NFL Midseason Underreactions: Everything’s Bigger In Texas, Including the Letdown

As the NFL reaches its midpoint and thus the trade deadline, it has become pretty clear which teams are bad and which teams are good. Some teams have lived up to expectations, some are exceeding expectations, and some have fallen so far below the expectations that fans have forgotten they had expectations at all. While I do agree that NFL fans are talking about key aspects of this NFL season that should be talked about, I do want to clarify some of the “lesser known” things I have noticed in this season. The kind of things that go understated in the sports media world.

Dak Prescott is Being Let Down by Everyone

While it has been incredibly obvious that the defense as a unit has let down Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense, it is left criminally understated just how disappointing Dak’s supporting cast has been. I’m not talking about CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens, rather, I’m focused on the support guys. I’ll give Javonte Williams credit for being a really great replacement for Rico Dowdle, but I’m not going to ignore his two fumbles on potential scoring drives. I’m also not going to ignore him disappearing in the run game against Carolina and Denver. Furthermore, the tight end room has been disappointing, other than Jake Ferguson (who, granted, has also had his struggles, especially against Arizona). Luke Schoonmaker, overall, has been, as his name would imply, a “lukewarm” player this year. Kavontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert have consistently dropped passes and not been able to support amazing performances by Pickens and Lamb, to the point where Ryan Flournoy (a second year sixth round pick) looks like a better option. And lastly, Jerry Jones has let down Dak Prescott by consistently allowing Dak to take the blame for Jerry Jones’ short comings in roster building.

The Lions are Quietly the NFC Favorites

The Lions have had their fair share of struggles in their first year without Ben Johnson as an offensive coordinator and Aaron Glenn as a defensive coordinator. They sit at 5-3, just squeaking into the playoff picture as a seventh seed in the NFC. However, they are still a solid team, with a phenomenal chance to make some noise in this season’s playoffs. For starters, on defense, the Lions are top 10 in every category (pass yards per game, rush yards per game, points allowed per game). On offense, they are still an electric team, as they are second in points scored and have top 12 rushing and passing units. Jared Goff is still playing phenomenal, with a 17:3 touchdown to interception ratio. The Lions still have a top five receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. They are still very much a dangerous team. I think the addition of Micah Parsons to the Packers has obfuscated the Lions true potential, but fans grow tired or bored of the Lions, I still think that come January we will all receive a harsh reminder of what the Lions can do.

Signing a “Prove it” QB in Free Agency is Trending Up

For the past few years now, there has consistently been a quarterback that has been given up on, changed their team, and come back strong to revitalize their career. In the 2022-23 season, Geno Smith bounced back after a journeyman career to lead the lowly Seahawks to a 9-8 season and a playoff berth. In the 2023-24 season, Baker Mayfield led the Buccaneers to the playoffs and won a playoff game against the Eagles before falling to the Lions. In the 2024-25 season, Sam Darnold moved to the Vikings after a year as the backup in San Francisco and led them to a 14-3 record. Now, here comes Daniel Jones for the Indianapolis Colts. He’s led them to the best record in the league at 7-2. Indianapolis has proved to be a pristine change of scenery for Jones. However, it is not a coincidence that these types of resurgences are happening. The Colts have a great roster outside of the quarterback position. They have given Daniel one of the top offensive lines in the league and a star running back to carry the run game load. This shows that by simply surrounding a quarterback with talent and protection, any guys who were once solid starters can return to their form.

Matthew Stafford is the MVP by Far

I’ve seen the buzz for Drake Maye, Baker Mayfield, Dak Prescott, and Sam Darnold for MVP. While I think every single one of those guys has a case to win the award, I think that by far Matthew Stafford has been the MVP. The man out in Los Angeles has thrown a league-leading 21 passing touchdowns this year and has just two interceptions on the year. Not to mention, Stafford is sixth in passing yards, and has led the Rams, who have dealt with Puka Nacua’s injury, to a record of 6-2, a record that is honestly significantly worse than what they should be at, considering a handful of their special teams’ shortcomings and running back fumbles. If the Rams continue at this pace and Matthew Stafford continues to be able to make incredible throws, then the 37-year-old former Georgia quarterback might be on track to win his first MVP award. Not only that, but I could also see the Rams in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2022. All it takes is time to discover whether I am right or not.

The Panthers were Right to Pick Bryce Young

After two brutal years of Panthers football, they have looked like the joke of the decade for passing on CJ Stroud in favor of Bryce Young. And yet, now, that decision is looking better than ever. All it took was a little bit of patience, some offensive line help, and a little bit of time, and now Bryce Young is living up to expectations. The Panthers are 5-4 (5-3 with Bryce Young starting) on the year. In Bryce Young’s rookie year, the Panthers had just two wins all season, and last year, the Panthers had five total. The Panthers have matched their win total from last year in half the games this year. It is looking like Carolina has found the quarterback of the future. CJ Stroud, however, has trended down since his outstanding rookie year. Part of it is not his fault, as the offensive line has progressed substantially, and his surrounding weapons have been steadily decreasing in skill level since his rookie year. Now, as the Texans sit at 3-5 after an abysmal 18-15 loss to the Broncos, CJ Stroud has failed to lead an impressive offense on the field, and it is highly unlikely that the Texans make the playoffs this year, while the Panthers stand a solid chance to do so.

Final Thoughts

I’m sure my fellow Cowboys fans are just as disappointed in this year as I am, but it is important not to forget just how bad it could be. I mean, we could be Commanders fans, right? Anyway, as midseason (and the trade deadline) move to our past, we will see which teams can turn around their season down the stretch, and which teams will fall apart from their hot start and end up missing the playoffs. I’m looking at you, Indianapolis.

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