Cohen's Mid Season NFL Rankings

We have hit the midway point of the 2008 NFL season, and the only good thing about getting to this point is that this irritating and annoying 2008 Presidential election is now over, and we don't have to hear about it anymore. Now we can get back to our normal lives, without throwing books and spitballs at each other! The sad part, however, is that the football season is half over.

Where do teams stand at the halfway point? Here are the top 10.

1) New York Giants (7-1): Clearly, the Giants are the most phyiscally dominating club in the enitre NFL. The Giants are third in the league in total defense, and fifth in the league in total offense. No team with a winning record is ranked higher than the Giants. Eli Manning has been sharp. Brandon Jacobs has been running over people all season, and Justin Tuck is turning into the new leader of the Giants defense.

No one can stop the Giants right now, not even the Titans who are 8-0. If there is a team that is a sure lock for the top seed in the NFL playoffs, it is the Giants. The only question remains, can they get through a tough schedule that has five tough road games against possible playoff teams?

2) Tennessee Titans (8-0): Somehow, someway the Titans find ways to remain relevant. They have one of the leauge's worst offenses and have only scored 199 points as a team this season. Tennessee is lucky their defense is so good because without them, the Titans are an average football team. The Titans remind me of the 2006 Ravens who went 13-3, beating up on the worst teams in the NFL en route to the top seed in the AFC. What happened? The Ravens were TKO'ed by the Indianapolis Colts at the start of that year's playoffs. In other words, 13 or 14 wins guarantees nothing.

3) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): The Steelers got a huge win on Monday night when they beat up on the Redskins without the services of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger injured his throwing shoulder in the Monday night game and underwent an MRI. As a result, Big Ben is listed as day to day.

But have no fear, Pittsburgh. Byron Leftwich did a nice job in relief. The former Jaguar was solid, as he threw two touchdown passes in the effort and showed great arm strength, something Leftwich is not known for. Plus, Pittsburgh has a ferocious defense that sacked Redskins QB Jason Cambell six times on MNF, and possess a solid ground and receiving corps. So, even if Roethlisberger cannot play, Pittsburgh is talented enough to figure it out.

4) Carolina Panthers (6-2): The Panthers are quietly putting together a solid campaign in 2008. They have beaten every team in their own division and done so in dominating fashion. Keep in mind, the NFC South is the second best division in football this year. Jake Delhomme has come back very nicely from off-season Tommy Johns surgery to throw for 1,781 yards and nine touchdowns. Also, I can't say enough about the running game duo of Jon Stweart and DeAngelo Williams. The pair has rushed for a combined 884 yards this season. The Panthers are one of many challengers for the Giants crown this season.

5) Arizona Cardinals (5-3): The Cards got a much needed laugher in St. Louis, and what is most impressive about their effort is that it came after a bye week. Usually teams are a little rusty after a week off, but not the Cardinals who have built an insurmountable three game lead in their division. Arizona is the only team in the NFC West with a winning record; everyone else is 2-6.

6) Washington Redskins (6-3): The Redskins had a taste of reality on Monday night. Even though they have made strides this season with new coach Jim Zorn, there is still a lot of work to do before Washington can think about overtaking the Giants in the East. Jason Campbell, who has looked great this season, really struggled against the Steelers. He was sacked six times and could never find any time to get rid of the football. Clinton Portis leads the leauge in rushing with 995 yards, clearly the best in football.

7) Philadelphia Eagles (5-3): The Eagles have really flown under the radar this season. Everyone talks about the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC East, but it is Philly, that might be the scariest team from that division. The Eagles have won three in a row, and Donavan McNabb has been on fire. McNabb has thrown for 2,178 yards, which is third in the NFL. Plus a corps of young receivers, such as DeSean Jackson, Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis and Brent Clark, have provided McNabb with numerous options to which to throw.

By the way, running back Brian Westbrook is back and healthy. When Westbrook is running well, the Eagles are almost unstoppable.

8) Chicago Bears (5-3): The Bears somehow found a way to come back against the lowly Lions, and it was Rex Grossman, of all people, who led the come back! Kyle Orton had to leave the game because of a violent knee injury, leading to Grossman's return. As a reuslt, Grossman threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the victory. Now that he is back to being the starter, the question remains whether Rex can acutally keep his job after losing it during training camp.

9) N. Y. Jets (5-3): The Jets had a huge Sunday against the Bills; they dominated Buffalo for 60 whole minutes. It was New York's most complete victory and it could turn their season around. Everyone has thrown Brett Favre under the bus because of his interceptions, but the fact remains, that Favre adds a dimension of team self-confidence that this club never had before. Also, Kris Jenkins has added another dimension to the Jets defense. With Jenkins the Jets not only stop the run, but they put so much pressure on opposing quarterbacks that they force them into huge turnovers: i.e., the Abram Elam 92 yard TD. Watch out; the Jets have a pretty favorable schedule in the second half and could easily put together a big run for a top playoff seed.

10) Miami Dolphins (4-4): Yes, the Dolphins are a good football team. In fact, they are a really good football team. Chad Pennington has managed the game real well for the Fish, throwing only four interceptions all season. Pennington has utilized the talents of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to create one of the league's most unpredictable offenses. Predictablity is something that Pennington struggled with in his years with the Jets, but with Ronnie Brown behind him, nobody knows what to expect. The Dolphins have a very easy schedule and could easily be 10-5 by the time they match up with the Jets in week 17, in what could be a game that determines who wins the AFC East.