NFL Halfway Through Regular Season

The NFL season is officially halfway through the regular season now that all thirty two teams have played at least eight games. Now that we've gotten there, I'll take a peek at where some teams stand as to playoff positioning and some potential pitfalls to the finish.

Let's go!

The AFC's best team is...?

Well, the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers all stand at 6-2 and are seemingly going to qualify for post-season play.

The Jets have a grinding style of offense and have improved the passing game some under quarterback Mark Sanchez . The tremendous defense limits opposing teams from moving the ball with any consistency.

The Pats are still dangerous on offense with Tom Brady at the helm but the youth on defense can and has proven to be problematic at times.

The Ravens offense is improving under quarterback Joe Flacco to go with a strong running game. Of course, defensively Baltimore is as good as ever.

The Steelers overcame the four game suspension of signal caller Ben Roethlisberger by playing lights out defense and running the ball effectively. However, Pittsburgh now has a rash of injuries in the trenches on both sides of the ball that could slow both units.

I would pick the Steelers as the top dog in the AFC if not for the aforementioned injuries. Therefore, my vote goes to the Baltimore Ravens.

The NFC's best team is...?

Four teams stand out as front runners --- The Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants at 6-2 while the Green Bay Packers and defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints stand at 6-3.

The Falcons have a punishing ground game led by Michael Turner, a young quarterback in Matt Ryan who makes few mistakes, and a defense that is unheralded yet stout.

The Giants have probably the best balance of all NFL offenses. The two-headed monster in the backfield of Ahmad Bradshaw and Jacobs are hard to stop and quarterback Eli Manning can sling the football with the NFL's top signal callers. Injuries on the offensive line could hamper the Giants however. The defense has been the big story as the G-men get to the opposing passer better than any team in the league.

The Packers, while deficient running the ball, move the ball with ease through the air thanks to top flight quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Defensively, the Packers have been terrific led by Clay Matthews who is having an All-Pro caliber season.

The Saints have come to life on offense after being dormant in September. Quarterback Drew Brees has regained his swagger and the running game has been pieced together with running backs Christopher Ivory, Ladell Betts, and Julius Jones. The defense has played quite well and the return of safety Darren Sharper can only help.

I cast my vote for the NFC's best team to the New York Giants although it is wide open and as previously mentioned, the Giants have injury woes on the offensive line.

Those are my thoughts. Yours are?

Dick

Send email to dlafrance2@207me.com

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