• Worst injury -- Bills tight end Kevin Everett -- On opening day at home against Denver, Everett, a second-year veteran, suffered a life-threatening spinal injury while covering on a kickoff. His story of recovery from paralysis riveted us in the following days, and he's now at home in Houston, where he has in recent weeks taken steps with the aid of a walker.

• Runner up: Trent Green's most recent concussion.

• Position hardest-hit by injury -- Quarterback -- Half the league, 16 teams, have already started at least two quarterbacks this season. Matt Leinart (shoulder) is gone for the season, as is Jake Delhomme (elbow) and Trent Green (concussion). And the list of the walking wounded is significant: Matt Schaub (concussion), Steve McNair (groin), Trent Edwards (wrist), Tarvaris Jackson (concussion, finger), Vinny Testaverde (Achilles), David Carr (back), and David Garrard (ankle).

• Runner up: Offensive lines across the league.

• Best coaching hire -- Wade Phillips, Dallas -- He was lampooned as a three-time loser when Jerry Jones tabbed him to replace Bill Parcells, but who's laughing now? The Cowboys are 7-1 for the first time since 1995, when a jokester named Barry Switzer won the franchise's most recent Super Bowl title, and they have arrived at midseason as the odds-on favorite to represent the NFC in Arizona in February.

• Runner up: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh.

• Worst coaching hire -- Cam Cameron, Miami -- The Dolphins are a train wreck, and it's certainly not all Cameron's fault. But at 0-8, you can't claim his presence has been a difference maker.

• Runner up: Bobby Petrino, Atlanta.

• Coach on the hot seat -- Scott Linehan, St. Louis -- The Rams have been decimated by injuries, but St. Louis was thought to be an ascendant team that many (including me) picked to win the NFC West.

• Runner up: Mike Nolan, San Francisco.

• Forgotten man -- JaMarcus Russell, Oakland -- He was on top of the world in late April when the Raiders picked him first overall, but the ex-LSU quarterback signed ridiculously late and is still waiting to step foot on the field in a regular-season game. If he doesn't use it this year, I wonder if he can retain his rookie status in 2008?

• Runner up: Steve Smith.

• Best acquisition -- Randy Moss, New England -- I'd say he's already been worth that fourth-round pick the Patriots paid to Oakland for him.

• Runner up: Wes Welker, New England.

• Worst acquisition -- Joey Porter, Miami -- The Dolphins gave the mouthy ex-Steelers linebacker a five-year, $32 million deal, including $20 million guaranteed. It's those kind of calls that has Miami in the desperate condition it's in.

• Runner up: Trent Green, Miami.

• Best front office work -- New England -- The Patriots offseason talent haul hasn't just paid off, it has been hit-the-jackpot material. Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte' Stallworth made the difference in the fourth quarter at Indianapolis on Sunday.

• Runner up: Tampa Bay, for the Jeff Garcia signing alone.

• Worst front office work -- San Francisco -- Nate Clements. Darrell Jackson. Tully Banta-Cain. Ashley Lelie. Michael Lewis. Stop me when I get to a 49ers acquisition who has been worth the effort and money it took to land him.

• Runner up: Miami.

• Best rise to prominence -- Derek Anderson, Cleveland -- If Anderson winds up playing his way onto the AFC Pro Bowl roster, do the Browns have a what-do-we-do-with-Brady Quinn problem?

• Runner up: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota.

• Quickest fall from grace -- Charlie Frye, Cleveland -- Nobody's fall is in Vick's class, but going from opening-week starter in Cleveland to No. 3 in Seattle -- all within two days -- is unprecedented in its haste.

• Runner up: Eric Mangini, N.Y. Jets.

• Best assistant coach -- Jason Garrett, Dallas offensive coordinator -- With the Cowboys scoring an NFC-best 265 points, I'd say the novice play-caller has proven his mettle.

• Runner up: Dallas receivers coach Ray Sherman, who has tamed T.O.

• Worst assistant coach -- Chuck Bresnahan, Cincinnati defensive coordinator -- Somebody has to take some blame for the debacle that the Bengals are on defense. Head coach Marvin Lewis, he of the defensive pedigree, certainly deserves his share of the heat.

• Runner up: Jim Hostler, San Francisco offensive coordinator.

• Best division -- AFC South -- All four teams have four or more wins, and the division is an NFL-best 22-11 overall. The Colts (7-1), Titans (6-2) and Jaguars (5-3) could all make the playoffs.

• Runner up: NFC East, which is 21-11 overall with three winning teams.

• Worst division -- NFC West -- There are no winning teams in the division at midseason, and the combined record of 9-23 is the NFL's worst showing. Seattle (4-4) could win this division at 7-9.

• Runner up: AFC East, which is 14-20, but just 5-20 without the Patriots.