2008 NFL Midseason Report

Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat formation have given the Fins life. (Getty Images)

There have been a lot of surprising things from this team. They won at New England, which shocked a lot of people, and then there's the Wildcat formation. Coach Tony Sparano has this group playing hard each week. They are undermanned in a lot of spots, but make up for it with toughness. They've defeated three pretty good teams in New England, Buffalo and San Diego. Chad Pennington isn't the long-term answer, but he keeps playing well just when it looks like it might be time to go to rookie Chad Henne. The running game has been good with the re-emergence of Ronnie Brown. He's back from major knee surgery. The young offensive line will be a good one in a couple of years. Rookie left tackle Jake Long has played well. The receivers haven't done enough, especially Ted Ginn Jr. On defense, there is a nice mix of young and old. Joey Porter has played well so far, and has really helped the pass rush. They are getting a lot of contributions from young players on defense. The secondary remains a work in progress. Any Miami fan who isn't happy where this team is after the first half is foolish. Midseason Grade: B+

Buffalo Bills

It was all about Trent Edwards. Before the season it was about whether the second-year passer made strides. If he did, the Bills would be good. Well, he has. You can make a claim that Edwards is one of the most improved players. His ability to read defenses and make good decisions is the difference in this offense from a season ago. It helps he plays behind a strong line and has a weapon like Lee Evans. Running back Marshawn Lynch can run it and catch it. The defense has really made a leap forward. Injuries crippled that side of the ball last season. This season, they've had a top 10 unit. The addition of defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and the return of Paul Posluszny have solidified the run defense. The secondary, led by safety Donte Whitner, has played better than expected. Dick Jauron deserves coach of the year consideration. If they win the division, he just might get it. Midseason Grade: B-

New York Jets

Are they any good? Do we really know? They've beaten up on all the bad teams on their schedule and their lone quality victory is against the Cardinals. Brett Favre has been OK at quarterback, not great. Is he worth it? We'll see. So far, I'd say no. The reason is the Jets are the third team right now in their division. That's not good enough to justify that trade. The receivers have played well and the running game has had its moments -- just not enough of them. Leon Washington has been valuable as a runner, receiver and return man. The defense has done a decent job, ranking in the top third of the league. The addition of Calvin Pace has helped, but they've received nothing from Vernon Gholston, their first-round pick. The Jets are in the division race, but they should thank their schedule. Not their play. Midseason Grade: C+

New England Patriots

Losing a player like Tom Brady would be a crippling blow for most teams. Not this one. Bill Belichick has kept his team together, despite so-so play from Matt Cassel, Brady's replacement. Cassel has played better lately, which is a good sign. The offensive line hasn't been as good and the running game has been patchwork with the loss of Laurence Maroney for the season. The defense has held its own, in large part because of the defensive line. Having a healthy Richard Seymour back really helps. Rookie inside linebacker Jerod Mayo has added much-needed speed to the linebackers. The secondary has been OK. The loss of Rodney Harrison for the season hurts. Belichick does a heck of a job coaching in these situations, but they haven't shown enough to think they will be a factor come playoff time. This is Brady's team. Midseason Grade: B

Baltimore Ravens

When you win four of your first seven games with a rookie quarterback, that's impressive. Joe Flacco hasn't played great, but he hasn't killed the Ravens either. He has done a nice job as the starter and will only get better. Injuries have hurt the offensive line, but they've played OK. Willis McGahee has run the ball well. It's always about the defense for the Ravens. This year is no different. Led by a revitalized Ray Lewis, the Ravens are playing top-notch defense under coordinator Rex Ryan. Terrell Suggs is also having a Pro Bowl season. The secondary has been hit with a ton of injuries, yet aside from the blowout loss to the Colts, it has hung in there. It helps to have an aggressive front seven. John Harbaugh seems to have reached this veteran team, which can be tricky for a first-year coach. Midseason Grade: C+

Cincinnati Bengals

Marvin Lewis' Bengals are still looking for a victory in '08. (AP)

What a disaster. They haven't won a game, their quarterback is probably done for the season with an elbow injury, and they have big-mouth players who hate where they are playing. Still like being a head coach, Marvin Lewis? There is some thought Lewis could be out after the season, but the Bengals traditionally hate to fire coaches and pay them when they have significant money left on their deals. It has to kill Bengals fans to see an offense expected to be explosive at the bottom of the league rankings. Losing Carson Palmer has killed the offense and the running game hasn't picked up the slack. The defense has shown some improvement, but the inept offense has put too much pressure on that side of the ball. There is some young talent on that side, which bodes well for the future. One has to wonder if Lewis will be around to see it. Midseason Grade: D+

Cleveland Browns

Expectations were too high for this group. They've shown that. After going 10-6 last season, many expected the Browns to be a Super contender. They aren't that, but they are playing better lately. The problem has been that quarterback Derek Anderson just isn't the same player he was for most of last season, although he did play better in last Sunday's defeat of the Jaguars. It hasn't helped that receiver Braylon Edwards has dropped a ton of passes. Jamal Lewis hasn't got it going either. The defense has been middle of the road, though it has played better lately. Shaun Rogers has played well at defensive tackle, but Corey Williams has been a disappointment as an end. Corner Eric Wright has played well. Coach Romeo Crennel received a new contract last year, so it would seem unlikely that he is in trouble. A brutal schedule hasn't helped. I said before the season that the Browns were a year away. That will be with Brady Quinn in 2009. Midseason Grade: C

Pittsburgh Steelers

The defense has been the key again for the Steelers. They have the top-rated run defense and they are third overall in yards allowed. They've given up 15.7 points per game, which is why they are 5-2. The outside rushers, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, have both had good seasons so far. Having a healthy Aaron Smith really impacts the defense. The offense hasn't been good enough. They rank 25th in the league and their normal strength, the running game, is ranked 18th. It doesn't help that Willie Parker has missed time with injuries, but a lot of the problems come because the offensive line hasn't played that great. Parker is expected back in the next week or so, which will help. Without a running game, there is too much being put on Ben Roethlisberger and he has taken a ton of hits. He has been beat up. When he has time, he's fine. When he has been pressured, he has turned the ball over. The running game needs to take some of that pressure away in the second half. Midseason Grade: B-

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton and the Colts are not looking like themselves so far. (Getty Images)

It's all about the injuries. They've killed this team. From the time camp opened with Peyton Manning out with a knee infection, it has been one injury after another. You can't overcome all of them. The offensive line has been a mess, and that has made Manning uncomfortable in the pocket. When he is like that, he struggles. Losing Joseph Addai has hurt the running game. The defense has once again had problems stopping the run. That's in large part because it is an undersized unit. When the Colts have the lead, that's great. When they don't, it's a problem. Losing safety Bob Sanders to injury has been crippling to the run defense. He's the heart of their defense. If the Colts don't get it turned around soon, they won't be able to climb out of the hole they're in because of the injuries. A playoff-less season would be a disaster. Midseason Grade: C

Houston Texans

They expected to be a better team than they were a year ago, and they are. The problem is they play in a brutal division. It hasn't helped that they've fought the injury bug and have had a ton of turnovers. Hello, Sage Rosenfels. The good thing so far has been the emergence of Matt Schaub. He has really showed off the past month, which is a great sign for the future. Andre Johnson is a star at receiver. I think Steve Slaton has surprised a lot of people at running back. The defense has struggled at times, but they have star power in defensive end Mario Williams. He has lived up to the hype this season with seven sacks. The return of Dunta Robinson from injury will help the defense the rest of the way. They've been involved in a lot of high-scoring games, so it's time the defense did its part. The pieces are there for a solid second-half run. They're making strides. Their second half will be interesting to watch. Midseason Grade: C

Jacksonville Jaguars

At 3-4, they've come through the brutal part of their schedule but they can't be happy where they are. They had a tough six-game stretch to open the season and, despite injuries, came through it at 3-3. And then Cleveland beat them at home. They've played the first six games with a makeshift offensive line, which slowed the running game. With center Brad Meester back, the line should be better and Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew should get the running game back to expected levels. Receiver Matt Jones has been a pleasant surprise, but free-agent signee Jerry Porter has been a bust as he fights to return from hamstring surgery. David Garrard has come on the past three games. The defense is the worry spot. It is a unit that has had trouble getting teams off the field. Part of that problem has been the lack of a pass rush. They don't get after the quarterback. If that doesn't change, they won't be a playoff team. Rookie Derrick Harvey needs to show more. Safety Brian Williams has been the unit's best player. They will be around in the end, but if they don't knock QBs down more it won't matter. Midseason Grade: B+

Tennessee Titans

Coach Jeff Fisher has his Titans cruising. (Getty Images)

They are the last unbeaten team, despite having an offense that is limited. When the season opened, it was all about Vince Young. This was to be his breakout season. Instead, he's on the bench. An injury put him there, but the play of Kerry Collins has kept him there. The Titans don't ask Collins to do a lot, but he is capable of making plays down the field, something Young did not. Running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White have keyed the offense. The line has been sensational. But this team is all about defense. They have the best scoring defense in the league. Tackle Albert Haynesworth is the best interior lineman in football. The rest of the line has played well. The linebackers get to the football and the secondary has rising stars in Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin. The Titans are all about running the ball. If they can continue to do that, they will be the top seed come playoff time. In the playoffs, though, they will have to throw it better. Midseason Grade: A

Denver Broncos

They have to be thrilled with the emergence of Jay Cutler at quarterback. In his second full season starting, he plays like a veteran. He has a strong arm and he uses it. He can sometimes force passes, but that's all about learning to play the position. Receiver Brandon Marshall is the next great one in the league. He's big and strong and has good speed. The line has played well and rookie left tackle Ryan Clady has held up nicely. The defense has been abysmal. They can't stop anybody. Teams are averaging 394.6 yards a game against them. That's why the offense is always playing in catch-up mode. The defensive front has played poorly. They have little pass rush. They will be without corner Champ Bailey for six weeks because of a groin injury, and he's their best player. Losing him will make it even tougher. If the Broncos don't make the playoffs, is the heat on Mike Shanahan again? Midseason Grade: C+