10 Most Surprising NFL Teams, Midseason Edition

2011 is no different from any other season in the NFL. There are a handful of teams that have been a surprise for whatever reason, good and bad.

Some teams have playoff hopes where none existed when the year began, while other playoff hopes are dashed already, mostly unexpected halfway through the young season.

It's the type of parity in the sport that makes the NFL such a big draw.

Here are the 10 most surprising teams at the season's midway point.

New York Giants

I wouldn't say the entire team has been surprising, but certainly Eli Manning's 13 touchdowns to five interceptions is a little unexpected for the New York Giants.

Sporting the fourth-best passing attack in the NFL, Manning has the Giants beating teams through the air while trying to keep alive a hemorrhaging, 30th-ranked rushing attack. Their offensive line certainly hasn't helped their cause on the ground at all this year.

Funny how things can reverse on a team over time.

Injuries have plagued the Giants not only at running back, but heavily on defense with Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Prince Amukamara all missing significant time. It's visible in the G-Men's rush defense, but overall the Giants defense has held its own enough to win games.

The playoffs, although maybe unexpected to start the season, are a real possibility for Big Blue after Week 8.

Carolina Panthers

A 2-6 record may not look like much, but it tells such a small part of the story for the 2011 Carolina Panthers.

Cam Newton is compiling record-breaking stats for a rookie quarterback in the NFL and doing it at a sick rate. Not many can burst onto the scene like Newton has, throwing for a record 422 yards and two touchdowns in his debut.

There was no shortage of doubters for the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, myself included, but so far, he has proven us wrong to the fullest extent.

If that's not something to look forward to every Sunday, I don't know what is. If Carolina can put something around him, maybe a defense, Newton could be leading his team to the playoffs.

The future is bright in Carolina.

Philadelphia Eagles

Nobody out there can tell me they expected the Philadelphia Eagles to be 3-4 at this point in the season. Certainly, you didn't expect the Giants to be the better team, but they have been.

Now with all the "talent" the Eagles have, they are scrambling (no pun intended) to make the playoffs this season. It seemed like it was a lock, but with certain aspects of the Eagles' game lacking, they are nothing better than mediocre.

There's no reason why this team can't turn it around—it has the best rushing attack in the NFL, complemented by the ninth-ranked passing attack led by Michael Vick.

The defense will need to improve if it wants to compete with a top-ranked offense like the Giants.

Maybe it's just a case of putting it all together, but if the Giants fall to a tough schedule, expect Philadelphia to be right in the hunt to still make the playoffs.

Buffalo Bills

It's been one hell of a year for Ryan Fitzpatrick, the new franchise quarterback of the Buffalo Bills. I say "franchise" because he's been so good in 2011, Buffalo gave him a five-year contract extension.

Fitzpatrick has given the Bills steady quarterback play all season, combined with Fred Jackson, who has 721 yards on the ground, good for fourth best in the league.

The Bills find themselves at 5-2 and in first place instead of the basement many thought they'd be in. The Bills have a chance to be another up-and-coming team like the Panthers, except they might have to be ready for the playoffs much sooner.

They'll need better play from their defense if they want to win more games. They have a crucial divisional game against the New York Jets this week, trying to hold onto first place.

One thing's for sure: The Bills aren't going to lay down and die to let the Jets make the playoffs. This team is a serious contender for the AFC East.

Cincinnatio Bengals

Andy Dalton is quickly looking like one of those players NFL general managers wish they didn't pass up. With a head full of red hair that can be seen from miles away, Dalton has played the Cincinnati Bengals to a 5-2 record.

In what has become the toughest division in the NFL, the Bengals have combined a great defense with Dalton's consistent play to be just one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It would have been a difficult scenario to envision when the season began, but if all goes perfectly for the Bengals this week, they could be in a three-way tie for first in the AFC North.

It's a position tough to imagine when the year began, losing their franchise quarterback to "retirement" before he was traded to Oakland.

Rebuilding hasn't taken long in Cincinnati.

San Francisco 49ers

I'm not sure when to jump on the "Alex Smith is a franchise quarterback" bandwagon, but with six wins this season, the San Francisco 49ers look unbeatable with him behind center.

New head coach Jim Harbaugh has his team feeling like it can win every game and it's taken the 49ers to the second-best record in the NFL.

Don't think a revived rushing attack behind Frank Gore hasn't made the difference. He has broken the top-five in the league with 675 yards on the ground. Gore is showing the MVP form that the 49ers missed last season when he was out five games.

The way the 49ers have dominated their opponents in 2011, they have people thinking Super Bowl in San Francisco. It isn't out of the question, but if all goes well, it could be an old rivalry revisited with the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.

Smith could also be the second former No. 1 overall pick in a row to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

New York Jets

"Blah, blah, blah."

That's my favorite line that Rex Ryan has ever said during his tenure with the New York Jets.

It sounds like that because all of Ryan's talk has translated into nothing for his team. All the boasting and Super Bowl aspirations and even expectations for New York is in serious jeopardy.

The Jets running game has been a ghost of itself this season, ranking with the league's worst at 28th. Mark Sanchez has tried to do what he can, but ultimately he isn't the type of quarterback who can put a team on his back.

The Jets have been consistent in one thing: playing down to their competition.

They still have a shot to win their division and it's put-up or shut-up time for the Jets and their head coach. It's about time they start delivering on their promises.

Oakland Raiders

There have been no shortage of story lines and drama for the Oakland Raiders this season.

First, it was Darren McFadden exploding on the scene for Oakland, helping carry them to a 4-3 record to start the season.

Then, the Raiders lost their quarterback, Jason Campbell, for the season with a broken collarbone. It prompted them to make a trade for "retired" Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer. It was a trade that was considered a blockbuster by today's standards in the NFL.

And sadly, last but certainly not least, the passing of the face of the Raiders for so many years, Al Davis.

Through it all, the Raiders are still in a virtual tie for first place in their division and still have a great chance at their first winning season since 2002.

Breaking that little streak would be a surprise in itself for the Raiders. 

St. Louis Rams

No, I'm not going to say that the St. Louis Rams are surprising this year because they beat the New Orleans Saints last week. Although that was surprising.

They have been surprisingly bad.

St. Louis had high hopes to win its division with a second-year quarterback in Sam Bradford, who had all the makings of a star after his first season.

Steven Jackson was supposed to have the best team he's ever had around him and thrive because of it.

Instead, the Rams haven't executed on both sides of the ball, battling injury in the process.

Maybe their win over the Saints last week is the start of something positive, but until they prove otherwise, the Rams have been a bad surprise this season.

Denver Broncos

I think the only thing surprising about the Denver Broncos season is the sheer madness that has arisen from it.

By "madness" I mean the situation with Tim Tebow. Broncos' fans, "Tebow Derangement Syndrome" might have hit its peak when they put billboards up demanding coach John Fox start Tebow over then-starter Kyle Orton.

Every angle and aspect of Tebow's season has been written about, analyzed and scrutinized to a disturbing degree. Never was there so much attention for an NFL quarterback who has achieved nothing.

But I guess Tebow coverage is better than no coverage because without him the Broncos would be completely irrelevant from any conversation in football.

Way to turn a negative into a positive.