Kyle’s View

MVP

If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago I would have said Marion Barber, no questions asked. He was dominant and putting up exceptional numbers. However another NFC east running back has stepped up and ran to the top of the MVP race. Clinton Portis is not only putting up awesome numbers but running well at key points and late in the game to preserve leads on the road none the less. If the Cowboys get back to running the ball Barber will get back into the race. Another player to watch is Marshawn Lynch, who is playing very well and helped the Bills get to 4-1.

Rookie of the Year

Offensive

Chris Johnson and Matt Forte are my pick right now. Both of these guys have given huge lifts to their team and helped their teams win games. Johnson is splitting carries which is hurting his numbers but has made plays when it was his turn to play and running well late in games. Jeff Fisher is trying to save Johnson for late in the season when they are pushing deep into the playoffs. Forte has been exceptional and has allowed the Kyle Orton and the Bears passing attack to be effective. Others to watch as the season goes are DeSean Jackson and Felix Jones who have big impacts on their teams.

Defensive

: Chris Horton is the leader in the Clubhouse. He has been nothing short of stellar. He has 3 interceptions which is near the top in the NFL not just rookies. He also has 18 tackles from the safety position. Jerrod Mayo and Keith Rivers are also putting up solid number from the linebacker spot.

Coach of the year

Jim Zorn has made a huge splash. The Redskins have found a coach that meshes well with his players both scheme and personality wise. He led them to victory over the Cowboys and Eagles on the road. He has this team poised to make noise in the tough NFC east.

With a quarter or so of the NFL season in the books there are some very interesting things going and things worth noting. There has been a shift in the NFL elite. While the mantra of going to the top can happen from one season to the next has always given fans a reason to hopeful, the same can now be said for teams going to the cellar after being highly touted for many seasons. The Colts, Chargers, Seahawks, and Patriots have all fallen off the pace they are normally setting this time of year. While some of the problems stem from injuries to key players, there is also facts that prove some of the teams are getting old and not reloading. The Colts have looked dismal. They should be 0-4 right now squeaking out wins against the Vikings trailing 15-0 in the 4th quarter and this past weekend down 27-10 with 4 minutes in the 4th quarter. If not for Sage Rosenfels fumbling twice on 4 plays, the Colts are the most disappointing team in football. They still have the offensive potential and they have produced very little. As for the Chargers, they cannot seem to get on track. LaDainian Tomlinson has not been the same since getting injured last season. The defense has looked decent at times but with the offense having problems running the ball and controlling the clock; the defense is tired at the end of games. Even teams like the Bengals and Lions who are terrible overall cannot seem to produce on offense. With players like T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Calvin Johnson, points should be put up and be somewhat competitive. The Seahawks and Pats have been hurt with injuries at key postions, however their defenses are still intact and have not looked good. If they can get healthy or Matt Cassel can play well in the case of the patriots there’s still time to turn it around.

On the Positive side some teams have taken advantage of the draft and free agency and made strides. The effects are showing. Teams like the Bills, Falcons, and Dolphins have taken huge steps. The Dolphins have already won twice the games they won last year. Teams such as the Titans and Redskins have taken their teams from bubble playoff teams to legit contenders. With huge inter-division road wins in Dallas and Philadelphia in back to back weeks has the Redskins looking like a team that can make noise all season. Clinton Portis has really stepped up his game as well as Jason Campbell who is improving and managing the game better than most thought. Jim Zorn has made a huge difference with the Redskins. The offense they employ is similar to what Campbell ran at Auburn giving him some consistency after going through 2 coaches and 4 coordinators in his 4 seasons. The Titans have had consistency at coach giving a huge advantage as well as the emergence of Chris Johnson, who is trying to claim offensive rookie of the year honors as well as take his team deep in the playoffs. The Titans are running the ball and playing great defense which is keeping them close in games and giving them the edge to pull out close victories.

The rest of the season should prove to be interesting and have intriguing story lines.