The first half of the 2025 NFL season is over, and it has not turned out the way most fans had expected. There have been numerous success stories and failures of projected contenders. Injuries have also ravaged the league, with them seemingly more destructive than in previous years.
The AFC has seen a historical shakeup in its division leaders. None of the teams projected to win their divisions at the season’s start are currently doing so, and the current AFC playoff picture features two new teams that missed the playoffs last year.
In his first year in Indianapolis, quarterback Daniel Jones has the Colts sitting at 7-2 atop the entire AFC. Jones had spent his entire career until this year with the New York Giants, and was widely viewed as a bust. In his first nine games with the Colts, however, Jones is leading the league in passing yards. Former all-pro running back Jonathan Taylor has also reemerged as one of the league’s best rushers behind a strong Colts offensive line; after his all pro season in 2021, he had a few mediocre years, but finally seems to be playing like his former self again. As the Colts look to continue their success this year and potentially make a playoff run, they traded two first-round draft picks and WR Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets in exchange for star corner back “Sauce” Gardner just before the trade deadline on November 4.
Both the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, led by second year quarterbacks, are also sitting at 7-2, leading the AFC East and West over the assumed favorites, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers are first in the AFC North with a record of 5-3. At 41, Rodgers came into Pittsburgh this season after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Jets, with many thinking his talent was waning and his career was nearing an end. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, however, the revamped offense with Rodgers at QB and the new addition of wide receiver DK Metcalf has seemingly ignited a spark. The Steelers have historically had strong defenses and mediocre offenses, so they came into the season expecting much of the same. Now, the Steelers rank 12th league wide in offensive points per game but 30th in yards allowed to opponents, as almost the exact opposite has taken place.
Coming alongside the surprising division leaders have been a few underperforming teams who expected stronger starts to the season. These teams came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but are now trying to fight out of losing records and secure a spot in the playoffs.
The Baltimore Ravens entered the season as the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl. Fast forward to midseason, they sit at 3-5 after a long slide due to poor coaching on the defensive side of the ball and injuries. The Ravens started the season with one of their all-too-familiar fourth quarter collapses as they threw away a 15 point lead over the Buffalo Bills with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Their Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs saw star quarterback Lamar Jackson go down with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three weeks. As the defense has improved and players have returned from injury, the Ravens are crawling their way back into the playoff race, sitting second in the AFC North and two games behind the leading Steelers.
A year ago, the Commanders were shocking the world en route to a 12-5 record and their first NFC Championship game in 33 years. This year has seen quite the opposite; the Commanders have not been able to stay healthy, and it’s ultimately derailing their season. They have dealt with some lengthy injuries, including QB Jayden Daniels getting injured on three separate occasions, WR Terry McLaurin missing weeks with a quad injury and at least six players dealing with season-ending injuries. The defense has struggled for the Commanders, too, with FOX Sports ranking them No. 28 out of the 32 teams. They seemingly struggle in pass coverage and can’t get any pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With the Commanders sitting at 3-6 and their starting quarterback out for at least three weeks, it only makes sense for the national capital’s football team to start moving on and thinking about next season.
The Houston Texans last year won the AFC South with a 10-7 record and won their Wild Card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers. They have started off this year 3-5. The Texans have been very dysfunctional on offense, especially in the red zone, where they rank last in red zone scoring percentage failing to turn drives into touchdowns. It also doesn’t help when their starting quarterback, C.J. Stroud, missed time with a concussion. RB Joe Mixon is done for the year and WR Nico Collins both missed a lot of games. Their offensive line has not been good, giving C.J. Stroud little time in the pocket and creating liabilities in the run game. The rise of the Daniel Jones-led Colts hurts the Texans, with them taking a commanding lead in the AFC South. As the offseason approaches, the Texans need to consider retooling their offense.
As the 2025 NFL season is in the second half of the year, the Super Bowl seems harder to predict than ever. Parity across the league seems to be at an all time high with all the new division leaders and teams earning Super Bowl consideration. As the season continues, the playoff race will prove to be one of the most interesting ones in recent memory.