ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Here’s a look at the first half of the season for the Detroit Lions (5-4) and a preview of what to expect in the second half.

Grade B-: The Lions have been, well, pretty much what we thought they would be at the start of the season. They are a team that has shown flashes of being special on offense along with consistent struggles defensively. Essentially, they’ve been an average NFL team this season, reflected both in their record and their outlook the rest of the way. It leads to a pretty obvious grade of B- for the first nine games, because they have been a little better than average, particularly after their win Sunday in Minnesota.

Midseason MVP: There’s no question here. It is quarterback Matthew Stafford. He is a fringe NFL MVP candidate. The Lions would be well under-.500 and out of playoff contention without him. He has led five game-winning drives this season and has been largely efficient in his play, completing 67.3 percent of his passes for 2,373 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Though his yardage likely won’t match his 5,000-yard season from 2011, he is having the best season of his career and putting himself in line for a massive contract extension as soon as this offseason. He is the only choice here.

Best moment: The Lions have had cardiac moments in almost every game this season, but the most critical one came at Minnesota in Week 9. Detroit got the ball with 23 seconds left and drove 35 yards downfield with no timeouts to set up a game-tying Matt Prater 58-yard field goal. Then the Lions took the ball in overtime and Stafford led a game-winning drive against one of the top defenses in the NFL, culminating in a 28-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate that meant Minnesota wouldn't even touch the ball in overtime. It was the type of win that ends up propelling teams to successful seasons, and one the Lions desperately needed to pick up on the road. It made them playoff contenders.

Worst moment: Detroit’s loss to Chicago was a rough day, but the worst moment was likely Tate running the wrong route, leading to a Stafford interception and a Tate benching for the majority of the second half against the Bears. Chicago was the worst team Detroit faced in the first half of the season and it was an inexcusable loss -- even if it came in Chicago. It’s a loss the Lions will look back on with a lot of regret in the offseason if they don’t make the playoffs, because it was a game Detroit should have won.

Player to watch: Running back Theo Riddick is one of the more exciting offensive players to watch in the NFL, and he’s going to be a key if the Lions are able to accomplish anything in the second half of the season. He can take almost any short pass and turn it into a big gain because of his ability to anticipate holes in the defense. He has some of the best hands of any running back in the league, and has made many defenders look foolish trying to stop him.

Second-half outlook: Detroit will go as far as Stafford can take them, potentially with little help from the defense. There have been signs of improvement there, but unless the Lions can find a way to start containing opponents better, it’s going to be up to Stafford to keep making plays late to get wins. The schedule is manageable after the Week 10 bye, with winnable games until Week 16 on "Monday Night Football" in Dallas. By then, the Lions probably will know whether they still have a shot at the playoffs or the franchise is readying for a possible coaching search.