Observations at the Midpoint

Byline: Leonard Shapiro

If the Redskins are 5-3, it must be the midpoint of the 2005 NFL season, and perhaps even time to re-think a previous prediction made in this space back in early September. Did we say 7-9 back then? Silly me. Let's give them a break now and go for 9-7, and also offer up a few bests, worsts and other adventures from the first half of the year.

Best team: How can you not like the undefeated Indianapolis Colts, who exorcised one demon by ending a seven-game losing streak to the Patriots on Monday night in fine style. With home field advantage and playing under the dome in January, they'll be tough to beat in the AFC playoffs.

Best offensive player: I know he took a few games to start heating up, but I'll take Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, especially after such a convincing performance in the Colts' rout of New England on Monday night.

Best defensive player: It's hard to ignore another Colt, defensive end Dwight Freeney, even if he's not the most prolific sack master on his own team. Freeney has six and teammate Robert Mathis, a defensive end listed at only 235 pounds, has eight.

Best rookie: Tampa Bay's Cadillac Williams began his career with three straight 100-yard games, and no first-year running back had ever done that. He's cooled considerably ever since, but is on pace for a 1,000-plus yard season, and should be healthy for the second half. He'll have to be to beat out his old Auburn teammate, Ronnie Brown of the Dolphins, for rookie of the year.

Best coach: Tony Dungy of the Colts doesn't really get enough credit for what he's accomplished not only in Indy, but in reviving the moribund Tampa Bay franchise, as well. He also demonstrates that nice guys can finish first, and maybe even win Super Bowls.

Best call: Kansas City head coach Dick Vermeil eschewing a game-tying field goal against Oakland on Sunday to send the game into overtime with a gutsy decision to go for a game-winning touchdown from the one on the last play of the game. Good thing the Chiefs scored, or talk show hosts across America would have described it as the worst decision of the year.

Best decision: The Eagles firing Terrell Owens for the rest of the season.

Worst decision: The Eagles allowing Owens back on the team after sending him home for a week during training camp.

Cad of year: New Orleans owner Tom Benson, for exploiting a killer hurricane in his attempt to move the New Orleans Saints out of town forever.

Comeback of year: Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell, his career considered dead and buried after a dreadful 2004 season, has come back to life as a rejuvenated 35-year-old phenom. Everyone in the league wrote this guy off, except for Joe Gibbs.

Trade of year: The Redskins acquiring big-play wide receiver Santana Moss from the N.Y. Jets.

Bust of year: The Boat People, otherwise known as the Minnesota Vikings, chosen by many to win the NFC North.

Thrashing of year: Giants 36, Redskins 0, the worst loss in Gibbs Hall of Fame career.

Sad sight of year: Brett Favre throwing 14 interceptions in his first eight games, along with 15 scoring passes. The Pack has been crippled by injuries and lost two key O-linemen in free agency, and you better believe Favre will be back next year to prove 2005 was simply an aberration in his brilliant career.

Saddest day of year: The death of N.Y. Giants owner Wellington Mara, a Hall of Famer and league pioneer in every sense of the word.

Surprise of year: The Chicago Bears, back atop the NFC North, even with a head coach named Lovie.

Lock of year: The late Reggie White will be a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in January, along with former Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman.

Injury of year: Chad Pennington clearly came back too soon from shoulder surgery, and the Jets will pay for it the rest of this year, and perhaps several more.

Turnaround of year: How did Mike Nolan, the first-year coach of San Francisco, get his team to follow a 52-17 devastation in Washington with a stirring 15-10 victory the following week against Tampa Bay? Nolan will win big in San Francisco if given the chance, and remember, you read it here first.

Press release of year: Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, who doesn't speak to the media during the season, putting out a statement on the death of Wellington Mara that said of Mara, "he was an invaluable advisor in person and in our many phone calls." I suspect any telephone conversation between the two men may have gone something like this:

Snyder: Mr. Mara, what do you think about...?"

Mara: "That's a bad idea Dan..."

Snyder: Mr. Mara, what do you think about...?

Mara: "I'm not sure I'd handle it that way, Dan."

Line of year: Author and NFL historian Michael MacCambridge told the N.Y. Times after Mara's death that "it was clear to me Mr. Mara viewed Daniel Snyder in roughly the same way that Frank Sinatra might have viewed Eminem."

Leonard Shapiro can be reached at Badgerlen@hotmail.com

COPYRIGHT 2005 Washingtonpost Newsweek Interactive
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group