Charles H. Sloan-Can the Chiefs deliver a perfect season? 10 big questions for NFL's second half

It’s halftime of another wild NFL season,Charles H. Sloan the perfect time to ponder key questions...

Can the Chiefs run the table for a perfect season? 

As if making history as the first threepeat Super Bowl champ isn’t enough of a challenge, KC has added another layer of intrigue by hitting midseason as the NFL’s only undefeated team (8-0). It’s striking that just two of the Chiefs’ results have come with margins of victories of more than one possession.

They are hardly blowing out opponents, yet merely finding multiple ways to win. Lately, closing has been a concern as KC’s defense has allowed a late TD in three consecutive games. Then again, this is a “rich-team problem” because with Patrick Mahomes in tow it would be a bigger worry if the Chiefs couldn’t score in crunch time. In any event, the toughest threat to perfection could come in Week 11 at Buffalo. Survive that and other playoff contenders line up, including the Steelers for a Christmas matchup in Pittsburgh. Of course, the most essential test to KC’s perfection will begin in January with another playoff run. 

Besides Lamar Jackson, who else is worthy of MVP consideration? 

Look at Jared Goff. The Lions (7-1) are one of the hottest teams in football, and their quarterback has been in a historic rhythm. Over the past six games, Goff has completed 82.8% of his passes – best ever for a six-game stretch – to manage one of the league’s most explosive units. There’s also been buzz about Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels becoming the first rookie MVP since Jim Brown in 1958. As impactful as Daniels has been to revive Washington’s franchise, the MVP argument loses steam when considering how it went down when he was on the same field with Jackson in Week 6. Jackson, by the way, has already passed for 24 TDs – matching his total for all of last season, when he won MVP honors for the second time. 

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Is this really the Year of the Kicker? 

Yes, maybe until next year. Through nine weeks, kickers have connected on 101 field goals from at least 50 yards, with a 72.1% success rate on 140 attempts. At this rate, the NFL’s record for most 50-yard field goals that was set last season (158) will be shattered. More accurate from longer distances. Simply put, kickers are getting better. Still. 

Will Aaron Rodgers and the Jets emerge from the darkness for a playoff push? 

Unlikely, but still possible. The Jets' swoon (again) was one of the most compelling subplots during the first half of the season. And this time it wasn’t because the star quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. During a five-game losing streak it was apparent that A-Rod has yet to return to pre-injury form. Yet the Jets (3-6) have reason to hang hopes on a second-half surge. They still have one of the NFL’s best defenses, which starts up front with the incomparable Quinnen Williams. And there’s a favorable schedule. After the game Sunday at Arizona (5-4), the Jets don’t face another team that currently has a winning record until they see the Bills in Week 17. Simply put, Rodgers has run out of excuses. 

Which is the best division title race? 

Well, just one game separates the four teams in the NFC West race. But don’t confuse that tight race with a great race. It’s more of an opportunity for the 49ers (4-4) to rally from their sluggish first half and for Arizona and the Rams (4-4) to seize the moment.

Meanwhile, none of the NFC North teams has a losing record. Check back in a month. The Bears are fading, the Lions (7-1) seem poised to run away with it after winning divisional road games at Minnesota and Green Bay. No, even with the Commanders and Eagles duking it out in the NFC East, the best race in my mind comes from the A-North, where Pittsburgh (6-2) and Baltimore (7-3) will fight for the crown. Like old times. Circle the dates: Week 11 at Pittsburgh. Week 16 on a Saturday afternoon at Baltimore. The race gets extra spice from Cincinnati (4-6), a potential spoiler that lost three games to the Ravens and Chiefs by a combined five points...and has two matchups looming against the Steelers. 

Besides Mike McCarthy, what other coaches are – or should be – on the hot seat? 

Poor McCarthy. The Cowboys have gone belly-up as he (and his staff of assistants) operates on the final contract year. “All-in” could become “All-out.” And after an uninspiring offseason, injuries to Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DeRon Bland and now Dak Prescott, came along to wreak further havoc. McCarthy could have company on the coaching market with the likes of Doug Pederson (Jaguars), Matt Eberflus (Bears) and Brian Daboll (Giants). Although Giants co-owner John Mara has contended that Daboll and GM Joe Schoen are safe, that should be a tough sell on a fan base that has had to stomach the travails of QB Daniel Jones while former G-man Saquon Barkley sparkles with division rival Philly. 

Who should be in the running for Coach of the Year honors? 

Dan Campbell, the Lions coach who drew so much heat when he started on the job talking about biting kneecaps, cannot be overlooked. And not just because the record (7-1) has them in the pole position to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Given how the last season ended with the heartbreak of a collapse in the NFC title game at San Francisco, it was fair to wonder how they would respond. Campbell, remember, told his players that it might have been their only shot at a Super Bowl. He didn’t believe it but made the point that all the grit needed was a bit more hunger to get back to the brink of a championship. They’re not there yet, but it’s evident that the Lions got their groove back.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Washington’s Dan Quinn will get notice for turnaround jobs. But how about Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid? Established winners often get overlooked for this honor, but Tomlin (17 years without a losing record) made the right moves to revitalize his offense by teaming Russell Wilson with O-coordinator Arthur Smith. And Reid has kept the Chiefs flowing despite the rash of injuries to offensive skilled players that has contributed to the less-than-spectacular numbers (11 TDs, 9 INTs) from Patrick Mahomes. 

Which NFL pattern just keeps on trending? 

Close games. Through nine weeks, 75 games in the NFL were decided by seven points or fewer. That’s more than half the games (54% of 138 contests) and more after nine weeks than at any point in the league’s history. The record for games with such a margin (141) was set in 2022 and is clearly in jeopardy of falling. The nine-week and season marks for games decided by six points or fewer and eight points or fewer (one-possession games) are also trending at record clips.

The competition and last-minute drama surely underscore the NFL’s appeal – or the need to tune in when it matters most. As longtime agent and NFL observer Leigh Steinberg put it: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many games come down to the very end, where the team that has the ball last can win. This is what the NFL always dreamed of. You’re seeing parity play out every week. Remember how people joked that you don’t have to pay attention to the NBA games until the last two minutes? Now it’s getting that way in football.” 

Who is the frontrunner for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year? 

Jared Verse, the edge rusher from Florida State that the Rams took with the 19th pick in the first round. Maybe the 3½ sacks won’t blow you away, but Verse has played 75% of the defensive snaps and provided a steady force with 22 QB pressures and 13 QB hits.

Rams GM Les Snead has been so prone to trade away first-round picks, but with Aaron Donald retiring after last season it seemed like a good idea to use a premium pick on a building block for the defense. Thus, Verse is L.A.’s first first-round pick since 2016. And this from a draft that saw the first 14 picks used on offensive players. The Rams bucked the trend in more ways than one. Meanwhile, there’s no secret regarding the frontrunner for offensive rookie honors. Daniels (9 passing TDs, 4 rushing TDs) has ignited the Commanders rush as an exciting multi-dimensional threat...and proven to possess a mean Hail Mary heave. 

Which Harbaugh has it better? 

The jury is still out. Jim Harbaugh has rolled back into the NFL with the Chargers (5-3), and his defense has been outstanding under first-year coordinator Jesse Minter. L.A. has given up the fewest points per game (12.6) and is the first unit since the 2019 Patriots to allow 20 points or fewer in the first eight games of the season. The Chargers haven’t yielded a 300-yard passer or 100-yard rusher or 100-yard receiver.

Meanwhile, John Harbaugh could surely use the type of results that his brother’s defense produces to complement his explosive offense. The Ravens (7-3) have scored an NFL-high 318 points, with a 31.8 points-per-game clip which is second to the Lions (32.35). But Baltimore ranks last in the league for passing defense, with hardly the dominant unit that is part of the franchise's tradition.

So, both brothers have stuff to address. It will all converge during one of the most anticipated matchups in the second half of the season, as the Chargers will host the Ravens in Week 12 on Monday Night Football in another “Harbaugh Bowl.” Maybe it will be a playoff preview. After all, in 2013 they became the first brothers to face off as opposing coaches in a Super Bowl (XLVII), with Jim’s 49ers falling to the Ravens at the Superdome in New Orleans.