7. Beware the Steelers
They might be the best 2-6 team in recent memory. Pittsburgh may only be a shadow of the team it was last year when it won the Super Bowl, but it will start clicking eventually. When the Steelers do, and they will, they will be a dangerous spoiler during the second half. 

6. Two in one year?
A knee injury will likely end Curtis Martin's career. Tiki Barber says he'll retire when the season ends even if it means he won't make the Hall of Fame. When is the last time one market, in this case New York, lost two running backs this productive and this respected?

5. Watch this
Best game of the second half: Bears at Patriots. This has all the makings of a classic. Is there anything better than watching Brady — no one since Joe Montana has come up so big in big games — against one of the league's most dominating defenses?

4. Can we re-think this?
Don Shula said in a radio interview that the biggest change in the NFL in recent years has been the emphasis on year-round workouts. Ben Rothlisberger and Carson Palmer have backed up the claim of NFL's all-time winningest coach. Both missed significant time during the offseason because while recovering from injuries — some self-inflicted, others not — and both have been major disappointments.

3. Texans not so dumb
Reggie Bush may never make the impact that many envisioned on draft day. He's a gifted player, no question, but he's more of a gadget than he is a franchise player. This won't be a popular opinion, especially in the Big Easy, but his biggest impact on the Saints could turn out to be preseason ticket sales.

2. Best on offense, defense

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

Peyton Manning is on track for offensive player of the year honors. Brian Urlacher gets the nod on defense. What he did in the second half of the Arizona game was a performance for the ages. Imagine the stats he could produce if he was allowed to blitz more often.

1. T.O. has butterfingers
Terrell Owens is a Hall of Fame receiver. There's no disputing his numbers no matter what you think of him. But a problem that has plagued him since his early years in San Francisco plagues him still. He drops too many passes. His drops have been incredibly costly for the Cowboys this season.