Takeaways From The First Half Of The NFL Season

Some teams have already reached the halfway point of the season and some teams have already made an impact. Here are some takeaways from the first half of the NFL regular season.

• The Niners Are Legit Super Bowl Contenders: Nick Bosa showed why he was a beast on Sunday, getting three sacks and an interception in San Francisco's 51-13 rout. The defense also picked off Kyle Allen three times (including Bosa's interception) and accumulated seven sacks (including Bosa's three). This is a 49ers team that has a fast, disruptive defense and a play action scheme that causes trouble. For those of you who think New England will overpower them, just remember that the New York Giants had potent front sevens in their two Super Bowl victories over New England.
  
• Cleveland Is Overrated: All the hype about the Browns being a Super Bowl contender were washed away in the first half of the season as Cleveland faltered to a 2-5 record. No offensive line, Baker Mayfield looking like hot garbage, and too many costly turnovers have hurt Cleveland's season so far. The good news? The only teams they face that are above .500 are against Buffalo and Baltimore, both of which will be home games. That leaves time for the Browns to make a deep run towards the playoffs in a weak AFC conference.
  
• New Orleans Is Absolutely Loaded: When Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury against the Rams, many pundits were worried that the Saints would be done, given their tough stretch of games. The Saints responded by winning five straight before Brees's return. Now, the Saints look like one of the most complete teams in the NFL and a Super Bowl contender, especially with their favorable schedule down the stretch.
  
• New England's Defense Looks Like A History-Making Squad: Much discussion about the Patriots's past successes have centered around the likes of Tom Brady's game management, Bill Belichick's system, and other assets like Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. However, there seems to be a new force for the Patriots: their defense. New England has given up 61 points this season, lowest in the NFL. The Patriots also have 25 takeaways (most in the NFL), 19 interceptions (most in the NFL), a give/take ratio of +17 (best in the NFL), the second-lowest yards per game allowed (234 total yards per game allowed), the second-lowest passing yards per game allowed (148.8 passing yards per game allowed), and the fourth-lowest rushing yards per game allowed (85.3 rushing yards per game allowed). Yikes. With corners like Devin McCourty and Jamie Collins Sr., who says Brady has to be the focal point of the team?
  
• The Return Of Aaron Rodgers: Cheeseheads everywhere are rejoicing that the Packers are back to Super Bowl contender status again. Of course, the man behind that resurrection is none other than Aaron Rodgers, who's enjoying a fruitful relationship with head coach Matt LaFleur. Rodgers has thrown for 2,324 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. All of this adds up to a rating of 106.7. The Packers will go as far as Rodgers takes them and it seems like they have a formidable squad for the first time in forever.