411's NFL Round Up 10.31.08: 2008 Mid-Season Report

Posted by Emmett Wilks on 10.31.2008

The 2008 NFL season is halfway complete. A season of wild ups and downs may get even more crazy. 411's Emmett Wilks hands out his mid-season awards and delivers some predictions for the second half of the season in the latest edition of the NFL Round Up!

A thousand sorries for dropping this a day late. Work and a certain baseball team from Philadelphia made completion impossible. I will say just a few brief words about the Phils and their 2008 World Series title. This was a great baseball team, with solid hitting top to bottom. It was a thrill for the city, and a long, long time coming. That's all I will say for now. But rest assured, this was and is a very big deal for my championship starved city. Now onto some football.

While technically not the halfway point for every NFL squad, I figure we have a pretty good assessment of the first half availible. So, here is the NFL Round Up Mid-season awards list. 2008 has been a seemingly transitional year this year. The powerhouse teams in the early part of the decade; San Diego, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and New England are all experiencing down or injury plagued seasons. And while the defending Super Bowl champ Giants are playing at a very high level, it would still be premature to crown them as the elite NFL squad. Parity and competition has been the headline thus far. Though I have always said with the NFL "anyone can beat anyone," there were still those teams one assumed would win against certain opponents. Not this season. The St. Louis Rams started their first 4 games this season looking like one of the worst teams (especially defensively) in NFL history. The last three weeks have seen them beat two NFC East teams and take the Patriots to the fourth quarter. Just when you think you have this leauge figured out, it just gets a little stranger.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Clinton Portis- Running Back Washington Redskins

Stats through 8 games-

CAR
187
YDS
944
AVG
5.0
TDS
7


We always have to go with age old argument of what exactly MVP means. Is it the best player statically? The best player on the best team? Or, the player who is most instrumental towards his teams success? The answer doesn't really exist. One thing is clear for me. No matter how important you are to your team or statistically amazing you may be, if the team does not win a lot of games, your out. That is what pushed Drew Brees down to a runner up. Statistically and importance wise, he should be a runaway MVP. But the Saints are not winning enough games. Though not his fault, it does in fact play a factor making these calls. And when it comes to importance, few can take the place of what Jake Delhomme means to Carolina.

But what Portis has done for Washington has been nothing short of sensational. He has gone over 120 yards rushing in 5 of the teams 8 games, and along with QB Jason Campbell and WR Santana Moss has made Washington a definite favorite in the NFC. For a few years, there has been a collection of Skins fans who believe they have not seen the runner Portis when with Denver; the downhill, physical cutback guy that rushed for over 3000 yards to start his career. Well, he's here now.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Drew Brees Quarterback New Orleans Saints

TDS
15
INT
7
YDS
2,563
RTG
101.6



Did everyone take a look at the numbers? Can everyone appreciate that the Saints would be next to nothing without him? Agreed. Ok we can move on.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Albert Haynesworth Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans

TCKL
27
SCK
6.0
FF
1
INT
0

Not only the best player on the best team in the NFL right now, Haynesworth has officially taken the title of "Best Defensive Lineman" in the game from Richard Seymour. Or Kevin Williams, depending on your opinion. His play has been nothing short of electrifying. His six sacks already matches his best SEASON total. But numbers rarely tell the story for a defensive lineman. He has been consistently double teamed all season, helping linebackers David Thorton and Keith Bullock likely earn Pro Bowl births, and helping the pass rush that has made a league leading 12 interceptions this season.


Haynesworth has been a clear defensive MVP this season.

Runner Ups-

Joey Porter LB Miami Dolphins- In week 2, Hall of Famer Mike Ditka called him "over paid and underperforming." Porter has since then has 9.5 sacks (10.5 on the season) and is helping lead a 1-15 2007 Dolphins team back into contention.

Patrick Willis LB San Francisco 49ers- Lost for another season in the mess of the Bay City is a young linebacker beginning a Hall of Fame-level career.



COACH OF THE YEAR

Bill Bellichick New England Patriots

Perhaps you all have heard that a young, hotshot QB in New England named Tom Brady got hurt in week 1. Then, they lose one of their key running backs in Laurence Maroney and defensive leader Rodney Harrison. This would of course mean disaster to most any team, right. Not to Bellichick, who again demonstrates that, Spy Gate and all, he is still among the greatest coaches to ever field a team. The Pats are 5-2, and sit tied for first in the newly tight AFC East. Through Bellichick's sturdy leadership, the Pats have stayed level headed and continued to play the sound, fundamental football they have come to epitomize this decade. Back up QB Matt Cassel has done everything that could have been asked of him, the defense has been very sound with the exception of the Miami game, and the special teams been more than adequate. The NFL is not the BCS. Style points mean nothing. You either win games, or you lose them. Bellichick has kept the Pats winning in very, very dire circumstances, and he deserves major credit for that.

Runner Up-

Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh Steelers- Just like every year, in Super Bowl contention

Tom Coughlin NY Giants- It could have been so easy to stumble after the upset title win, but the Coughlin-led G-Men are instead one of footballs elites.


BEST TEAM

Tennessee Titans (7-0)

If one were just to read the headlines and articles about this team without knowing a thing about the games, you'd probably guess they were a 1-5, 2-4 ball club at best. But the Titans are just really that good. While the Giants continue to play GREAT football on both sides of the ball, I don't think they possess the same luster and bravado that we see with the Titans. Opening day starter Vince Young fell to injury early in the season (both physically and psychologically), and the reins fell to Kerry Collins, the fallen from grace former Giant. With Collins at the helm, the Titans are 4th in the league in rushing, and the defense, lead by my defensive MVP Albert Haynesworth, is playing at an extraordinary level right now. They have allowed just 87 points scored all season. That is 12.7 points per game, best in the NFL. They have forced 8 fumbles, recorded 18 sacks, and a league leading 12 interceptions. But don't discount the offense. The offense is 4th in the league in scoring and 3rd in rushing, with an attack that no one has been able solve. Though I don't think they have much of a shot at 16-0, this is a ball club that won't be dropping more than 3 games the rest of the way.


BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Cleveland Browns


QB Derek Anderson and the Browns have played well below expectations

Big part of me did not want to put them here. Maybe the preseason expectations were just too high for what is still a young team. But the promise of last season was strong, and you still want to see a team take steps forward, not backwards. In 2007, the Browns offense finished 8th in overall offense. Through the first half of 2008, they are 30th. Defensively, they have improved, but not enough to help the offense. They sit at 7th in NFL with points allowed; up from the 21st they were last season. Quarterback Derek Anderson has been the pretty big letdown. He has completed less that 50% of his passes, and his 5.9 yards per completion only make that percentage look worse. Not helpful has been the constant dropped passes and missed opportunities from his teammates as well, with WR Braylon Edwards, TE Kellen Winslow, and newly acquired wide out Donte Stallworth have all been disappointments. While this previous weeks' win over Jacksonville was a big boost, this still looks to be a lost season for a team with high expectations.

Runner Up-

Jacksonville Jaguars- Too many injuries for anyone to overcome, but most people still had them as a playoff team. This season they will be lucky to get to .500.

Detroit Lions- Say what you will, they showed a lot of good signs in 2007, especially early. This year, they look to be among the worst teams ever.

San Diego Chargers- With this talent, it is almost inexcusable. They don't take the top honor because they did drop two games they could have won (Ref-Gate and last play of Carolina). I still think they can win the AFC West, but it will not be easy.

BEST MOMENT THUS FAR

Panthers winning on the last play to open the season against the favored Chargers

For a season being defined by parity and level playing fields, how appropriate to kick off the NFL regular season with a big upset. Sure, many NFL games end on the last play. But it is usually a field goal. Not on a 4-and-1 play with 2 seconds to go in the game. Jake Delhomme's pass to TE Rosario Dawson may very well become a defining moment moment for the surging Panthers this year, and help epitomize the frustration that the Chargers may suffer.

2008 MIDSEASON OUTLOOK

NFC
East

Giants- 6-1

Redskins- 6-2

Cowboys- 4-3

Eagels- 4-3


West

Cardinals- 4-3

Seahawks- 2-5

49ers- 2-5

Rams- 2-6


North

Bears- 4-3

Packer- 4-3

Vikings- 3-4

Lions- 0-7



South

Panthers- 6-2

Buccaneers- 5-3

Falcons- 4-3

Saints- 4-4


With 9 more weeks in the season, a lot can still happen. In the NFC, the Giants, Panthers, and Redskins have played the best football, and should continue to do so. The team that few people talk about in the NFC that could still make some noise is Tampa Bay, whose defense is playing at a very high level. Also, don't count out Dallas surging towards the end of the year with a healthy Tony Romo. While Dallas' offense has been far from good the last few weeks, it still possess some of the best playmakers in the game with Terrell Owens, Roy Williams, and Jason Witten. At this point, they won't make the playoffs, but don't count them out yet. Likewise with Chicago. The NFC North has become kind of a forgotten division this season. They are not great really strong like the NFC East, or laughably bad like the AFC West. With the Packers leveling off and the Favre soap opera subsiding, they are back to playing football in that division, and Chicago is currently leading the way. Though I cannot really believe it either, Bears QB Kyle Orton is very quietly having a Pro Bowl year. With that defense, and an offense without a knucklehead QB like Rex Grossman, the Bears may also be crashing the playoff party in the NFC as well.

NFC PREDICTION AT THE HALFWAY POINT

NFC East Champ- New York Giants

NFC North Champ- Chicago Bears

NFC South Champ- Carolina Panthers

NFC West Champ- Arizona Cardinals

Wild Card teams- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South)

Washington Redskins (NFC East)

AFC
East

Patriots- 5-2

Bills- 5-2

Jets- 4-3

Dolphins- 3-4


West

Broncos- 4-3

Chargers- 3-5

Raiders- 2-5

Chiefs- 1-6


North

Steelers- 5-2

Ravens- 4-3

Browns- 3-4

Bengals- 0-8


South

Titans- 7-0

Jaguars- 3-4

Colts- 3-4

Texans- 3-4

The AFC is a conference in transition right now. Since the rise of the Broncos in the late 90's, the AFC has undoubtedly had a stronger collection of teams this decade. That is seemingly changing this season. Suddenly, Peyton Manning's Colts are looking a little older. The Chargers have stumbled big time. The Patriots are still in minor shock after losing Tom Brady. And the new kids on the block like Denver forgot that you also need a defense to go along with offense. While the best team in the league is still in the NFC with Tennessee, it is safe to say that the conference as a whole is much weaker than any of us had the right to predict. Even though three of the teams are under .500, the AFC South has become a bitter fought slugfest in the division games. The Jags, beset with injuries to start the year, still show life, and Indy still has Manning. Until he is retired, he is a threat. Even the Texans, with superstar in the making Andre Johnson have been showing good things. But Tennessee is really that good. Great defense and a solid running game complemented by smart QB have won two Super Bowls this decade (2000 Ravens and 2002 Bucs). Just like what seems to be every season, don't discount the Steelers. If they can find a way to keep Ben Roethlisberger on his feet, they are right in the mix. The AFC West, well, as for that nightmare, the less said the better. And in the East, I see Miami's progress will get stifled for this season, and the Bills and Pats will do battle till the very end. And the Jets, while improved, just don't seem to have that spark to get them past Buffalo and New England.

MIDSEASON AFC PREDICTIONS

AFC East- New England Patriots

AFC North- Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South- Tennessee Titans

AFC West- San Diego Chargers

Wild Cards- Baltimore Ravens (AFC North)

Buffalo Bills (AFC East)


That will do for now folks. I'll see you next week.