NFL at Mid-Season

This is a real post, it will not include Vince from Slap Chop or Tyler Hansbrough.

Halfway through the season, and here's what we know for sure:

1) There are a lot of really bad teams. Like a lot. How this is possible in a league with a salary cap and a billion scouts and personnel per team is beyond me. I think the Florida Tuskers from the UFL could beat the Browns this year. If Roger Goodell wants to help the league, he'll start by firing Eric Mangini and Tom Cable himself.
2) There are a few pretty good teams. The Colts and the Saints seem like good teams, but I don't necessarily think they're great. Maybe we were all spoiled by the Patriots a couple years ago, but I just don't see that dominant team this year. It's still pretty wide open in my view. I could see the Saints, Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Vikings, Cowboys, Giants, and sure, the Eagles as possible Super Bowl contenders.
3) Andy Reid still doesn't know how time works in football. Sigh.

Awesome. Here's how I see the rest of the season playing out, starting with awards:

Mid-Season MVP: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
I mostly say this so my coffee table doesn't get mysteriously flipped over. Like last year, the MVP race will most likely come down to Brees and Peyton Manning. Manning is certainly deserving. He's been incredible despite a lack of experienced receivers besides Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and a non-existent running game. However, Brees has been the predominant reason why the Saints, a historically terrible franchise, are undefeated and the current NFC favorites.

Mid-Season Rookie of the Year: Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
It's not often that a third round wide receiver wins Rookie of the Year, but it's not often that a third round wide receiver has been the best receiver on a defending Super Bowl champion team. Percy Harvin is also very much in the running for this award.

Mid-Season Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
You can certainly make a strong argument for Josh McDaniels, who looked like he was gonna get fired by the Broncos before even coaching a game, who now has his team at 6-2. But the Saints' success has been the story of the season so far, and Payton has to be the front runner for this award.

Most surprising team of the mid-season: Denver Broncos
The Broncos offseason was an all out disaster. They parted ways with their franchise QB, Jay Cutler. They made some very questionable picks in the draft and Josh McDaniels seemingly couldn't do anything right. However, they're 6-2 at the midway point and in first place in the AFC West. They've come down to Earth a bit, but they're still very much in it. The Bengals are the runner-up.

Most dissapointing team of the mid-season: Tennessee Titans
I predicted a dissapointing season for the Titans from the get go, but not quite this bad. They've won two straight games under Vince Young, sure, but there's no way they get past 5-6 wins this year. A huge let down for a team that had the league's best record last season. And there was that 59-0 lost to the Patriots.

How I see it finishing out:

NFC
1: New Orleans Saints (14-2)
2: Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
3: Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
4: Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
5: Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)
6: New York Giants (10-6)

AFC
1: Indianapolis Colts (13-3)
2: New England Patriots (12-4)
3: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
4: Denver Broncos (10-6)
5: Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)
6: Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

Playoffs:

Giants over Cowboys Eagles over Cardinals Steelers over Ravens Broncos over Bengals

Saints over Giants Vikings over Eagles Colts over Broncos Patriots over Steelers

Saints over Vikings Patriots over Colts

Super Bowl XLIV: Patriots over Saints