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With the second half of the NFL season upon us, there are a few observations I'd like to make known.

First of all, my prediction of 70 percent is well out of reach at this point. Sen. John McCain has a better chance of being granted a recount than I do of eclipsing that mark. I'll be lucky to hit 60.

Second, when it's all said and done, last place will not be occupied by this sportswriter. Second-to-last, perhaps.

And last but certainly not least, congratulations to my peers for ridiculing my picks each and every week and then supporting their trash talk with strong performances.

Enjoy it while it lasts, boys.

But without further ado, here's a handful of thoughts and reflections on the first nine weeks of the season.

BEST TEAM: It stings just writing it, but the New York Giants are far and away the top squad in the league this season. At 7-1, they own a two-game cushion on the Washington Redskins, who had they topped Pittsburgh on Monday night, could easily have occupied this slot.

Despite owning him and completely relying on him to guide my fantasy squad (thanks to my unfortunate selection of Larry Johnson in the first round), I'm still not sold on Eli Manning's ascent into the upper echelon of quarterbacks, yet it's hard to argue with his numbers.

Anyone who's passed for 1,735 yards and 12 touchdowns through eight games is solid, but it's his mere five interceptions that vaults him into that category.

Running back Brandon Jacobs is running more like the bruiser who stole goal-line carries from Tiki Barber two years ago than the injury-riddled back who missed five games last season. And who would have thought the Giants defense would be superior to last year's after the retirement of Michael Strahan and the season-ending injury to Osi Umenyiora, a tandem that combined for 22 sacks last season? Not this guy. Another championship wouldn't surprise me, though.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: Most people would say the 8-0 Tennessee Titans. Then again, I'm not most people. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons get this nod. How could they not? At 5-3, the Falcons may be in third place in the NFC South, but they're surprising mark is good enough for at least a tie for first in two of the four AFC divisions.

Wins at Green Bay and Oakland and a 22-20 shocker at home over the equally impressive 5-3 Chicago Bears have this team thinking playoffs. And while it may have seemed completely improbable last season, with the sentencing of Michael Vick to prison and the shocking resignation of coach Bobby Petrino before season's end, it's certainly no stretch of the imagination this year.

Only a rookie, Ryan's steady play (1,661 yards, nine TDs, five INTs) has perfectly complimented that of running back Michael Turner, who's trade from the Chargers in the offseason may have been one of the most underrated moves of the year.

With 794 yards rushing and six touchdowns, Turner is one of the best backs in football after serving primarily as LaDainian Tomlinson's backup in San Diego. And hey, with nicknames like Matty Ice and Burner Turner, who wouldn't like them?

BIGGEST LETDOWN: This one's a tie, split down the middle between the Cleveland Browns and the Chargers, both sitting at a disappointing 3-5.

The Browns, fresh off a 10-6 season in which they barely missed the playoffs, have been sputtering from the start behind inconsistent play from Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson and wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Coach Romeo Crennel finally pulled the trigger on backup QB Brady Quinn, who's set to make his first career start tonight against the Denver Broncos. But it may be too late to steer this ship in the right direction.

The Chargers, on the other hand, have found ways to lose games. Their season-opener ended in a 26-24 last-second loss to Carolina, when the Panthers' scored with no time remaining. The next week, they lost 39-38 to Denver when referee Ed Hochuli blew his whistle after the ball slipped out of Denver QB Jay Cutler's hands, ruling the play an incomplete pass when it was clearly a fumble. Two plays later, the Broncos scored and then went for the gutsy, game-winning two-point conversion instead of tying it with an extra point. With perhaps the most talented squad in the NFL, however, the Chargers can still recover. And they most likely will.

MVP: Tennessee running back Chris Johnson runs away with this one -- no pun intended. When mobile quarterback Vince Young went down with an injury in Week 1, Tennessee's hopes went along with him. Or so they thought.

Veteran QB Kerry Collins took over and became adept at handing the ball off to the rookie from East Carolina.

Johnson is currently fourth in the league in rushing yards with 715 -- behind only Washington's Clinton Portis, who also could have won this award, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Atlanta's Turner -- and has found the end zone six times despite Tennessee's other RB, the bulkier LenDale White, snatching some goal-line carries in totaling 10 scores himself.

But without Johnson, a great change-of-pace from the steamroller that is White, the Titans would probably be 4-4 right now. Maybe even 3-5.

WORST MOMENT: Say what you will, but Tom Brady's injury eight minutes into the season not only devastated the New England Patriots, but fans and league officials alike.

The NFL without Brady is the equivalent of the PGA sans Tiger Woods, or the NBA without Michael Jordan. And up until the last few years, fans of the NBA know how uninviting that league was. Wait, were there any fans? My bad.

BEST MOMENT: Saving the best for last.

Without a doubt, the most memorable moment of the first half of the season was witnessed by maybe 40 or 50 guys. Trailing 20-3 at halftime in their own stadium, the San Francisco 49ers were being embarrassed by the then-one-win Seattle Seahawks and newly minted coach Mike Singletary had to do something, anything, to alter the course of that game.

Only six days after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan, Singletary supposedly entered the locker room and instead of berating his team for it's lackluster performance, he instead dropped his pants, exposing himself to all of his coaching staff and players.

It didn't work, as the Seahawks cruised to a 34-13 win, and now his coaching future may be in jeopardy after getting caught with his pants down.

"I used my pants to illustrate that we were getting our tails whipped on Sunday and how humiliating that should feel for all of us,'' he explained. "I think this got the message across."

You think?

The former Chicago Bears linebacker later turned sour when discussing how word of his move leaked to the media.

"What is said, what is done in the locker room should stay in the locker room," he said.

If there's ever an NFL franchise located in Las Vegas, I think they've found their head coach.

Thursday

Denver (plus 3 1/2) at Cleveland

Another Brady legacy is born. BROWNS, 31-24.

Sunday

New Orleans (plus 1) at Atlanta

All aboard the bandwagon!

FALCONS, 35-28.

Tennessee (minus 3) at Chicago

No 16-0 team this year.

BEARS, 21-17.

Jacksonville (minus 7) at Detroit

Same goes for 0-16. LIONS, 24-21.

Seattle (plus 9) at Miami

Fins surpass .500 for first time since Jan. 1, 2006. DOLPHINS, 28-13.

Green Bay (plus 2 1/2) at Minnesota

Aaron Rodgers won first-ever start vs. Minnesota in Week 1.

PACKERS, 28-17.

Buffalo (plus 4) at New England

Pats have won nine straight over the Bills. PATRIOTS, 31-27.

St. Louis (plus 8) at N.Y. Jets

Jets need win to keep pace in division. JETS, 42-35.

Baltimore (minus 1) at Houston

Make-up from Week 2. Worth the wait for the ... RAVENS, 24-20.

Carolina (minus 9 1/2) at Oakland

The Raiders could use their own "Singletary" moment. PANTHERS, 35-7.

Indianapolis (off) at Pittsburgh

"Off" is for the unknown status of injured Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger. Peyton Manning, however, is playing. COLTS, 24-17.

Kansas City (plus 15 1/2) at San Diego

San Diego's charge to the top starts here. CHARGERS, 42-21.

N.Y. Giants (plus 3) at Philadelphia

Road warriors are back.

GIANTS, 30-24.

Monday

San Francisco (plus 10) at Arizona

What's Singletary got in his back pocket this time? If he's wearing pants, that is. CARDINALS, 33-24.

LAST WEEK: 6-8 (spread); 5-9 (straight up)

SEASON: 60-64-5 (spread); 70-60 (straight up)

Comments and criticisms may be sent to Clarion sports reporter Matthew Carroll at matthew.carroll@peninsulaclarion.com.