By Vincent Mercogliano
We have reached the midway point of the 2007 NFL season and can confidently declare two things: Both the Indianapolis Colts (7-0) and the New England Patriots (8-0) are good. Very good. The NFL has recently been considered a league of parity; not many teams stay on top for long. It is rare that any team has been a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl at the mid point of a season, but the Colts and Patriots have been utterly dominant thus far. The Patriots have been averaging an unprecedented 41.4 points per game while maintaining a 25.5 point average margin of victory. The Colts are second in the AFC to the Pats in points per game averaging 32 with a 17.4 point average margin of victory. These two teams are the only two undefeated teams left in the league, and they are winning convincingly.
The additions of wide receivers Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker have catapulted the Patriot offense into another stratosphere and made QB Tom Brady a strong candidate for his first regular season MVP award. Meanwhile, the Colts have been handling their own business under the radar due to the attention being received by the Pats, but it’s clear they are riding a wave of confidence coming off their Super Bowl Championship.
It’s the perfect set-up for next weekends mega match-up between the two teams which is being billed as “Super Bowl XLI ½.” The winner will emerge as the hands-down Super Bowl favorite and be left to hear the 16-0 rumors.
With the Patriots and Colts having surfaced as the class of the AFC (and by all accounts the entire league), the next most capable contenders seem to be the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) and the San Diego Chargers (4-3). The Steelers have righted the ship under first year Head Coach Mike Tomlin after failing to make the playoffs last season as defending champs. They should be considered a threat because they have shown the ability to play in big games (a big test will be Dec. 9 at New England). The Chargers got off to a shaky start under new Head Coach Norv Turner but seem to be improving each week. They have won three straight in convincing fashion and are one of the most talented teams in football, led by reigning MVP LaDainian Tomlinson. It seems like those four teams are good bets to win their respective divisions: Pats in the East, Steelers in the North, Colts in the South and Chargers in the West though the two unclaimed Wild Card spots give the conference some semblance of openness.
It is the NFC, however, that is truly wide open. The Dallas Cowboys (6-1) are probably the favorites with a share of the conference’s best reord conference with the Green Bay Packers. They have the top-ranked scoring offense in the conference led by QB Tony Romo, who has earned himself a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension. The Cowboys are a team with plenty of question marks, however, as new Head Coach Wade Phillips has not been able to maintain success in his previous head coaching stints, this is Romo’s first full season as a starter, T.O. is still a walking time bomb and their secondary has been suspect at times. They showed in their 48-27 loss on Oct. 14 to the Patriots that they aren’t ready to play with the AFC’s big boys.
The next two teams that come to mind in the NFC are the Green Bay Packers (6-1) and the New York Giants (6-2). Packer QB Brett Favre has done a great job of making big plays while limiting mistakes and seems rejuvenated by his team’s early success. The Packers also have a very good, young defense which ranks fifth in points allowed in the NFC. But the Packers have lacked an efficient running game, ranking dead last in the conference in rushing offense. Finding a balance on offense will be crucial to their success, especially as winter hits Lambeau Field. The Giants were in the same position last year at 6-2 but struggled in the second half of the season, finishing 8-8. Their defense has unmatched pass rushing ability, they lead the entire NFL with 28 sacks, but the secondary has been shaky in the past. The Giants are talented on offense but QB Eli Manning still has to prove he can keep it up for a full season.
Those are the teams that have gotten off to the best starts in the NFC but there are many other teams could still step up and make a run, such as the New Orleans Saints (3-4). As we all know one game or one injury can change an entire NFL team’s fate, and with only a 16-game season teams don’t have much margin for error. But based on the happenings in the NFL thus far this season, here are my mid-season power rankings:
1a) Indianapolis Colts (7-0) You have to beat the champs before you can take their No. 1 spot and the Pats have failed their past three tries.
1b) New England Patriots (8-0) Don’t be surprised if these guys are good enough to beat the champs.
3) Dallas Cowboys (6-1) The class of the NFC so far.
4) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) They’ve climbed this mountain before.
5) San Diego Chargers (4-3)Too much talent to ignore.
6) Green Bay Packers (6-1) Can Favre keep it up?
7) New York Giants (6-2) This is Eli’s chance to show he can lead this team or it will cost Head Coach Tom Coughlin his job.
8) Tennessee Titans (5-2) Don’t be surprised if QB Vince Young and an improving defense lead this team to the playoffs.
9) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) Very good, physical D but loss of QB David Garrard for a month will hurt.
10) Baltimore Ravens (4-3) QB Steve McNair can’t stay on the field and defense is looking a bit old.
11) New Orleans Saints (3-4) Winners of three straight are only one game behind the Panthers in the NFC South.
12) Seattle Seahawks (4-3) Has been a good team for a while, but doesn’t seem to ever want to take the next step.
13) Detroit Lions (5-2) On pace to match QB Jon Kitna’s 10-win prediction. I’m still not sure if I would bet on it.
14) Denver Broncos (3-4) Having trouble stopping the run allowing an AFC-high 166 rushing yards per game.
15) Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) Slow start shouldn’t lead teams to overlook the Eagles; especially in the NFC.
16) Washington Redskins (4-3) O-line injuries have hurt them but ultimately playoff hopes will rest on QB Jason Campbell’s right arm.
17) Carolina Panthers (4-3) You can’t help but love soon-to-be 45 year-old QB Vinny Testaverde, but he’s not going to take them very far.
18) Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) Head Coach Herm Edwards has them off to a surprising start but do they have staying power?
19) Chicago Bears (3-5) Defending NFC Champs are in serious need of some offense.
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) Can’t help but respect what 38 year-old QB Jeff Garcia does.
21) Houston Texans (3-4) -Not quite a playoff caliber team yet, but they are heading in the right direction.
22) Cleveland Browns (4-3) QB Derek Andersen has the offense putting up points, which could keep 1st round pick Brady Quinn on the bench and save Head Coach Romeo Crennel’s job.
23) Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) Head Coach Marvin Lewis’s job is in serious jeopardy if they don’t turn things around.
24) Arizona Cardinals (3-4) QB injuries have hurt the team’s chances thus far but they are still in the hunt in the NFC West.
25) Minnesota Vikings (2-5) Rookie RB Adrian Peterson plus their excellent o-line gives them a great running game for years to come, but they need to find a QB.
26) Buffalo Bills (3-4) Team still needs talent, but they play hard.
27) San Francisco 49ers (2-5) Have failed to meet high expectations.
28) Oakland Raiders (2-5) Decent defense, awful offense.
29) New York Jets (1-7) Many Jet fans will be happy to see young QB Kellen Clemens this week vs. Washington, but the blame goes beyond Chad Pennington.
30) Atlanta Falcons (1-6) Michael Vick’s legal issues doomed HC Bobby Petrino’s debut season.
31) St. Louis Rams (0-8) Injuries put this team in a deep hole.
32) Miami Dolphins (0-8) Team is in need of major changes.
Super Bowl Prediction: New England Patriots over Dallas Cowboys

Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and the defending champion Indianapolis Colts have shown no signs of relinquishing their crown as the NFL’s best. (sports.yahoo.com)