The 50 Most Mind-Blowing Developments of the 2011 NFL Season

I think we can pretty much all agree that this has been one of the most entertaining seasons in recent NFL history.

A lot of this has to do with the parity effect. There are currently only two teams—the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers—on pace to win 12 games or more.

Last season, four teams had that many.

We have seen a legendary figure pass away and his "successor" make one of the boldest trades in recent memory.

We have seen former MVP candidates struggle, first-round "busts" excel and a new coach take over a franchise that hadn't lived up to its heralded history over the last decade.

We have seen a team put up more than 60, the "Dream Team" redefine what that terms means, a power-house struggle without their star quarterback and another signal-caller beating success into an oblivion.

All of this has led to one of the best seasons that I have been a part of as an adult.

Today, I am going to focus on 50 different mind-blowing developments that have occurred through the first 10 weeks of the season.

50. Rookie Wide Receivers Contiue to Impress

Usually, rookie receivers take a while to get acclimated to the National Football League. There are many different reasons for this.

First, the defensive back play is so much better at this level than in college.

Second, defensive schemes are much more difficult to understand going in.

Finally, route-running becomes much more important. 

A multitude of different rookie receivers have performed at a high level during the 2011 season.

Some of them were projected to be breakout players, but you will notice a couple outside of the first round that have impressed. 

The following are statistical projections for the top rookie wide receivers in the NFL. 

A.J. Green: 73 receptions, 1,139 yards and 11 touchdowns

Julio Jones: 53 receptions, 885 yards and four touchdowns

Doug Baldwin: 52 receptions, 848 yards and four touchdowns

Torrey Smith: 41 receptions, 756 yards and seven touchdowns

Denarius Moore: 41 receptions, 704 yards and seven touchdowns

Greg Little: 66 receptions, 674 yards and zero touchdowns

Other receivers, such as Titus Young, Greg Salas and Randall Cobb have had great rookie seasons as well. 

Comparing this to previous seasons will give you an indicator as to why they are on this list.

Mike Williams and Jordan Shipley were the only two 2010 rookies to acquire more than 600 receiving yards. In 2009, Percy Harvin and Hakeem Nicks led all rookies with less than 800 receiving yards. 

The performance for the rookie class of receivers this season is one of the best in recent NFL history. It is better than the Calvin Johnson, Dwayne Bowe and Sidney Rice class of 2007.

In fact, you probably have to go back to the 1996 class of Marvin Harrison, Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson to find a more productive group of rookie receivers. 

49. No Coaches Fired Through First 10 Weeks of Season

Considering that multiple teams started the 2011 season extremely slow out of the gate, I am surprised that we haven't seen the first head coaching casualty of the year.

There were four coaches fired during the 2010 season, the last of which was Mike Singletary following Week 16.

So there is still time for a Jim Caldwell, Norv Turner or Tony Sparano to get the boot. 

Maybe owners have taken into account the lack of an offseason when it comes to deciding whether or not to fire a coach midstream.

That said, it is still odd if you ask me. 

48. Tom Brady and Chad Henne Combine for 933 Yards in Season Opener

We all knew Tom Brady could pass the ball around the field with the best of them.

The major surprise here was how bad the New England Patriots secondary played against a pedestrian Chad Henne. 

Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for four touchdowns and a whopping 517 yards. His longest completion went to Wes Welker for 99 yards in the fourth quarter.

The former Texas Tech receiver ended the day with eight catches for 160 yards and two scores. 

Chad Henne, on the other hand, completed 30 of 49 passes for 416 yards and two scores. Miami's leading receiver was Brandon Marshall, who caught seven passes for 139 yards.

New England came out on top in the end by a score of 38-24. The game featured 906 total passing yards, which is an NFL record. 

47. Patrick Peterson's Overtime Punt Return Wins Game

You really couldn't get a more dramatic ending to a game that featured two 1-6 football teams.

The Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams were already playing out the stretch just halfway through the season—but don't tell either team that. 

Following Calais Campbell's block of a St. Louis Rams 42-yard game-winning field goal attempt as time expired in regulation, this ugly game was about to get much more entertaining. 

Rookie corner Patrick Peterson fielded a St. Louis Rams punt at his own 1-yard line and took it the distance as multiple Rams' special teams players missed tackles.

Glendale erupted for Arizona's second win of the season. 

46. NaVorro Bowman's All-Pro First Half

Many skeptics concluded that San Francisco's free-agent loss of Takeo Spikes was going to haunt them this season.

After all, he had been an emotional leader for a good 49ers defense over the course of the last couple seasons. 

Enter into the equation second-year player NaVorro Bowman, who had struggled to an extent his rookie season.

The former Penn State star saw his stock drop due to off-field issues and a belief that he was a tweener linebacker.

San Francisco drafted him in the third round of the 2010 draft and immediately moved him over to the inside linebacker position opposite Patrick Willis—a switch from the outside linebacker position Bowman had played at Happy Valley. 

While I was a big fan of the selection of Bowman and believed he would turn into a Pro Bowl player at some point, no one could have expected what he is doing in 2011.

The second-year player is among the league leaders in tackles and leads the NFL in third-down stops—both indicators that he is a primary reason San Francisco ranks first in both scoring and red-zone defense.

Some may be skeptical of my conclusion that Bowman is an All-Pro performer, but just don't take my word for it. Peter King of Sports Illustrated had Bowman on his midseason All-Pro Team. 

There remains a really good chance that Patrick Willis and Bowman will make up both inside linebacker spots on the All-Pro Team once the regular season concludes. 

45. St. Louis Rams Offense Struggles Under Josh McDaniels

Just a few seasons ago, Josh McDaniels was the hottest head coach prospect in the entire NFL.

He had resurrected a New England Patriots offense without the talents of Tom Brady, who missed most of the 2008 season.

The Patriots won 11 games without their star quarterback as Matt Cassel led the league's eighth-ranked scoring offense and put up nearly 3,700 passing yards. 

McDaniels was able to turn this success into a head coaching gig with the Denver Broncos, replacing long-time front man Mike Shanahan. 

The results were disastrous. 

Denver started the 2008 season with six consecutive wins, only to lose eight of their final 10 games to miss the playoffs. They finished 20th in the league in scoring offense.

Overall, McDaniels lost 17 of his final 22 games before being fired toward the end of last season. 

On the other hand, St. Louis looked to be on the verge of a breakout season.

They had just drafted Sam Bradford first overall, who had a really good rookie season. With an offensive line intact, a young receiving corps and a future Hall-of-Fame running back, everything seemed to be in place for an ascension atop the NFC West standings.

St. Louis thought that the recently-fired McDaniels would be a great fit as their offensive coordinator and brought him in. 

Well, it hasn't worked out. 

32nd in scoring offense: 12.7

27th in yards per game: 310.1

31st in third down conversions: 29 percent

27th in offensive penalties: 69

27th in passing yards per game: 196.7

You see the pattern here. Not only has the Rams offense regressed from a solid 2010 performance, they are now among the worst in the NFL.

Simply put, it looks like the McDaniels experiment has failed once again, and no one saw this coming. 

44. Comebacks Are the New Trend

Week 1: Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

Dallas took a two-touchdown lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Felix Jones to being the fourth quarter.

The Jets would go on to to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns and tie the game.

Tony Romo's fumble deep inside New York's 5-yard line aided the Jets, as did a blocked punt later in the quarter.

In the end, Nick Folk would come back to haunt his former team by connecting on a game-winning field goal with less than one minute left in the game.  

Dallas led 24-10 in fourth quarter. New York won 27-24. 

Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Minnesota Vikings

This was the second of three consecutive games in which the Vikings blew a significant second-half lead.

They were up by 17 points at the half. However, Tampa Bay scored 24 of the 27 second-half points behind solid play by Josh Freeman.

The comeback was capped off by a LeGarrette Blount's four-yard touchdown run inside of a minute remaining in the fourth quarter.  

Minnesota led 17-0 at halftime. Tampa Bay won 24-20. 

Week 2: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers

No one thought this would end up being the only game that San Francisco would lose in the first 10 weeks of the season.

No one thought that Tony Romo would lead the Cowboys back following a disastrous performance against the Jets the week before.

The 49ers held a 24-14 lead just outside of the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter. A hobbled Tony Romo led Dallas on two scoring drives to tie the game and force overtime.

Then, in their first extra-session possession, Romo connect with little-known Jesse Holley on a 77-yard pass that set up the game-winning field goal.  

San Francisco led 24-14 in fourth quarter. Dallas won 27-24. 

Week 3: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills

New England led the game 21-0 with just three seconds remaining in the first half before Buffalo closed the gap to 18 at the end of the second quarter.

The Bills ended up picking off Tom Brady four times—returning one for a touchdown—and in the end won on a field goal as time expired.

New England led 21-3 in the second quarter. Buffalo won 34-31. 

There will be more comebacks later on this list, but these were just within the first three weeks. For more information and an incredible article on the best comebacks of the first half of the 2011 season click here. 

43. Michael Bush Does Best "Bo Knows" Impersonation

When Darren McFadden was ruled out for last Thursday's division-leading matchup with the San Diego Chargers, many people concluded that the Raiders had no chance.

Well, they seemed to have underestimated the talents of one Michael Bush. 

The fourth-year running back from Louisville is one heck of a bruiser, but he gets lost behind McFadden.

Over the course of Bush's first three seasons, he had run for more than 1,700 yards and scored 14 touchdowns as a backup and part-time fill-in. 

Bush broke out big time against the San Diego Chargers and in front of a national audience. He ended up running for 157 yards on 30 carries, adding 85 yards on three receptions for a total of 242 yards on offense.

This was the highest single-game mark for the Raiders since Bo Jackson's epic Monday night performance against the Seattle Seahawks in 1987. 

Bush's performance also put the Raiders in sole possession of first place. 

42. Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints Open Up Season in Fashion

They are the last two Super Bowl champions, and they played one another in Lambeau Field on a surprisingly warm September day.

The results were one for the books. 

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers combined for the following whopping statistical totals: 876 yards, 51 first downs, 10 touchdowns and nearly 700 yards passing.

Two pretty solid defenses looked the part of a semipro team as the offenses completely dominated. 

This wasn't expected, after all the lockout was set to create a slowing down of offenses. Instead, this game set the tone for a 2011 season that is offense-oriented. 

Up until the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers game, I had a hard time imagining a game that would be played so well and crisp.

Still, I have to consider the very first game of the 2011 season the best to date!

41. San Francisco 49ers Have as Many Wins as the Rest of Their Division Combined

This is a combination of a really bad division and a really good team within it.

How else would you explain three teams in the NFC West combining for as many wins as the San Francisco 49ers through 10 weeks of the 2011 season? 

It even took those three teams to win their games last Sunday in order to match San Francisco with eight victories.

Needless to say, the 49ers pretty much have the NFC West already wrapped up. 

To add insult to injury, they have five games remaining in the division over the course of the final seven.

The bad news for other NFC West teams is the fact that San Francisco is loaded and prepared to control the division for the foreseeable future. 

40. Detroit Lions Rise to Playoff Contention

Despite recent struggles, the Detroit Lions do have an inside track for one of the two NFC Wild Card spots.

Following a disheartening loss to the Chicago Bears last week, they stand at 6-3 overall.

This is a far cry from a team that went 0-16 in 2008. From 2007 to 2009, the Lions actually lost 34 of 37 football games. 

The turnaround can be linked to solid drafting, good free-agent pickups, a change in the culture and the hiring of Jim Schwartz as the franchises 24th head coach. 

Detroit has many weapons on the offensive side of the ball, none more talented than Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.

Matthew Stafford, despite his horrible performance last week, is playing at an extremely high level for a quarterback without much in-game experience (13 starts prior to 2010). 

I don't expect the Lions to contend for a championship, but things are looking up for the previously downtrodden franchise. 

39. DeMarco Murray's Record-Setting Single-Game Performance

It is hard to imagine that anyone would have predicted DeMarco Murray breaking Emmitt Smith's single-game Dallas Cowboys rushing record in his first NFL start.

Well, it happened, and the Cowboys needed it following two consecutive defeats.

In all, Murray ran for 253 yards on 25 rushes, including a 91-yard touchdown score to open up the game.

The former Oklahoma Sooner isn't a flash in the pan, either. He has totaled 682 yards over the last four games and has been recently named the Cowboys starting running back over Felix Jones. 

This performance was one for the ages. 

38. Cam Newton Is on Record-Breaking Rookie Pace

Cam Newton has slowed down a little bit over the course of the last couple games, but he is still on pace to destroy Peyton Manning's single-season rookie passing record.

Through nine games, Newton is on pace for 4,609 passing yards. That would beat Manning's record by a whopping 900 yards. 

Overall, Newton is on pace for 5,274 yards. This is an absolutely amazing feat considering that many, including myself, concluded that he would struggle a great deal in his rookie season.

Newton, who hasn't been without his share of mistakes, is a special athlete and may end up redefining how the quarterback position is played in the NFL. 

In fact, Newton is on pace to break the overall single-season yardage total (passing and rushing) for any quarterback in the history of the NFL.

37. Cincinnati Bengals Prove Everyone Else Wrong

I had the Cincinnati Bengals going 3-13 this season.

After 10 weeks of the season, they have doubled that total.

And this team is playing some really good football right now. Even in Cincinnati's recent loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they put themselves in a position to win the game toward the end.

Andy Dalton looks like the real deal, and A.J. Green is on pace for a 1,000-yard season.

The most surprising aspect of the Bengals' 6-3 record is their defense. It is a unit that ranks fifth in scoring, 10th in passing and second in rushing defense.

They are doing this with a few different retreads and a bunch of unproven youngsters.

If it weren't for the success of the San Francisco 49ers under Jim Harbaugh, I would easily conclude that Marvin Lewis is doing the best coaching job thus far in 2011. 

36. Arian Foster and Ben Tate Are a True Two-Headed Monster

Since when did the Houston Texans become a run-oriented offense?

I remember the days when Matt Schaub attempted 40 passes and threw for over 300 yards on a consistent basis.

Well, it wasn't a winning formula. 

Now, Houston appears to have that winning formula out in full force. 

Ben Tate and Arian Foster are currently on pace to combine for 3,200 total yards of offense this season. They have been working extremely well as a tandem and are dominating opposing defenses. 

They are going to need to continue this record-setting performance with Matt Schaub likely lost for the remainder of the season. 

35. Madden Curse Continues as Peyton Hillis Is a Non-Factor

The Madden Curse is something that a lot of people talk about, but I had not taken it seriously in the past.

This has changed over the course of the last couple seasons. 

2011: Drew Brees was on the cover last season as they were unable to defend their Super Bowl Championship following an upset Wild Card playoff loss to the under .500 Seattle Seahawks. 

2010: Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald shared the cover following their Super Bowl appearance the season prior. The Steelers safety missed all but five games that season as the team finished with a mediocre 9-7 record. 

2009: This version featured Brett Favre wearing a Green Bay Packers uniform. Well, he ended up playing with the New York Jets that season without much success. His only season in the Big Apple. 

2008: Vince Young was the cover boy and went on to miss most of the season while Kerry Collins led the Tennessee Titans to a 13-3 record. 

You get the picture, right?

Peyton Hillis was chosen to be the cover guy over Danny Woodhead of the New England Patriots and Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers. I am sure that both Patriots and 49ers fans are happy about that decision in the end. 

The Cleveland Browns running back has played in a total of four games this season, rushing for just over 200 yards. The combination of a contract stalemate and "injury" issues has kept him out of the last five games and promises to sideline him for more. 

I wasn't someone that believed in the curse, but for some reason it continues to happen every single season. 

34. New England Patriots Winning with One of NFL's Worst Defenses

The argument can be made that the New England Patriots are built to win in October and November—not December and January.

The old saying that defenses win championships is pretty much a reality at this point.

So the idea that a team that ranks near the bottom in so many defensive categories stands a chance to actually contend for the Lombardi is foolhardy. Right? 

I am not sure that New England falls under this. They have Tom Brady and Wes Welker—not to mention one of the greatest coaching minds in the history of the NFL. 

My theory is that you have to be a complete team in order to contend in January, because your weaknesses are going to be exposed.

This is why I don't have the Patriots up to the level of teams such as the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and even the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

I guess we shall see!

33. Kansas City Chiefs Inconsistency Takes Turn for the Worse

The Kansas City Chiefs are NFL's version of that psycho stalker person that many of us have encountered at least once in our life.

One minute they shine brightly into the sunlight when you least expect, the next minute they are glaring into your window in the dark of night. 

There is no other way explain the Chiefs losing their first two games of the season by a total of 79 points against teams that went a combined 10-22 the season earlier.

There is no other way to explain them running off a string of four wins in five games following those two disastrous performances. 

And there is no other way to explain them falling back off the wagon in losing their last two games by a combined 35 points against teams that were a combined 3-12—both at home. 

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Matt Cassel is lost for the season. 

32. Philip Rivers Implodes

Implodes is the operative word here.

The San Diego Chargers started 2011 with an unimpressive-looking 4-1 record.

Despite how ugly the wins were, they sure beat the heck out of the Chargers' previous early-season failures. 

Then came a four-game losing streak that they are currently in the midst of.

San Diego has lost all four games by single digits and have had an opportunity to win all four in the final quarter. They haven't pulled these games out because of the anemic play of Philip Rivers.

During this losing streak, the Pro Bowl quarterback has turned the ball over a total of 11 times. 

In all, Rivers leaders the NFL with 15 interceptions through nine games. To put this in perspective, this matches his career high for an entire season set back in 2007. 

31. Philadelphia Eagles Blow 20-Point Second-Half Lead at Home

Although the San Francisco 49ers were coming into this Week 4 matchup with a 2-1 record and the Philadelphia Eagles had lost two consecutive games, no one outside of the Bay Area gave the 49ers a chance.

After all, they had existed in mediocrity over the last decade and had to travel east to play "The Dream Team."

It all started out according to everyone's plans. Philadelphia's talented offense jumped all over the San Francisco 49ers in the first half.

They scored 20 points and totaled 288 yards of offense before the intermission, jumping out to a 20-3 lead. 

No one—not even San Francisco 49ers fans—expected what came next. 

San Francisco racked up well over 200 yards and scored two touchdowns in the third quarter alone. Alex Smith completed all nine of his passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns during that span. 

All of a sudden, it was a six-point game heading into the fourth quarter. 

After each team punted a couple times, San Francisco was able to get the go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard run by Frank Gore. Philadelphia's furious rally towards the end came up short as Justin Smith stripped Jeremy Maclin of the ball as the Eagles receiver was heading into field-goal range. 

Since this game, the 49ers have won five consecutive games and sit one game back of the Green Bay Packers for the best record in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have lost three of five to fall completely out of playoff contention. 

30. Baltimore Ravens Offensive Futility on Monday Night

Monday Night Football has been extremely bad this season, but the one game that jumps out is the Baltimore Ravens' and Jacksonville Jaguars' snooze-fest of Week 7. 

Baltimore came into that game with a 4-1 record and were surely going to stomp all over the undermanned Jaguars. It clearly didn't turn out that way. 

The Ravens ran nine—count it, nine—offensive series before even acquiring a single first down.

During that span, they went three-and-out eight times and turned the ball over the other time. It wasn't until the five-minute mark of the third quarter that the Ravens were actually able to get their initial first down of the game. 

In fact, they had negative-14 yards of offense during those first nine drives.

How does that happen? Well, one three-and-out actually took them back 33 yards.

Before that drive was said and done, the Ravens were actually facing a 4th-and-43. You read that right, 4th-and-43!

Jacksonville ended up defeating Baltimore 12-7 in a game that featured a total of 24 first downs and 351 total yards. 

29. Voided Trade May Have Saved the Life of Detroit Lions Running Back

Take it from someone that knows—a brain tumor is one of the hardest things for a person and a family to go through.

My grandfather passed away from Gliobastoma Multiforme, a form of brain cancer, a couple years ago.

His prognosis was a year to live at the max—he didn't make it that long.

Jerome Harrison was about to be traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles last month. Everything was set for him to move east but one thing—his physical diagnosed something that will forever change his life. 

Harrison, who still owns the Cleveland Browns single-game rushing record, was diagnosed with a less deadly form of brain cancer called Ependymoma.

Harrison's long-term prognosis is really good, and a recent surgery removed all of the tumor. 

It is at times like this that we have to take a step back from the game of football and look at how mortal each and every one of us are.

If it weren't for the front office of the Eagles and Lions coming to agreement on that trade, Harrison would never have been treated and probably would have died. 

Deep stuff!

28. Calvin "Megatron" Johnson Defeats Three Cowboys in the End Zone

Megatron treats the Dallas Cowboys defensive backs like a bull in an ant farm.

Dallas was leading the Detroit Lions 27-3 midway through the third quarter when all hell broke loose in the Big D. 

Bobby Carpenter and Chris Houston returned Tony Romo interceptions for touchdowns on two consecutive possessions to pull the Lions closer, but it was the embedded play that shook the foundation of the early 2011 season. 

With Dallas up 30-17 and just over 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford dropped back from outside the Cowboys 30-yard line and lofted what appeared to be a desperation heave into the end zone.

Calvin Johnson came down with the ball in the middle of three Dallas Cowboys defenders and pulled the Lions to win by six points. 

In the end, Detroit would finish off an unlikely comeback, and this catch was a major reason for that. 

Simply amazing!

27. Jonathan Baldwin Makes One of Greatest Catches in NFL History

I really don't care if this catch counted or not—and it didn't.

Offsetting penalties on both teams prevented one of the greatest catches in NFL history to actually go into the stat books. 

Jonathan Baldwin going up against Brian Dawkins down the field on the left hash mark overcame obvious face guarding and grabbed the ball out of midair and off the back of the Broncos defender. 

It is hard to put this play into words, so just check it out!

26. Kevin Kolb Disaster in Arizona Following Much-Criticized Trade

Error No. 1 : Give up a Pro Bowl corner. 

Error No. 2: Give up a valuable second-round pick. 

Error No. 3: Give an unproven quarterback a $63 million contract with $21.5 million guaranteed.

Error No. 4: Do the above three in the same deal. 

By now you all know this is what the Arizona Cardinals did prior to the start of the 2011 season.

They traded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kevin Kolb—a quarterback that had won just three of his first seven NFL starts, threw one more touchdown than interception and had a quarterback rating hovering around 77. 

Most people, including myself, came to the conclusion that this was a dumb move by the Arizona Cardinals.

Kolb started the season losing six of his first seven games, throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns and compiling a quarterback rating of 77.8. He has since been sidelined due to injury. 

Arizona has won both games that Kolb has missed with a pedestrian John Skelton at quarterback. Now there appears to be somewhat of a quarterback controversy brewing in the desert. 

This is the type of trade that can set a franchise back years.

Lets hope for Arizona's sake, or not, that Kolb comes back strong and proves his worth. Otherwise, it will be one of the greatest front-office blunders in recent NFL history. 

25. St. Louis Rams Upset the New Orleans Saints

Now, I didn't see this coming.

The St. Louis Rams were coming into this Week 8 matchup with an 0-6 record, losing those games by a combined 115 points.

On the other hand, the New Orleans Saints were 5-2 and coming off a 62-7 drubbing of the Indianapolis Colts (more on that later). 

No way the Rams were even going to be in this game after the opening kickoff. Right? 

Any given Sunday. 

After scoreless first quarter, which surprised a lot of folks, St. Louis put up 17 second-quarter points to take that lead into the half. After a Steven Jackson touchdown run at the five-minute mark of the third quarter, the Rams were up 24-0.

Still, there was no way that they could hold back the Saints much longer. In fact, I didn't have much confidence that St. Louis going to win the game at this point. 

Two consecutive touchdowns by the Saints proved that I might have been onto something. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Darian Stewart—yes, that one—intercepted Drew Brees and took the ball back 27 yards for the game-clinching touchdown with under three minutes remaining. 

St. Louis had their first win of the season, and the Saints wished they had actually showed up for the game in Missouri. 

24.Baltimore Ravens Stun Defending AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1

Pittsburgh had just defeated the Baltimore Ravens seven months earlier to end their season in the playoffs.

The Steelers were the conference's top dog, but it wasn't to be on this September day. 

The Ravens forced seven Pittsburgh Steelers turnovers en route to a 35-7 drubbing of the defending conference champions.

Ben Roethlisberger was under continued pressure all game long, getting sacked four times and hit another six times. 

Joe Flacco outplayed the Steelers quarterback, throwing for three touchdowns and not turning the ball over once. 

Things have since returned to order for Pittsburgh, but the season started out incredibly bleak for them this season. 

23. Chris Johnson Struggles Following Massive Contract Extension

Chris Johnson held out for a large part of the slimmed-down training camp prior to the season because he wanted a new contract.

Many skeptics, including myself, were fraught over the idea that the Tennessee Titans hadn't opened up their pocketbooks for CJ yet. 

After all, Johnson had combined for over 5,500 total yards in his first three seasons in the NFL and scored a whopping 38 touchdowns during that span. Why not pay the man?

Tennessee did precisely that, signing Johnson to a six-year, $56 million contract with an average salary of about $10 million per season.

Prior to a breakout performance last week, Johnson was struggling a great deal in 2011. He had run the ball for just 366 yards and one score over the course of the first eight games, averaging a paltry three yards per carry. 

Even after Johnson's 130-yard performance against the Carolina Panthers last week, he is on pace for his worst season as a pro. 

The reason why this is so "mind blowing" is because a majority of "experts" concluded Johnson deserved that contract, and he has yet to play up to it. 

22. Tim Tebow, Tebowtime

Tim Tebow isn't a talented quarterback, he doesn't have the tools to succeed in the NFL, he cannot make all the throws, his mechanics are horrible and a college offense won't work at this level.

Yada yada yada.

So, what does Tim Tebow do besides pray to his God? Well, the answer is win games. 

He is 3-1 as a starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos this season.

This after Kyle Orton, the more prototypical quarterback, started the season losing four of five. Sure, Tebow's completion percentage is under 50 percent for his career and at 44 percent in 2011—but that really isn't the point.

I don't think that anyone has noticed the following statistics that Tebow has put up in his short career.

He has accounted for 20 total touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions. For those of you who are less than stellar at mathematics, that equates to a 5:1 touchdown-turnover ratio.

Is Tim Tebow going to redefine the way the quarterback position is played in the NFL? No!

Is he going to be an All-Pro performer? NO!

What Tebow will do is give his all out on the field and win games for whomever he plays for.

How else do you explain winning a modern NFL game by only completing two passes? 

21. DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen Chasing Michael Strahan

Michael Strahan currently holds the single-season sack record with 22.5. He broke Mark Gastineau's record in 2011. 

Both DeMarcus Ware (13.0) and Jared Allen (13.5) are currently on pace to barely edge out Strahan's 2001 total.

The two are doing it under different defensive schemes and with different skill sets. 

My money is on Ware breaking the record, because he is pretty much a one-dimensional pass-rusher that is hard to double-team.

Allen plays on the line, and opposing offenses do have the ability to switch pass protection over his way. 

Still, both are playing at extremely good levels right now!

On a side note, there are currently a whopping 19 players on pace for double-digit sacks this season, including two rookies. 

20. Lockout Had Absolutely No Effect on Popularity of the NFL

I doubt anyone really questioned the popularity of the National Football League in the United States.

Still, previous collective bargaining stalemates have destroyed popularity of other sports in this country over the course of the last two decades. 

This didn't happen with the NFL. 

Last week, Sunday Night Football led all television programs in ratings and four different football programs were in the top 13.

This has been a continuing theme for the duration of the 2011 season. In fact, the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants game last Sunday drew a higher rating than every network show that evening despite the fact that it wasn't aired nationally. 

Stadia are all at capacity, and blackouts have been avoided more than in any previous season since that rule came to be in 1973. 

More than that, I have noticed that even casual football fans are taking to bars and living rooms on Sunday afternoons in order to catch games.

These are the same individuals that I have noticed didn't pay attention until the playoffs began. 

In fact, the lockout may have gotten the majority of us more pumped for the start of the season because the idea of a winter without one was just too depressing. 

19. Is Joe Flacco Ever Going to Be a Consistent Quarterback? Not in 2011

In certain situations, Joe Flacco reminds me of a young Dan Marino—in other situations, he looks no better than Shane Falco on The Replacements. 

He seriously has some consistency issues. 

In four games against the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), Houston Texans and New York Jets, Flacco has led his team to a 4-0 record and looked extremely impressive.

In those games, the Ravens are averaging 30 points. Well, even the Jets game was disastrous for Flacco, as his 37.4 quarterback rating bordered on laughable. 

It is the following three games that astonishes me and should concern every Baltimore Ravens fan. They have scored a total of 37 points against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, losing all three. 

If Baltimore wants to be considered an elite team, they need to show up against lesser opponents, and that starts with the quarterback. 

18. Monday Night Football Turning into Snooze-Fests

Monday Night Football used to be something that my family and I sat down and watched religiously.

I am sure this was the case with most of you growing up as well.

This isn't the case anymore, and that has to do with the product being fielded that night.

It just isn't that good anymore. 

While the double-header on the opening weekend drew good ratings and was really entertaining, that hasn't been the case over the course of the last nine weeks. 

We have seen matchups that included the struggling St. Louis Rams against a vastly superior New York Giants team, The New York Jets laugh their way past the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers face a Minnesota Vikings team that didn't even belong on the field with them.

Accordingly, we probably watched the worst overall game of the 2011 season when the Baltimore Ravens tripped all over themselves against a talentless Jacksonville Jaguars team. 

The NFL understood a couple years ago that Sunday Night Football drew better ratings, so they decided to put the best game in that time slot, and this is fully understandable. 

But couldn't they come up with some better games on Monday?

I am not alone in saying that I pine for the good ole' days of Monday Night Football. 

17. Wes Welker Could Shatter Some Serious Records

Although Wes Welker's numbers have dropped off a bit over the course of the last couple weeks, he is still on pace for some amazing numbers.

Just look at these. 

Receptions: 128

Yards: 1,788

Neither number is on pace to break records this season.

Marvin Harrison holds the single-season reception record with 143 in 2002, and Jerry Rice holds the single-season yardage record with 1,848 in 1995. 

Those numbers are not completely out of touch for Welker as the season draws to a close, as the Patriots face six pass defenses in the bottom half of the league during their final seven games. 

Even if Welker doesn't break either record, what he has accomplished this year in particular and over the course of the last few seasons in general is amazing. 

You have to remember that he is 5'9" and wasn't even drafted or invited to the combine in 2004.

In fact, Welker spent time on the practice squads of both the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins before being traded to the New England Patriots prior to the 2007 season. 

16. Green Bay Packers Haven't Lost Since December of 2010

I think it is apparent that the Green Bay Packers are a cut above the rest of the NFL.

Sorry, San Francisco 49ers fans, but a truer statement has not been written all season.

This doesn't mean that a team like the 49ers, Giants or Saints couldn't trip them up in the postseason—stranger things have happened. 

Still, the way Green Bay is playing right now must scare the collective jockstraps off of opposing defenses.

Aaron Rodgers is currently hitting a zone not seen since Joe Montana of the mid-to-late 1980s. He is tearing apart opposing defenses at a record clip. 

It isn't just Aaron Rodgers. The Packers have a ton of talent up and down the board.

Their secondary hasn't played the best so far but boasts the most talent in the entire league. The Packers offensive line is improving a great deal, and their front seven is right up there with the aforementioned 49ers as the best in the league. 

Oh, I almost forgot. They have some tremendous talent for Aaron Rodgers to throw to on offense. 

This team is built to win and may actually match the feat of the 1973 Miami Dolphins and 2007 New England Patriots by going undefeated.

It is still important for them to keep a keen eye on the ultimate goal of winning the trophy named after their greatest head coach. Remember, the 2007 Patriots had the same feeling and failed to bring home a Lombardi. 

15. Alex Smith Playing Like a Top 5 NFL Quarterback

No one is more surprised than me to see Alex Smith playing at the level he is right now.

I had always thought he could be a good quarterback if he was in the right situation—the right offense, an offensive minded head coach, some talent on offense and something resembling continuity. 

Smith isn't just playing like a "good" quarterback right now.

Instead, he is performing like one of the best in the entire National Football League. Yes, you heard that right!

Actually, what the former No. 1 overall pick is doing right now is unprecedented in the modern history of the league. You have never seen a quarterback so maligned that has played so bad for so long turn it around with the same team that drafted him. I dare you to find one. 

The following are his projected statistics for the 2011 season. 

64 completion percentage, 3,038 yards, 20 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 95.8 quarterback rating.

Moreover, Alex Smith is just getting the job done and winning games. Including the 49ers 8-1 start in 2011, Smith is a record 11-3 in his last 14 starts.

During that span, he has thrown 20 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions.

For all of you that say Smith is nothing more than a "game manager," consider this—he led the San Francisco 49ers to a huge victory over the New York Giants last week without the services of Frank Gore, who ran six times for zero yards and sat out the entire second half.

14. Eli Manning Is Playing Best Football of His Career

Despite throwing two interceptions in the Giants' loss to San Francisco last week, Eli Manning played exceptionally good football.

He made so many throws into tight windows, throws that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks can actually make.

His margin of error was extremely small because the 49ers played one hell of a defensive game, but Manning almost brought New York back. 

Manning has thrown just eight interceptions this season, which equates to one every 40 passing attempts. In his seven-year career prior to 2011, Manning threw one pick every 27.5 attempts. 

Everyone understood that Eli Manning had the talent to be an elite quarterback in the NFL, but mistakes were holding him back a great deal.

His success in 2011 is a primary reason the New York Giants are 6-3 and lead the NFC East after 10 weeks. 

The following are his projected 2011 statistics.

63.1 completion percentage, 4,779 yards, 30 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a 97.0 rating. 

13. Tim Tebow Completes Two Passes and the Broncos Still Win

It is hard to imagine that this has happened five times since 1980, but Tim Tebow's "feat" of completing just two passes has happened four times in the last 30 years. 

The following stat line represents Oklahoma's old "wishbone" offense more than anything else. 

Two completions on eight pass attempts and 244 rushing yards on  55 attempts. 

This isn't going to win you an NFL football game. Never mind, Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos won with the aforementioned statistics last week.

In a season that has been defined by record passing numbers, this is a statistical oddity that leads many of us to believe that the Denver Broncos were just part of the football gods playing a bad joke on the Kansas City Chiefs. 

By the way, neither quarterback in this game threw for triple-digit yards. 

12. New Orleans Saints Drop 62 on the Indianapolis Colts

I am usually an unbiased observer when I watch NFL football games, but I have to admit I was going for the New Orleans Saints to put up 70 against the Indianapolis Colts three weeks ago.

That may sound a little harsh—and it probably is.

That said, the Colts completely gave up, as it appeared New Orleans was actually playing against invisible cloaks that night. 

The New Orleans Saints couldn't have played a more perfect game in the grand scheme of things.

They scored in each of their first nine possessions before taking Drew Brees out of the game. None of the drives went much longer than six minutes, and they only had eight third-down attempts the entire game. 

A lot of this had to do with a pitiful Colts team (more on that later), but you have to give credit where it is due.

This game reminded me of a Division II college football team going into Alabama just for a paycheck. I guess the Colts still collected their weekly payout, even though they didn't deserve it. 

11. Philadelphia Eagles 3-6 and Finding New Ways to Lose

I have to do it, sorry—I am Walrus!

Joking aside, what in the world is going on with the Philadelphia Eagles?

This is a team that has the most "talent" in the National Football League but continues to shoot themselves in the back end over and over again. 

I am talking about false starts on 3rd-and-1, encroachment penalties on defense that seal a defeat, costly turnovers, stupid mistakes and bad coaching. This is the perfect storm of horribleness that has come to define the Philadelphia Eagles' 2011 season.

They hit rock-bottom last week, losing to John Skelton and the Arizona Cardinals at home.

If it wasn't for a Rex Grossman meltdown and a Dallas Cowboys team that decided not to show up, the Eagles could conceivably be 1-8 right now.

With the exception of Jason Babin, the majority of Philadelphia's offseason acquisitions have underperformed in 2011. In fact, it should be concluded that Nnamdi Asomugha has been an absolute bust in the City of Brotherly Love.

Michael Vick is having a down season, DeSean Jackson has caused some off-field distraction and wont be back, while Andy Reid's coaching is once again coming into question. 

It is a who's-who of failures that have led to the collapse of what Vince Young coined The Dream Team. 

Andy Reid will probably be out following the 2011 season, and if this collapse continues you could see this soon enough in Philadelphia. 

10. Quarterbacks on Pace to Break Dan Marino's Single-Season Passing Record

Dan Marino threw for 5,084 passing yards in 1984, which shattered previous records by a huge amount.

Since then, there have been a couple different players challenge that total. In fact, Drew Brees came within 15 yards of that total in 2008. 

Lets take a look-see at quarterbacks currently on pace to break Marino's 27-year-old record. 

Tom Brady: 5,390

Drew Brees: 5,321

Aaron Rodgers: 5,100

The following players are also within an arm's shot at breaking Marino's record: Cam Newton (4,685), Eli Manning (4,780), Ben Roethlisberger (4,603) and Philip Rivers (4,876). 

I guess we could say that we are in a passing era right now. These numbers are just plain crazy.

There are currently 12 quarterbacks on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards.

Yet, as we all know, this doesn't necessarily equate to winning. 

9. Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz Ready to Rumble

Note: Sorry for the quality of the video, NFL deleted it!

Jim Harbaugh is the new kid on the block—Jim Schwartz wants to be that new kid.

The two came together following an epic matchup of up-and-coming teams, and the results were stunning to say the least. 

San Francisco's first-year head coach shook Schwartz's hand a little bit too hard and in turn was attacked by the passionate Lions head coach.

The results were players having to break up a fight between their two leaders. 

What occurred following the incident shows exactly how egos can run wild in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers tackle Anthony Davis got in a war of words with Cliff Avril of the Detroit Lions following the game on Twitter.

The national media took this incident to a new level and made it into something it wasn't. And I am pretty sure both Schwartz and Harbaugh will laugh about the incident when the season draws to a conclusion. 

It was still one surprising sight to behold! 

8. Indianapolis Colts Self Destruct Without Peyton Manning

We now understand exactly how valuable Peyton Manning was to the Indianapolis Colts.

Thinking outside the box, one could make an ironic argument that the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback is the MVP of the NFL without even taking a snap in 2011. 

Indianapolis has lost their first 10 games of the season, just two less than they had in the last three seasons combined.

If they continue at this pace, the Colts will lose nearly as many games in 2011 than they did in the previous five seasons combined. 

The statistics are just staggering. Indianapolis is 32nd in point differential (16.9 points per game), 30th in scoring offense (13.1) and 32nd in scoring defense (30.0). That is how bad it has gotten in Indianapolis. 

One actually has to wonder if this team actually deserves Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft.

Are they sailing it it a la the San Antonio Spurs the year they selected Tim Duncan? I am not seeing a fight from this team at all—they appear not to be trying 100 percent and have just given up on the idea of actually winning a damn football game. 

The fans deserve better!

7. Philip Rivers Fumbles Ball and Loses Game

If San Diego were to win this game, they would have taken a stranglehold on the AFC West.

Instead, Philip Rivers did what he has done best so far in 2011—mess everything up!

With San Diego driving for the game-winning field goal and looking to just run the ball once or twice in order to take time of the clock, Rivers pulled the worst snafu of the season to date.

He fumbled a Nick Hardwick snap and pretty much handed the Chiefs the game and the division lead. 

This is one example in a long pattern of surprising mistakes made by the Pro Bowl quarterback, and it might be the one that comes back to haunt the Chargers at season's end. 

6. Mike Smith Blows Game and May Have Ruined Falcons' Playoff Chances

I don't care about the specific situation and how the game is going.

You do not go for it on fourth down from your own 29-yard line in overtime. You just don't do it!

Mike Smith's curious call will come back to haunt the Atlanta Falcons when all is said and done for the regular season.

They had an opportunity to pull into a virtual tie with the New Orleans Saints for first place in the NFC South.

Instead, this decision gave New Orleans the win and placed Atlanta on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff seeding. 

It was a division and conference loss, which means that the top two playoff tie-breakers were at stake.

The loss also set Atlanta nearly two full games behind the Saints. This call showed an incredible lack of confidence in a struggling defense, which isn't going to be good for team morale. 

In my humble opinion, this has to go down as the worst call in recent NFL history, and it will cost the Falcons a playoff spot. 

5. Oakland Raiders Give Up the House for Carson Palmer

Sorry, Oakland Raiders fans, but Al Davis would not have made this trade.

It is true that Carson Palmer is the type of quarterback that the late great owner coveted.

Still, he coveted first-round picks a whole lot more. 

Was it a stupid move? I am not ready to draw that conclusion. 

Carson Palmer was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL five years ago and still has a lot of years left in that arm.

He seems to fit what the Raiders are attempting to do on offense and works well with their young receivers. 

Hue Jackson is a quarterback guru and has experience with Palmer at both USC and with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

It could be a match made in heaven. 

Still, it is hard to get past the point that Oakland gave up a first-round pick and a second-round selection (could turn into a first) for a 31-year-old quarterback who has 57 interceptions in his last 52 starts from 2007 to 2010. 

4. 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Shows What Football Means to America

The pageantry of NFL's kickoff weekend took a backseat to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans and changed the course of world history forever.

Some concluded that games shouldn't have been played on this most solemn of days.

I couldn't disagree more. 

The NFL helped us as a nation get our minds off of the horrible tragedy 10 years ago. It represented normality in a time of despair and sadness. 

Ten years later, the NFL was back again to mourn those who died and remember the sacrifice of so many brave souls.

They couldn't have done a better job. Football stadiums were overly electric with patriotism, TAPS was played for the viewing pleasure of everyone on hand to view the games or watch them on television and a league showed why it represents a sport that is now America's pastime. 

It was a reminder that the game that we love is just that—a game!

3. San Francisco 49ers Are Second-Best Team in the Entire NFL

No one saw this coming, not even the most die-hard San Francisco 49ers fan.

Their success so far in 2011 really did come out of left field.

Let me list the reasons why San Francisco was primed for another disappointing season. 

1. College coaches have not had success transitioning to the NFL over the last decade. 
2. The lockout put San Francisco behind the 8-ball as Harbaugh couldn't meet with players. 
3. Alex Smith was returning to a city that disowned him following six subpar seasons. 
4. The 49ers lost Aubrayo Franklin, Takeo Spikes, Manny Lawson and Nate Clements on defense.
5. Michael Crabtree had bust written all over him.
6. Frank Gore was holding out. 
7. Entirely new coaching staff and scheme. 
8. Up-and-coming St. Louis Rams team above them in the NFC West. 

I could go on with more examples, but you get the point. 

Following San Francisco's dramatic 27-20 victory over the New York Giants, they hold an 8-1 record, good for second in the entire league.

At this point it becomes a real possibility that San Francisco actually finishes the season with 14 wins.

Jim Harbaugh has them playing at an extremely high level with limited mistakes. Alex Smith has reinvented himself, the fanbase is back at full force, free-agent acquisitions are paying off in full force, draft picks are living up to expectations, the defense is among the best in the NFL and the coaching is probably right up there, too. 

It has been said that the 49ers are just a good team that wont be able to contend for a title. I couldn't disagree with this notion more.

They are a team that is built for January. San Francisco has one of the best running games in the entire NFL and stop the run at a rate surpassing all of the other teams in the league. These are two indicators that a team is ready to contend for the Super Bowl. 

It may sound crazy, but San Francisco is the greatest threat to the Green Bay Packers' hopes of winning back-back titles—even more than the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

2. Aaron Rodgers Playing Best Ball in Decades

I have never seen a quarterback play at the level that Aaron Rodgers is right now—NEVER!

Not even Joe Montana or Tom Brady can lay claim to playing at this level. 

I understand that it is a small sample size and the aforementioned quarterbacks did it for an extended time and won a total of seven Super Bowls (and counting), but right now Rodgers is on top of the world. 

He has had a quarterback rating of 110 or better in every game this season, completed 70 percent of his passes seven times, thrown for over 300 yards six times and has won a total of 15 consecutive games. 

The following are Rodger's projected stats for the 2011 season. 

72.9 completion percentage, 5,100 yards, 50 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 130.7 rating. 

This actually puts Rodgers on pace to break the single-season mark for completion percentage, passing yards, touchdown-interception ratio and quarterback rating, while tying Tom Brady's 2007 single-season touchdown mark. 

Name another quarterback you have seen in your lifetime that played better than Rodgers is right now. 

1. Al Davis Passes Away and Leaves His Mark

Al Davis wasn't just the owner, general manager and head coach of the Raiders.

He was Oakland Raiders football in its truest form. 

More than that, Al Davis was a revolutionary within the infrastructure of the National Football League.

He was the commissioner of the American Football League when it merged, hired the first African American and Latino head coaches, employed the first female chief executive and drafted the initial African American quarterback in the first round of the common draft. 

Many people are not fans of Davis, and he made a lot of enemies. That said, his passion for the game of football, advancing its brand and leading the Oakland Raiders, will forever be unmatched in the future of this great league. 

There isn't much more that I can say that hasn't already be said.

Just watch the embedded video for a better idea about the life and times of this true icon.