NFL Overachievers: Three teams nobody saw coming

It has been quite the eventful season in the NFL through the first nine weeks, and some teams have performed and some have faltered significantly, but today, let’s take a look at some of the teams that have overachieved through the first half of the season.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have stunned the entire football world with the start they are off to in the 2025-2026 season.

When head coach Shane Steichen named Daniel Jones the starter over Anthony Richardson before Week 1, every football fan in America thought the Colts were deciding to tank for the number one overall pick in the 2026 draft.

However, it has been nothing of the sort for Indianapolis. They have shot out of the gates to a 7-2 record, which is tied for first in the AFC.

This is due to the outstanding run game the Colts have established. Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in rushing yards with 895.

The Colts also have an excellent offensive line, which has contributed to Taylor's success this season.

Daniel Jones has looked like a true MVP candidate, as he leads the league in passing yards with over 2,400.

The receivers for Indianapolis have been a huge factor in the success of this team. They have five pass catchers who have already eclipsed 500 yards on the season. Those being Michael Pittman, Tyler Warren and Alec Pierce.

The defense has been stellar as well, with the central cogs being defensive linemen, Laiatu Latu and DeForest Buckner. Latu has five sacks while Buckner has four.

Nick Cross has also performed well, leading the team in tackles.

The one knock on this team is that they don’t have many wins versus solid teams and have just beaten up on the bad teams so far this season; however, the Colts have definitely looked like a contender in the AFC.

Their schedule gets harder in the coming weeks as they take on the Falcons and then the Chiefs, so only time will tell how good this team actually is.

Seattle Seahawks

Another overachiever has been the Seattle Seahawks. They currently sit at 6-2, which is good for first in the NFC West.

Sam Darnold is yet another former New York quarterback who has resurrected his career elsewhere. First with Minnesota, now with Seattle.

It is largely due to the help he’s gotten from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is just shy of 1,000 yards on the season through only eight games.

The tandem of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet has helped out Darnold significantly as the duo has rushed for over 700 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The defense has been led solely by one man. Ernest Jones IV. He leads the team in tackles and interceptions, and he also has five pass deflections.

Much like the Colts, the Seahawks have struggled against the good teams and beat the bad teams. They won’t be put to the test until the final four games of the regular season, where they take on the Colts, the Rams, the Panthers and the 49ers.

They definitely look good, but is it just throwing to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and hoping all goes well sustainable?

We’ll have to see, but Seattle does appear to be headed in the right direction as the season goes on.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have now won six in a row after beating the Falcons this past week and for a team that won four games last season, have started to look like the Patriots of old.

Drake Maye has taken a massive leap in year two which is a big thanks to Coach of the Year candidate Mike Vrabel.

Maye’s 17:4 TD/INT ratio is among the best in the league, but the major caveat to the Patriots' success this season isn’t their offense; it’s their defense and their ability to play complementary football.

The linebacker trio of Harold Landry III, K’Lavon Chaisson and Robert Spillane is a big reason this team has succeeded.

Landry and Chaisson lead the team in sacks each with 5.5 through nine games.

As for Spillane, he leads the team in tackles with 72 and is tied for the lead in interceptions with two.

Their secondary has been just as good. Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez have looked like the nastiest one-two punch in the secondary since Stephon Gilmore and Malcom Butler.

The Patriots are back, as much as the rest of the league may not want to admit it. They are as legit as they come and should be looked at as serious playoff contenders.

The NFL season has flipped the page to the second half and the strong teams have started to separate themselves from the weak ones. Only time will tell as we wait and see who will raise the Lombardi but right now, it’s anybody's game.

Sawyer Bogaty is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at sgb5468@psu.edu.