It’s amazing how time flies. We’re already beginning the 2nd half of our beloved NFL season,  So of course, it’s time to see how your favorite team fared midway through the 2011 season. Only, instead of giving actual grades, I’m breaking them up in categories. Same analysis as ESPN, but better because it’s not so formal. So without further ado…. the midseason report cards.

F*ck It, I’m On One!: Green Bay Packers

The Packers deserve a column of their own. As far as NFL class goes, there’s the Packers and then there’s everyone else. No one is touching them right now and to be honest, I don’t know who will. Aaron Rodgers is playing like he’s possessed right about now. I like Green Bay but the little hater in me says they need to sit their bragging asses down somewhere. No reason why I feel that way, I’m just a little green and tired of seeing them win.

They Are Who We Thought They Were:  Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots

The Steelers started out old and slow, but they’ve finally got the ball rolling. They’ve been on fire the past few weeks, and have picked up from last season, thanks to the emergence of guys like Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders. The Patriots make this list because they’re still a team of concern if they’re on your schedule, but they can’t stop a nose bleed (Bart Scott voice) so unless they figure out to stop good teams, they may be in trouble….

Well I’ll Be John Brown (c/o @DragonflyJonez): Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills

I dedicate this category to my Twitter buddy, who always uses this term at the right time and better than anybody I know. Most of us looked at contenders for 2011 and didn’t think about any of these teams, for a lot of reasons. New players, lockout hangover, inconsistent or not good in years past…. for whatever reason, unless you were a fan of these teams, they simply weren’t on your radar. Well I’ll be John Brown if they aren’t now. The Bengals are 5-2 with a Top 5 defense and have shown success with Andy Dalton and AJ Green. The 49ers changed their coaching staff and brought in Jim Harbaugh and have only lost one game so far, even giving Alex Smith some life. And the Bills, who had every bounce against them in 2010 despite playing hard, are finally getting the ball in their court. The Lions are probably the least bit shocking, since they finished 2010 strong. But it’s the Lions…. you still haven’t forgotten about 0-16 and Matt Stafford gets hurt if you blow on him hard enough. Alas, no bad karma and all teams are doing big things

They’re Good, BUT……..: Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons 

These teams have a winning record so they’re good based on record but we really have no idea what to expect for the 2nd half of the season. The Ravens have beaten quality opponents in Pittsburgh, Houston and the Jets, but have crapped the pot against teams they should have beaten in Tennessee and Jacksonville…… The Giants are decent, but their schedule the next 6 weeks is beyond brutal and one has to wonder will the injuries they have finally start to catch up….. The Chargers are actually starting out with a winning record for once, but QB Philip Rivers (my boo!) hasn’t looked like the Rivers of old, and fumbled control of the AFC West away last Monday night……. The Texans are good, but losing Mario Williams for the year and Andre Johnson for some time may hurt them in the long run…..The Jets have seemed to regress a little on defense, and Mark Sanchez not getting much help from his run game is an issue…..The Saints WERE in my “They are who we thought they were” column, but they lost to the Rams, The WINLESS ST. LOUIS RAMS, WITHOUT SAM BRADFORD! Yeah, they go down a notch after that one….. The Bucs have youth on their side, but their lopsided loss to San Francisco puts them in this category….. Atlanta always leaves me scratching my head at the end of their games. With all of the offensive weapons they have, I don’t see how they don’t put up 30 points easily, each week. They have some inexperience on defense that holds them to this category.

Ehhhhh……………..: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans

It’s not that I don’t think these teams are good or can’t be good… it’s just that I couldn’t add them in the “They’re good but” category because they’ve done something not worthy of that category. The Bears’ offensive line blocks like Cutler stole their girl……The Eagles started out slow, and with the “Dream Team” talk prior to the season, expectations were above normal so their 3-4 record is underachieving at best… The Cowboys need a TV time out with the way they’ve played football lately. I thought they’d be better than this at this point. I haven;t totally written them off, tho. They have talent….. The Chiefs started off rough (remember Matt Cassel’s blow up with HC Todd Haley on the sidelines??), but they’ve rebounded well. It’s the AFC West so it’s hard to be impressed just yet…..The Raiders looked like they were gonna have a good season before Jason Campbell went down. Oakland traded their 2012 #1 pick and a conditional pick to Cincy for Carson Palmer, but all Palmer did was stink it up in his debut. He’s not the same QB he was before 2005 and quite frankly, I wonder if Al Davis came back from the dead to make one last WTF personnel decision… Despite Carolina’s record, I’m gonna put them in this column because I seriously believe they try hard each and every week, yet fall short. This team reminds me a lot of Buffalo’s team last season. They hang in there, but can’t get the “W” in the end. I can’t be mad at that. They should be added in my next group but I love their resilience. The Titans are here by default, because they have a good record. But Chris Johnson got paid and told the Titans, “Fcuk your couch”. He’s still holding out but we didn’t know until now. With Kenny Britt going down, that hurt big time for Tennessee. Good thing is, the AFC South could be a 2-man race, and they’re still in it.

“Insert Comment Here”: Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins

Face it- these teams’ style of play are boring and uninspiring more times than not (minus the Vikings the past 2 weeks. But that’s because Ponder now has the keys). Put yourself in my shoes…. What could you possibly say about any of these teams individually that doesn’t sound like the others in this group? Can’t figure it out? Me neither. So feel free to insert your own comment here.

Bad…. Real Bad Michael Jackson: Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos

I guess this group could be called the “Suck For Luck” lottery, but that’s unoriginal and overused at this point. These 4 teams stink and I’d bet my money on LSU or Alabama if they played any of these teams at this point. Probably the worst team of them all is Indy. Never have I seen a franchise fall so fast from one key player going down. That’s a direct reflection of the GM and ownership and it’s inexcusable. The Rams have some good pieces and aren’t AS bad as Indy (not saying much), but their defense isn’t that good, particularly their secondary (although they did hold NO to one offensive TD in Sunday’s win) and there isn’t a true #1 WR on the team. The Dolphins need a new makeover, period. Not only did you celebrate the FLORIDA GATORS championship in MIAMI HURRICANES-land, you let Tim Tebow beat you in the Final 5 minutes of the same game. Yeah, you suck, Miami…….. Speaking of Tebow, he is getting KILT in the media (yeah, I said it… not killed, but KILT!) on what most of us already knew: Great college player, lots of heart and passion, not going to translate into the NFL. It’s been a while since I’ve seen so much attention lay on one guy like this. Denver officially came into the Top 5 pick race as of Sunday.

Eagles QB Michael Vick did an interview with GQ magazine to discuss life as a changed man since going to prison, and how he wanted to be a Bill or a Bengal instead of an Eagle? Considering his career with Philly now, it sounds crazy. But it’s something Vick actually thought about. In the interview with the mag, this is what Vick said,

“I think I can say this now, because it’s not going to hurt anybody’s feelings, and it’s the truth. I didn’t want to come to Philadelphia. Being the third-team quarterback is nothing to smile about. Cincinnati and Buffalo were better options.” Vick says that he talked with commissioner Roger Goodell and other reps from the NFL. He was then convinced and granted league approval to sign with Philly.”And I commend and thank them, because they put me in the right situation.”

Vick going to Philly was definitely the best move for him. Being able to sit on the bench probably continued his haul-over process on being a better QB. If Vick goes to a place that he had a better chance at starting like Buffalo or Cincy, chances are his studying habits don’t change much and he’s still winging it based on his talent alone. Philly has a great mentor in Andy Reid so that was the perfect opportunity to learn how to put in the work needed to be a great QB.

Sorry Bills/Bengals fans………

Vick’s article also talks about his conviction and what situation scared him all the way straight. You can read the rest of the article by clicking here.

Redskins QB Rex Grossman doesn’t think the Redskins are as bad as folks think. In fact, he thinks they are pretty good. Enough to win the NFC East this season.

No, I’m not lying and yes you read that correctly. Grossman did an interview with CSNWashington.com and told a reporter his bold prediction.

“We’re fine being the sleepers right now. We’re just waiting in the wings ready to take over the NFC East.  Nobody’s talking about us, it’s right where we wanna be.  You look at us from top to bottom out here, there’s a bunch of great players.   And we don’t need people saying we’re the best right now.  But when it’s all said and done, I really feel like this team’s gonna win the [NFC] East.”

Wait for it……. wait for it………..

In today’s NFL, it’s hard to write any team off, especially with the lockout hendering teams from gelling early. But the Redskins haven’t done much to make people think they are going to top the Giants, Cowboys and especially the Eagles, who signed every free agent and my momma the past 2 weeks.

Anything can happen in the NFL, but I wouldn’t bet $5 on that prediction (I don’t like giving money away). This tweet from @fauxjohnmadden pretty much says exactly what many probably think regarding Sexy Rexy’s thoughts:

Between free agency and training camp, the NFL has been non-stop since the lockout was lifted. That’s a GREAT thing when you’re an avid football fan, like myself. That’s a bad thing when you’re a football blogger who is fighting a MEAN summer cold. But I can’t let the day go by without a recap and my thoughts on the top stories of the weekend.

News Story: The Eagles have been BUSY the past few days. In a surprising twist, Philly landed the hottest free agent in the market in CB Nnamdi Asomugha. In addition to that, they traded for CB Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie, signed Vince Young to a 1-year deal and DL Cullen Jenkins to a multi-year deal

My thoughts: The Eagles mean BUSINESS this time. I truly believe this is a desperation free agency for them, of sorts. The Eagles should have about 2 Super Bowls at this point, and with the Phillies and Flyers having major success, they were slowly becoming the 3rd fan fave in their town. These moves bring them back to the top and gives them a better chance and finally bringing home a Lombardi trophy. Sometimes desperation is good, because desperate measures can bring better results. We’ll find out starting Sept. 11th.

News Story: The Jets allegedly had comedian Adam Sandler call Asomugha to try and lure him to the Big Apple. Yeah, you read that right… Adam Sandler!

My Take: LMFAOOOOOO!

News Story: Speaking of the Jets, they inked a deal with WR Plaxico Burress for one year, and agreed to terms with Antonio Cromartie with a 4-year deal.

My Take: Plax back in NY could be a good thing. I think he fits in well with the team. How he will do on the field, is hard to say. Jamal Lewis and Michael Vick both had slow seasons when coming from incarceration, so it will be interesting to see how Plax responds. The deal was low risk, so it works great for both sides.

As for Cromartie, this was the right choice by NY all along. Asomugha was an upgrade, but an unnecessary one. Because the way I remembered it, poor tackling from the front 7 was the reason why the Jets didn’t advance from the AFC Championship Game last year.

News Story: Peyton Manning re-signs with the Colts on a 5-year, $90 million deal. The deal allegedly was undervalued for Manning’s resume, yet the cap-friendly deal helped the team re-sign Joseph Addai

My Take: I’d be a liar and a hater if I said I didn’t like Manning. Another classy move to show he’s a stand up guy. Very rarely do you see a man of his football caliber try and make a move for the betterment of the entire team. Kudos to him.

News Story: In more serious news, Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall told the media yesterday that he’s been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which has been known to stem from things such as unstable personal relationships, a negative self-image and a fear of failure. Marshall said no one has ever helped him since being in the NFL, and that he’s paid about $60K for treatment.

My Take: This is a HUGE step in the right direction for Marshall. Mental illness is very real, and a lot of times left untreated (particularly in the Black community). Marshall says he wants to lobby Congress for funding of the illness and I’m with him 110%. Too many times people leave their sickness unattended and allow it to consume them. I hope Marshall gets the help he needs.

Welcome back, football. We’ve complained, argued and have been completely frustrated with you. But that doesn’t mean we gave up our love for you. The love is in fact still there.

While everyone is high 5ing the NFL’s return, the downside of football is the business side of it. Not long after the lockout was lifted, teams already started making plans. While cuts aren’t official until Thursday and free agency to start thereafter, teams are already starting to inform their players they will be cut.

The Ravens made surprising announcements yesterday, citing that they have informed RB Willis McGahee, NT Kelly Gregg, TE Todd Heap and WR Derrick Mason that they would be cut. All 4 players are in the 30 and over club.  Heap, McGahee and Mason all had over $4 million owed to them in 2011 before being cut.

There is speculation that the Ravens will attempt to bring back Mason, Heap and Gregg, but some believe they are clearing cap space for something bigger and better via free agency. We shall see what happens.

According to Josina Anderson’s Twitter, The Broncos have informed RB Correll Buckhalter that they would be releasing him, though they expect to bring him back for a lesser deal. One player not expected to come back? Kyle Orton, who Denver would like to unload ASAP. Tebow Time is officially on the clock once Orton finds a new home.

The Eagles have lifted the transition tag on K David Akers, making him a free agent. Akers has been with the Eagles since 1999 and one of the most reliable kickers in Eagles history. The Eagles are preparing to unload QB Kevin Kolb, due to the resurgence of Michael Vick.

Day One of the lockout lifted, and we have yet to begin to see the half. Teams dealing with cap issues include the Cowboys and Steelers. With free agency ready to get rolling and undrafted free agents finding out who their new homes are with, this looks to be an interesting week. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Today is the day that Plaxico Burress finally received his walking papers from prison. Burress was spotted leaving the facility and was greeted by agent Drew Rosenhaus as well as his family. Plax was also seen bonding with his daughter who was born during his stint in prison.

Also noted: Plax’s choice of head wear. He was seen rocking a Phillies hat- you know, as in PHILADELPHIA! Mike Vick has publicly stated that he would love to see Plaxico as an Eagle. Fans have taken that and run wild with it, but lets not forget who the head coach of the Eagles is. Andy Reid, who has already had WR issues in the past. If I had to guess, I say Plax isn’t an Eagle, but it will be interesting to see where he lands.

Glad to see him finally come home. S/O to BlackSportsOnline for the vid.

If you haven’t heard, former Giants WR Plaxico Burress is about to be a free man tomorrow. And if he can get to any form of his former self, his talents will be requested by a few NFL teams. The biggest question isn’t if he’ll be picked up, it’s WHO will pick him up. ESPN’s Cris Carter has a few ideas of teams he can possibly help out.

Carter also talks about reasons why teams may think twice about him due to his previous work ethic, before going to prison 2 years ago. Personally, I think Plax can go to Oakland, because Al Davis loves bad asses and they could use his services. While Michael Vick has expressed wanting to play with his hometown buddy, I’m not so sure Andy Reid wants to go there. Remember, he had WR issues in the past with Terrell Owens, so Philly may pass on Burress.

With the NFL Lockout STILL going on, we may not know his whereabouts for a while. So until the players and owners can come to an agreement, we’ll be playing the guessing game until free agency actually opens up.

Welcome home, Plax! (I’m a day early, so what!) Now go and get in football shape and get a job!

Add a Norfolk, VA event this past weekend as another event that Eagles QB Michael Vick skipped out of. Vick was listed as the special guest of the Souteastern Virginia Arts Association Gala as an honored guest in which he was to be recognized as a, “hero”…. *pause*

I commend Vick for taking a strong hold at his 2nd chance, but a hero, tho??? Nevertheless Vick was a no show at the event, which charged people $100 a pop. While folks were upset and walked out due to Vick’s absence, a rep for Vick claims they knew in advance that he would be a no show,

A spokesman for Vick told WAVY.com that event organizers were told months ago that Vick would not be attending the event. Chris Shigas said Vick was grateful to be honored by the group, but he made it very clear to organizers he would not be in attendance.

So who do you believe, the folks that gave the event, or Vick’s rep? If I were in attendance at the event, I don’t give a damn who is telling the truth. I want a refund of some kind. $100 for a no-show will start an uproar from many people, myself included.

This isn’t the first time Vick has allegedly backed out of a commitment. He was scheduled to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show before declining at the last minute. My guess is his team is taking everything easy with Vick, and not pushing him in the limelight so soon, even after having a successful 2010 season. While I totally understand it, just decline everything right now until the time is right, so there’s not a stigma about Vick’s noted absences.

I’m a fan of Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, but I think I became an even bigger one now. Jackson, along with Eagles guard Todd Herremans and center Jamaal Jackson, surprised 13-year-old Nadin Khoury, a kid who had been bullied and beaten by seven kids between the ages of 13 and 17, as Khoury and his family appeared on yesterday’s “The View” to discuss the incident.

Khoury was shocked and even in tears when Jackson, Herremans and J. Jackson came to the stage (he’s a big Eagles fan). DeSean then proceeded to give Khoury the jersey off his back and autographed it for the teen, who later told Jackson he was his favorite player. Jackson finally tells the boy how proud he was that he decided to speak up about the incident and told him, “anytime ever you need us, I got two linemen right here.”

I won’t lie, I had, “something in my eye” when I saw this clip. Bullying is a serious epidemic in this country. Looking at Khoury, he reminds me of my own son. I can’t imagine what I would do as a parent, had this happened to him. Hopefully this video reaches out to those being bullied, doing the bullying or people who knows children from either side. Kudos to DeSean for  making this kid’s day.

I dunno about you, but I’m as excited as a fat kid with birthday cake on their plate. Wild Card Weekend is here and I cannot wait to see the games. Everytime I think of the NFL Playoffs, extra hard fist pumping comes to mind!

Eagles, Ravens and Colts… OH MY! So much going on. 8 teams, 4 games, but only 4 teams advance to the divisionals. Who will live to see another week? It’s time to pick the Wild Card Weekend games.

Saints (-11) at Seahawks: This started out as one of the most lopsided games on paper earlier in the week. The Saints are 11-5 headed to Seattle who ended the season with  a dismal 7-9 record. I’m blown at the fact that the Seahawks, or any NFC West team for that matter, is taking up good playoff space. But that’s another story for another day. It just became really real this week in the Big Easy, however, when RBs Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas were put on IR. This means the Saints have pretty much NO running game coming into this weekend’s match up (please don’t insult my intelligence and remind me that Reggie Bush is on the roster…. he’s done very little at Tailback). To add insult to injury, New Orleans is 0-3 in road playoff games and Seattle is known to have one of the league’s loudest stadiums. Seahawks QB Matt Hasslebeck gets the nod this week as the starter, and the Seahawks have every reason to believe they can come out with a win with him at the helm. He’s had recent success against New Orleans. That being said… I’m too petty to pick Seattle. They shouldn’t even be in the dance if you ask me. I’m taking New Orleans because they’ve earned the right to be there, and will find a way to prevail over the obstacles they are facing.

Winner: 

Jets at Colts (-3): Despite the Colts finding a way to make the playoffs after losing so many key players this season, the Jets have reason to worry. They lost to Indy in the AFC Championship game last season and a Rex Ryan-led defense has had no luck in beating Manning and Co in recent memory. Ryan said earlier this week that, “it’s personal”, regarding this weekend’s match up. And it should be. Mark Sanchez has been hot and cold this season, but the Jets are a run-heavy offense that can attack the Colts’ depleted D. Manning will always be Manning, he can make wine out of water. And he’s done just that with the castoff of players he’s had this season. But one has to wonder if the injuries are too much to handle, now that it’s playoff time. Beating the Titans was cool, because the Titans weren’t really that good this year anyway. But the Jets are better than the Titans. And they have more skills players that are healthy than the Colts, including Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and LaDainian Tomlinson. Rex and that sweater vest finally gets the monkey off his back this weekend.

Winner:

Ravens (-3) at Chiefs: Of course, I hold a real interest to this game, because I’m a Ravens fan. Dan Kolko from MASN Sports broke down the rankings between the Ravens and Chiefs on paper and they seem to be very neck and neck (except overall offense.. my Ravens really tanked in that dept). But if you lookpast the stats, it’s not that simple. Case-in-point: In addition to playing the Steelers twice a year, the Ravens also played the Jets, Patriots, Falcons, Saints and Bucs, while finishing their division with a 4-2 record. The Chiefs played the NFC West (and y’all KNOW how I feel about that division) while playing the likes of Houston, Tennessee and Buffalo. They finished 2-4 in their own division, and was blown out at least once by the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders. Not to discredit what KC has done this season…. they took helm of a division previously OWNED by San Diego. But it’s hard to ignore the schedule and division differences. Baltimore knows how to play on the road and win, and KC may be prematurely playing with the big boys. I think KC is a strong team, and they will find some success running the ball against the Ravens. But I think Baltimore is better built for the playoffs while having experience on their side.

Winner:

Packers at Eagles (-3): This one will be a good one. Both of these teams are built for post season football. There is no real advantage for this game. The Packers have a losing road record, and the Eagles are 4-4 at home this season. But there are 2 key elements that may make a difference in this game- health and momentum, both of those in Green Bay’s favor. Aaron Rodgers has played well since going down with a concussion last month. He had a great game in the 45-17 routing of the Giants, and did just enough to beat the division rival Bears last weekend. The Eagles, however, haven’t been so lucky. They ended the season on a 2-game losing streak and have seen some key players go down with injury, including Vick who was hurt during the Vikings game. Vick will start this weekend and of course Philly has the likes of DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy to take the pressure off of #7,  but the Eagles offensive line isn’t that good. Packers LB Clay Matthews may have a field day this weekend if Andy Reid doesn’t find a way to protect his QB. I expect Matthews to get into Vick’s face often this weekend. As good as the Eagles have been, Green Bay was the one team I didn’t like them to be matched up with so soon. Well, they are. With health and momentum on their side, I expect us to wave goodbye to Vick’s great season, a tad bit premature than expected.

Winner:

There you have it. Let me know your thoughts. Agree, disagree? If so why? Feel free to chime in your thoughts. In the meantime, have a wonderful Wild Card Weekend and if your team is playing (like mine), I hope you get the outcome you wanted!