We are just over halfway through the 2023 National Football League (NFL) season, and it’s been a tremendous first 10 weeks. From standout rookies to stars on pace to rewrite the history books, there are many storylines catching the eyes of the football world. This regular season has the chance to be one of the greatest, with so many great teams duking it out as we near the playoffs. So, here are the top midseason storylines:
The Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles reached their bye weeks this past Sunday. One other thing that these two teams have in common? Their superstar wide receivers have their eyes set on Calvin Johnson’s receiving yards record. The record of 1,964 yards has stood for over 10 years, but Miami and Philadelphia’s wide receivers Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown are torching NFL defenses this year. The pair have amassed 1,076 and 1,005 receiving yards through nine games. For Hill, the lethal speed threat is on pace to break the record with 2,032 by the end of his campaign. Brown, on the other hand, is on pace for 1,898 yards, 66 yards short, but within striking distance. While Hill and Brown do have the fortune of playing a 17th game as opposed to the 16 played back in 2012, they’ll have to lock in if they want any chance at topping Johnson’s historic season.
The American Football Conference (AFC) North is the hottest division in all of football. From top to bottom, the division is loaded with playoff contenders. The Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are all hovering above .500. The Ravens lead the charge at the top with one of the league’s best defenses, but the Bengals are ready to pounce this week on Thursday Night Football. It should make for a fun matchup with two high-powered offenses going to war. The Steelers and Browns are more about the defensive side of the ball, as both offenses have struggled. Pass rushers Myles Garrett for the Browns and T.J. Watt for the Steelers headline their groups, each vying to be this year’s Defensive Player of the Year. The AFC North will be a dogfight the rest of the way and if your team stands in their way, beware of their terrifying defenses.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has taken no time to adjust and is playing like one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. His electric start to his career includes 2,626 passing yards, 17 total touchdowns and just two interceptions through nine games. This has all been done while keeping the Texans’ heads above water in the AFC playoff picture. With each passing week, it feels like no rookie passing record is safe. The Ohio State University product came out guns blazing going 191 pass attempts before throwing his first pick, a rookie record. Then, in week nine, Stroud showed out, slinging it for a single-game rookie record 470 yards in a jaw-dropping performance that included a game-winning touchdown pass to fellow rookie wide receiver Tank Dell with six seconds to go. It’s been utter dominance for Stroud, and with eight games left to play, the Most Valuable Player chants are only getting louder and louder.
It’s been a thrilling start to this NFL season, and fans should be excited for the backend of the schedule. Numerous divisions are in tight races and some stars have their eyes on history. It should make for an exciting road to the playoffs.
