By Matt Valentine

The NFL season has reached the halfway mark and there have been some major surprises and some huge disappointments heading into week 9. With 8 weeks left to play in the season let’s take a look back at the first half of the NFL season and examine some of the most shocking and disappointing aspects of the season so far.Keep in mind this list is no particular order, just how they came to me at the time I was writing…

1. The Indianapolis Colts:

Manning looking dejected on the sidelines.

The Colts record stands at 3-4 heading into November. This marks the first time under head coach Tony Dungy that the Colts will enter the second half of the season with a losing record. The most surprising and disappoitning fact about this has been the play of Peyton Manning. Manning’s QB rating of 79.0 places him 22nd in the league. Just for a little perspective on that the man right behind Manning is Dan Orlovsky of the Detroit Lions. Manning has thrown 10 TD’s this season, but has complemented that with 9 INT. If Manning doesn’t find his rhythm soon the Colts may be looking at their first losing season since Mannings rookie year. WIth a key loss to the Titans on Monday night the Colts can kiss any hopes of winning their division goodbye and will now have to rely on the Wild Card if they want a shot at the postseason.

2.  The San Diego Chargers:

LT looking upset...perhaps with himself?

The Chargers were a hot Super Bowl pick this season after narrowly missing out last season with a loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. Yet, they have played some disappointing football in the first half of the season and hold a 3-4 record with 8 games left to play. Phillip Rivers has played outstanding this season and he’s had to because All-World running back Ladanian Tomlinson has looked like a shadow of his former self while suffering from a toe injury. The Chargers defense has also looked incredibly vulnerable especially in the secondary and are showing all the affects of losing Shawne Meeriman for the season. The Chargers must find their game and find it fast or they like the Colts could be looking at their first losing season in a long time

3. The Dallas Cowboys:

Romo buries his head in a towel as the Cowboys season takes an unexpected turn.

Another hot Super Bowl pick before the season began, the Cowboys have looked anything but since the season started. Granted injuries have decimated the team at key positions, especially in the secondary, and with Tony Romo out with a broken pinkie until after the teams bye week the Cowboys find themselves in dire straits heading into their week 8 match up with the New York Giants. If the Cowboys fail to beat the Giants they will find themselves well out of the division race in the tough NFC East. The team that was all but crowned the NFC Champs in the off-season will now have to fight just for their playoff lives in the second half of the year.

4. The Cleveland Browns:

Derek Anderson...I think the picture says it all.

After a year in which the Browns went 10-6 and still missed out on the playoffs many NFL prognosticators had the Browns picked to equal that mark and make the franchises first playoff appearance since re-entering the NFL in 1999. The Browns began the season with three straight loses and their offense led by Derek Anderson has looked anemic at times. Anderson himself has struggled mightily in the first half of the season and has yet to return to the Pro-Bowl form he had last year. A surprising win against the Giants seems to have sparked some life into the struggling team and they have won three of their last 4 games. Anderson will need to return to form and find his timing with wideout Braylon Edwards or he may lose his starting job to Brady Quinn the Browns first round draft pick two years ago. If Anderson and Edawrds can return to form the Browns could find themselves in the hunt for a playoff spot, if not they’ll keep the franchise streak alive.

5. The Cincinnati Bengals:

Ocho Cinco wanted out...now we all know why.

Easily the most disappointing team of the first half of the NFL season the Cinncinatti Bengals have looked like abject failures in every aspect of the game. Now I understand why Ocho Cinco so desperately wanted out of Cincy, he wanted to be the first rat to desert a sinking ship. It’s hard to imagine that just a few short years ago this team was a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Now they’re duking it out tooth and nail with the Detroit Lions for the worst team in the league. Palmer has been injured for most of the season and Ryan Fitzpatrick is a less then suitable backup, but still this team cannot seem to do anything right. They can’t play defense, can barely move the ball and basically have regressed in every phase of the game. The Bengals will challenge for one thing this season and that is the infamous 0-16 record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of yesteryear . Good Luck Cincy.

Tags: 2008, Bengals, braylon edwards, Browns, Carson Palmer, Carson Plamer, Chad Johnson, Chargers, Cincy, colts, dallas, dallas cowboys, Detroit Lions, disapointing, first half, indianapolis, injuries, interception, jamal lewis, jerry jones, Manning, NFL, Ocho Cinco, peyton manning, phillip rivers, QB Rating, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Secondary, Shawn Merriman, T.O, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, terrell owens, Tomlinson, Tony Dungy, Tony Romo, touchdown, Wade Phillips, week 8