NFL 2007 Midseason Report Card

New England Patriots: A+

The Patriots look unstoppable. Their Week 9 matchup against the Colts was the only time this season that the Pats even looked like they were playing another NFL team. In New England's other games, it's been more like watching an NFL team play Temple. Are the Patriots beatable? Yes. Does anyone besides the Colts have a good chance against them? No.

Indianapolis Colts: A

I'm not going to dock them for the Sunday night loss in San Diego. This is obviously the league's second-best team, and it won't have another game all season with six interceptions and two return TDs given up. The worry here has to be injuries. The Colts played 20 games last season, and it seems like a lot of the players were worn down by that. In particular, the coaches need to be careful with Joseph Addai's workload. The second-year RB has clearly established himself as an elite player in this league, but if Tony Dungy gives him 400 touches, Addai will break down, and the Colts need him healthy for the playoffs. Indianapolis doesn't have any other capable runners on the roster, so there's no one to split the workload with Addai in games against other good teams like the Patriots, but the Colts may want to consider signing Corey Dillon for help down the stretch.

Dallas Cowboys: A

I see them just below the Colts. Although the Cowboys didn't challenge New England the way Indianapolis did, they're 8-1, with the only loss coming against the Pats. The Cowboys have the best point differential in the NFC (+101) and they're coming off a big win against the Giants — one that broke New York's six-game winning streak and gave the Cowboys a commanding lead in the competitive NFC East. If Tony Romo plays this well all season, there's reason to expect that we'll see the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in the NFC Championship Game.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A-

They're 7-2, they have a commanding lead in the tough AFC North, and they're playing lights-out on both sides of the ball. They have puzzling losses to the Cardinals and Broncos, but Patriot-haters and fans of the '72 Dolphins are holding out hope that Pittsburgh — which on its best days looks like an elite team — may be able to take down New England. Don't count on that, but don't count out a team that is very similar to the one we saw in Super Bowl XL. The health of star players — Big Ben, Willie Parker, Hines Ward, and Troy Polamalu all come to mind — is a major factor here.

Green Bay Packers: A-

The Packers, at 8-1, clearly are among the top teams in the NFL, but they don't seem to have excited people the way the teams above have done. Why not? No one's in New England's league, of course, but don't the Packers deserve to be taken just as seriously as the Cowboys or Steelers? I do think Sunday's blowout of the Vikings was a statement game for Green Bay, and if they stay perfect after a Thanksgiving game in Detroit, a potential matchup of two 10-1 teams when the Pack travels to Dallas could draw almost as big an audience as Colts/Pats did in Week 9.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A-

At 6-3 and with a killer schedule remaining, they won't finish the year with a record like my other A-rated teams. They might even miss the playoffs if David Garrard doesn't come back 100%. But with Garrard under center, the Jags went 4-1 and looked like potential contenders (in any year when New England wasn't crushing everything in its path, anyway). Even with Quinn Gray at QB, Jacksonville is 2-2 against a killer schedule that started with the Colts, followed by three straight road games against good teams. Anyone can tell you about the Pats, Colts, Steelers, and Chargers. And even though you're nuts to bet on anyone other than New England (and maybe Indy) at this point, if you really want a sleeper, look here.

Tennessee Titans: B+

Winning ugly. The Titans are 6-3, tied with Jacksonville for the fourth-best record in the AFC, behind only the big three of New England, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. They've beaten the Jaguars and Saints, and played the Colts tough in Nashville. They're doing it with great defense (second in the NFL in yards allowed, sixth in points allowed) and a good running game. But Vince Young cannot throw the ball. He has five passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a worse passer rating than Cleo Lemon. Young is a good runner, and he's a leader, but the Titans can't get higher than B+ unless his passing improves. I know the Titans don't have a lot of targets for him to throw to, but teams that can't pass can't make comebacks, and even good teams fall behind sometimes. The lack of passing game is starting to make things tough for LenDale White, too.

New York Giants: B+

Swept by Dallas, and they're not in the same league — or at least not the same letter grade — as the Cowboys right now, but they're clearly an elite team in the NFC. The defense has made great strides, and Brandon Jacobs looks like a capable running back behind that offensive line, but Eli Manning remains a problem. He's having the best season of his pro career, but that's not saying much at this point. With the talent surrounding him, Little Manning has no excuse for a worse passer rating than Joey Harrington. A partial list of quarterbacks who have more yards and a better rating includes: much-maligned Donovan McNabb and his talent-less wide receiver corps; Carson Palmer and his 3-6 Bengals; Derek Anderson, who began the year as a backup to Charlie Frye; and Jay Cutler, whose receiving corps has been crippled by injuries. If the Giants are going to take the next step, Little Manning needs to take his.

Detroit Lions: B+

They get a B+ not only for their unlikely 6-3 record, but for exceeding expectations. Everyone knew a passing game with Jon Kitna, Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, and Calvin Johnson was going to be pretty good, and the Lions are eighth in in the NFL in passing yards, with Kitna also eighth in passer rating. What's surprising is the defense. The Lions have been giving up a ton of yardage, and with their high-powered offense that's not shocking, but Detroit has been coming up with turnovers at an amazing rate, leading the NFL in — get ready — interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries. This year's Lions remind me of the 2005 Cincinnati Bengals, using turnovers and a great passing game to make huge strides.

Cleveland Browns: B+

After their ugly Week 1 loss to the Steelers, it was tempting to dismiss the Browns as non-factors, maybe even the worst team in the league. But new QB Derek Anderson has sparked a 5-3 run, starting with a 51-point explosion in the Week 2 win over Cincinnati, and continuing through Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh. It's not often that a loss says good things about a team. Indy's loss to the Patriots was an example, though. So was this game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh embarrassed the Browns in Week 1. On Sunday, the Browns went into Pittsburgh, trading touchdowns with the Steelers all game, and ran out of time with a three-point loss. That speaks to how far Cleveland has come in half a season, and it shows that the Browns can compete with an elite team.

San Diego Chargers: B+

This is a tough one. 5-4 in the AFC is B/B+ territory, but the Chargers are clearly more than a 5-4 team. They 've looked very impressive in four of the last five games, beating the Colts after their embarrassing loss to Adrian Peterson, and pounding the Broncos, Raiders, and Texans by a combined score of 104-27. The Chargers have a ton of talent on the roster, and it's tempting to think they haven't played their best football of the 2007 season. That probably makes them more like an A-. At the same time, it's arguable that no team has been more disappointing this season. San Diego entered this season with Super Bowl aspirations and a chip on its shoulder, and it's played like, well, about a B+. That's not bad, but it's not what you expect from an A student.

Buffalo Bills: B

Don't look now, but the Bills have won four in a row. Granted, wins over teams with a combined record of 8-28 is hardly awe-inspiring, but since their hearth-wrenching Week 1 loss to the Broncos, the Bills haven't had any let-downs. They've lost to powerhouses like the Steelers and Patriots, but they nearly upset Dallas on "Monday Night Football," and they're winning all the games they're supposed to. Marshawn Lynch is the real deal, the opportunistic defense has 12 interceptions, and their special teams may be the best in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B

A pretty solid 5-4. In their last four games, the Bucs have won close games against Tennessee and Arizona, with close losses to Detroit and Jacksonville. Jeff Garcia is having a great season, the defense is the best it's looked since their Super Bowl year, and the make-shift running game led by Earnest Graham has been good enough. The Saints' recent 4-1 surge should have them worried, but the Buccaneers have a forgiving schedule down the stretch, and they have to like their chances of earning a wild card or winning their division outright.

Washington Redskins: B

The defense has done good things, with LaRon Landry, Fred Smoot, and a healthy Shawn Springs boosting a secondary that was among the league's worst last season — but injuries are becoming a potential problem again, with Sean Taylor and Smoot joining starting cornerback Carlos Rogers among the injured. The offensive line has battled through injuries with little apparent problem, and the running game seems to have gotten on track, but Jason Campbell is not making plays the way he needs to. Antwaan Randle El is having a breakout season, but Campbell — despite terrific arm strength — has problems with his accuracy on long throws, and it's limiting Washington's opportunities in the passing game. If this team can stay healthy and get consistent quarterback play, it has the potential to be very competitive in the NFC. Unfortunately for Washington, right now those are both big ifs.

Kansas City Chiefs: B-

They're a strong B-, because after an ugly 0-2 start that made Kansas City look like one of the worst teams in the NFL, the Chiefs have rebounded. Pro Bowl DE Jared Allen returned from suspension and immediately turned in a great performance to lead his team over Minnesota: 8 solo tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 pass deflections. With Allen in the lineup, the Chiefs are a solid 4-3, including a win at San Diego and a tough, competitive loss to the 8-1 Packers. The problem, believe it or not, is the running game. Kansas City is 31st in both rushing yards and rushing average. Damon Huard's injury this weekend also means we could be looking at the beginning of the Brodie Croyle Era in KC. If Croyle plays well or Huard comes back strong, the Chiefs could make a run at the division title in the pitiful AFC West.

New Orleans Saints: B-

I don't understand how teams like the Chargers and Saints can get on such great winning streaks, then lose in the most embarrassing fashion possible. The Chargers win three straight blowouts, then give up the single-game rushing record against Minnesota. The Saints win four in a row and then lose to the 0-8 Rams. Staggering inconsistency aside, the Saints clearly have the potential to go toe-to-toe with the NFC's best, and if they can avoid pitfalls like the one they experienced against St. Louis, last year's NFC South champs have to like their chances of repeating.

Seattle Seahawks: B-

I feel compelled to give them some sort of B since they're winning their division and will probably beat San Francisco to improve to 5-4 on Monday night, but that's the last nice thing I have to say about this mediocre squad. They've lost three of their last four, with the win against St. Louis. Shaun Alexander is averaging 3.3 yards per carry. They haven't beaten a team that currently has a winning record since Week 1. And if the Cardinals win in Seattle in Week 14, the Seahawks might not even win the NFC West, which is the NFL's equivalent of the Western Athletic Conference. Without Boise State and Hawaii.

Arizona Cardinals: B-

Maddeningly inconsistent. They've beaten the Steelers and Lions, who are a combined 13-3 against other teams. They've lost to the 49ers and Panthers, who are a combined 4-11 against other teams. They've used three different quarterbacks on purpose (mostly). But the defense is playing well, and their schedule makes them legitimate playoff contenders in the WAC/NFC West. Plus, they're the Cardinals, and that makes 4-5 look pretty good.

Houston Texans: B-

I don't know if it's Gary Kubiak or the legendary quarterback tandem of Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels, but a strong passing game has Houston's offense performing well this year. Fortunately for those of us who value consistency, the defense remembers that they're the Texans, and Ron Dayne leads the team in rushing. Houston is definitely showing some improvement, but the team has the misfortune of sharing a division with the Colts, Jaguars, and Titans.

Denver Broncos: B-

I don't really think the Broncos and Ravens deserve a B-. They seem more like C+ to me, but I'm trying to avoid bias, and here's my rationale. The Seahawks, as 4-4 (maybe 5-4 by the time you read this) division-leaders, merit some sort of B. The Cardinals, who are exceeding expectations while the Seahawks fall short of them, deserve the same grade as Seattle. And there is absolutely no way that an AFC team is worse than an NFC West team with the same record. Also, the Broncos beat Pittsburgh.

Baltimore Ravens: B-

I caught some of their loss to Cincinnati in Week 10, and I live in a television market that allows me to see a lot of the AFC North. Steve McNair was a legitimately great quarterback at the beginning of this decade. From 2001-03, I'm not sure there was a better QB in the NFL. You could make a decent case for Tom Brady or Donovan McNabb or Brett Favre, and you can make a very strong case for Peyton Manning, but even if you think all of those guys were better — which probably isn't true — that's still pretty elite company. Now, though, McNair's physical skills have noticeably declined. In addition to lesser passing performances, McNair has gotten slow. This is a quarterback who twice ran for eight touchdowns in a season, who five times exceeded 400 yards on the ground, who has more career rushing yards than Julius Jones. Kyle Boller is not John Unitas waiting on the bench, and a quarterback change won't make the Ravens' offense look like the Colts, but Boller has developed into a steady, serviceable player, and the Ravens have nothing to lose by trying to jump-start their anemic offense with a quarterback change.

Philadelphia Eagles: C+

The bench-Donovan talk is absurd. When he's healthy, Donovan McNabb is among the top half-dozen quarterbacks in the league. At this time last season, he was the front-runner to win NFL MVP. But if the Eagles don't give him more weapons, McNabb won't be able to produce consistently. Brian Westbrook is phenomenal, and there are some good players on Philadelphia's offensive line. But the defense can't carry this team any more, and there are just no weapons in Philly's receiving corps. McNabb doesn't need a high-priced, Hall of Fame talent to throw to. Last year, he looked great working with Donte Stallworth, who's certainly a good receiver, but shouldn't be irreplaceable. The Eagles are doing their fans, and especially their quarterback, a disservice by not surrounding McNabb with the talent he needs to succeed.

Chicago Bears: C+

Cedric Benson is averaging three yards per carry. Brian Griese has a passer rating of 77.1. Rex Grossman has a rating of 53.9. Kick returner Devin Hester leads the team in touchdowns. The defense is not dominating opponents this season, but it's good enough that with a decent offense, the Bears could probably repeat as NFC champs. Unfortunately, the offense is a mess. It needs a new QB, a new running back, new wide receivers, and an overhaul on the offensive line. Barring a miracle turnaround from Grossman or Griese, I don't expect this team to be seriously competitive for years.

Carolina Panthers: C+

Three straight losses after a 4-2 start. The Colts and Titans, you don't really expect them to beat, but a loss at home to the Falcons stings. Quarterback play is the obvious problem, with rookie Matt Moore the fourth QB the Panthers have used this season, and when 800-year-old Vinny Testaverde isn't even your last option, the situation is clearly pretty dire. The rushing game, still led by DeShaun Foster, but also energized by DeAngelo Williams, has been good. The defense has been fine. The passing game should involve more throwing to Steve Smith and less of everything else. A radical idea, and complicated to implement, but if Moore can't handle that kind of duty — "Just look for No. 89, Matt" — the Panthers should sign Jeff George, or sign Boomer Esiason and finally get those guys on CBS to shut up.

Cincinnati Bengals: C

The Bengals, who have no running game and the worst defense in the NFL, are 3-6 on the strength of a terrific passing attack led by Carson Palmer and WRs T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson. The return of suspended Chris Henry could provide a major boost, as well. My warning to the Bengals is this: do not even think about firing Marvin Lewis. If you do, the Ravens will can Brian Billick and hire Lewis as their new head coach and you will regret it for ever and ever.

Minnesota Vikings: C

There is only one thing the Vikings should be concerned with right now, and that is the health of Adrian Peterson. This is a guy who had some injury problems in college, and now he's facing NFL defenders in a 16-game season. It's tempting to overwork Peterson, because he's such a phenomenal talent, and the Vikings really have no other weapons on offense. But giving Peterson too many touches will turn him into Cadillac Williams: a talented player whose coaches overworked him into an injury-prone runner who's never been the same as he was as a rookie. If Peterson's season ended with his knee injury against the Packers, he would rank second in NFL history in single-season rushing average, less than 1/100 of a yard behind Jim Brown's 1963 season. But it would be a great shame if we don't get to see a healthy, 100% Peterson for years to come. The Vikings aren't going anywhere this season, with Peterson or without him. They need to keep their star runner healthy so they can build around him for the future, and Minnesota's owners and management need to make clear to Brad Childress and his coaching staff that they'll be judged on the way Peterson is handled, rather than strictly on this year's record.

Atlanta Falcons: C-

They've won two games in a row, and Harrington is having the best season of his career. I know that's not saying much — it's barely saying anything — but Harrington is actually playing pretty well. In an offense with no real weapons, Harrington has been surprisingly effective, even for someone who isn't Joey Harrington. Alge Crumpler and the running backs are okay, but the Atlanta offense has no Pro Bowl talent this season, and the wide receiving corps stinks. Harrington has a better passer rating with this offense than Michael Vick or Matt Schaub did last season, and for a team given up for dead after Vick's offseason drama, the Falcons have actually exceeded expectations.

Oakland Raiders: C-

No one likes being 2-7, but expectations weren't very high for this team, and they've lived up to what we expected. With injuries and an ill-advised holdout necessitating an unproductive rotating door under center, the Raiders have turned to the ground game and actually rank fifth in rushing offense, with good production from both LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas. The forgotten man in the rush attack is Dominic Rhodes, and I suspect that he and the Colts miss each other a great deal right now. What the Raiders don't have this year is the dominant defense we saw at the end of last season. But you have to figure that with enough high draft picks, Oakland will put together a solid foundation for another run.

San Francisco 49ers: D

Few teams have been more disappointing this season. I don't think many people considered San Francisco a serious contender at the league level, but they were widely expected to contend for a division title, and after starting 2-0, the Niners have dropped six consecutive games. They went 0-3 with Trent Dilfer at quarterback, but Alex Smith has fewer passing TDs than Dilfer, twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, and a passer rating of 57.6. For reference, let's compare that to Vince Young (62.2), Steve McNair (73.9), Brian Griese (77.1), Joey Harrington (81.0), Kurt Warner (86.2), Chad Pennington (87.5), and Tom Brady (131.8). The 49ers miss Norv Turner as much as the Chargers miss Marty Schottenheimer and Wade Phillips, and there just isn't a lot of healthy talent on this roster right now. The team made some good moves in the offseason, but it's going to take longer than that to build a contender.

New York Jets: D

They should be better than 1-8. All the close games the Jets won last season, they're losing this year. Five of their eight losses have come by a touchdown or less, and the only real blowout was a Week 1 meeting with the Patriots. But the Jets just aren't getting anything done, on offense or defense. When the defense has a good game, the offense can't score. When the offense plays well, the defense gets routed. They say that close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, and right now the Jets are getting hammered on and blown up.

St. Louis Rams: D

Got their first win of the season with an upset of New Orleans, but there's potential here. I've considered the Rams to be the NFL's worst team for most of the season, and there were periods when they looked incapable of beating anyone. But Steven Jackson's return changes everything for this offense. With Torry Holt and Jackson on the field, St. Louis has weapons its opponents have to respect, and will have difficulty neutralizing. Jackson doesn't make the Rams a playoff team, but he makes them a real NFL team again, restoring some dignity to this franchise's 2007 campaign.

Miami Dolphins: F

We all know they're re-building. The Chris Chambers trade and the increased practice reps for John Beck make that clear. But injuries, age, and a dearth of new talent have ravaged the once-proud Miami defense, and the offense simply can't get anything going. A great quarterback is not a precondition for success in the NFL, but a decent one is. We'll learn soon what Beck has to offer the Dolphins, but at the midpoint of this season, it's difficult to imagine many ways the Dolphins could be worse. I don't think they'll go 0-16, however, and you'd like to hope that things can only get better from here.