Eight weeks have passed in the 2024 NFL season, and the halfway mark is nearing. Only one team is undefeated through said eight weeks: the Kansas City Chiefs. Just one other team — the Detroit Lions — has lost only one game. On the flip side, two teams have yet to win more than one game: the Carolina Panthers and the Tennessee Titans. However, there are no runaway contenders for MVP quite yet. 

Mo Fun in Motown, the Lions are the kings of the jungle.

The Detroit Lions have long been the NFL’s lovable losers. They were the first team to go undefeated in a 16-game season, back in 2008, and still have yet to make it past the NFC Championship Game. However, they may very well be on the upswing right now. Led by charismatic head coach Dan Campbell and mercurial offensive play-caller Ben Johnson, the sky looks to be the limit for this squad. 

They have a great run game with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs as powerful 1-2 punches out of the backfield, as well as a strong passing game with quarterback Jared Goff and pass-catchers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams (pre-suspension). They currently have the best record in the NFC, are steamrolling teams left and right, and beat potentially their closest divisional rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Because of all of this, the possibilities seem endless for this squad and this could be the year they finally make a Super Bowl.

Jayden Daniels and other rookie QBs seem promising.

A lot of young quarterbacks have been having trouble this season. Second-year QBs Anthony Richardson and Bryce Young have both gotten benched already, as have Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Will Levis. For a while, rookie quarterbacks were more likely to disappoint than not, but this year’s rookie class seems to have changed that. 

The Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels has shown why he was the Heisman winner last year at LSU, and the Bears’ Caleb Williams may finally be the answer at quarterback that Chicago has long needed. Both have led their teams to winning records thus far. Drake Maye hasn’t played as much as the other two of the top three picks, but he has looked good when he has. The other rookie starting quarterback, Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, may have had his best game as a pro Oct. 27 against the Panthers, throwing for 284 yards and three touchdowns. These rookies have not only been successful but also fun to watch, and they are showing that there may well be some young quarterbacks the league can rely on for the future.

Joe(’s team is not super) Cool.

The Cincinnati Bengals made the Super Bowl in 2022, narrowly losing to the Los Angeles Rams.  They made the AFC Championship game in 2023, before missing the playoffs last year due to quarterback Joe Burrow getting injured. The Bengals came into this season with lofty expectations. They have one of the best offenses in the league with Burrow and receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who are all highly regarded players. And yet, they have been unable to get it going this season. The Bengals are currently  3-5 and were blown out 37-17 Oct. 27 at home by the Philadelphia Eagles. With key players for the Bengals’ contracts expiring soon, this was thought to potentially be the last season they had a chance of contending, but that doesn’t look too likely. Coach Zac Taylor is going to need to figure his team out, and soon, or he could find himself in the hot seat very quickly.

Death, taxes and the Steelers exceeding expectations.

The latter feels just as inevitable as the other two these days. Every single season, people write off Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers, and yet, they still find themselves with a record above 500% and in the playoffs. This season may be the best example of this. The AFC North is strong, the Steelers’ quarterback room is mired with uncertainty, the Steelers  didn’t have a great year last season, and yet, they are 6-2 and leading their division. 

This impressive consistency is why Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL. Justin Fields started the season off strong at quarterback, but Tomlin benched him for Russell Wilson, a controversial move that has proved successful thus far. The Steelers have a couple of tough games coming up, playing both the Commanders Nov. 10 and the Ravens Nov. 17, but if they can get through that, the Steelers will likely be able to look back on yet another successful season.

The NFC West may be too even.

Two of the last three NFC champions have come from the NFC West. Going into this season, three teams had a reasonable shot of winning the division, and yet it’s anyone’s game. Three of the four teams are tied with each other at 4-4 (the Rams are at 3-4). Injuries have been the name of the game thus far in the NFC West, with every team having multiple key players miss game time. This division may very well have the four best quarterbacks in the NFL, and once these teams start playing like that, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one of them make a deep playoff run.

Week 9 Predictions: Who should you start and sit?

Start

Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, DET) (Away v. Packers) 

On Nov. 3, the Detroit Lions will be in Wisconsin playing the Green Bay Packers, letting Jahymr Gibbs shine once again. The running back has had 591 rushing yards so far this season and is projected to earn about 1,400. His lowest number of carries has been 11, with his highest at 16. These statistics come from a range of teams that the Lions played, including their win against division rivals the Minnesota Vikings Oct. 24. 

The Lions, the division leaders, are playing the Green Bay Packers, who only have one more loss in their pocket than Detroit and sit at second in the division. Green Bay’s defense is ranked comfortably at 15th in the NFL, yet this falls lower than other teams that the Lions have beaten earlier this season. Gibbs has been consistent this year, contributing to Detroit’s success, with his six touchdowns and no fumbles, and we can only expect for this trend to continue. 

Trey McBride (TE, ARI) (Home v. Bears) 

Tight end Trey McBride has been playing well amongst Arizona’s subpar 4-4 record. So far, McBride has notched 42 receptions and 446 receiving yards, establishing himself as Arizona’s leader in receiving targets. The Cardinals will take on the Chicago Bears at home Nov. 3, and despite falling similarly in terms of records, Arizona’s offense has taken on heavier competition than Chicago this season. The Cardinals won against the Miami Dolphins, ranking sixth for defense, the eighth-ranked Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers, who sit at 10th. These wins — and McBride’s statistics against these teams — means that Arizona can beat the Cardinals and that McBride should start.  

Jalen Hurts (QB, PHI) (Home v. Jaguars) 

The Philadelphia Eagles had a rocky start to their season with many injuries, but quarterback Jalen Hurts has been completing his passes and is not afraid to take the ball for himself. His completion rate per game has increased from 71.4% to 80% in the past two weeks, and he’s totaled 1,544 passing yards so far this season. Hurts has a great running game and this season is no exception. His lowest number of carries is seven, against the New York Giants Oct. 20, and his highest is eight against Cleveland Browns Oct. 13. On Nov. 3, the Eagles are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. The Jaguars have been having a rough season — as usual — and their defense ranking is low, sitting at 29th out of 32. Hurts has scored six touchdowns by his legs, adding another advantage against a struggling Jaguars defense, and he should have an easy time completing passes.

Sit

Joe Flacco (QB, IND) (Away v. Minnesota)

Quarterback Joe Flacco is having an up and down year, let’s just say. This translates to the Indiana Colt’s 4-4 record, being 2-2 when Flacco has played this season. Flacco’s current completion percentage is at 65.7%, and he doesn’t excel in his running game. Flacco has gotten touchdowns this season, with seven in his own pocket, but he hasn’t faced a team as defensively decent as Minnesota thus far. The Vikings have been slowing down after their consecutive victories weeks one through six, but their defense is not to blame. Minnesota’s defense is leading in the NFL in sacks, which will trouble Flacco and his lack of a running game. If he wants to keep that starting position and earn fantasy points, then he needs to run against the Vikings. 

Raheem Mostert (RB, MIA) (Away v. Buffalo) 

The Miami Dolphins are not performing well this season and running back Raheem Mostert is not helping. This season, he only has 45 rushing attempts with 158 yards. He managed to tally two touchdowns over the Arizona Cardinals Oct. 27, which was a nice personal comeback after his fumble Oct. 20 against the Indianapolis Colts. 

However, the Dolphins are taking on a strong Buffalo Bills team in New York Nov. 3, which could be a recipe for a spanking. The Bills are having a fantastic season, testament to their 6-2 record and many offensive successes. Although the Bills struggle in their defensive line, they shouldn’t have issues holding off Mostert. He won’t bring any advancements to the Dolphins offense or any points in fantasy. 

Johnny Mundt (TE, MINN) (Home v. Indiana) 

Minnesota was having a great run… until they lost to the Detroit Lions Oct. 20, and this past week to the Los Angeles Rams Oct. 24. Tight end Johnny Mundt is not the fault of the Minnesota Vikings downfall, but he is not helping bring the momentum back. 

Mundt is barely receiving the ball this season, even when Minnesota was on a roll. He had only one catch against the Rams and against the Houston Texans Sept. 22. His most catches in a game this season is four against the Detroit Lions, and even then he only earned eight yards. Yes, he did have a touchdown, but that was in week one. Since then, he has not been contributing to his team’s success, and now, losses. This season he is projected to have 34 receptions and 226 yards whereas the Niner’s George Kittle, who is ranked the number one tight end in the league right now is projected to have 85 receptions and over 1,000 yards. Do yourself a favor and sit Johnny Mundt.