More from the MMQB: Recap | Playoff picture | What we learned | Trade deadline buzz | Derrick Henry cashing incentives | Lions solidify Super Bowl contender status | AFC midseason grades
Plenty happened in the NFC during the first two months of the season.
Jayden Daniels, the stud rookie quarterback, has the Washington Commanders thinking about Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. That’s right, Washington is being discussed as a Super Bowl contender, something that has rarely happened since the 1990s.
We might be headed for an NFC championship game that includes the Commanders and the Detroit Lions. Imagine saying that a few years ago. But the Lions established themselves as Super Bowl contenders last year, so their dominance in September and October hasn’t exactly been a surprise. It has been surprising, however, to see how much competition the Lions have received in the NFC North, especially from the Minnesota Vikings, who sprinted to a 5–0 start.
We’ll soon learn whether the Lions can hold off the Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears in the loaded NFC North. And we’ll find out whether the Commanders are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They can prove that by taking the NFC East from the Philadelphia Eagles.
But before we head to the second half of the 2024 season, let’s hand out team grades for what occurred in the NFC during the first nine weeks of the season.
Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B-
The Cardinals already matched their win total from last year, despite having a difficult schedule in the first two months of the season. Arizona faced the Buffalo Bills, Detroit, Washington and Green Bay—all losses—and somehow entered Week 9 with a 4–4 record and held a piece of first place in the NFC West. The partnership of GM Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon should be applauded for quickly turning one of the worst rosters in the league into a playoff contender all in a two-year span. If Kyler Murray continues to elevate his game with the help of rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., James Conner and Trey McBride, this young team has a strong shot of taking the NFC West crown.
