“They are what we thought they were, and we let them get away with it!”…

With the 2015 season at its midway point, there are certain truths that have become apparent. The Patriots are still really really good. The Lions still suck. The baseball season is way too long, and Cam Newton might actually be Superman.

Okay, Cam probably isn’t a superhero but he’s a legit NFL quarterback and he’s becoming a great leader of his team. Instead of ripping his suit jacket off to fight crime he’s ripping down banners in Bank of America Stadium to beat the enemy. It’s no fluke that the 3 undefeated teams (New England, Cincinnati and Carolina) have been lead by great quarterback play. Of the 3 undefeated QBs, Cam has the least talented supporting cast around him. Tom Brady has Gronk, Edelman, Dion Lewis, I can go on and on. Andy Dalton has AJ Green, Tyler Eifert, 2 talented RBs. Cam has TE Greg Olsen and a whole bunch of nobodies. It’s undeniable he’s a front runner for MVP, and if he can take the Panthers deep into the playoffs that could seal the deal.

Andrew Luck isn’t 8-0, but he’s still probably the best, most promising young QB in the league; he’s great. His coaches, GM and owner aren’t. He’s been set up to fail with no offensive line, no running game (until Frank Gore came in this year) and a GM who’s more concerned with starting a smear campaign against the best franchise in the league than he is with the health of his own franchise QB. Good luck to you Mr. Luck, it’s a long road ahead with all the nitwits in charge in Indy.

The Oakland Raiders aren’t THAT bad. There’s some young talent out in the Bay Area, and unfortunately for 49ers fans I’m not talking about Colin Kepernick or Carlos Hyde…or Blaine Gabbert. Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray are the key players in the Raiders young offense, and the ageless wonder Charles Woodson is leading a competitive defense. Once Peyton Manning retires, it’s not that hard to believe that the Raiders could be back atop the throne in the AFC West. Los Angeles might have a contending playoff team in 2018.

The NFC East is a crapshoot, as always. None of the 4 teams in this division can figure out how to rise above mediocrity, and we might see a 7-9 division winner this year. The Giants seem to have the most complete team (and the most accomplished QB), and if the return of JPP and Victor Cruz can come to fruition it just may add the extra pieces to make a scary contender out of them yet.

The Cowboys still haven’t figured it out. Jerry Jones is blinded by his own ego; he verbalizes ringing endorsements for players that wouldn’t even be allowed in the workforce outside of the NFL. Greg Hardy keeps getting shoved down our throats every week and it makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Dez Bryant used to be a “problem child” and now that the Cowboys are 2-6 he’s having temper tantrums again. Jerry passed on signing the league leading rusher from a year ago, Dez got hurt, Romo got hurt, and the season has been spiraling out of control ever since. 1994 was a LONG time ago.

The beginning of the end is here for the Seahawks. The Legion of Boom is in shambles: getting in arguments on the field, blowing big 4th quarter leads and allowing TEs to shred them week after week. Pete Carroll’s endearing hoo-rah personality has lost its effectiveness. Seattle traded away its all-pro C Max Unger and former Defensive Coordinator Dan Smith is coaching in Atlanta now. Beast Mode isn’t so much, and the Seahakws can’t control the tempo of games like they used to. They almost lost (and should have) to the aforementioned Cowboys 2 weeks ago. Have fun missing the playoffs.

Speaking of Seattle, Jimmy Graham is just an average TE. Since Graham left New Orleans Ben Watson is 4th in catches and 5th in yards amongst TEs, both ahead of Graham. Gronk is Gronking all over the league, leading in both categories for TEs. He’s still the premier player at the position but it seems like other teams are finally trying to copy the blueprint, and with some success. Tyler Eifert and Travis Kelce among others are examples of big, fast, strong playmaking TEs that are emerging around the NFL. Even great defenses (Arizona, Seattle) are having trouble covering TEs and the position is changing the game.

Chris Johnson has more than twice as many yards as Eddie Lacy. Blake Bortles has more TD passes than Matt Ryan. Ben Roethlisberger has missed as many games as he has played, and the 40-year old Matt Hasselbeck has as many wins as the man he backs up.

It seems like no matter what happens, the conversation remains the same. Brady vs Peyton in the AFC, Rodgers and Brees in the NFC. Romo plays great but can’t get it done, the Bengals look great until December. I can’t guarantee there will be many top-flight matchups remaining this season (60% of the league has a .500 record OR WORSE), but it will surely be a dogfight from now until February 7th. I’m looking forward to Tom Brady embarrassing whatever team emerges out of the NFC, because he and Bill Belichick have been preparing for it for the last 9 months. They keep embodying excellence while the rest of the league is struggling to figure itself out.

You’re Welcome, Jegs-