Five NFL teams that could rise in second half of season: Will Jets, 49ers rise?

The NFL season is officially halfway over. But will this week also be a turning point for some teams?

Over the course of 17 games, each franchise is prone to a few fluctuations. The design of the schedule can be an important factor in promoting any blemishes, as built-in advantages or disadvantages can quickly reveal themselves. But teams can hold on to the hope that their performance so far won’t necessarily define their entire year, as it’s not uncommon to see a few groups rise in the standings in the final months each season.

Here are five teams that could rise in the second half of this season, with a closer look at their remaining schedules and other elements that could contribute to their rise:

In 2023, the 49ers emerged from their Week 9 bye to reel off six straight wins en route to claiming the NFC’s No. 1 seed and another conference crown. Could another similar revitalization be in store for Kyle Shanahan’s crew?

Even if San Francisco (4-4) can’t quite match those performances, there’s plenty of evidence that a breakout is coming. The main reason for optimism: Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey could make his season debut as early as Sunday after sitting out the first half of the season with bilateral Achilles tendonitis. His unique all-around skills change the look of an offense that went from fourth in yards after catch last season to 29th so far this year without him. The team’s red zone efficiency also dropped from first to near worst (28th), and McCaffrey should be a force multiplier as someone who can open things up for a passing attack that desperately lacks the speed of Brandon Aiyuk, who is out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament.

The defensive prospects may not be as promising at defensive tackles Javon Hargrave‘s torn triceps leaving San Francisco thin on the inside and a strong safety Talanoa HufangaHis timeline is still unclear, more than a month after he tore the ligaments in his wrist. Linebacker Dre GreenlawHowever, he is “getting closer” to returning from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the Super Bowl, general manager John Lynch said this week.

The schedule features almost no easy outs, with forays into confrontation Green Bay Packers And Buffalo Bills and a house tilt against the Detroit Lions all lurking. But better luck in close games – San Francisco is 1-3 in matchups decided by six points or fewer, with the win over the Dallas Cowboys it never seemed as close as the final score indicated – and health-wise, the 49ers could jump back atop the NFC West in short order.

Arizona, a trendy preseason pick to emerge as the breakout team of the fall, didn’t quite live up to outsized expectations early on as it fell to a 1-3 start. Looking back, it’s easy to understand why this team was on the verge of stumbling, as all three losses came against teams currently leading their respective divisions. Still, Jonathan Gannon’s group has shown surprising resilience, shooting back to 5-4 to seize the lead in the hyper-competitive NFC West.

Now Arizona should have a much easier time navigating the remaining slate, which includes just one game against a team with a winning record (the Minnesota Vikings) and five against sub-.500 squadrons (the Jets from New York, Seattle Seahawks twice, New England Patriots And Carolina Panthers). Arizona is also trying to piece together a pass rush after losing leading threats BJ Ojulari And Dennis Gardeck for the season, as Baron Browning acquisition at trade deadline joins a defense that saw 16 players register a pressure in last week’s win over the Chicago Bears. Too bad about turnovers — Arizona ranks second in lost fumbles with eight — hasn’t derailed a high-powered rushing attack that ranks second in yards per carry (5.3), though offensive coordinator Drew Petzing still has better must find ways to feed themselves Marvin Harrison Jr.the very talented starting receiver who hasn’t found consistency this season.

If the Cardinals can pile up the wins before taking on the Los Angeles Rams and the 49ers in the final two weeks of the regular season, they should be within striking distance of their first division title since 2015.

Grin all you want. While Aaron Rodgers hasn’t yet brought back the idea that his team can ‘run the table’, there is a clear path to at least play-off contention.

By ending their five-match skid with one 21-13 win over the Houston Texans last week, the Jets (3-6) showed several signals that boded well for a run. Yeah, Gang Green can’t afford to keep undermining itself with glaring mistakes like Malachi Corley hands the ball over at the goal lineand it cannot depend on that Garrett Wilson to save the team with catches that set social media on fire. But Rodgers’ connection to Wilson and… Davante Adams could propel the offense to a point of stability, even if the unit never reaches the lofty heights many envisioned. Meanwhile, a defense that racked up eight sacks and flummoxed C.J. Stroud could again yield a significant margin of error.

If the Jets can use their mini-bye to beat the Cardinals, a very favorable remaining schedule – there are no meetings against teams with a winning record until a date of Week 17 on the Buffalo Bills – could contribute to a revival in the second half. New York may have too much ground to make up to end the league’s worst playoff drought, but the landscape indicates the team is likely at least on the fringe of the playoffs will end up in the mix for a top score instead. five design choice.

After dropping their last three games and four of their previous five, the Buccaneers (4-5) might seem like an odd choice for this list. And with wide receiver Mike Evans will miss Sunday’s game against the 49ers due to a hamstring injury – and fellow wideout Chris Godwin out the year with a torn ACL — Tampa Bay’s skid could extend even further.

After that, though, the Buccaneers will enjoy what is easily the league’s easiest slate for the final stretch. Five of the last seven games are against teams that currently have two wins, while one of the remaining games is against the reeling Cowboys. Despite having to compensate for massive defensive deficiencies – Tampa Bay ranks 27th in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.8) – Baker Mayfield and Co. should have more than enough firepower to improve their record. While their three-year reign over the NFC South is likely coming to an end, the Buccaneers appear to have a solid shot at a 10-win mark, which would undoubtedly vault them past at least a few other teams currently ahead of them. in the conference pecking order.

They haven’t yet joined the league’s elite class of contenders, and the long-standing pass rush problem — their nine sacks are the fewest of any team, and their 16.7% pressure rate ranks 30th — still weighs on the Falcons. Still, Atlanta (6-3) is in a much better position than the other contenders on this list, as the team appears poised to run away with the NFC South for its first division title since the 2016 Super Bowl.

But while five of the Falcons’ six wins have been by six points or fewer, there’s reason to believe there will be fewer close calls from here on out. Half of their remaining opponents are tied for the worst record in the league at 2-7 (New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants And Carolina Panthers), while the other potential playoff threats are scheduled (Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings And Washington commanders) have records that look overly inflated. As long as Atlanta doesn’t suffer the kind of setback it suffered three weeks ago in a 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the franchise’s first 12-win season since 2012 is within reach.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five NFL teams that could rise in the second half of the season