NFL Team Stock Watch After 9 Weeks

Is it possible that we are one day away from the start of Week 10 of the NFL season?

What happened? Not much, except for the fact that three teams have opened 8-0 for the first time ever. The Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots have certainly opened all of our eyes.

Here, we take a look at a few teams that are on the rise as well as an equal amount of clubs that are arguably headed in the wrong direction.

While “Stock Up” indicates significant improvement along the way and a team headed on its way to better things this season, “Stock Down” means a franchise has taken a step backward from earlier this season and could be in for some rough times.

While you may or may not be onboard with our choices and subsequent analysis, there’s little doubt we’ll be seeing plenty of feedback. Enjoy.

Stock Up: Carolina Panthers

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

2015 Win-Loss Record: 8-0

How’s this for seven days of work?

The Carolina Panthers extended their record to 8-0 this season by holding on for victories over the Indianapolis Colts (29-26 in OT) and the Green Bay Packers (37-29). Quarterback Cam Newton continues to get better weekly and the defense continues to get timely plays from linebacker Thomas Davis, cornerback Josh Norman and defensive tackle Kawann Short.

Ron Rivera’s club sports the top-ranked rushing attack in the league and Newton is a big part of that, running for 343 yards and five touchdowns. The fifth-year pro won’t wow you with his completion percentage (53.7) but he continues to come through when he’s needed most. Minus wideout Kelvin Benjamin this season, six players have combined to catch Newton’s 14 scoring tosses.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all lost on Sunday, further extending the Panthers’ lead in the NFC South. Of course, it’s safe to say that Carolina has far more than a division title on its mind these days.

Stock Down: Miami Dolphins

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Win-Loss Record: 3-5

So much for that little two-game surge.

The Miami Dolphins got off to a miserable 1-3 start this season, so bad that it prompted the organization to relieve Joe Philbin of his head coaching duties. In stepped Dan Campbell, the team’s tight ends coach who obviously said the right things and watched his club go out and roll the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans on consecutive Sundays. While some point to the caliber of competition, it was the way the Dolphins played that opened some eyes.

But those same people may have wanted to close those same eyes the last two weeks as Miami was pummeled in Foxborough (36-7) and Orchard Park (33-17), respectively. The Dolphins defense once again reverted back to its disappointing form and Campbell and Co. find themselves at 0-4 against the division this season.

Stock Up: Oakland Raiders

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Win-Loss Record: 4-4

It’s suddenly fun once again to watch the Oakland Raiders, especially when quarterback Derek Carr and his friends have the football. Although the team lost on Sunday in a shootout at Pittsburgh, the Silver and Black attack looks alive and well for the first time in years.

In his second season, Carr has thrown 19 touchdown passes while turning over the football just six times (four interceptions, two fumbles lost). The wide receiver duo of veteran Michael Crabtree (47 receptions for 591 yards and five touchdowns) and rookie Amari Cooper (45 receptions for 653 yards and four touchdowns) has been one of the best duos in the league this season. Running back Latavius Murray has added 630 rushing yards and three scores.

Oakland’s defense is somewhat better than it was a year ago thanks in large part to ageless safety Charles Woodson, who is tied for the NFL lead with five interceptions. The Raiders have already totaled as many takeaways (14) as they did all of last season. But it’s also a unit that has allowed the most passing yards in the league in 2015.

There’s still work to be done, but this is a team unquestionably headed in the right direction.

Stock Down: Green Bay Packers

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

2015 Win-Loss Record: 6-2

When you are cruising at 6-0 and then get thumped by a combined 66-39 score in consecutive games, no one is talking about momentum.

But that’s what we’ve seen from the Green Bay Packers the last two weeks against the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. In both games, the Packers’ supposedly improved defense has been exposed in a big way.

Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t looked like Aaron Rodgers for the most part for more than just two games, this despite’s Sunday’s impressive numbers in comeback mode.

Add in the fact that it’s been a rough year for running back Eddie Lacy, who has totaled just 83 carries for only 308 yards and two touchdowns this season. Why the lack of production?

“I don’t have an answer for you,” Packers associate head coach and offensive play-caller Tom Clements told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

“They don’t come much better than Eddie Lacy,” head coach Mike McCarthy added. “He’s an excellent teammate. He’s happy-go-lucky. There’s things he’s not doing very well right now, and he’s working to correct them, and it’s my job to help him.”

Suddenly, McCarthy’s team has company atop the NFC North, as both his club and the Minnesota Vikings stand at 6-2. More than Lacy may need the head coach’s help.

Stock Up: Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

2015 Win-Loss Record: 3-5

Are we to take the recent two-game winning streak of the Kansas City Chiefs seriously?

Perhaps we will find out a lot more this week as the team heads to Denver to face that Broncos defense, one that figures to be in a very bad move following the club’s first loss of the season.

In any case, Andy Reid’s team has had two weeks to savor wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions, this after the Chiefs had suffered through a five-game losing streak—three of those setbacks by seven points or less.

Eight of the team’s 19 offensive touchdowns came in the victories over the Steelers and Lions (yes, we know) and the Chiefs played turnover-free football in both of those wins.

In the victory over the Lions at London, the Kansas City pass rush awoke in the form of six sacks of Matthew Stafford. Kansas City has totaled 11 takeaways this season, just three short of last season’s total.

Yes, the 45-10 rout of the Lions may have been a mirage and elevated some expectations. But here’s a vote for Reid and his staff, who may or may not be ready to make a move upward but get a slight benefit of the doubt here.

Stock Down: Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Win-Loss Record: 6-3

It’s more than just a fact that the Atlanta Falcons have dropped three of their last four games following their surprising 5-0 start. There’s been a season-long shortcoming to this team that continues to plague this club and the inability to find a solution is proving very costly.

Yes, the lack of a pass rush by this club has made things fairly easy for opposing quarterbacks. That’s not to say that Dan Quinn’s defenders haven’t made their share of timely plays (Atlanta has 10 interceptions and a total of 14 takeaways in nine games), but the offense’s recent inability to consistently find the end zone has made this a lethal combination.

Meanwhile, a closer look at the team’s takeaway total shows that the Falcons have forced only four turnovers during their current 1-3 stretch, this after coming up with 10 takeaways during the team’s 5-0 start. And it hasn’t helped that Matt Ryan and the Falcons are averaging only 16.8 points per game the last four weeks.

Stock Up: Chicago Bears

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

2015 Win-Loss Record: 3-5

For all of his critics—and there are many—you may want to take a closer look at how quarterback Jay Cutler is playing these days.

Granted, the Chicago Bears are still three games behind both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. But for the third time in five contests, Cutler has brought his team back to win after trailing in the fourth quarter, the latest example being Monday night’s 22-19 triumph at San Diego.

After being outscored by a combined 105-46 score during a dreadful 0-3 start, the Bears are 3-2 in their last five games (all three wins vs. AFC West opponents), and each of those five contests have been decided by three points or less.

Cutler has looked like a more confident quarterback this season, throwing twice as many touchdown passes (10) as interceptions (five) while turning over the football just seven times in eight games. That’s a far cry from a player who coughed up the football 24 times in 15 contests last season.

While Chicago’s defense still struggles to stop the run, the team is ranked ninth in total defense and is starting to get the hang of Vic Fangio’s defense. While there’s still half a season to go, don’t be surprised if the Bears have something to say about who’s headed to the playoffs in 2015.

Stock Down: Buffalo Bills

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

2015 Win-Loss Record: 4-4

Yes, the Buffalo Bills are back to the .500 mark thanks to their latest rout of the Miami Dolphins.

But it’s somewhat hard to take Rex Ryan and Co. seriously until they develop a little reliability. Buffalo’s 33-17 win on Sunday snapped a three-game home losing streak.

On Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the Bills collide with the 5-3 New York Jets in a game that could go a long way to deciding a playoff berth. It would be a good time for Buffalo’s disappointing pass rush to make an appearance this season. After totaling 57 sacks in 2013 and an NFL-high 54 sacks last season, the team has totaled only 13 sacks in eight contests.

Yes, there have been injuries to quarterback Tyrod Taylor, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and running back LeSean McCoy this season. But defense is Ryan’s calling card and the lack of consistency on that side of the football is disappointing. The Bills have only 58 points in their four wins while surrendering 132 points in an equal amount of losses.

Now Ryan takes aim at his former team this week. But is the bombastic coach more interested in beating the Jets or winning the game? That’s just one part of an erratic team that we just can’t count on consistently.

Stock Up: Minnesota Vikings

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Win-Loss Record: 6-2

Winners of four straight games, the Minnesota Vikings are suddenly neck-and-neck with the Green Bay Packers when it comes to the top spot in the NFC North.

The last two weeks have seen walk-off victories over the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, the latter in overtime. Thanks to running back Adrian Peterson, only five teams in the league have gained more yards per game on the ground.

While second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has actually totaled more turnovers (seven) than touchdown passes (six), it’s his leadership that has been the key to this team getting the job done when it’s needed most. Rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs leads the team with 28 catches and 461 receiving yards and he, Mike Wallace and tight end Kyle Rudolph have combined for all six of Bridgewater’s touchdown tosses.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s defense is ranked seventh in the NFL in fewest yards allowed. The pass rush has produced 19 sacks and the Vikings have allowed only 14 offensive touchdowns in eight games.

Kudos to Mike Zimmer, who has made this an intriguing team and one that may have its best football ahead.

Stock Down: New Orleans Saints

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Win-Loss Record: 4-5

If you spent the last two Sundays at the Superdome and you like offensive football, good for you. In the span of eight days, the New Orleans Saints (80), New York Giants (49) and Tennessee Titans (34) combined for 163 points in eight-plus quarters of play.

But if you think the kind of defense the Saints are playing isn’t offensive, we can’t help you. This past week, the Titans snapped a six-game losing streak by defeating Drew Brees and friends in overtime, 34-28.

Despite their recent reversal of misfortune, it’s hard to believe that this club is going anywhere if it can’t stop anyone. Sean Payton’s squad is allowing 29.8 points per game and Rob Ryan’s defensive unit has allowed 31 offensive touchdowns, including two dozen through the air.

Stock Up: Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

2015 Win-Loss Record: 4-4

This offseason, no team’s constant roster shuffling drew more attention than the Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback Nick Foles, running back DeMarco Murray and cornerback Brandon Boykin were dealt, linebacker Trent Cole, cornerback Cary Williams and offensive lineman Todd Herremans were let go, and star wideout Jeremy Maclin signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The new faces in the City of Brotherly Love got off to a 1-3 start, but the Birds have changed course just when it looked like they were flying south for the winter. Three wins in four games has this team right back in the thick of the disappointing NFC East race.

Recent wins over the Giants and Cowboys have enabled the Eagles to even their divisional record at 2-2 this season. The defense is far from perfect, but Philadelphia ranks second in the NFL with 20 takeaways. And if quarterback Sam Bradford can up his game one or two more notches, we may be hearing from Kelly’s club later in January after all.

Stock Down: San Diego Chargers

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

2015 Win-Loss Record: 2-7

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers keeps on pitching and, unfortunately, Mike McCoy’s team keeps on finding a way to come up short on the scoreboard.

On Monday night, Qualcomm Stadium at times sounded like Soldier Field. And the fans who came to cheer the Chicago Bears went home happy as quarterback Jay Cutler rallied his team for a 22-19 victory. It was the third consecutive home loss for the Bolts and their fifth straight setback overall. Seven losses this season equals the Chargers’ totals in 2013 and 2014.

With the talk of relocation to Los Angeles as well as the Chargers’ disappointing record, there aren’t a lot of positives when it comes to this club as of late.

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth-chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.