NFL Week 9 Wrap-up

With every team having played 8 games, here's some midseason awards!

MVP:
Peyton Manning
With his Colts once again 8-0, Manning is the leader at the half-way point. His closest competition is Drew Brees, but Manning has a better completion percentage, more yards, and two less picks. I'm thinking Brees might win this at the end of the season, but Manning has a slim lead after 8 games.
Honorable Mention: Drew Brees, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew

Best QB:
Peyton Manning
For all the reasons above, plus he's been leading a team made up mostly of inexperienced receivers, and little running game.
Honorable Mention: Drew Brees, Matt Schaub

Best RB:
Cedric Benson
Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew might be the expected picks here, but I have to give it to Benson. No back has meant more to his team this year than Benson, the only one of the three on a team with a winning record. He is second to Johnson in yards per game, and tied with him with 6 TDs. He also leads the league in attempts per game, with 24.8, a full 4.2 over the next back on the list.
Honorable Mention: Johnson, Jones-Drew, Ronnie Brown

Best WR:
Vincent Jackson
He's tied for most receiving TDs, has the third most yards per game, and his 17.2 yards per reception puts him above most of the rest of the league. His receptions also lead to a first down 88.1% of the time, behind only Santonio Holmes and Chris Henry among receivers.
Honorable Mention: Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, Miles Austin

Best TE:
Dallas Clark
He may only have 3 TDs so far, but he leads the league in reception, yards, and yards per game by a TE. Clark has been a popular target for Manning over the past few years, but with few experienced receivers left after injuries, hes taken on an even more important role in the offense.
Honorable Mention: Vernon Davis, Greg Olsen, Owen Daniels

Best Defensive Player:
Darren Sharper
The Saints defense may be a product of their offense getting wuick leads, but that shouldn't take away from Sharper's production this year. He has more pass defenses than any other back, is tied for most INTs, and leads the league in defensive TDs and defensive return yards.
Honorable Mention: Jarius Byrd, Elvis Dumerville, Brian Cushing, Jared Allen, Aaron Schobel

Least Valuable Player:
Larry Johnson
In 7 games, he averaged 2.7 yards per carry, had 0 TDs, and fumbled the ball twice, losing it once. Then, he lashed out at the NFL coaches, including his own, used some gay slurs, and got suspended for two weeks. He's now a free agent after the Chiefs cut him, and they kept him around a year-and-a-half too long. Some team will pick him up, but he'll never be the 1,700 yard back he was in '05 and '06. He has a TO size mouth and attitude, but he's playing with Tim Biakabutuka size talent.

Injuries:
Chris Henry, WR, Bengals: out for the season with a broken arm
Thomas Davis, LB, Panthers: out for the season with a torn ACL
Ernie Sims, LB, Lions: expected to miss significant time with a hamstring injury
Clinton Portis, RB, Redskins: week-to-week with a concussion
Ellis Hobbs, CB, Eagles: needs further evaluation on a neck injury

Fantasy Studs:

1. Michael Turner. He totaled 180 yards and 2 TDs against the Redskins. No big surprise there.
2. Jay Cutler. He was the Bears offense this week, throwing for 369 yards and the teams only 3 scores.
3. Kurt Warner. The Bears defense used to be good. Warner had 100 yards less than his opponent, but thre for 5 TDs to Cutler's 3.
   

Fantasy Duds:

1. Knowshon Moreno. Hes looked good at times this year, and filled in well for Correll Buckhalter. But 3 total yards isn't gonna get it done.
2. LenDale White. You don't need a short yardage back when your regular guy breaks off long runs like the other team isn't even playing. Another 3 yard performance, and he hasn't scored since Week 3.
3. Ted Ginn, Jr. He made some big plays last week against the Jets. This week, his 1 reception for 7 yards and some critical drops probably put him back in the Dolphins doghouse.
   

Week 9 Picks:
Straight up: 7-6, 82-47 overall
ATS: 4-9, 71-57-1 overall
o/u: 5-8, 56-71-2 overall

Questions for Week 10:
Can the former top teams bounce back?
The Jets, Giants, Eagles, and Broncos all looked like strong competitors early in the season. The Jets are now 4-4 after a 3-0 start, the Giants lost 4 straight, the Eagles have ugly loses to the Raiders and Cowboys behind them, and the Broncos have dropped two in a row. The Broncos still have the most to lose here, as they are the only one of these teams that still leads their division, but that lead has slipped to just one game. They all have potential for a strong second half, but they all also have a much improved team either ahead of or right behind them. Will any of these teams rebound to make the playoffs?

How much longer for the Saints and Colts?
These are the final two undefeated teams in the NFL. Since they don't face each other, the possibility remains that they could play as undefeated opponents in the Super Bowl. Its a slim possibility, but its there. The Colts probably have the highest probability of losing first. They're offense has struggled, and they play the New England Patriots this week. After that they have some strong teams still on the schedule, including the Broncos, the surging Titans, and a rematch with the Texans, who almost beat them this weekend. The Saints schedule is easier, but they also have to face the Patriots in Week 12, and have Dallas three weeks later. So which one goes undefeated?

Which team is real: the Cincinnati Bengals or the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Both teams sit at 6-2 atop their division, and both teams want back in the playoffs. The Steelers want to repeat as champs, and the Bengals just want to prove they're that good again. Looking at the AFC layout, its completely possible both teams will get in, but only one can be AFC North champ. Cincinnati already has a heads-up win, and this week they'll try to do it again, this time in Pittsburgh. If both teams continue their pace, a Bengals win here would lock up the tiebreakers for the end of the season.