The first eight games of the 2005 NFL season have come and gone, so before Week 9 begins, let's take a look at the players, coaches and teams that were the highlights and lowlights in the first half of the league's schedule.

Offensive MVP: WR Steve Smith, PanthersThe quarterbacks (Palmer, Roethlisberger, Bledsoe) and running backs (James, Alexander, Tomlinson) cancel one another out, leaving the diminutive Smith, who leads all receivers in catches (50), yards (797) and touchdowns (eight). All that after missing all but one game last season because of a broken leg.

Defensive MVP: DE Dwight Freeney, ColtsThe best player on the league's stingiest defense. Freeney not only clobbers quarterbacks himself (six sacks), he demands double-team attention, freeing others. Teammate Robert Mathis, who plays on the opposite side, has eight sacks. Defensive tackle Montae Reagor has 3½. They can thank Freeney.

<B>Coach of the Year: Marvin Lewis, Bengals</B>Say what you will about the Bengals' schedule — they have only one victory over a team that currently has a winning record — the fact remains they're 6-2. For a franchise that hasn't finished above .500 since 1990, that's something. Lewis deserves credit for improving the organization's personnel and changing its attitude.<B>Offensive Rookie: TE Heath Miller, Steelers</B>The Steelers barely have missed big receiver Plaxico Burress because Miller has become their big receiver. The 30th pick from Virginia has five touchdown receptions in the past four games, six overall. His streak of four consecutive games with at least one score matches the franchise record for a tight end, set by Eric Green in 1991.<B>Defensive Rookie: MLB Odell Thurman, Bengals</B>Thurman has been a more consistent contributor than more-ballyhooed rookies such as Dallas' DeMarcus Ware and San Diego's Shawne Merriman. Thurman, a second-round pick from Georgia, has started every game and has four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles and one sack. The Bengals have a league-high 28 takeaways.<B>Team to beat: Indianapolis Colts</B>They have the best record (7-0), and they have adapted to the way teams have approached them. Take away Peyton Manning's big plays? No problem. He'll just hand off to Edgerrin James until opponents readjust. The defense, playing the best it has under Tony Dungy, rarely has forced Manning & Co. to force the issue.<B>Team that's beat: Houston Texans</B>They finally won last week to match Green Bay for the league's worst record (1-6), but the Texans far exceed the Packers when it comes to futility. The Texans have scored the third-fewest points per game (13.3) and allowed the third most (27.9). They have allowed a league-high 27 sacks, leading to a league-worst 91.9 passing yards per game.<B>Ready to make a run: San Diego Chargers</B>If they can win at the Jets Sunday — an easier proposition than at the start of the season — the Chargers will enter their long-awaited bye at 5-4. They then have three of their next four games at home. They easily could be 8-5, or even 9-4, when they visit Indianapolis on Dec. 18.<B>Biggest surprise team in the AFC: Denver Broncos</B>Mike Shanahan's offseason plan included acquiring the Cleveland Browns defensive line. We all laughed. But who's laughing now? The Broncos are sixth in the league in run defense. They're also in first place in the AFC West. A lot of people picked San Diego. Many picked Kansas City. Hardly anyone, besides Shanahan, saw Denver coming.<B>Biggest surprise player in the AFC: QB Jake Plummer, Broncos</B>It isn't so much what Plummer has done as what he hasn't. After throwing 20 interceptions last season — the fifth time he has had 20 or more — Plummer has thrown just three this season. He has none in his past six games. Not surprisingly, the Broncos won five of them.<B>Biggest surprise team in the NFC: Chicago Bears</B>The instant quarterback Rex Grossman went down in August, we all thought the Bears were sunk. But then Coach Lovie Smith did a very wise thing: He promoted rookie Kyle Orton and never asked too much of him. With Orton protecting the ball, Thomas Jones running it and the defense playing like the Bears of old, Chicago is in first place.<B>Biggest surprise player in the NFC: QB Drew Bledsoe, Cowboys</B>Bledsoe was supposed to be Bill Parcells' "bus driver." But somewhere along the route, the plan changed. At 33, Bledsoe showed he could sling the ball more efficiently than he had at 23, when he and Parcells were first together in New England. Bledsoe is on pace for career bests in completion percentage and passer rating, and the Cowboys are 5-3.<B>Most disappointing team in the AFC: Baltimore Ravens</B>After a 9-7 finish last season, the Ravens added a star cornerback and a go-to receiver, seemingly closing the gap on the division-champion Steelers. Instead, Baltimore has gone the other way, sinking to 2-5 amid injuries and a disturbing lack of discipline. Suddenly, Brian Billick is on the heat seat.<B>Most disappointing player in the AFC: WR Andre Johnson, Texans</B>Johnson made the Pro Bowl last season, catching 79 passes for 1,142 yards and six touchdowns. Many fantasy-football owners made him their top receiver. After catching 10 passes for just 76 yards in Houston's first three games, Johnson hasn't appeared in the past three because of a calf injury.<B>Most disappointing team in the NFC: Minnesota Vikings</B>Pretty much a disaster. The sex-boat scandal made the Vikings a punch line for late-night monologues. Trading Randy Moss didn't improve the team's image or its performance. New owner Zygi Wilf probably will clean house after the season. And to think, some preseason publications had the Vikings going to the Super Bowl.<B>Most disappointing player in the NFC: QB Daunte Culpepper, Vikings</B>There are numerous candidates for this — including fellow quarterbacks Aaron Brooks and Joey Harrington — but none had higher expectations. Coming off a 39-touchdown, 11-interception season, Culpepper regressed without Moss, center Matt Birk and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. After throwing 12 interceptions in six-plus games, Culpepper suffered a season-ending knee injury.