Panthers, Bengals and Pats undefeated through week 9

The National Football League has reached the midpoint of its regular season and the first nine weeks have been nothing less but intriguing.

In the American Football Conference East, the New England Patriots (8-0) still remain king. At the age of 38, Tom Brady continues to defy father time. Currently on pace to throw for over 5,200 yards and 46 touchdowns, Brady is playing at a higher level than he ever has. It also helps that Brady is surrounded by one of the best supporting casts of his career.

Rob Gronkowski remains the NFL’s premier tight end, while Julian Edelman has improved his game and is now one of the best slot receivers in the league. Through the first eight games, the Patriots enjoyed a career-year performance from running back Dion Lewis. Unfortunately, Lewis tore his ACL in this past Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins. Look for RBs Legarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden to have increased roles in the offense with Lewis done for the year.   

The rest of the division has not been as impressive. The New York Jets (5-3) have looked much improved under new head coach Todd Bowles. Darrelle Revis has thrived in his return to New York, as Bowles runs a man coverage heavy defense, well suited to Revis’ playing style.

The Miami Dolphins (3-5) have been a huge disappointment. After becoming the highest paid defender in the game, Ndamukong Suh has been a letdown in South Beach. The Dolphins have the 23rd ranked defense and Suh no longer looks like the dominant force he was in Detroit. The Dolphins were underperforming so much that head coach Joe Philbin was fired after just four games and replaced by TE coach Dan Campbell.

The rest of the American Football Conference is a mixed bag. The Cincinnati Bengals (8-0) have emerged as a true powerhouse. Andy Dalton has improved his game and is now playing like an elite QB. After missing most of last year with injuries, Tyler Eifert has become one of the best tight ends in the league. He currently leads the league in touchdown receptions with nine through eight games. With a young offensive core and an experienced defense, the Bengals look prime to compete in the coming years.

For the Denver Broncos (7-1), the narrative has changed. Peyton Manning is still the QB, but his team no longer lights up the scoreboard like it used to. Instead, the Broncos are led by an elite defense. Spearheaded by defensive ends Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos defense can take over any given week. Denver’s first bad game defensively came this past Sunday in an upset loss to the Indianapolis Colts (4-5).

Speaking of the Colts, outside of the victory over Denver, they have not been doing as well as expected. Coming into the year, many expected them to have a historic offense and for QB Andrew Luck to compete for league MVP. Instead, Luck has had the worst year of his career. The offense has looked inconsistent, and there have been whispers of head coach Chuck Pagano losing his job. The Colts are still in prime position for a playoff spot, but only because their division is the worst in football. Division winners get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.

In the National Football Conference South, the Carolina Panthers (8-0) have quietly emerged as the best team in the conference. While his numbers aren’t impressive (14 TD, 11 INT, 228 YPG), Cam Newton has been phenomenal. On defense, cornerback Josh Norman has become a shutdown man to man defender while defensive tackle Kawann Short has stepped his play up to a Pro Bowl level. The mid-season trade for DE Jared Allen has also proved a wise one. Allen looks revitalized in Carolina.

After starting out 6­-0, the Green Bay Packers (6-2) have lost their last two games. The Packers offense looks oddly lost. After losing Jordy Nelson in the preseason and watching Eddie Lacy struggle with weight issues, Aaron Rodgers is suddenly in need of help. Look for Green Bay to get back on track against the hopeless Lions this Sunday.

In the NFC East, the Giants have a loose hold on first place at 5­-4. Eli Manning and the offense have mostly performed well, which they need to as their defense is currently last in the league in yards allowed.

In the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals (6-2) currently hold a two game lead on the Seattle Seahawks (4-4) for first place. An all-important showdown between the two this upcoming Sunday will be vital for control of the division moving forward.