West Indies 197 for 3 (Chase 94, Hope 77*, Mujeeb 2-33) beat Afghanistan 194 (Rahmat 61, Alikhil 58, Holder 2-21, Chase 2-31) by seven wickets

Roston Chase fell six short of his maiden ODI hundred, while Shai Hope scored an unbeaten 77 as West Indies beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first ODI in Lucknow. They now lead the three-match series 1-0.

After being put in, half-centuries from Rahmat Shah and Ikram Alikhil had taken Afghanistan to 126 for 2 around the halfway stage. But it was Alikhil's run-out that proved to be the turning point. The batsman left his crease to congratulate Rahmat on his fifty with the ball still in play. And when Hope broke the stumps and West Indies appealed, he had to walk back.

Afghanistan couldn't recover from there and were bowled out for 194 in 45.2 overs. For West Indies, Jason Holder, Chase and debutant Romario Shepherd picked up two wickets each, while the USA legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr, who became the 14th player to represent two teams in ODIs, also chipped in with a wicket.

West Indies lost two early wickets in their chase but Hope and Chase added 163 in a third-wicket stand to ensure West Indies were always ahead in the game. Chase fell when West Indies were seven away from the victory. Hope and Nicholas Pooran took them over the line with 21 balls to spare.

Earlier, Afghanistan didn't have a great start as Sheldon Cottrell and Holder bowled testing lines and lengths. With just five runs on the board after four overs, Hazratullah Zazai swatted one past Cottrell for four but the bowler slipped in a searing yorker next to send Zazai's leg stump cartwheeling. In the next over, Holder had Ahmadi caught at second slip to leave Afghanistan 15 for 2 at the end of six overs.

Rahmat and Alikhil too found it difficult to score and while Afghanistan played out 49 dot balls in the first ten overs, the two ensured there wasn't a top-order collapse.

In the 11th over, Alikhil pulled Holder twice behind square leg for back-to-back fours and that changed things a bit. Afghanistan got to 50 in the 15th over before Rahmat lofted Shepherd down the ground for a six and swept Chase for four. At the other end, Alikhil top-edged Joseph for six, clobbered him to deep midwicket for four and brought up his fifty in 47 balls after being 4 off 17 at one stage.

Rahmat and Alikhil added 111 in 124 balls for the third wicket but the ball off which Rahmat brought up his fifty also saw his partner being run-out. Once that stand was broken, wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Najibullah Zadran was dismissed in the same over as Alikhil, caught at first slip off Chase for a duck. Rahmat and Asghar Afghan took the side past 150 but Rahmat too fell to Chase when he mistimed a scoop to Holder at backward square leg.

Asghar tried to hold the innings together and almost succeeded in it. At 188 for 6 with him and Gulbadin Naib in, Afghanistan were looking good for a total of around 230-240. But they lost their last four wickets in three runs and failed to reach even 200.

West Indies too didn't start well. Mujeeb Ur Rahman beat Hope with carrom ball on more than once occasion but it was Lewis who fell to it. Playing back to a length ball, the left-hand batsman was trapped lbw. Shimron Hetmyer didn't last long either and was caught-behind off Naveen-ul-Haq.

But after that Chase joined hands with Hope and a small target meant the two could take their time. Chase was the dominant partner in the century stand, hitting 11 fours during his innings, while Hope played the supportive role.

Though the Afghanistan bowlers were economical, they were not penetrative enough. Both Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi went wicketless, with former now having taken just three wickets in the last seven ODIs.

In the 40th over, Mujeeb got Chase to edge one behind but Alikhil couldn't latch on to it. Chase was on 85 at the time and West Indies 24 away from the win. Mujeeb eventually bowled Chase but it was already too late.

It's not easy being a head coach in the NFL. The season began with eight new coaches -- we're looking at rookie head coaches and veteran coaches with new teams. The eight have a combined record of 17-47-1.

Not everyone has struggled out of the gate -- Matt LaFleur has the Packers in first place in the NFC North. How has everyone else fared?

NFL Nation gauges the first-half performance of each new head coach, and NFL reporter Dan Graziano offers them some advice for the second half of the season.

Exceeds expectations

Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers (7-2)

Biggest signs of progress: LaFleur has built relationships -- not only with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, which was a must, but with the entire locker room. Most thought LaFleur was hired to revamp the Packers' sluggish offense and get Rodgers back to an MVP level, but perhaps underrated was LaFleur's people skills and his ability to build camaraderie among the players. They've taken ownership in his program and as free-agent pickup Preston Smith told me: "You can set a standard and have a standard, but players have to enforce that standard and come out every day and be ready to play and play for one another." Other than the clunker against the Chargers, that has been the case.

What he needs to do better: Not much. It's hard to find fault with a 7-2 team but if there's something he needs to get a better handle on, it's special teams. Though specialists Mason Crosby and JK Scott have performed at a high level, the return game and coverage units have been a recurring issue. It took a while for LaFleur to settle on Shawn Mennenga as the special-teams coordinator when he put together his first staff and perhaps now it will be necessary for LaFleur to get even more involved in those units. -- Rob Demovsky

Second-half advice: Win your division. Matt, you're 7-2 and in first place. You're the only one of these guys with real playoff expectations for the second half. Your mission is to hold off the Vikings and see if you can't make a run at a first-round bye. Hot starts are precious so keep things humming with Rodgers and don't squander yours. -- Dan Graziano

Meets expectations

Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals (3-5-1)

Biggest signs of progress: Kingsbury has adjusted to the NFL game, as evidenced every week. Kingsbury came into this season without any NFL head-coaching experience. It took him some time to figure out what works and what doesn't, but Kingsbury has found a groove calling plays and running his scheme. He has figured out the importance of running the football and how it's necessary to stay patient when down a score or two. But overall, Kingsbury has shown he can coach in this league. He just needs the right roster to fit his offense.

What he needs to do better: A few of his decisions have been head-scratching and they've cost the Cardinals a shot at winning some games. Against the New Orleans Saints, Kingsbury went for it on fourth-and-1 in Saints territory while down 10-6 about midway through the third quarter. They Cardinals didn't convert, turning the ball over to the Saints, who scored a few plays later. Early in the season, Kingsbury was calling questionable passing plays in the red zone, where most coaches would traditionally run the ball. Though Kingsbury is far from traditional, he has also realized that he needs to call a traditional game at times to win. -- Josh Weinfuss

Second-half advice: Just keep getting reps. It's pretty unlikely this organization flips over the apple cart two offseasons in a row, so you can keep a long-range focus. Kyler Murray and your offensive plan are showing signs of life. Make this second half about getting better. Murray getting better, the receivers growing around him, you getting better at managing the team through the game ... just keep repping. -- Dan Graziano

Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos (3-6)

Biggest signs of progress: Fangio has seen the roster grow increasingly younger right before his eyes, either because of injuries, trades or personnel decisions. And he and his staff have coached those young players well. The team is improving, for the most part, week to week as players such as Chris Harris Jr., Courtland Sutton, Derek Wolfe and Justin Simmons are playing some of the best football of their careers, and players who weren't even on the roster before Aug. 31 have been capable starters in spots, such as Davontae Harris at cornerback.

What he needs to do better: Fangio's extensive résumé is on defense, but the team's struggles to score points are now on his watch. QB Joe Flacco's criticism that things are a little too close to the vest at times was mostly spot on. Nobody is saying chucking it deep all the time, but they need to be more efficient in how they use their personnel on offense (23 of the 29 sacks given up this season have come when they're in a three-wide look) and take advantage of matchups where they clearly hold an edge. -- Jeff Legwold

Second-half advice: Run a killer defense. The offense isn't going to be there for you in Year 1, Vic. Without a quarterback or a plan at quarterback, you're just stuck. So do what you're great at -- go with what got you here. Establish a dominant defense in Denver so you guys can go out on the market and maybe get a quarterback to sign with you. -- Dan Graziano

Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins (1-7)

Biggest signs of progress: Cutting down on penalties. Flores surprised some players when he introduced the T.N.T. (Takes No Talent) Wall, making them run to it every time they made a mistake that "takes no talent" like false starts or jumping offside. But it has paid off. The Dolphins have the fewest accepted penalties in the NFL (5.6 per game). There isn't a lot of talent in Miami, but Flores has gotten his team playing hard and disciplined, which has kept them in games as of late.

What he needs to do better: The Dolphins rank in the bottom four in scoring offense, yardage, scoring defense, yards allowed, passing offense, rushing offense, rushing defense, sacks, sacks allowed, takeaways, giveaways, and turnover differential. But we'll focus on the last one, their league-worst turnover differential (minus-13). Flores' defense has forced only four turnovers this season, tied for the fewest in the NFL, which has given them little chance to catch teams once they fall behind. Their 17 giveaways force them into holes way too often. So the discipline has to transfer to this area next. -- Cameron Wolfe

Second-half advice: Find out who's with you. We all know the core of your team's future lies in the trove of draft picks your front office has assembled over the next two years. But some of the guys on the current team are going to be a part of that future. This second half should be about finding out who they are. You're going to do a lot of losing. Find out who you can count on to stick with you through tough times. -- Dan Graziano

Below expectations

Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)

Biggest signs of progress: To Taylor's credit, the locker room appears to be fully behind its new coaching staff despite the winless start to the season. Players have retained the optimism of their new coach during the buildup to games this season. Establishing a good culture was one of Taylor's primary objectives when he arrived after two seasons on Sean McVay's coaching staff with the Rams. So far, Taylor has done that successfully as he tries to pick up his first win.

What he needs to do better: Taylor is still trying to find his way as a playcaller. The coaching staff is trying to instill its philosophy that primarily centers on running 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) as the base package. However, the Bengals have struggled to find any rhythm and consistency on offense, which is one of the main reasons they are winless. Before Cincinnati's off week, Taylor started to mix in more diverse offensive packages, which indicates he might be learning to adapt as an offensive coordinator. -- Ben Baby

Second-half advice: Find out what you have in QB Ryan Finley. It looks as if your draft pick will be a high one, so it'd be good to know before the draft whether you need to use it on a quarterback. Benching Andy Dalton at this point was the right move because it gives you a long look at Finley -- maybe even with WR A.J. Green to help him -- and tells you whether he has a chance to be the solution or whether you need to find one in April. -- Dan Graziano

Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns (2-6)

Biggest signs of progress: Save for a brief fumbling spell, Kitchens has gotten the most out of Nick Chubb, who has been among the league's most effective running backs in his second season. Kitchens was Chubb's position coach last year before becoming interim offensive coordinator. The defense has been decent for the most part, too, despite injuries to its secondary, and the special teams units are much improved.

What he needs to do better: The Browns are arguably the most undisciplined team in the league, and ultimately that falls on the head coach. Cleveland, the NFL leader in penalties, is the only team to commit 13 or more penalties in a game twice, both resulting in double-digit losses. The Browns are also tied for third in turnovers, trailing only the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Factor in the dubious challenge flags, questionable clock management and, at times, curious playcalling, and this has been arguably the NFL's biggest disappointment thus far. -- Jake Trotter

Second-half advice: Give them a reason to bring you back. All the high hopes with which they trusted you are circling the drain. You're not making this year's playoffs, and if the level of disappointment continues to crescendo, you're going to convince them all you were the wrong guy for the job. Show them you can bring the team together and finish strong, even with hope lost. That'll prove you've got head-coaching stuff inside of you, and it might keep you around for another year. -- Dan Graziano

Adam Gase, New York Jets (1-7)

Biggest signs of progress: The Jets have been so bad that it's really hard to pinpoint one area in which Gase has excelled. The team is a laughingstock because its offense is historically bad (Gase's area of expertise) and because of off-the-field dramas. Star safety Jamal Adams is feuding with management because he was dangled in trade talks, and former guard Kelechi Osemele was cut because he had shoulder surgery without the blessing of the team -- an ugly divorce that made the organization look bad. In Gase's defense, there hasn't been a full-blown mutiny in the locker room (yet), so that's something. He also has managed to keep his cool with the media, another small victory.

What he needs to do better: Gase's pet project, QB Sam Darnold, has regressed under his tutelage. Gase has failed to create a pass-protection scheme that protects the franchise's No. 1 asset from a weekly beating. There have been too many blown assignments and mental errors on offense. He hasn't figured out a way to get versatile RB Le'Veon Bell involved in the offense on a consistent basis. Granted, he's working with a sub-standard offensive line, but there has been no evidence that suggests he can get replacement-level players to overachieve. Gase's game management has been suspect, and there's no excuse for that because he's a fourth-year head coach. We could go on, but you get the point. -- Rich Cimini

Second-half advice: Get Darnold on track. There's no way this season can possibly live up to any win/loss expectations you had for it, and frankly, they're calling for your head already. Your best bet to get the angry mob off your back is to get Darnold playing at a higher level by the end of the year than he is right now. What the Jets' fan base wants is hope, and if they think Darnold is on the ascent, that'll help. -- Dan Graziano

Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6)

Biggest signs of progress: Arians has infused an air of confidence that has been much-needed inside the building after Dirk Koetter spent three years learning on the job. Arians assembled a strong coaching staff composed of some top-caliber teachers and advisers, including one of the best defensive minds in the business in former New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles. Arians' biggest asset is his ability to gauge what players need psychologically, infusing discipline and encouragement. The two bright spots have been pulling road upsets over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 and Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. They also nearly beat the Seattle Seahawks on the road in overtime in Week 9.

What he needs to do better: Arians' assessment this summer that the "secondary has been fixed," couldn't have been more wrong, and you could argue that it set an extremely inexperienced group up to fail. They continue to give up chunk plays on defense and have struggled coming out at halftime. They're also blowing fourth-quarter leads. Offensively, there have been communication issues resulting in receivers running the wrong routes and even a collision in the backfield against the Tennessee Titans that could only be described as "Butt Fumble 2.0" -- understandable in Week 1 but in Week 8, it's unacceptable. Quarterback Jameis Winston doesn't appear any closer to resolving his turnover issues. There also has been questionable playcalling and use of personnel from offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, who appears to be going through his own set of growing pains as an inexperienced playcaller. -- Jenna Laine

Second-half advice: Win some games, man. You have the fourth-best scoring offense in the league and you've lost four games in a row. We all know the organization has to make a Winston decision in the offseason, but that decision will be a lot more fun to make if you guys can finish the season strong and translate some of that offensive production into wins. -- Dan Graziano

Every NFL team has played at least eight games, so it is time to pause and take stock of the results.

How do we describe the first half? Who is the MVP? What will make the season a success? NFL Nation answers the questions for all 32 teams.

Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE
NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

First half in two words: As expected. The Bills' 6-2 start isn't a surprise given their strength of schedule. The defense's performance through eight games has also been strong. Even quarterback Josh Allen, who set a career high with 89 consecutive passes without an interception, has stifled his hero-ball instincts within the Bills' newly implemented intermediate passing game.

First-half MVP: Wide receiver John Brown might be one of the league's best offseason signings. Brown is on pace for a career-high 1,206 receiving yards -- which would be the most by a Bills player since Lee Evans' 1,292 in 2006. Brown is Buffalo's unquestioned No. 1 receiver with 267 more yards than any of his teammates. If the Bills' vertical passing game gets going, the speedster Brown could explode.

The second half will be a success if: The offense plays complementary football. The Bills' defense was directly responsible for five of the team's six wins -- an unsustainable model, as the Eagles proved in Week 8. This team needs its offense to hold up its end of the bargain, sustain drives and score points, which would allow its defense to stay fresh instead of wear down. Buffalo's defense should keep every game within reach, but its offense must be able to take over when necessary. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Miami Dolphins

First half in two words: Painful process. This was the Dolphins' long-term plan -- undergo one bad season featuring an extreme talent purge in order to collect draft picks and clean up their salary cap -- but that hasn't made it easier to swallow. The "tanking" label and embarrassing losses have worn on players and coaches, but Miami's win over the New York Jets gave the Dolphins some joy in a painful process.

First-half MVP: Ryan Fitzpatrick. There aren't a lot of strong choices here, but the Dolphins have looked like a completely different team since Fitzpatrick became the quarterback during the fourth quarter of their Week 6 game vs. Washington. Since then, the Fitzpatrick-led Dolphins have scored 10 touchdowns in 13 quarters. They scored just two touchdowns in their first 19 quarters. Fitzpatrick is completing 65% of his passes and has seven touchdowns, three interceptions and a 95.3 passer rating since reentering the starting lineup. That's the FitzMagic factor on the field, and his off-the-field leadership has helped a young team continue to fight.

The second half will be a success if: The Dolphins continue to develop young players who will be a part of their long-term future. There has been positive progress in the first half for Preston Williams, Vince Biegel, Mike Gesicki and Raekwon McMillan. If coach Brian Flores continues to earn his players' trust and fight through this adversity, he'll be in great shape headed into Year 2 with more talent. -- Cameron Wolfe

New England Patriots

First half in two words: Building cushion. In posting the AFC's best record (8-1), the Patriots beat up on mostly inferior competition and put themselves in good position in the big picture. They are now in the midst of the toughest portion of their schedule, so this stretch should provide a better barometer of how they measure up.

First-half MVP: Stephon Gilmore. The All-Pro cornerback has been arguably the best player on the Patriots' best unit through the first half of the season. Gilmore's ability to match up with a wide variety of pass-catchers provides valuable flexibility to the coaching staff, which has preferred more man coverage. He has three interceptions and a team-high 10 passes defended this season.

The second half will be a success if: The offensive line becomes a strength. When the Patriots made their run to Super Bowl LIII, quarterback Tom Brady noted how the offensive line played together for most of the year and was the backbone of the attack. This year, a string of injuries has hurt the line, especially left tackle, which is why the return of 2018 first-round draft pick Isaiah Wynn (toe injury, eligible to play Nov. 24 vs. Dallas) from IR might be the most important development of the second half. Getting the line back up to speed, to the point where the running game can become more of a factor, is critical. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

First half in two words: Unmitigated disaster. Everything has gone wrong, from quarterback Sam Darnold's mononucleosis, to linebacker C.J. Mosley's injury, to running back Le'Veon Bell's lack of production, to safety Jamal Adams' feud with management. The Jets have been a mess, on and off the field.

First-half MVP: GM Joe Douglas. Obviously, this is a reach, but the plain truth is that no one -- no player, no coach -- deserves this kind of recognition. Douglas has been on the job for only four months, hardly enough time to make an imprint, but he's valuable to the franchise because he has the daunting task of rebuilding this talent-starved roster. The Jets are counting on his football savvy to lead them through this dark time. This is his first time in the big chair, so there are no guarantees, but Douglas represents hope for better days.

The second half will be a success if: Darnold regains his confidence and finishes on the upswing. He's mired in a three-game funk, rattled by the lack of pass protection. Coach Adam Gase is supposed to be the quarterback whisperer, so it's on him to fix the franchise's most valuable commodity. A strong finish by Darnold wouldn't make everything better, but it would validate the organization's faith in him. It also would give ownership a tangible reason for keeping Gase around in 2020. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

First half in two words: Shattering expectations. When the season began, the Ravens repeatedly heard how they were the third-best team in the AFC North and Lamar Jackson faced questions about whether he was a legitimate NFL quarterback. Midway through the season, Baltimore (6-2) has the AFC's second-best record and Jackson has established himself as an NFL MVP candidate. After upsets of the Seahawks and Patriots, no one is overlooking the Ravens.

First-half MVP: Lamar Jackson. The bigger question is whether Jackson is the MVP of the entire league. He's the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to total more than 1,800 yards passing and 600 yards rushing in the first eight games of a season. He has outplayed Russell Wilson and Tom Brady in head-to-head matchups. Jackson has been an effective passer, ranking 13th with a 95.4 rating. He has been nearly unstoppable in the open field, juking out defenders for the NFL's 10th-most rushing yards (637) this season. What can't be measured is how Jackson has become the emotional leader for one of the NFL's most dangerous teams.

The second half will be a success if: The Ravens capture one of the top two seeds in the AFC and earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. How rare of an accomplishment would that be? The Ravens have had a first-round bye only twice (2006 and 2011) in their first 23 years of existence. Baltimore currently sits in the No. 2 spot in the AFC, but it will be a challenge to hold onto it. After playing at the winless Bengals, the Ravens have a grueling four-game stretch against the Texans, Rams, 49ers and Bills -- who have combined for a 25-8 record (.757). Baltimore, though, has proved it can beat the best teams in the NFL. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

First half in two words: Historically awful. The Bengals are the only winless team in the NFL at the midseason mark. If Cincinnati loses its Week 10 game against the Ravens, it will be the franchise's worst start since the Bengals opened the season with 10 consecutive losses in 1993.

First-half MVP: Special teams coach Darrin Simmons. He has been one of the few bright spots. Entering Week 8, Kevin Huber was second in the NFL in punts inside the opponent's 10-yard line (23.1%). Safety Brandon Wilson is one of four players with a kickoff return touchdown, is second in the league in yards per return (37.44) and first in average distance to goal following a kickoff return (61.4). And after facing some preseason competition, kicker Randy Bullock has made 11 of 13 field goals, including eight straight. Simmons deserves a ton of credit for the unit's success.

The second half will be a success if: Cincinnati can identify some key pieces to build around. Starting this week, everything is geared toward 2020 and beyond. The Bengals are going to see what rookie quarterback Ryan Finley brings to the offense. By the end of this season, first-year coach Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati front office will know whether Finley has the potential to be the franchise's quarterback of the future. If not, the Bengals could use their first-round pick in the 2020 draft on one of the top quarterbacks. Developing young players and establishing a winning culture will be the two most important things for Taylor. -- Ben Baby

Cleveland Browns

First half in two words: Discipline debacle. The Browns are first in penalties and tied for third in turnovers, which has prevented this team from generating any rhythm or momentum.

First-half MVP: Nick Chubb. The second-year running back out of Georgia is second in the league with 100.4 rushing yards per game and third among running backs with 5.21 yards per carry. Save for a brief fumbling spell in which he turned the ball over on back-to-back plays two weeks ago against the New England Patriots, Chubb has been the driving force behind an otherwise underwhelming offense. It will be interesting to see how the Browns divide carries now that 2017 rushing champ Kareem Hunt returns from his suspension. Regardless, Chubb figures to remain the backbone of the Cleveland offense.

The second half will be a success if: The Browns miraculously rally to make the playoffs and end the NFL's longest playoff drought, which will probably require Cleveland winning its first division title in 30 years. Despite owning the second-easiest remaining schedule, that figures to be a long shot. Only one team in the Super Bowl era -- the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals -- has come back to make the playoffs after starting a season 2-6 or worse. -- Jake Trotter

Pittsburgh Steelers

First half in two words: Rebound, reshape. The Steelers have been dealt a healthy dose of challenges: Ben Roethlisberger's elbow injury, Mason Rudolph's concussion, James Conner's shoulder injury. After an 0-3 start, they're 4-4 thanks to their ability to adapt to the injuries. A big part of that is standout performance by the defense, which linebacker Bud Dupree said has focused on making up for Roethlisberger's absence by fueling the offense with momentum-changing plays.

First-half MVP: General manager Kevin Colbert. The Week 3 move to trade a 2020 first-round pick for Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was met with skepticism given the Steelers' uncertain future at quarterback. But Colbert's big swing is paying off early: Fitzpatrick has four interceptions, including a 96-yard pick-six against the Colts. The former first-round pick has been a game-changer, and Colbert's move to trade for him on an inexpensive rookie contract will likely continue to pay off.

The second half will be a success if: Rudolph can find a consistent rhythm. In his first season guiding the offense, the quarterback has struggled to start fast. He has thrown interceptions on each of the first two drives after coming back from his Week 5 concussion. For the second half to be a success, Rudolph needs to build on his earlier performances and eliminate early mistakes. -- Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

First half in two words: Consistently inconsistent. Offensively, the Texans have been hot and cold, and they struggled against the Jaguars in Week 2 (scoring 13 points) and Panthers in Week 4 (10 points), but then put up 53 in Week 5 against the Falcons. Houston has an excellent offense on paper -- even though wide receiver Will Fuller is out because of a hamstring injury -- but the Texans need to figure out how to be more consistent in the second half.

First-half MVP: Deshaun Watson. Without a doubt, the Texans quarterback is the most important player on this team. On Sunday against the Jaguars, Watson showed again how plays are never over, even when he is facing pressure. After the game, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was asked what case he would make for Watson to be the NFL MVP. "Deshaun can make the case for himself from his play," Hopkins said. "I can't. I can get up here and say a thousand words, but if you watch him play ... his play speaks for himself and what he can do. Not just run the football, but throwing the football, getting out of the pocket, and helping his team win."

The second half will be a success if: The Texans figure out how to replace the production of injured defensive end J.J. Watt, who tore his pectoral muscle in Week 8 and will miss the rest of the season. Although he had only four sacks, he led the NFL in quarterback hits and pressures, all while being double-teamed on 29.8% of his pass rushes as an edge rusher, the second-highest rate in the NFL when he got hurt. Two years ago, when Watt missed more than half the season on injured reserve, Houston had Jadeveon Clowney. Now, Houston's only proven pass-rusher is Whitney Mercilus, who is going to get a lot more attention moving forward. -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

First half in two words: If only. The Colts could be sitting with a 7-1 record halfway through the season if only Adam Vinatieri could be a consistent kicker. The 46-year-old Vinatieri was responsible for the Colts' Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he missed two field goals and an extra point. On Sunday, he missed a game-winning field goal against Pittsburgh. He has already missed 10 kicks -- five extra points and five field goals -- and the season is at the midway point. Vinatieri has made a career-low 70.6% of his field goal attempts. The clock is ticking on the career of the NFL's all-time leading scorer.

First-half MVP: Coach Frank Reich. He lost franchise quarterback Andrew Luck two weeks prior to the start of the regular season, is dealing with Vinatieri's kicking problems and they were still in first place in the division up until squandering the Pittsburgh game in Week 9. Reich's calming personality and belief in quarterback Jacoby Brissett helped the Colts weather losing Luck. Reich hasn't put too much on Brissett, instead relying on the offensive line to become more of a running team this season. The Colts are 11th in the NFL in rushing attempts.

The second half will be a success if: The Colts can take advantage of their schedule to get back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The division race appears to be between the Colts and Texans. Five of the Colts' final eight games are against teams that currently have losing records. December will be key for the Colts, as they play three of their final five games on the road, including games at New Orleans and Jacksonville, a team they haven't beaten on the road since 2014. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

First half in two words: Gardner Minshew. When quarterback Nick Foles went down in the first half of the season opener with a broken collarbone, the general thought was the Jaguars were in trouble. Minshew, a rookie drafted in the sixth round, did not play well in the preseason (zero points on 30 drives). The Jaguars were going to have to bring in a veteran and hope to be around .500 when Foles returned. Except ... Minshew turned out to be solid. He has 13 TD passes and four interceptions, but more importantly, has a 4-4 record as a starter, including Sunday's 26-3 loss to Houston. The Jaguars are 4-5 and still in the AFC South and playoff race.

First-half MVP: Leonard Fournette. He had a terrible 2018 -- injuries cost him eight games, a fight and suspension, the loss of guaranteed money, weight gain, questions about his maturity and work ethic, and the scolding from Tom Coughlin -- but he's been very good this season. He leads the AFC in rushing (831 yards) and he's playing 89% of the Jaguars' offensive snaps. Imagine how much the offense would have struggled without him. We might be talking about the Jaguars being in the running for the first overall pick, which is why he's the MVP.

The second half will be a success if: The Jaguars stay in the playoff race. Only one of the remaining six teams they play has a winning record (they play Indianapolis twice) and other than New England and Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes returns, the rest of the AFC is pretty wide open. Owner Shad Khan wanted significant improvement from last season, and competing for a playoff spot in December instead of being out of the race by Halloween (which has pretty much been the case for much of the last decade) definitely qualifies. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

First half in two words: Consistently inconsistent. The Titans are one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. Every time it seems like they're on track, they turn in a subpar performance. Even after a quarterback switch, the offense is up and down, which has helped contribute to their 4-5 record.

First-half MVP: Logan Ryan. After finishing without an interception in his first two seasons with the Titans, Ryan is tied with Kevin Byard for the team lead with three picks. He has the task of covering slot receivers every week but holds his own. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees likes to send Ryan on the blitz out of their nickel package, which has led to his 3.5 sacks. No defensive back has more sacks than Ryan dating back to the start of the 2018 season. The Titans secondary is the most reliable unit on the team, and Ryan is one of their best defensive backs.

The second half will be a success if: The Titans can rely more on running back Derrick Henry, who has 164 carries for 644 yards through nine games. Henry's season-low 13 carries came in a Week 9 loss to the Panthers. Getting Henry the ball and using play-action is the key for the Titans' offense.-- Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

First half in two words: Growing pains. The Broncos have lost two games on the final play and another with 22 seconds remaining. The makeover is well underway as proven by Denver's starting offense in Week 9, which averaged 25 years old. The quarterback question is nowhere close to being answered. There are plenty of times when the talent deficit shows, but first-year coach Vic Fangio has kept the Broncos competitive. Other than the dismal loss to the Chiefs, the Broncos have played with backbone.

First-half MVP: Chris Harris Jr. Certainly Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay, Justin Simmons, Derek Wolfe and Von Miller are in consideration, but Fangio has often put Harris on the opponents' best receiver. While the Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, T.Y. Hilton and Odell Beckham Jr. have each had a moment or two -- Hill's touchdown and Hilton's third-down catch late in the Colts' win -- none of the group has topped 90 yards and Hill has the only score.

The second half will be a success if: The Broncos can simply get their bearings on offense. The quarterback question will not be answered in the final seven weeks, no matter how much rookie Drew Lock does or doesn't practice or play. But the Broncos can continue to groom Lindsay, Sutton, Noah Fant, Dalton Risner and Royce Freeman into a core to build around. First-year coordinator Rich Scangarello's task will be to continue to tailor the offense to its players. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

First half in two words: First place. Being atop the AFC West at 6-3 is an accomplishment given a larger-than-usual number of injuries, including one that kept quarterback Patrick Mahomes from playing the past two weeks. The Chiefs have bigger goals, but given what they've faced this season, they'll happily accept their current standing.

First-half MVP: Mahomes. He got off to a great start before slumping (by his high standards) and then being knocked out by a dislocated kneecap. The Chiefs were able to split the two games he missed but his absence has left little doubt the Chiefs are legitimate Super Bowl contenders with him in the lineup.

The second half will be a success if: The Chiefs win the AFC West. That didn't seem like much of a goal when the season started or even five weeks ago. But a rash of injuries left the Chiefs in a weakened state and unable to emerge from a difficult five-week stretch of schedule with more than two victories. The Chiefs could still be a tough out in the playoffs if they get Mahomes and most of their other injured players back by the end of the season. So holding off the Raiders and winning their division would still leave a lot in play for the Chiefs. -- Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

First half in two words: Disappointing performance. The Chargers could point to any number of reasons for the rough start, from running back Melvin Gordon's holdout to injuries or the intense pressure of finding their way entering their third year in the ultra-competitive market of L.A. But the bottom line is the Chargers have not met preseason expectations and performed like a Super Bowl contender. Those struggles led to the dismissal of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt last week.

First-half MVP: Joey Bosa. In his fourth NFL season, the edge rusher is tied for fourth in the NFL with 8.5 sacks in nine games. Even more impressive, Bosa is second on the Chargers with 46 combined tackles, showing he can do more than get after quarterbacks, including defend against the run.

The second half will be a success if: The Chargers continue to play like they have of late. They got their offense on track in a big win over the Green Bay Packers, finishing with a season-high 159 rushing yards. The defense and special teams performed well too. If the Chargers continue to play well in all three phases, they have a chance to compete for a playoff spot. -- Eric D. Williams

Oakland Raiders

First half in two words: Almost there. The Raiders survived their grueling six-week roadie through Minnesota, Indianapolis, London, Green Bay and Houston and emerged with a white-knuckle 31-24 victory over the Lions to improve to 4-4. Two winnable home games are next, against the suddenly awake Chargers and still-sleeping Bengals. If the Raiders truly fashion themselves playoff contenders, they have to handle their business.

First-half MVP: Josh Jacobs. All the rookie running back has done is carry the Raiders' offense while allowing quarterback Derek Carr to settle into his role in his second year in coach Jon Gruden's offense. Jacobs, who has topped the century mark rushing in three of his past four games, has rushed for 740 yards, eclipsing Marcus Allen's franchise rookie rushing record of 697 yards in the nine-game, strike-shortened 1982 season, and six touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Jacobs could use some work on catching the ball out of the backfield but, hey, nobody's perfect, right?

The second half will be a success if: This is twofold because while Carr holds the keys to the offense, the defense has to be more of a bend-but-don't-break outfit going forward. Carr, as noted, is settling into his role of a, gasp, pseudo-game-manager in Gruden's offense. And Jacobs' productivity behind a reimagined offensive line has been a revelation that sets up Carr nicely in the play-action pass game. Carr has the tools to outscore a lot of the teams in the NFL but he needs the defense to keep things manageable, as it did in the defeat of the Lions. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

First half in two words: Too inconsistent. The Cowboys looked like Super Bowl contenders in their 3-0 start and then lost three consecutive games, including one to the winless New York Jets. They followed that with back-to-back wins to stay atop the NFC East at 5-3 over Philadelphia at the midway point. "It's important not to be kind of playing from behind like we did last year," Ezekiel Elliott said. "We got it done, but it's definitely a lot different feeling in this locker room. We've just got to keep getting better. We've got to keep putting four quarters together every Sunday and I think we're going to be good."

First-half MVP: Dak Prescott. He entered the season under pressure to perform because he opted not to accept the Cowboys' offer on a long-term deal. The bet on himself could pay off in a big way, with him being on pace for career highs in passing yards and touchdowns. He's showed improvement as a passer while also continuing to be dangerous as a runner. He still has room to grow but he has been their most valuable and important player through the first half and that will need to continue the second half.

The second half will be a success if: The Cowboys win the division. Gaining home-field advantage or the second seed will be difficult with so many teams ahead of them at the moment, and earning a wild card will be hard because of losses to Green Bay and New Orleans. Winning the NFC East is their best path to the playoffs and they are undefeated in the division so far. They don't have much wiggle room and a difficult schedule awaits, especially the next four weeks against Minnesota, Detroit, New England and Buffalo. -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

First half in two words: Bad. Again. The Giants were 2-7 through nine games last year and are 2-7 again. Enough with the idea of trying to compete while rebuilding. The Giants came into this season with a 38-year-old starting quarterback (Eli Manning) and signed a 30-plus wide receiver (Golden Tate) as their key free-agent acquisition. They intended to be in the running for the playoffs before quickly recalibrating expectations (for the third straight year) and turning to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. No team has more losses than the Giants (31) since the start of 2017.

First-half MVP: Markus Golden. This isn't supposed to be so difficult. Maybe that is why they're 2-7, though. Golden gets the nod because he's been their most productive player in all nine games. He has a team-leading 5.5 sacks and 14 pressures this season. Injuries have helped his cause, with offensive stars Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Jones, Sterling Shepard and Tate missing time this season.

The second half will be a success if: Jones continues to improve. If he can improve his ball security and decision-making while simultaneously continuing to make splash plays, it gives the Giants real hope for the future. It's not so much about wins and losses the final seven games as much as it is about how Jones plays and takes care of his turnover problem. Even if he takes baby steps, it can be viewed as a positive. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

First half in two words: Roller-coaster ride. There have been blowout losses and dominant wins, and signs of dysfunction and displays of character. Players like to use the word resilient to describe this team, though mercurial fits, too.

First-half MVP: Running back Jordan Howard. Traded from Chicago to Philadelphia for a conditional sixth-round pick this offseason, Howard has proven to be a stabilizing force for the Eagles. He is far and away the leader in rushing yards (525) and touchdowns (six). Injuries at receiver have made the passing game an adventure, but when coach Doug Pederson turns to the run, he knows he has a physical, reliable back in Howard, who is going to choose the right hole and crash through it. Howard's snaps and carries continue to increase as his value is realized.

The second half will be a success if: The Eagles commit to an identity. The offense has to run through tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert and running backs Howard and Miles Sanders. Quarterback Carson Wentz needs to challenge defenses with his legs (without running recklessly into traffic) to create opportunities downfield and maintain drives. The offensive line is strong and there is enough talent on the team to overcome issues at receiver, but the Eagles have to stick to the right recipe. -- Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

First half in two words: Complete disaster. The Redskins fired coach Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start. They failed to trade holdout tackle Trent Williams, leading to harsh words by the Pro Bowler after he reported. They lost key players to injuries (tight end Jordan Reed and running back Chris Thompson) and, at 1-8, are off to their worst start in 21 years. They wanted rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins to sit and learn all year, but those plans were derailed and he's endured growing pains. Meanwhile, their stadium has become a home away from home for visiting teams.

First-half MVP: Running back Adrian Peterson. He did little in the first five games, largely a coaching decision, but has been the main reason Washington has had a chance in any game. He has eight carries of 15-plus yards in the past four games; a younger Peterson would have ripped off some long touchdown runs. He's past that point, but his passion and toughness haven't waned. In the past four games, he's rushed for 383 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry -- without the benefit of a passing attack.

The second half will be a success if: Haskins develops. The rookie has no touchdown passes in eight-and-a-half quarters and 44 throws. Haskins is not in an optimal spot considering the dearth of offensive talent, but he must show how he handles protection calls or how well he's making his reads and avoiding turnovers. He needs to show the veterans -- and any prospective coaches -- he can handle the job. But he also must make a big play or two with his arm. He has attempted two passes of 20 yards or longer; completing neither. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

First half in two words: Very disappointing. The Bears were supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. Instead, Chicago is 3-5 and falling further out of the NFC playoff picture with each passing week. The offense is a disaster. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has not improved. This is not what the Bears expected.

First-half MVP: Allen Robinson. The veteran wide receiver is the only bright spot on offense. Robinson caught one pass in the Week 9 loss to Philadelphia, but he still leads the team with 47 receptions for 532 yards and three touchdowns. Where would the Bears be without him?

The second half will be a success if: Trubisky begins to string together good performances. Both are highly unlikely. The Bears are in serious trouble and the schedule is unforgiving. Chicago has road games against the Packers, Rams and Vikings, and a home game against the Chiefs in Week 16. That spells trouble. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

First half in two words: Perfectly mediocre. It's probably not what the Lions want to hear, but it is their identity. Flashes of brilliance, particularly on offense, coupled with turnovers at inopportune times and a defense that can't stop the run or pass, and it leaves the Lions right in the middle of the NFL -- a place where they've lived for many, many years.

First-half MVP: Matthew Stafford. The quarterback is playing the best football of his career. Halfway through the season, he would be in the MVP conversation if his team were playing better as a group. He's thrown for 2,499 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's on pace for his best season since 2011, when he threw for 5,038 yards, but he's a better overall quarterback now than he was then. He's making his receivers better and is in command of Darrell Bevell's offense.

The second half will be a success if: The defense can fix its problems. The Lions have allowed more than 100 yards rushing in every game this season. The unit continues to struggle to reach quarterbacks -- although Trey Flowers is starting to round into form. And the defense can't cover anyone, either, surrendering big games to quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr. Coach Matt Patricia is viewed as a defensive mastermind. His team needs to show it if it's going to be .500 or better this year, let alone contend for a playoff berth. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

First half in two words: First place. Despite Sunday's dud against the Chargers, the Packers lead the NFC North in what many thought would be a rebuilding year under new coach Matt LaFleur. But quarterback Aaron Rodgers wasn't kidding when he said this offseason there's no grace period for this team. After two years out of the playoffs, the Packers look like a contender again.

First-half MVP: Brian Gutekunst. The second-year GM knew he needed to fortify his defense and went all-in on that side of the ball. He hit home runs with sack leaders Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith and found a stabilizing force in safety Adrian Amos. He drafted a budding star in safety Darnell Savage. Only top overall pick Rashan Gary has been a bit of a disappointment, but there's time to groom him. The only knock on Gutekunst was his failure to give Rodgers another weapon, but a GM can't address every shortcoming in one season.

The second half will be a success if: Rodgers and the offense are more like what they showed against the Raiders and Chiefs than the way they looked against the Chargers. Rodgers put himself back into the NFL MVP race after the two former games, but the entire offense was a failure in the last loss. With Davante Adams back from his toe injury, Rodgers and LaFleur have to figure out how to mesh their Pro Bowl receiver with the success running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams enjoyed while Adams was out. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

First half in two words: Highs, lows. It has been the best of times (a stretch of wins that lasted the entire month of October), and the worst of times (heartbreaking losses to Green Bay, Chicago and Kansas City) for the Vikings. Kirk Cousins put together a stretch where he statistically was the best QB in the NFL, leading the league in completion percentage and yards per attempt from Weeks 5-8. But he's still struggling in big moments, including Sunday's 26-23 loss at Kansas City when he had chance to lead Minnesota to a win in the final 2:30. Instead, he is now 0-10-1 in his Vikings career when trailing in the fourth quarter. The defense, meanwhile, isn't the same unit it was in 2017 despite having most of the same pieces that got this team to the NFC Championship Game. For all the moments where this defense stole the show (against Philadelphia, for example), there have been others where Mike Zimmer's unit came up painfully short (i.e., getting gutted by big plays in Kansas City).

First-half MVP: Dalvin Cook. The running back leads the NFL in rushing (894 yards), has a team-high nine touchdowns and his 1,232 yards from scrimmage through nine games are the second-most in Vikings history. Cook's first two seasons were disrupted by knee and hamstring injuries, but this season he's shown the ability to be an explosive playmaker in the passing game, helping the Vikings become one of the best teams at executing running back screens with his 10.2 yards per catch.

The second half will be a success if: The Vikings win games against contending teams. If Minnesota wants to advance further than the wild-card round of the playoffs, it has to earn wins at Dallas and Seattle. Cousins needs a victory against a team of that stature to quiet the notion he can't win "the big one" and instill the confidence he can get his team past the NFL's best should the Vikings still be playing in January. -- Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

First half in two words: Total disaster. The Falcons were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones, and with coach Dan Quinn taking over as the defensive coordinator. Instead, the Falcons started 1-7 and have dropped six consecutive games. It's been a combination of not establishing the run on offense, having too many mental lapses on defense, picking up too many penalties and faltering on special teams with missed kicks.

First-half MVP: Grady Jarrett. If there's been one player who has been consistently good through the first eight games, it's been the defensive tackle. He has proven himself more than worthy of the four-year, $68 million extension ($42.5 million guaranteed) he received in July. Jarrett leads the Falcons with three sacks and has two forced fumbles along with six tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits. Jarrett can't do it all by himself, although he's tried.

The second half will be a success if: The Falcons win all eight games. That's likely impossible, but that's all Quinn can sell owner Arthur Blank on at this point, with his job on the line. A coaching change seems inevitable, but Quinn certainly will try to rally the Falcons by saying they have a chance to sweep the NFC South in the second half because no division games have been played. The first game in the second half of the season is on the road against the rival New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees, and the Falcons are 0-4 on the road. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

First half in two words: Very resilient. The Panthers have gone 5-1 with untested and undrafted quarterback Kyle Allen since an 0-2 start and losing starter Cam Newton to a foot injury. They bounced back from a 51-13 loss at San Francisco with a victory over the Tennessee Titans, so as edge rusher Bruce Irvin said, "We've got a bunch of fighters.''

First-half MVP: Running back Christian McCaffrey isn't just the MVP of the Panthers, but perhaps the entire league. He has 1,244 total yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. He's accounted for 45.8% of the team's yards from scrimmage. No other player in the league entering Sunday had above 37%. He has three touchdown runs of 50-plus yards. No one else in the league has more than one. His 13 total touchdowns are as many as Adrian Peterson had during 16 games in 2012, the last time a running back beat a quarterback for MVP.

The second half will be a success if: McCaffrey can maintain his MVP pace, Allen can manage the offense without big mistakes and the defense can continue to terrorize quarterbacks. It'll take all that with a tough second-half schedule that begins with a trip to Green Bay. The Panthers, with 34 sacks, are on pace for 68, which would put them within range of the NFL single-season record of 72 by the '84 Bears. They are at plus-six in turnover ratio. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

First half in two words: Thumbs-up. The Saints are remarkably 7-1, despite losing quarterback Drew Brees for five weeks because of a thumb injury. Their defense was lights-out in his absence, making the case for the Saints as the NFL's most talented roster from top to bottom.

First-half MVP: Michael Thomas. "Can't Guard Mike" should actually be getting more traction as a league MVP candidate; he would be the first wide receiver to win the award. Not only is he on pace to break Marvin Harrison's NFL record of 143 catches in a season, but he has been a lifeline for both of the Saints quarterbacks -- not missing a beat when Teddy Bridgewater filled in for Brees. With 73 catches for 875 yards, Thomas has 40 more catches and 579 more receiving yards than anyone else on the team.

The second half will be a success if: They reach the Super Bowl. At this point, anything else would be a colossal disappointment. The Saints have been knocking on the door the past two years, only to wind up as victims of the "Minneapolis Miracle" and the "NOLA no-call." Now they have another clear path to the NFC's No. 1 seed, with a critical Week 13 home game against San Francisco highlighting the second-half schedule. Brees, running back Alvin Kamara and most of the roster should be healthy after a Week 9 bye. Their biggest concern is finding reliable pass-catchers beyond Thomas and Kamara, but the Saints sure look like the NFC's team to beat. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

First half in two words: Wildly inconsistent. Quarterback Jameis Winston went from throwing seven touchdowns and two interceptions in Weeks 3 and 4 to throwing three touchdowns and five interceptions in Weeks 5 and 6. The Bucs upset the Los Angeles Rams on the road 55-40 in Week 4 and took the Seattle Seahawks into overtime in Week 9. But they also looked like an abomination against the Carolina Panthers in London with six turnovers and fell to a Ryan Tannehill-led Tennessee Titans squad the following week.

First-half MVP: Shaquil Barrett. The former Denver Broncos reserve outside linebacker signed a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason and has produced 10.5 sacks through eight games -- more than any other player in the league. He's also earned an additional $500,000 in bonuses for reaching double-digit sacks.

The second half will be a success if: The Bucs can find a winning formula with their defense and offense. Eliminating one or two explosive plays per game from opposing offenses would dramatically change the outlook for this team. They also have to avoid turnovers on offense, finding the right balance of risk versus reward for Winston, who leads the league with 16 turnovers -- three more than any other player. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

First half in two words: Offensive inconsistency. The Cardinals started 0-3-1 and then won three straight. Throughout it all, the offense that coach Kliff Kingsbury hoped to run has been up and down. He's been creative but for as good as the offense looks at times, it looks equally bad at others.

First-half MVP: Chandler Jones. The Cardinals outside linebacker is third in the NFL in sacks (9.5) and has been a dominant force each week, including those when he's held sackless. In those games -- three this season -- offensive lines have doubled him and made sure he doesn't beat them, a sign of respect and his impact. That also allows other defenders to get clearer lanes to the quarterback. If Jones can get on a hot streak, he may play himself into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

The second half will be a success if: The Cardinals can find more consistency on offense under rookie quarterback Kyler Murray, who has thrown for 2,229 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions while completing nearly 71% of his passes. The offense has shown glimpses of being superb this season, but it needs to sustain those stretches. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

First half in two words: Consistently inconsistent. Through eight games, consistency is the word that seems to be heard most often when talking with coaches and players about the Rams' 5-3 first half. They have played great, at times, on offense, defense and special teams, but have been unable to play well in all three phases through four quarters or in consecutive games.

First-half MVP: Aaron Donald. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year doesn't have the sack numbers (5 in 2019) that he did a season ago when he finished with 20.5, but he has commanded a considerable amount of attention, proven by the number of double- and triple-teams he has absorbed. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Donald has been double-teamed on 63.7% of snaps and has a pass rush win rate of 26.8%.

The second half will be a success if: The offense can establish an identity. It's a weird phrase to write, given coach Sean McVay's 11-personnel offense became an overnight sensation in 2017 and powered the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in last season. However, through eight games, the offense has appeared to be a shell of its former self, even as it has produced 26.8 points a game, which ranks eighth in the NFL. The Rams must commit to establishing the run, something they've appeared reluctant to do, as Jared Goff has attempted 315 passes and Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson (plus a few receivers) have contributed 199 carries. -- Lindsey Thiry

San Francisco 49ers

First half in two words: Nearly perfect. The 49ers are the league's biggest surprise after surging to an 8-0 start. They haven't been flawless in every game but the fact they have continued to find different ways to win bodes well for a deep postseason run.

First-half MVP: Coach Kyle Shanahan. There's plenty of credit to go around and choosing one person is difficult. So, we're giving it to Shanahan because of the job he's done, not only in helping shape the roster but also for his coaching staff's work developing talent and his in-game X's and O's and management. The Niners have even proved able to overcome injuries to key starters far better than they had in recent years, another tribute to the job Shanahan and his staff have done.

The second half will be a success if: The 49ers win the division and make a run at the Super Bowl. This team has answered every question thrown its way but one thing nobody knows is how it will fare in the bright lights of the postseason. There's a lot of young talent here that hasn't flinched in big moments but those moments are about to get much bigger. The 8-0 start gives the Niners some margin for error but even with the schedule getting tougher, they should win the division and finish with a top-2 seed in the NFC. If that happens, anything is possible come January. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

First half in two words: White-knuckle. That's how the Seahawks have been winning, with six of seven victories coming by a single score and an average of 3.5 points. They have a plus-18 point differential with one win against a team that's currently above .500.

First-half MVP: Russell Wilson isn't just the Seahawks' MVP. The quarterback might be the NFL's MVP. Wilson has a league-high 22 touchdown passes (he's rushed for three more scores) and one interception. He also leads the NFL with a 118.2 passer rating and has been above 100 in all but one game. Said left tackle Duane Brown after Wilson led a game-winning overtime drive Sunday against Tampa Bay, bailing out their defense and kicker Jason Myers, "He's the MVP this year. I think he's been showing it all year, and he continued to do it today."

The second half will be a success if: The pass defense improves. The Seahawks aren't as loaded on that side of the ball as they were during their back-to-back Super Bowl seasons, but they have too much talent to be sitting at 22 in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA rankings. It's hard to find anything Seattle does above average on that side of the ball. Most glaring is how no one other than Jadeveon Clowney has provided much in the way of pass rush. They need Ziggy Ansah and others to step up and make life easier on their young and rebuilt secondary that got torched in consecutive weeks by Matt Schaub and Jameis Winston. -- Brady Henderson

The new Wales coaching team, led by Wayne Pivac, has a tough act to follow after Warren Gatland's departure, says former British and Irish Lions prop Adam Jones.

The Harlequins scrum coach credits the New Zealander with changing his career and says the 12 years under Gatland were as good, if not better, than the golden era of the 1970s.

Jones was substituted by Gatland after 32 minutes in his final - and 95th - appearance for Wales, but says "he changed my career, I owe him a lot".

READ MORE:How can Pivac follow Gatland?

Bath and Wales back row Taulupe Faletau has returned to training after a collarbone injury which ruled him out of the World Cup in Japan.

Faletau was injured during a training camp with the national squad in July.

"He's not far away, he's in and around training and hopefully we'll see him back in a Bath jersey soon," director of rugby Stuart Hooper said.

British and Irish Lion Faletau, 28, last played a Test for his country in March 2018 and for Bath in January.

An injury hit 2018-19 campaign saw him miss the autumn international series and the Six Nations after fracturing his arm in October and then January.

"It was one of those things that was completely unavoidable," Hooper told BBC Radio Wales. "That's what can happen in a contact sport.

"Taulupe was disappointed as he loves playing rugby. At the time (of the second fracture), it stopped him playing for Wales, but the previous injury stopped him playing for Bath.

"Whichever jersey he's pulling on, he loves to play the game and put's a smile on his face, so the quicker he can get back out there, the better."

Bath host early Premiership leaders Northampton at The Rec on Saturday before starting their European Champions Cup campaign against Ulster on 16 November.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kraig Kinser will pay homage to his famous father with a special throwback paint scheme this week during the Can-Am World Finals.

VanHorn Racing Graphics recently produced a retro paint scheme as a tribute to Steve Kinser. Kraig Kinser will race the scheme during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series final event of the season, running Thursday through Saturday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, N.C.

“Jeff VanHorn, who does our decals, is opening a new building and had an open house,” Kinser said. “He wanted to do the car. We talked about it for the Knoxville Nationals, but we didn’t have enough time. It’s a throwback. I think it looks pretty good.”

Kinser has been successful at the North Carolina oval, where he recorded results of sixth and ninth, respectively, earlier this season. He passed a combined 23 cars during the two World Finals main events last year, earning the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars during the season finale.

“It’s a track that has been good to us in the past,” he said. “We just hope that we can carry on positive runs there. We’re pretty confident. We try to bring as much confidence with us as possible without being overconfident. We realized it’s tough race. A lot of guys come to Charlotte at the end of the year. It’s turned into a big event.”

A pair of top-five finishes would give Kinser his most top fives and top 10s in a World of Outlaws season since 2017, when he ran 10 more races than this year. He is also seeking his first triumph since 2017.

“We’re looking to do the best we can,” he said. “We want to go in there and get a win. We want to end the year on a good note. Hopefully we have speed when we unload and can stay up there and adapt to the track conditions.”

LAS VEGAS – The 22nd annual Duel in the Desert for IMCA modifieds and IMCA Northern Sport Mods will fill The Dirt Track at Las Vegas’ pit area next week for a four-day event.

Running from Nov. 13-16, Wednesday is practice followed by two nights of preliminary racing, with heats, B-mains and A-mains that will lock drivers into the Saturday finale.

The modifieds have a pair of mains each preliminary night, moving the top four to the championship race, while the single sport mod main elevates the top six.

Last year, 206 IMCA modifieds and 97 IMCA Northern Sport Mods created the largest event in the Western United States, and Jason Hughes from Watts, Okla., won the Saturday finale.

Hughes earned $7,777.77 for his win in the 40-lapper.

In the 25-lap sport mod main on Saturday, it was Denison, Iowa’s Jake Sauchu winning the $1,777.77 share for his championship run.

The event will also be available on IMCA.tv streaming.

Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will miss at least two weeks after being injured while being hit by a puck during Tuesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche, according to coach Jim Montgomery.

Klingberg, 27, did not play in the third period of the Stars' 4-1 win. Montgomery said the sixth-year veteran suffered a lower-body injury on the same play in which a puck struck him in the face. Klingberg stayed in the game at first but was ultimately ruled out for the final period.

He is expected to undergo further evaluation Wednesday.

Klingberg has played in all 17 Stars games this season, with one goal and three assists while averaging 23:36 in ice time per game.

The Stars were already without defenseman Andrej Sekera, who missed his fourth straight game Tuesday. Montgomery said Sekera hurt his chest, back, both hips and a knee when he crashed into the boards on Oct. 26. Defenseman Roman Polak also has not played since fracturing his sternum in the team's season opener.

Just when you start to think that you have a good grasp on the NHL, it knocks you on your butt by throwing a curveball at you. We're now through the first month of the regular season, and the standings still look predictably unpredictable.

Whether it's the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers or Buffalo Sabres, there are a number of teams that have risen from the basement to the penthouse in the early going, bumping those that we had penciled into those top spots further down the pecking order.

Let's try to run some quick diagnostics on the presumptive contenders that have come out of the gate sputtering, see if there are any quick fixes that can help them reverse course and start playing the type of hockey we've come to expect, as well as whether they'll actually get back on track.

San Jose Sharks

The problem: Pretty much everything that could've conceivably gone wrong in San Jose already has. Only the Red Wings have more losses than their 10 defeats, and only the Red Wings have a worse goal differential than their hideous minus-29. The defense is once again bad, but what's different this season is that the offense hasn't been there to bail it out. The Sharks have the 29th-ranked offense at 5-on-5, and if not for a power play that's still got some bite to it, they'd be near the bottom overall. The offseason talent exodus -- and subsequent hit to their depth -- has played a role in that dip, but their remaining star players aren't without blame because they haven't played up to their usual standards, either.

Given their remaining talent, the goals will start to come, but their inability to keep the puck out of their own net looks like it'll ultimately be their demise yet again. After being 21st in goals against last season, they're now down to 28th, and it's silly to expect different results when they keep doing the same thing over and over again without making any real changes.

The fix: In this case, identifying the problem is the easy part, but finding a realistic solution isn't quite so simple. Considering that the combination of goaltenders Martin Jones and Aaron Dell are 30th in 5-on-5 save percentage and 29th in all-situations save percentage, the natural reaction would be to suggest finding a new goalie. The issue runs deeper than that, however. On the one hand, the Sharks are heavily committed to Jones financially for five more seasons beyond this one, and it's not really possible for them to take on any more money at the position without getting out from under his cumbersome contract first. That's not happening, because no one is taking a 30-year-old goalie with an .895 save percentage since the start of last season who is still owed $21 million.

The other complicating factor is that it's not even a given that a different goalie would fare much better in this environment as currently constructed. Only the Rangers and Blackhawks give up more high-danger opportunities, and if you tack the Jets onto that group, those three are the only teams that are currently sporting worse expected-goals-against rates than the Sharks. Whether it's the personnel or the system, the reality is that San Jose bleeds odd-man rushes and scoring chances of such high quality and quantity that it's unreasonable to expect any netminder to thrive in that crease.

So how do the Sharks address that, then? Without the benefit of financial flexibility or even a 2020 first-round pick to go out and add a player via trade, the only path for improvement left for them is through internal adjustments to the personnel they already have.

The first step is to free up Brent Burns so that he can run wild and create offense like he has in the past. They've really done him a disservice thus far by attaching him to Marc-Edouard Vlasic as Justin Braun's successor this season, both because Vlasic is a shell of his former self but also because Burns' unique skill set is wasted playing the types of defensively slanted minutes that have been reserved for Vlasic's shutdown pairing in the past. With Burns and Vlasic on the ice together at 5-on-5, the Sharks have mightily struggled, controlling just 46.9% of the shot attempts, 30.8% of the goals scored and 40.6% of the expected goals.

Considering how vital it's been for the Sharks to run their offense through Burns over the years, it's no surprise that they've been as anemic at even strength as they have while he's been anchored. They need to help him shake free, and let him loose on the opposition doing what he does best. Bumping Vlasic down the lineup, and pairing Burns with essentially anyone else while feeding him softer minutes in the attacking zone would be a good first step toward accomplishing just that.

The outlook: The Sharks need to do something and do it quickly, because throwing away a season at this point isn't a palatable option. With the way they've built their roster and pushed all of their chips into the center of the table with this group, the window for San Jose to contend has a well-defined shelf life to it. Between Erik Karlsson, Burns, Vlasic, Logan Couture and Jones, they have north of $40 million committed to a group of players who are either already in their 30s or about to enter them, and all of those deals run for another handful of seasons. With those players soaking up that much cap space while progressively depreciating, it's tough to envision a scenario in which the Sharks are better positioned to make some noise than they are at the moment.

That's a scary thought given how bad they've looked early on, but the silver lining is that all is not lost quite yet. They still play in the Pacific Division, and despite the hot starts for the Canucks and Oilers, it's a division that once you get past Vegas still looks wide open moving forward. A lot of the complementary spare parts have been stripped, but the engine of a group that was the league's best possession team, finished second in goals and with 100-plus points, and made it all the way to the conference finals just one year ago is still there. It just needs to find a way to kickstart it before it's too late.

Dallas Stars

The problem: Last season, the Stars were able to get by just fine with the 28th-ranked offense because they weren't really giving anything up on the other end of the ice. Jim Montgomery's system was suffocating, and goaltenders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin cleaned up the rest. Of all 31 teams, only the Islanders yielded fewer goals against and had a better team save percentage. When you're that stingy in goal suppression, the bar you need to clear offensively yourself to come out as a net positive is exceedingly low.

The issue is that performance from one season to the next at the goaltending position is not reliable, and unless you're being coached by Barry Trotz and Mitch Korn, banking on that to carry you in perpetuity without a fail-safe option is awfully risky. Dallas is learning that the hard way this season, because the main difference this season compared to last is that the goalies have been just good at stopping the puck (91.5% of the time) as opposed to great (92.9% of the time). The rate at which they're conceding shots and chances against are actually even better thus far, as is the expected goals against total. Even acknowledging that, it's hardly a given that their goalies will be able to match their sparkling numbers from a season ago.

The fix: Now that they can't afford to get away with the absolute bare minimum offensively, they'll need to push the envelope to create more goals. Part of that onus is certainly on the players themselves. While it's great for Roope Hintz individually that he's already scored nine times and lived up to all the preseason buzz, it's unacceptable for the rest of the team that he's scored more times than Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski and John Klingberg combined.

Seguin is the name that most notably jumps off the list, because he's off to a start that's similar to the one that notoriously drew public criticism from the team's CEO last season. On the one hand, the 6.5% of his shots he's turning into goals won't continue for the 11% career shooter, just like it didn't last season when he was at just 7.5% before being called out. The difference this time is that the volume of looks he's generating has substantially dipped, with his attempts, shots on goal and chances all being at a career low on a per-minute basis. That needs to improve if he's going to turn things around and get back to scoring at his usual level, and the Stars need that to happen because he's their best pure scorer.

The coach himself isn't without blame, either. The Stars are playing at a snail's pace this season, currently the sixth-slowest team at 5-on-5 when using shot attempts generated for and against as a proxy. It's a recipe that worked for them last season when they could win 2-1 every game, but now that they need to jump-start their offense, opening things up would go a long way toward accomplishing it. With players like Miro Heiskanen, Klingberg, Hintz, Denis Gurianov, Alexander Radulov and Seguin, there's no reason the Stars should be as methodical and plodding as they've been.

The outlook: There's a reason the Stars were a trendy preseason pick to carry over their success from the end of last season and make some noise in the Central Division. As bleak as it has looked for stretches, all of those reasons are still there. With the injuries to Blues dynamo Vladimir Tarasenko along with Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog in Colorado, there's an opening right now for Dallas to dig out of its early hole. It'll never be able to match what division rivals like the Avalanche and Predators can do with the puck, but it doesn't need to. All the Stars need to do is strike a better balance so that they're not so one-dimensional and reliant on their goaltending.

Winnipeg Jets

The problem: The Jets find themselves in quite the predicament. Their defense has been decimated, with Josh Morrissey and Dmitry Kulikov currently representing the only holdovers from the team's blueline depth chart last season. The domino effect of losing that many key pieces without adequately replacing them is that you wind up forcing the remaining players you do have to play roles for which their skill sets aren't really suited.

Morrissey has been absolutely caved in this season, but it's hard to completely blame him considering that he's gone from shouldering a reasonable workload alongside Jacob Trouba to playing heavy minutes next to inferior partners. They were so paper-thin at the position to start the season that they rushed 18-year-old Ville Heinola into the lineup to cover the gaping hole before sending him down to the AHL for further seasoning before they would have to burn a year off his entry-level deal. They're now left giving regular minutes to players like Anthony Bitetto and Luca Sbisa, who arguably shouldn't be everyday players in the league at this point of their careers.

The fix: Getting some sort of resolution to the ongoing Dustin Byfuglien saga would go a long way. Using the remaining $6 million they have in cap space to go out and trade for a defenseman would help, but they can't really afford to do so while his return is still in limbo. Even when they do know how to proceed, neither option is ideal, however. If Byfuglien does come back, it seems unrealistic to expect a 35-year-old who has missed as much time as he has to immediately step into the lineup and be the peak version of himself. If he doesn't come back, the options available via the trade market in the middle of the season aren't particularly inspiring.

Most likely, the Jets would just be adding another body to eat up minutes, which wouldn't move the needle nearly enough given their current needs. The only way they'd likely be able to get their hands on a long-term difference-maker would be if they parted with one of their young highly coveted forwards, but as we've learned from trades like the infamous Taylor Hall-for-Adam Larsson swap in the past, dealing from a position of desperation just to fill an immediate need can have disastrous consequences down the road.

The outlook: It's quite startling just how dramatically the trajectory of this franchise has changed in such a short period of time. Just two seasons ago, the Jets were carrying much of the play in the Western Conference finals. Even after ultimately losing to the Golden Knights in that series, they were (justifiably) considered to be on the short list of teams positioned to sustainably compete for Stanley Cups for years to come.

They're now left scratching and clawing just to keep their heads above water while they wait for a life raft to materialize. What's left now is a sad reminder of how quickly things can change in a salary-cap world and how you need to take advantage of your opportunity to compete while you can because you can't take future success for granted.

New Jersey Devils

The problem: The Devils have had the opening month from hell. All of the goodwill and hype they built up this summer by using the draft, trade market, and free agency to acquire a bunch of shiny new toys seems like a distant memory now. They've won just three of their first 11 games, failing to take advantage of a friendly schedule front loaded with home games. What's even worse than the actual results themselves is the path they took to get to all of those losses, blowing a number of multi-goal third period leads along the way.

The biggest issue has undisputedly been the goaltending, which isn't necessarily a surprise given the number of question marks we had about both Cory Schneider and Mackenzie Blackwood heading into the season. Only the Red Wings and Kings are conceding more goals per game than the Devils thus far, and that's largely due to the league worst .863 save percentage they're currently getting from their netminders.

While there's typically a lot of different factors that go into keeping the puck out of your net, in this case it feels justified to put the majority of the blame on the puck stoppers themselves considering that the shots they're facing don't actually appear to be all that bad, in either quality or quantity. In fact, only the Wild give up fewer high-danger chances on average, and only the Flyers surrender more total shots against overall.

To put all of that into proper context, here are the teams with the biggest disparity between the number of goals they're actually giving up per hour of play and the number of goals we'd expect them to give up based on the quantity and quality of shots they're surrendering defensively (via Natural Stat Trick):

• Devils: 3.83 goals against vs. 2.24 expected goals against = -1.59 goal difference

• Kings: 4.04 goals against vs. 2.66 expected goals against = -1.38 goal difference

• Blue Jackets: 3.53 goals against vs. 2.38 expected goals against = -1.15 goal difference

• Wild: 3.49 goals against vs. 2.36 expected goals against = -1.13 goal difference

• Red Wings: 3.93 goals against vs. 3.00 expected goals against = -0.93 goal difference

• Panthers: 3.34 goals against vs. 2.37 expected gaols against = -0.90 goal difference

• Flyers: 3.25 goals against vs. 2.37 expected goals against = -0.88 goal difference

• Sharks: 3.72 goals against vs. 2.91 expected goals against = -0.81 goal difference

The fix: While Schneider's post All-Star break performance last season was encouraging, it's not too long ago that he'd gone over a full calendar year without a regular season victory to his name. Considering that his lower body is held together by duct tape after all of the injuries he's battled through, it's fair to wonder whether this is the end of the road for him. He's still owed $6 million in each of the next two seasons, but if the Devils were to buy his contract out this summer, his remaining cap hit would be a much more manageable $2 million spread over the four following years.

As for Blackwood, it's still far too early to say whether or not he's any good, but after an encouraging 20-game cameo last season, he's been equally dreadful in 2019-20. He's still only 22 years old, but until he proves otherwise, he shouldn't be getting the lion's share of the starts at the NHL level at this point. The issue for the Devils is that they don't really have a better option internally at the moment. They just acquired Louis Domingue, but aside from winning a bunch of games last season behind a historically great Lightning team, he hasn't exactly proven he's anything more than a replacement-level goalie either.

The list of proven goalies available at the moment isn't a particularly promising one. Ryan Miller would be an interesting fit, but with his contract he gets to choose where he plays and it's possible he wouldn't want to leave California. Jimmy Howard would've been a logical choice, but he has looked dreadful himself in the early going, and would presumably prefer to go to a more viable contender given the playoff bonus in his contract.

The outlook: The Devils need to figure out who they are this season and what they want to accomplish before they can proceed. They're not going to get very far with this level of goaltending, but it's also tough to justice aggressively spending on another goalie because it's not like they've shown themselves to be a juggernaut from the crease out. If they're not going to legitimately compete for a playoff spot, then they're going to need to look themselves in the mirror and ask the tough question of what they should do with Taylor Hall, who is an unrestricted free agent this upcoming summer. He's still a magnificent talent and players that provide his kind of on-ice impact are hard to come by, but he's also about to turn 28 years old.

The thought of investing the type of money and years it'll presumably take to sign him this summer should be concerning, factoring in all of the time he's missed with injury throughout his career and how important skating is to his game. The Devils would surely receive quite the return for him in trade if he were made available, but it's admittedly easier to say that would be the prudent move from the outside. New Jersey has made the playoffs just once in the past seven years, and making that kind of a move is a difficult step backwards both in terms of the on-ice product and in terms of marketing and sales off the ice. Hall's presence not only gives the organization a star player and recognizable face of the franchise, but it helps make life that much easier for young centers like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier as they grow into their pivotal roles moving forward. That said, if they keep losing the way they have thus far, then suddenly making that kind of decision might just become a little bit easier.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The problem: It's certainly been an uneven start to the season in Toronto, and that, unsurprisingly, hasn't gone unnoticed. They've lost as many games as they've won, and they've essentially given up as many goals as they've scored. Given that there's never going to be any doubt about their production offensively, the question with the Leafs as currently constructed is always going to be how effectively they can keep the puck out of their own net.

• Shots against: 33.1 last season (24th), 33.3 this season (26th)

• Chances against: 11.06 last season (16th), 9.91 this season (14th)

• Expected goals against: 2.76 last season (26th), 2.72 this season (20th)

• Goals against: 3.04 last season (20th), 3.40 this season (22nd)

• Save percentage: 90.84 last season (10th), 89.89 this season (22nd)

The good news is that their underlying numbers don't really look much different than they did last season, but the bad news is that the results have been worse because Frederik Andersen hasn't been nearly as good as he has been in the past. Considering that he's proven himself to be one of the most consistent goalies in the world year to year, his early struggles shouldn't be much of a concern moving forward. He's finished between .917 and .919 in save percentage in each of the past four seasons, and despite how random performance at the position can be, he's earned the benefit of the doubt at this point.

The fix: A certain level of patience is required. The absence of John Tavares exposed some flaws up front, but nearly any team would similarly feel the loss of a player of his caliber. Now that he's back, the Leafs should once again be an offensive buzzsaw, and their ability to score goals in a flurry gives them a good chance to win every single night.

The biggest beneficiary will be Mitch Marner, who has struggled to produce at five-on-five despite his 90-plus point pace at the moment. After scoring 16 goals and adding another 42 assists in his first season playing next to Tavares, he's managed just four assists total thus far. While it's certainly not ideal that a player now making nearly $11 million is that reliant on another player to produce, that's a problem for another day now that one of the league's most lethal passer-to-shooter combinations has been reunited.

Beyond just getting healthy, there are two obvious upgrades the Leafs could -- and arguably need to -- make at some point this season:

1. A reliable backup goalie to occasionally spell Andersen -- and not lose. Michael Hutchinson hasn't had an easy go of it having to face the Bruins, Capitals, and Canadiens the four times they've gone to him this season, but he has also yet to stop 90% of the shots in any of those starts.

Given how important every point will be when it comes to jockeying for position atop the Atlantic Division, the Leafs can't really afford to be giving them away whenever they decide to give Andersen rest. But they also need to play the long game, and can't afford to needlessly burn their starter out again in the regular season. He's once again on pace for 60-plus appearances, which would be his fourth consecutive season hitting that mark since coming to Toronto. With more and more teams embracing the concept of load management and gravitating towards time shares in net, it's imperative for the Leafs to eventually find a sustainable second option to go to on Andersen's nights off.

2. Getting Morgan Rielly a new, non-Cody Ceci partner. Ceci is an easy target, but this early experiment of force feeding him top minutes alongside Rielly -- and hoping that a better environment around him will draw more out of him than he's shown to this point in his career -- isn't really working. His underlying numbers have improved from the abomination they've been in the past, but that'll happen when you go from having Max Lajoie, Zack Smith and Chris Tierney as the three players you most frequently share the ice with to having Rielly, Auston Matthews and Marner filling that role.

I just don't see it. Not only does he not look all that much more competent while playing with significantly superior players around him, but the bigger issue is that the stink of his game really seems to be dragging Rielly down with it. Visually, Rielly looks completely discombobulated out there after playing like a viable Norris Trophy candidate last season.

While Rielly is never going to be mistaken for a traditional stay-at-home defenseman, the instability of playing with a partner who similarly doesn't appear to know where to stand, what to do, or who to cover in the defensive zone only exacerbates all of those issues without the puck. The list of clips of the two of them looking around cluelessly while an opponent gets to the net and scores easily grows with each passing game. I don't know how much longer it can conceivably last before Mike Bobcock self-combusts on the bench, but the sooner the Leafs pull the plug on the experiment and free Rielly up to play with someone more capable while decreasing Ceci's exposure, the better.

The outlook: Any thought of the Leafs entering the season with an added sense of urgency in trying to win the Atlantic Division and afford themselves an easier first-round matchup has nearly gone out of the window already with this start. Only compounding matters is that the Bruins have come out of the gate absolutely firing on all cylinders, and look well on their way towards a special season at both an individual and team level.

While a new opponent would be a sight for sore eyes in Toronto in a way, after everything they've been through in recent postseasons facing the Bruins, the idea of potentially having to instead face a Tampa Bay Lightning team that's currently laying in the weeds -- but still appears to be as talented as ever on paper -- isn't a significantly more appealing option.

Furious Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte has lambasted the directors of his club for poor planning after seeing his team squander a two-goal half-time lead and lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Conte repeated his complaint that his squad is too thin and players too inexperienced to battle on two fronts and suggested that club directors should face the television cameras as well as himself.

"Some important mistakes have been made at the planning stage, we can't play both the Champions League and Serie A with such a small squad," Conte said after Tuesday's match.

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"I'm tired of saying the same things over and over again, perhaps they could come here over and say something. I hope that this will help them understand a few things."

There was no immediate reaction from the club leadership.

Conte conceded that he felt like a broken record as he kept complaining about the crowded fixture list and explaining that Inter are still in the early stage of building a new team.

"They tell me that I should smile more on television," he added. "But I always end up saying the same things, about the growth process, about taking it step by step.

"The lads are giving everything and going at full pelt and I can't ask them for more than that," he said.

"We are talking about players who, apart from Diego Godin, have never won anything. Who do we turn to? Nicolo Barella who has come from Cagliari? Or [Stefano] Sensi, who came from Sassuolo?"

Conte made similar complaints when he was coach at Juventus, where he won three successive Serie A titles but struggled in the Champions League, famously saying saying: "You can't eat at a €100 restaurant with a €10 note."

His comments are likely to raise eyebrows as Inter spent more than €150 million on new signings during the transfer window.

However, they also let a number of key players go including Mauro Icardi, their leading scorer for each of the last five seasons, and midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

Chinese-owned Inter, who have not won any major silverware since 2011, are second in Serie A, one point behind leaders Juventus. Tuesday's defeat left them third in Champions League Group F, three points behind Borussia Dortmund.

"We need to keep a low profile," Conte added. "Our position in Serie A should not allow us to forget our problems."