The NFL Second Quarter Report: The NFL Class System

The NFL this season, like the country that supports it, is broken up into classes. Representative upper and lower classes are ripping apart the middle class. That means that it is just as hard to find an average NFL team as it is to find a middle class family with 2.3 kids.

The Upper Class

New Orleans has a dynamic offense with Sean Payton and Drew Brees on the same page for three years in a row now. Reggie Bush has found a role that utilizes his athleticism. Jonathan Vilma and Darren Sharper lead an improved defense that has people thinking Super Bowl in the Big Easy.

Minnesota is the other great team in the NFC.

Dallas, Philly, and New York are all in contention for the NFC East and they are upper class teams, but they are all running out of room for error.

I picked Philly to win the NFC East, so I think they will become the Beast of the East.

Arizona and Atlanta are the other upper class NFC teams. That makes seven upper class NFC teams, and six of them will make the playoffs. 

The best team in the AFC is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have had leads in all eight of their games and let two slip through their fingers. A couple of Jeff Reed misses and a drop by Mike Wallace in the end zone were key factors in their losses.

Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, and Coach Mike Tomlin might be the baddest men in the NFL. James Harrison and Hines Ward are always looking for a way to beat you as well.

The undefeated Colts have a ton of injuries, but they also have Peyton Manning, so if they can get past the injuries they will be fine.

Tom Brady and Randy Moss are getting back in sync for the Patriots.

San Diego has closed the gap on the surprising Denver Broncos.

The other surprise team is the Cincinnati Bengals and they have a huge test in Pittsburgh, so get your mustard ready.

Houston and Baltimore are at the bottom of the AFC's upper class and have little room for error the rest of the season.

The Middle Class

Here are the average NFL teams (and why they are average):

1. Green Bay (still in a fog of a season)

2. Jacksonville (need more playmakers)

3. Chicago (Jay Cutler)

4. New York Jets (growing pains for rookie coach and QB)

5. Miami (Ted Ginn needs to catch the ball)

6. San Francisco (is Alex Smith the guy?)

7. Carolina (quarterback issues need to be resolved)

8. Seattle (injuries)

The Lower Class

When Too Short was talkin' 'bout da ghetto, he was forecasting the 2009 NFL season. There are a ton of horrible teams and it seems like each Sunday has had one ugly blowout.

Tampa Bay looked as bad as they had been playing in those cream colored Buccaneer uniforms. Josh Freeman looked good in their lone win over Green Bay (and I picked Green Bay to win the NFC North).

Washington and their super wealthy owner are in the NFL's ghetto this season. They have given wins to Detroit and Kansas City in a couple of toilet bowl games.

Speaking of toilet bowls makes me think of the Browns. Their win over Buffalo was one of the worst games the NFL has seen in a while. The highlight package was all about the Browns punter.

Detroit and St. Louis met in an epic clunker of a game.

Vince Young has been a breath of fresh air in a bad season for Tennessee.

The Raiders have had a brutal season. Their coach is in trouble, their owner is past his day, and their quarterback is awful. The only highlight for them this year has been that pigeon flying with the special teams kick-off coverage.

I should have chosen the Broncos as my surprise team this year, but instead I went with the Raiders.

I even went out and bought a jump suit.