The 2023 NFL season is on the verge of reaching the halfway point. A week ago, the league saw its share of surprises, perhaps no bigger than the Denver Broncos ending a 16-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs with a stunning 24-9 victory.
Here are three favored clubs, one that will have an interim head coach on Sunday, that have to be wary of being bitten by the upset bug this weekend.
Indianapolis Colts (at Panthers)
This was a team that was coming off a miserable 4-12-1 showing in 2022 and dropped its final seven games. However, first-time NFL head coach Shane Steichen got the new-look Indianapolis Colts off to a surprising 3-2 start this season.
There was a tough Week 1 loss to the Jaguars and three weeks later an overtime setback to the Los Angeles Rams. In between were victories over the division-rival Texans and Titans, as well as a Week 3 overtime upset of the Ravens at Baltimore.
That was then and this is now.
The Colts have dropped three games in a row. The team has given up 37, 39 and 38 points, respectively, in losses to the Jaguars, Browns and Saints. The latter two games came at home. The defense has gotten steadily worse over this stretch and last Sunday against New Orleans, gave up 511 total yards. In these three setbacks, Gus Bradley's unit has allowed a dozen offensive touchdowns.
The Carolina Panthers are at home for the second consecutive week. The team comes off a last-second 15-13 victory over the Houston Texans, the first of the season for Frank Reich's club. The thinking here is that the momentum for that win carries over and Reich takes advantage of a Bradley defense he has familiarity with.
Baltimore Ravens (vs. Seahawks)
John Harbaugh's surging team remains at the top of the AFC North and is currently riding a three-game winning streak. The Baltimore offense has been very balanced with talented quarterback Lamar Jackson completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 1,767 yards and has three times as many touchdown passes (9) as interceptions (3). He is also the club's second-leading rusher with 380 yards, and he and running back Gus Edwards are tied for the team lead with five touchdowns on the ground.
New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has a unit that has produced 23 offensive TDs in eight contests, 14 on the ground and nine through the air. Only the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Brown have averaged more rushing yards per game (143.1)
However, here come those pesky Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll's club suddenly leads the NFC West with a 5-2 record, getting an assist from the slumping San Francisco 49ers. Quarterback Geno Smith has had his issues with turnovers as of late but this resilient squad has found other ways to win. A solid defense that ranks eighth in the league against the run just added Leonard Williams via trade with the Giants.
Back to Lamar Jackson. Lost a bit in his strong showing this year is losing five of his eight fumbles. Seattle has totaled 26 sacks in its first seven games and could make the Ravens' quarterback a bit uncomfortable.
Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Giants)
The Silver and Black is in the midst of a rough season and has struggled on both sides of the ball, especially when it comes to running the football (32nd in the NFL) and stopping opponents from doing the same. On Monday night in the Motor City, the Detroit Lions gashed the Raiders for 255 yards on the ground. On Tuesday evening, owner Mark Davis relieved head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler of their duties.
As for on the field, are Las Vegas' defensive issues a concern this week against the bottom-ranked offense and passing game in the league and the NFL's lowest-scoring team? The New York Giants still have running back Saquon Barkley, who comes off his biggest effort of the season. He finished with 36 carries for 128 yards in the club's 13-10 overtime loss to the Jets.
The Giants are in Sin City on Sunday in a battle of teams that have combined for five wins. As of late Tuesday evening, the Raiders (-2.5) are a slight home favorite. Both teams have played eight games and each has scored at least 20 points just once. Perhaps the bigger upset here would be if these two struggling squads combined for the OVER on Sunday. DraftKings Sportsbook has the number at 37.5 at the moment.
