit plays the Patriots in Munich this week. Our Patriots vs. Lions preview has the details.
5. Jacksonville is the AFC’s quiet power
The Jaguars are 6-2 and in first place in the AFC South after a 33-10 win at Baltimore on Thursday night of Week 9. Flashscore noted it is only the third 6-2 start in franchise history.
Trevor Lawrence has 17 touchdown passes and four interceptions, according to Jaguars.com, and sits at +900 in the MVP odds. Jacksonville also made one of the biggest deadline moves, trading for safety Jessie Bates.
6. The Chargers are 0-8
No team has fallen further than the Chargers. After back-to-back 11-win seasons, Los Angeles is 0-8, the franchise’s worst start since 2000, when the Chargers dropped their first 11 games, per FOX Sports. Jim Harbaugh started five of those losses as a player that year, Yardbarker noted.
The offseason move to bring in Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator has not worked. The Chargers lost 44-22 to Houston in Week 9, and Justin Herbert hurt his left middle finger in the defeat. We covered that in our Herbert injury story. They visit Baltimore on Monday night.
7. John Harbaugh has the Giants in first place
The other Harbaugh is having a very different year. The Giants are 5-2-1 and lead the NFC East in John Harbaugh’s first season, after going 4-13 in 2025, according to Fox News.
They have done it without their starting quarterback. Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. Giants.com reported that New York became the first team since starts were tracked in 1950 to win a game with three different quarterbacks in its first seven games. Jameis Winston went 2-1-1, and J.J. McCarthy, acquired from Minnesota, took over after that.
The Giants host Washington on Thursday night. Our Commanders vs. Giants preview covers the matchup and the first meeting’s 27-27 tie.
8. The Eagles have collapsed
Philadelphia is 2-7 and heads into its bye on a seven-game losing streak, the team’s longest since 2012. The offense is the main problem. The Eagles are averaging 16.4 points and 260.2 yards per game, the fourth-lowest yardage average through nine games in the last 50 years, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has already lost games with three different quarterbacks this season, StatMuse noted. Even with an easier second-half schedule, a playoff push would require a historic turnaround.
9. The Ravens are sinking without Lamar Jackson
Baltimore is 4-5 and has lost four straight. Field Level Media reported that the Ravens have been outscored 84-10 in second halves during the slide. Lamar Jackson is out with a thumb injury but has told teammates he plans to return this season. Read the latest in our Lamar Jackson injury story.
Jacoby Brissett is set to start Monday night against the winless Chargers, a game Baltimore cannot afford to lose.
10. Last year’s Super Bowl teams are in the middle of the pack
The Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions, are 5-4 and starting Drew Lock with Sam Darnold injured. Our Week 10 QB changes story has the latest on Seattle and every other team with a new starter.
The Patriots, last year’s AFC champions, are also 5-4. Drake Maye’s MVP odds fell from +1500 to +4500 after Week 9, and Sportsbettingdime pointed to New England’s run-heavy approach limiting his passing volume. The Patriots are also dealing with injuries, covered in our Patriots injury update.
Halfway point standings at a glance
| AFC | Record | NFC | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7-1 | 49ers | 7-1 |
| Broncos | 7-2 | Bears | 7-2 |
| Jaguars | 6-2 | Giants | 5-2-1 |
| Steelers | 6-2 | Lions | 6-2 |
| Chiefs | 6-2 | Vikings | 6-2 |
| Bengals | 6-2 | Packers | 6-3 |
| Patriots | 5-4 | Seahawks | 5-4 |
| Browns | 5-4 | Rams | 5-4 |
Records are through Week 9. For seeds and tiebreakers, see our AFC playoff picture and NFC playoff picture.
What to watch in the second half
- Cousins at Lambeau: The Vikings’ new starter returns to the stadium where he tore his Achilles in 2023.
- Bills vs. Bengals for the AFC: Buffalo leads the conference, but Cincinnati has won four straight behind the MVP favorite.
- The NFC North race: Only one team can win the division, and every game inside it carries extra weight.
- Rookie QBs: Fernando Mendoza and Kyle McCord make their first starts this week.
For this week’s full slate, see our Week 10 schedule and TV guide, and our Week 10 power rankings for where every team stands.
Sources: CBS Sports, HNGN, Buffalobills.com, SI, Bleacher Nation, Sportsbettingdime, The Fantasy Footballers, NBC Sports Bay Area, Bleacher Report, Jaguars.com, Flashscore, FOX Sports, Yardbarker, ClutchPoints, Giants.com, Fox News, NBC Sports Philadelphia, StatMuse, Field Level Media, ESPN
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