After a topsy-turvy start to the season, are things starting to settle down?
While we've seen teams struggle for consistency throughout the season, it appears an evolution of sorts is ongoing as the strongest teams emerge through the myriad of mediocrity.
We have the NFC-leading Falcons who have (minus an Eagles game) been the model of consistency. A Super Bowl-champion Saints team starting to playing like a Super Bowl champion. The Patriots aren't looking like a team fielding that many rookies on defense, and they may not even be the best team in their division when you look at the never-say-die Jets. Throw in some powerhouses in the AFC North, a Peyton Manning-led team and our top-ranked Eagles and maybe, just maybe, things are starting to make sense.
Crazier things have happened, right?
1. Philadelphia Eagles: 7-3 (1)
The Good: That win against NYG puts them in pole position to drive away with the NFC East.
The Bad: The odds on Michael Vick lasting the season, taking as much punishment as he does?
The Ugly: How they coped when the Giants got pressure. They were practically impotent.
2. Atlanta Falcons: 8-2 (2)
The Good: Is there a better run team at the moment? Is there a quarterback doing as many of the little things right as Matt Ryan?
The Bad: If you're getting paid as much as Dunta Robinson you shouldn't be getting beat by Brandon Gibson that badly.
The Ugly: You can't help but feel they should be further away from the Saints, and that they're not may come back to hurt them.
3. New England Patriots: 8-2 (3)
The Good: Back-to-back big wins should prove the Pats are legit.
The Bad: Are we overrating them on the back of two wins over teams against which they traditionally do well?
The Ugly: Let's not forget they very nearly blew that fourth-quarter lead.
4. New York Jets: 8-2 (4)
The Good: They keep winning when it seems improbable.
The Bad: They keep putting themselves in situations where winning seems improbable. You won't always be able to get yourself out of those situations.
The Ugly: Their tackle play against the Texans. For a line that is normally so good, they were beyond terrible.
5. Baltimore Ravens: 7-3 (5)
The Good: With seven wins, Ravens fans should be looking ahead to the playoffs.
The Bad: For a long time they made beating the Panthers look a lot harder than it ever should.
The Ugly: Have they got it in them to win when it really counts?
6. Green Bay Packers: 7-3 (9)
The Good: Aaron Rodgers is playing as well as anyone right now.
The Bad: Job security for head coaches facing the Pack.
The Ugly: There's something quite disgusting about seeing some Green Bay fans going half naked when it gets really cold.
7. New Orleans Saints: 7-3 (10)
The Good: They're finally starting to look like the Super Bowl champions they are.
The Bad: Watching Jabari Greer get beat on three deep balls by three receivers. How often does that happen?
The Ugly: On fourth-and-6 with the game over, you throw for the end zone? We've seen teams take the knee in that situation on plenty of occasions. Shame on you, New Orleans.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-3 (7)
The Good: They put a beatdown on the Raiders to reassert themselves as a team to be reckoned with.
The Bad: Yet, other teams still managed to look more impressive. Is that the tale of the Steelers' season?
The Ugly: The reaction of Steelers players in calling for a suspension for Richard Seymour. There are so many things wrong with the whole incident, you don't know where to start.
9. Indianapolis Colts: 6-4 (8)
The Good: They very nearly came back and in the process showed they still have it … even if “it” isn't quite what it used to be.
The Bad: How can a team that constantly does so well fail to address their most glaring of weaknesses? That defensive interior just isn't good enough at the point of attack.
The Ugly: Are the Colts good enough to beat good teams?
10. New York Giants: 6-4 (6)
The Good: The defensive line is still bringing pressure, and that will always keep them in it.
The Bad: How do you cope with losing Hakeem Nicks?
The Ugly: Michael Clayton is the answer? It's the wrong answer.
11. San Diego Chargers: 5-5 (14)
The Good: It's as if that start to the season never happened.
The Bad: It still did happen, and it happened for a reason. They need to beat some good teams before you can forget that.
The Ugly: There's no excuse for not having the best record in the AFC West, and they don't.
12. Kansas City Chiefs: 6-4 (15)
The Good: They beat up on the Cardinals and looked impressive doing so.
The Bad: It was the Cardinals. You could put me in on every snap and I'd probably look impressive.
The Ugly: The signs are still there of them fading away. Their run defense left a number of big holes against a Cards team that couldn't consistently take advantage.
13. Chicago Bears: 7-3 (17)
The Good: The defense is back. Brian Urlacher has been a bit tad overrated the past few years but you can't fault his play this year, or how much his presence (and that of Julius Peppers) has re-energized a unit that looked on the wane.
The Bad: It's never a good thing when you don't know what you're going to get from your QB.
The Ugly: The pass protection is still horrible. They continue to make life easy for opposing pass-rushers.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-4 (19)
The Good: They're 6-4 — and the scary thing? They deserve it. They lack talent but find a way to make it work.
The Bad: As soon as they lose it will be like this never happened because when they lose, they tend to lose big.
The Ugly: How big? Average margin of defeat = 24.75 points.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-3 (18)
The Good: Tackle-eligible touchdown for Donald Penn? That's how you catch a team out with Penn lined up at the left tackle spot. Real smart play.
The Bad: When are they going to beat a contender (and being a contender in the NFC West doesn't count).
The Ugly: What the heck was that special teams play with Michael Spurlock about?
16. Miami Dolphins: 5-5 (11)
The Good: They have plenty of time to figure out it where it all went wrong (offense) in the Bears game.
The Bad: Just what are they going to do about it with their top two QBs out and Jake Long's shoulder looking long gone?
The Ugly: This team's playoff aspirations. They aren't ready. Not this year.
17. Oakland Raiders: 5-5 (13)
The Good: They showed plenty of fight against the Steelers.
The Bad: Richard Seymour didn't really show the right kind of fight.
The Ugly: When you're the Raiders you don't just have your feet land softly on the ground, you come crashing back down to earth with a bang.
18. Washington Redskins: 5-5 (25)
The Good: They dominated possession against the Titans. When your offense starts doing that, it's moving in the right direction.
The Bad: Would they have won against a team with a better QB, and who hadn't lost their best defender after two plays?
The Ugly: How many starters can one team lose in a day? Washington's players dropped like flies on Sunday.
19. Tennessee Titans: 5-5 (12)
The Good: It looks like they've got all the ammunition they need to move on from Vince Young.
The Bad: Which leaves them exactly where at the QB spot?
The Ugly: At the start of the season the Titans looked for real. Now they look in real danger of getting nowhere near the playoffs.
20. Dallas Cowboys: 3-7 (26)
The Good: At the start of the season, when things were not going their way, they would have buckled and lost to the Lions. They found a way to turn things around and play to their talent level.
The Bad: That it took for their season to be over before they could start playing to their talent. Such a shame.
The Ugly: That their game against New Orleans doesn't mean more.
21. Houston Texans: 4-6 (20)
The Good: They did exceptionally well to get themselves back into the game.
The Bad: And then they blew it … again.
The Ugly: How can a defense with a player as good as Mario Williams be that bad? They operate a break-and-don't-bend policy.
22. Cleveland Browns: 3-7 (16)
The Good: They're extremely competitive regardless of who they play.
The Bad: And yet they've only won three games. Proud defeats don't count for much, come the end of the year.
The Ugly: When they look back on this year, there will be a lot of “what ifs” in Cleveland.
23. St Louis Rams: 4-6 (22)
The Good: They were competitive against a very good Falcons team.
The Bad: Their defense just couldn't get Atlanta off the field.
The Ugly: That shovel pass. You've got to be more aware than that, Sam Bradford. Such a horrible way for his interception-less streak to end.
24. Seattle Seahawks (23)
The Good: Surprisingly, we keep watching their receivers make plays.
The Bad: I can't help but feel a little bit oversold on Aaron Curry. For the most NFL-ready player from the 2009 draft, he doesn't do an awful lot.
The Ugly: The prospect of the Seahawks in the playoffs. It's just not right — not yet, anyway.
25. San Francisco 49ers: 3-7 (21)
The Good: Mike Singletary realizes his mistakes.
The Bad: He keeps making them.
The Ugly: That the talent laden 49ers are failing miserably. There are no excuses for pitching a blank against the Bucs.
26. Denver Broncos: 3-7 (24)
The Good: I hear Tim Tebow is one for the future to build around …
The Bad: They're the worst team in the division. They're inconsistent. They're a team that is much worse off for a coaching change.
The Ugly: It's never fun getting humped on prime time.
27. Minnesota Vikings: 3-7 (27)
The Good: Well, Brad Childress is gone.
The Bad: And so are the best years of a number of key Vikings players.
The Ugly: We were bored with the constant Brett Favre retirement saga. But the legacy of his latest one is quite telling for the Vikings and their wasted 2010.
28. Buffalo Bills: 2-8 (30)
The Good: That Fred Jackson waiver-wire pickup saved my fantasy season.
The Bad: We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. That Bengals secondary was broken.
The Ugly: Steve Johnson's fashion attire. A vest to a postgame interview? Really?
29. Detroit Lions: 2-8 (29)
The Good: Another week, another competitive showing from the NFL's best losers.
The Bad: But eventually, much like the Browns, you have to accept that to keep on losing means something is seriously wrong.
The Ugly: Does any team have a stronger aversion to winning?
30. Cincinnati Bengals: 2-8 (28)
The Good: They got to test out their secondary depth.
The Bad: It failed.
The Ugly: Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. While I never saw them being a playoff team, I never saw them being this bad, this consistently. As much as the Lions hate winning, these guys love losing.
31. Arizona Cardinals: 3-7 (32)
The Good: They were better this week and with Beanie Wells getting carries, their running game looked like it's getting there.
The Bad: Watching the effort and ill discipline from some of their starters. They just give up on plays far too often.
The Ugly: Derek Anderson's ability to throw the ball in the one spot where it guarantees his receiver is going to take a big hit. Did they pee in his corn flakes or something?
32. Carolina Panthers: 1-9 (31)
The Good: They play with heart.
The Bad: They don't play with talent.
The Ugly: To see a coach of John Fox's standing reduced to this. He'll want to blot this year out from his resume.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.