NFL is hard to decipher

We’re already midway through the NFL season, and with a few exceptions it’s hard to have any idea what is going to happen in the second half of the year.
Defending champion Green Bay has established itself as the best team in the league. But several other teams that have been among the elite the last several seasons — New England, Pittsburgh and New Orleans among them — seem to play well one week and look terrible the next.
Some teams (Kansas City) seemed headed for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes in the first few weeks, but have now turned it around. Others (Washington) got off to hot starts but now look as if they will be lucky to pick up another victory.
With so much uncertainty, let’s take a look at some of the biggest success and failure stories of the first half.

Rookies, especially …
… those who play quarterback and wide receiver aren’t generally expected to make a huge impression in their first season.
There is the occasional exception, and there are a couple of big ones this season.
On the quarterback side, there is Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. I was sure Newton would be an NFL flop, but he quickly proved me wrong by setting an NFL record with 422 passing yards in his first start.
Newton tossed for 370 or more yards in three of his first four games, and has cracked 220 in seven out of eight. He ranks second in the NFL in passing yards, trailing only Drew Brees.
A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals has gotten off to a tremendous start in his first season as an NFL wide receiver.
He had just one catch — it went for a 41-yard touchdown — in his first game, but has at least four receptions in every game since and has already caught five touchdown passes.

Some veterans …
… who have been among the best at their positions as recently as last year probably wish they were having half as much success as the aforementioned rookies.
San Diego’s Phillip Rivers led the NFL in passing yards in 2010, finished second in quarterback rating and tossed 30 touchdowns. He’s still racking up yards this year, but has just seven touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions and is 19th in quarterback rating.
Chris Johnson of Tennessee racked up 2,006 rushing yards just two seasons ago and was in the debate with Adrian Peterson for best running back in the league. After holding out during the preseason, he has been atrocious this year with just one 100-yard game and an average of 2.8 yards per carry.
Before the Colts’ Austin Collie had his 2010 season obliterated because of concussions, he was among the most productive receivers in the league. He caught 27 passes in his first three games a year ago and had 58 catches in the nine games he played in.
With Peyton Manning out this year, Collie has nabbed just 20 receptions with no touchdowns.

The Bengals have …
… done exactly what I had hoped the Cleveland Browns would be able to do: Take advantage of a weak early schedule.
Cincinnati’s five wins have come against teams with a combined record of 12-26, with Buffalo (5-2) as the lone winning team in the bunch. But if the season ended today the Bengals would be in the playoffs, and they’ve at least given themselves a chance to be a postseason contender.
The offense has been respectable behind rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and Green. The defense has been outstanding, ranked second in the league in total yards and fourth in points per game allowed (17.6).
If they can win just one of their next three games — at Tennessee, versus Pittsburgh and at Baltimore — they should be in the playoff picture in late December.

While Manning’s …
… absence has served to highlight the offensive woes in Indianapolis, its defense has been even worse.
While the Colts sport the NFL’s leading tackler in Pat Angerer — with 90 tackles he has 22 more than runner-up NaVorro Bowman of San Francisco — they have struggled to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone.
Indianapolis has allowed at least 20 points in every game, and are allowing a league-worst average of 31.5. The Colts have given up 252 points so far this season while only two other teams (Carolina and Denver) have cleared the 200 mark.
They rank 31st against the run, 22nd against the pass and 31st overall allowing an average of 402.9 yards per game. The only team worse, at 424.1 yards per game allowed, is New England.
Since 1999, Indianapolis has ranked worse than 23rd in total defense or points allowed just once. That was the last time it missed the playoffs — 2001 — with a 6-10 record.[[In-content Ad]]