5 Biggest Disappointments at the Halfway Mark of NFL Preseason

The NFL preseason is at the halfway point and we are just weeks away from one of the most anticipated NFL seasons in recent history.

With the NFL lockout, preseason games came up fast on teams, and it has shown in many teams' performances.

Both teams and the NFL face disappointment in the preseason, one way or another.

Here are the five biggest disappointments of the 2011 NFL preseason so far. 

The Philadelphia Eagles

Before playing a single game together, Vince Young dubbed the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles a "Dream Team."

They had multiple high-profile acquisitions this offseason, headed by top-flight corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

In addition to the defensive backs, the Eagles added Cullen Jenkins, Ronnie Brown and Young.

On paper, the Eagles positioned themselves as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl come February, but the preseason hasn't gone as well as the Eagles would like.

They started the preseason off on the right foot with a 13-6 victory over  the Baltimore Ravens, despite the offense not being as explosive as advertised.

But the "Dream Team" took a couple of steps backward in a 24-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their second preseason game, with a less than stellar performance by the offense and defense.

Pro Bowler Michael Vick threw three interceptions and completed just five passes for 47 yards against the Steelers, and the high-profile secondary got torched by a pair of Pittsburgh quarterbacks.

Ben Roethlisberger completed eight of 12 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, and Dennis Dixon completed eight of 11 for 90 yards.

The Eagles will have to improve on both sides of the ball in their final two preseason games if they want to live up to the title of "Dream Team."

New NFL Rule Changes

The NFL has implemented many different rule changes for the 2011 season, but two have stood out this preseason.

The first is the new kickoff rule, ultimately eliminating kick returns.

Instead of kicking from the 30-yard line, teams will now kick off from the 35-yard line. Most kickers can boot a kickoff through the uprights from the 35, so we will see many more touchbacks from now on.

The NFL claims the rule change was due to to the safety of players on kick returns, but it eliminates one of the most exciting plays in the game, as well as making players like Josh Cribbs and Devin Hester less valuable to their teams. 

It seems as though the NFL is moving toward the direction of removing kickoffs all together, which would be a huge mistake by the league.

The second rule change is the official review of every touchdown, no matter how obvious it is.

This rule will, for sure, make NFL games longer. The obvious scores will not stretch the game out, but any close touchdown will more than likely force the on-field referee to go under the hood and review the play, even if the coach doesn't throw the challenge flag.

It certainly helps coaches because they will no longer have to challenge touchdowns and can save their two challenges for other plays, but it negatively affects the flow of the game.

The NFL should reconsider both this rules when the competition committee next meets. 

New York Giants

The New York Giants have been a disappointment in not just the preseason, but the offseason as a whole.

In an offseason full of big signings, the Giants' biggest move is arguably the signing of linebacker Mark Herzlich, an undrafted free agent out of Boston College who was out of football recovering from cancer just two years ago. 

The signing of Herzlich is a nice story, but it is hardly a signing that will instill confidence in the Giants faithful that the team will be better than last year's squad that missed the playoffs.

But it seems confidence isn't lacking on the team as Eli Manning claimed he was just as good as NFL MVP Tom Brady in an interview with the Michael Kay Show this past week.

In their first preseason game, the Giants received a subpar effort from Manning, 4-of-9 for 36 yards in a 20-10 loss.

On top of everything, the team's first-round pick, Prince Amukamara, needs foot surgery and will miss at least two months.

If the Giants have another shaky season like last, despite his contract extension, head coach Tom Coughlin could find himself in some hot water. 

Kevin Kolb

The Arizona Cardinals traded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick to the Eagles for Kevin Kolb at the end of July.

Kolb is expected to be the quarterback of now and the future for the Arizona Cardinals.

So far this preseason, he hasn't looked like he will be that guy.

Kolb is a combined 10-of-18 for 148 yards and no touchdowns. That is not good enough for a starting quarterback. 

The Cardinals need Kolb to perform because they gave up so much to get him. Rodgers-Cromartie has 13 career interceptions in just three years and brought four of those to the house for touchdowns. 

With a second-round pick added to the deal, it is fair to say that the Cardinals overpaid for a quarterback who has started just seven games in his four-year career.

If Kolb ends up being a bust, this deal could go down as the worst in Cardinals history. 

Shootings at 49ers-Raiders Game

A number of shootings and fights at the 49ers-Raiders game over the weekend resulted in two men sent to the hospital in serious condition.

One man was shot several times in the stomach and the other was beaten unconscious in a bathroom during the fourth quarter, according to ESPN.

A second shooting victim received facial wounds and was treated accordingly.

The situation in San Francisco is eerily familiar to the beatings that happened outside of Dodger Stadium when a fan was nearly beaten to death.

This type of violence at sporting events is unacceptable and has no place in the world. Near death incidents over a football or baseball game should never happen.

The NFL and MLB alike have to step up security to prevent such events from ever happening again. 

Fans need to take a chill pill. It is just a game. There is no need to kill anybody.