NFL Midseason Recap: The Road to Miami
With the NFL season halfway through, it’s fair to say there have been a few surprises. Teams that were wonderful last year have already hung up the pigskin, resigning themselves to the fact that the only way to get into this year’s playoffs is with a ticket or a wire cutter. Teams that were weak last year have dug in, making a run at the postseason. And, perhaps in the biggest surprise of all, Al Davis is still alive.
While there have been plenty of surprises, there have also been some things that weren’t exactly shocking: Indianapolis is good, Arizona is bad, and Terrell Owens continues to act like a spoiled brat, hell-bent on taking his ball and leaving.
After 8 NFL games done and 8 to play, here’s the breakdown of what’s happened so far…
AFC West
The AFC West is the strongest division in football, with three teams possessing winning records. While the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers are tied for first place, they still have to play each other…twice. Denver is also due to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day at Arrowhead, a place where Denver is made to look like turkeys. San Diego, while its schedule is fairly light with Oakland, Arizona and Buffalo on the wings, may have a hard time beating Denver. This is mainly due to Denver owning Marty Schottenheimer, beating him numerous times. Only Denver can DRIVE HIM crazy.
KC, after starting the season at .500, was absolutely destroyed by the Steelers. However, they have recovered to a 5-3 record. With a moderate schedule, the rest of the season could go either way for KC. The Oakland Raiders, on the other hand, are playing like people expected: horribly. At 2-6, his season is almost over.
Whether Denver, San Diego or KC finish first, there’s a strong chance both wild cards will come from the AFC West. A division once known for its weakness, this division is now the most competitive.
AFC North
The biggest surprise in this division, if not the entire NFL, is Pittsburgh’s fall from grace. Formerly known as the champions of the world, the Steelers are now just a symbol…of disappointment. After losing to Denver in Week 8, their hopes of making the playoffs were dashed. Maybe it just wasn’t his year or maybe the source of Ben Roethlisberger’s talent was in his now-excised appendix. Whatever the reason, nothing, not even Bill Cowher’s jaw, is enough to scare these guys back to winning. They will spend January watching the playoffs from the couch, along with another team from their division, the Cleveland Browns.
On the plus side of this division, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals claim the top two spots. Pending an outbreak of bird flu, the Ravens should clinch this division as they are a solid 6-2. The Bengals, having a mediocrity-laden year, could easily miss the playoffs. The fact that there is confusion in the locker room as Chad Johnson (Terrell Owens, Jr.) rocks the boat isn’t helping.
AFC South
In the AFC South, it’s no surprise that the best team belongs to Indianapolis. As the only undefeated team left in the NFL, Indianapolis has a chance to go undefeated. However, the Colts have been in this situation before…yes, we’ve all seen this episode. It remains to be seen whether or not they will be drowned, or taken out by a hitman hired by the 1972 Dolphins.
Jacksonville, a team many had high hopes for, is holding steady at 5-3. However, in the AFC, the playoff race will be tight and the Jaguars can’t afford to lose to teams they should beat, like the Houston Texans.
At the bottom of the division, the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans sit counting down the days until the season is over. Despite some exciting plays from college standout Vince Young, Tennessee just doesn’t have the talent to stay in this league. Houston, as usual, was left with one of the worst records in the NFL, perhaps bemoaning the fact that they didn’t draft Reggie Bush. Gary Kubiak, in his first year as coach of Houston, has to be careful not to have a losing record. In Texas they execute people for it.
AFC West
The New England Patriots are at the top of their division. His assurance of a playoff spot is almost guaranteed, as sure as Bill Belichick wearing a hoodie to every game. That’s because New England has talent: This is the story of a man named Brady, who just doesn’t know how to lose.
Behind them at .500 sit the New York Jets, a team that is simply testing on the track rather than taking to the skies. While they still have a slim chance of making the playoffs, the only teams they’ve beaten so far are bad teams. The playoffs are going to be hard to land for the Jets.
Buffalo and Miami, rounding out the division at 3-5 and 2-6 respectively, finished the year. Buffalo is playing like it played in all four Super Bowl losses, while the Miami Dolphins have had a season marked by plummeting previous high expectations. Dante Culpepper, the starting quarterback at the start of the season, has been replaced, putting him in his own hell.
NFC West
As former NFC champions, the Seattle Seahawks seem to have had their wings clipped: With the injuries to Matt Hasselbeck and Shawn Alexander, they kind of have. However, they should still make the playoffs and should be healthy this time. So, it’s anyone’s game.
Behind Seattle are the St. Louis Rams, a team that started strong and has since lost three straight. At 4-4, the Rams still have a viable shot at making the playoffs, but they probably won’t get home-field advantage — the other teams just won’t face them in St. Louie.
San Francisco, as usual, is “So 1990’s” having won just three games so far. While their record is lousy, they’re not the worst in the division. That title belongs to the Arizona Cardinals. This team seems to have cashed in all its chips after giving up a fourth-quarter lead to the then-undefeated Chicago Bears. They currently have the worst record in the NFL.
NFC North
Chicago looked to give Indianapolis a run for its undefeated money until the Bears lost to the Miami Dolphins. Looking more like Teddy Ruxpins than ferocious beasts, the Bears still have the best record in the NFC, but the Miami game could be a preview of things to come. If Chicago continues to deliver the ball, other teams will turn them into Bear Skin rugs.
Minnesota, at 4-4 even, has about as much chance of making the playoffs as the rest of the NFC’s second-place teams. However, his instability as a quarterback could be a factor. Green Bay, at 3-5, probably needs to pack up. Detroit, at 2-6, has made most of the teams they’ve played against look like lion tamers.
NFC South
Drew Brees has made things look very easy in New Orleans, leading his team to a 6-2 record. Playing the first season since the devastation of Katrina, New Orleans has become a pseudo-version of America’s Team. Cheering them on is easy, as long as they’re not playing against the team you pledge allegiance to.
Atlanta and Carolina, with a record of 5-3 and 4-4, are not playing as well as expected. While Atlanta seemed to be heating up, they recently lost to Detroit. Carolina, predicted as a Super Bowl contender at the start of the season, was hit hard with Steve Smith’s injury. With him back and a flexible schedule, they could potentially catch New Orleans for the top spot. But, if they don’t warm up, the Saints will march to the playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with a poor record of 2-6, finished the year. They can also walk the plank.
NFC East
Manning’s younger brother is making the family name proud, leading the New York Giants to a 6-2 record and first place in the NFC East. While they did poorly against the Texans, barely beating them, this is a good team, rivaling the Bears for the best team in the NFC. Behind them are the Dallas Cowboys, also known as the Terrell Owens sideshow. Marked by TO’s ridiculous antics and several dropped balls, Dallas finds itself tied at 4-4. In a tight division, it could go either way, and it seems like this team’s focus should be more on winning and less on TO. When it comes to Mr. Owens, Big Tuna should have him canned.
Philadelphia and Washington round out the division at 4-4 and 3-5. While this is still anyone’s wild card race, both teams’ offenses need to come on, or the wild card will be dealt to someone else. Washington’s big win over the Cowboys may be just what they needed.
For most teams, it’s still anybody’s game…the season is halfway through. But, as self-proclaimed NFL experts, we think we know what’s going to happen. And so we offer this prediction: Playing in this year’s Super Bowl will be, wait for it, an AFC team and an NFC team. You heard him hear first, folks. Go ahead and call your bookmaker.