The NFL's biggest disappointments, surprises and more at the halfway point of the season

The NFL isn't exactly in the middle yet at the start of Week 9 – that middle no longer exists due to the 17-game schedule – but as the calendar turns to November, football weather is taking hold across much of the country , and with a lot of Thanksgiving small talk coming up, now feels like a good time to take stock of what's happened so far this season.

Who are the best teams in the NFL? The best players? Which ones disappointed you the most? Is there a piece that stands out?

We answer all of these questions and more.

Most Valuable Players

Lamar Jackson, Ravens QB

As a two-time MVP, Jackson has a higher hurdle to overcome to impress. Still, he's on pace to post better grades in passer rating, air yards per attempt, yards per pass attempt, quarterback rating, pass yards and interceptions this season than in his previous MVP campaigns in 2019 and 2023. However, sometimes you don't need to pay attention to the stats and just watch games like these:

Jared Goff, Lions QB

A season after a heartbreaking loss in the NFC Championship Game, Jared Goff made sure there was no disappointment for the Lions. Goff was a model of efficiency, completing 74.1% of his passes and setting career highs in yards per attempt and passer rating. While other NFC rivals have struggled, Detroit is arguably looking better than it did a season ago.

TJ Watt, Steelers LB

Can a defensive player really win MVP? If any player on this side of the ball can lay claim to the award, it is TJ Watt, who is undoubtedly the best player on a Steelers team that is in first place in the AFC North. Watt doesn't have the crooked sack totals he often touts – he has 6.5 in eight games – but he remains a game-destroying force. Watt has forced four fumbles this year, the most fumbles in the league.

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers RB

Wait, a player who hasn't played a single yet? Believe it. Just as his presence last season allowed the 49ers' offense to become an outlier in the advanced statistics and score the league's most effective touchdown in the red zone, his absence this season due to Achilles tendonitis in both legs has only underlined his value as a player. The attack lacks dynamism. The 49ers are therefore 4-4.

The most disappointing teams

Cincinnati Bengals

A 1-4 start in which each loss was by six points or less led to two schools of thought: Were the Bengals a snakebite? Or just not good enough to finish a close game? Either way, Cincinnati is on the verge of wasting a strong season from quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja'Marr Chase, the league leader in receiving yards.

New York Jets

No matter how many of Aaron Rodgers' friends the Jets bring with them, they can't seem to make it work. Despite trading for Davante Adams and firing head coach Robert Saleh, New York is just 2-6 – two games worse than its record at this point last season. Rodgers, 40, was one of the biggest problems. He posted the worst numbers of his career in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating.

Miami Dolphins

A year after having the league's best passing offense and second-best scoring offense, the Dolphins are now 2-5 and near the bottom in most offensive categories. A concussion to Tua Tagovailoa in Week 2 not only derailed a season of high expectations, but also raised fears about whether Tagovailoa could be a long-term answer for Miami.

The most surprising teams

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay was a trendy offseason pick to reach the Super Bowl and was expected to do well. But no one would have imagined that they would be 6-2 with quarterback Jordan Love, who has only been healthy for less than six games, or that backup quarterback Malik Willis, a pariah who only joined the team in late August, would step in so seamlessly would love. Don't sleep on a league-best 19 takeaway defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Importing two quarterbacks who had disappointed tremendously in their last stops could have set the stage for a rebuild. Instead, Justin Fields went 4-2 while Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury and Wilson has rattled off two straight wins in his return as a starter. Coach Mike Tomlin's QB gamble paid off.

Minnesota Vikings

Are you noticing a trend? Like the Packers and Steelers, Minnesota (5-2) surprised in the NFL's strongest division with a strong defense – coordinator Brian Flores will likely interview for head coach in a few weeks – and a quarterback, Sam Darnold, who has minimized that Kind of mistakes that doomed his previous outings in the league.

Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is on pace to finish with the fewest touchdowns (19) and most interceptions (22) of his career, and yet the Chiefs are still the only undefeated team in the NFL heading into Week 9. It's been confusing watching Mahomes this season. He is still clearly considered the most fearsome player in the game, even if the stats don't back it up. If anything, he embodies one of the most eye-rolling clichés in sports: He just knows how to win.

More from sports

The most impactful offseason signing

Derrick Henry, Ravens RB

Playing at a position that front offices consider to be the most expendable in the league, Henry is not only still relevant four years after breaking the 2,000-yard mark, he has proven to be invaluable. He made the Ravens look great for adding him. By amassing a league-leading 946 yards on 6.5 yards per carry — an incredible 1.1 more yards per carry than he averaged during that historic 2020 season — he has taken the pressure off Jackson.

Best game

This moment was both shocking in real time and a beautiful microcosm of the Jayden Daniels experience. It was an incredible throw, an exciting moment for a Washington franchise that has had very few this century, and it was a reminder that Daniels is further ahead than Caleb Williams – the highly touted quarterback prospect taken in April's draft Daniels was selected. That explains not only the game, but what Daniels brought to a Commanders team that isn't going away.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com