NFL Network’s second-half schedule of Thursday night games kicks off at 8 p.m. ET with an important divisional showdown, as Carson Palmer’s Oakland Raiders battle Philip Rivers’ San Diego Chargers for first place in the AFC West.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and the 2011 NFL regular season is already half over. With that in mind, we asked eight NFL.com and NFL Network analysts for their award winners at the halfway point and revised predictions for the postseason, and the results are in.

If you missed the New York Giants’ Super Bowl flashback against the New England Patriots, or Sunday night’s stirring final drive by the Baltimore Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Network’s got you covered with a special edition of “NFL Replay” Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ trade of disgruntled quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday stands as one of the biggest draft-day deals in NFL history.

The near-fight between 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz was the talk of the NFL on Sunday, overshadowing San Francisco’s 25-19 victory over previously undefeated Detroit.

Log onto NFL.com to vote for the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week. And don’t forget to cast your vote for the week’s top rookie performance and top comeback, too.

The Raiders further strengthened their legitimacy Sunday with a tremendous display of heart in a 25-20 road win over the Texans just 24 hours after the death of legendary owner Al Davis.

Tune into NFL Network at 12:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday to hear coverage of the NFL Fall Meeting in Houston, where the league will announce who will host Super Bowl XLIX in February 2015.

The Jets owe the Eagles a debt of gratitude. If it wasn’t for that nightmare of a “Dream Team” in Philly, the spotlight would be a little hotter on that other green team with high pre-season expectations. The Jets are sinking fast after the Patriots handed them a third straight loss on Sunday, and three veteran wide receivers are denying reports that they’ve gone to coach Rex Ryan to complain about offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

It’s unlikely that Terrelle Pryor will win an appeal of his NFL-mandated five-game suspension, but the Raiders rookie passer says he’s found the key ingredient to a quick start upon his return.

Eagles coach Andy Reid and star quarterback Michael Vick will meet the press today to discuss Vick’s new six-year, $100 million contract, and what it means for the rest of Philadelphia’s “Dream Team.”

The Buccaneers are reportedly the front runners to be the subject of this year’s “Hard Knocks” on HBO. Not a terrible choice. But we think we can do better.

As QB Ryan Mallet goes through his paces at his pro day at the University of Arkansas, you cannot help but reflect on some of the great players who played for the Razorbacks. Because lets be honest, given Mallet’s 40-time, we have plenty of time to reflect

Quarterbacks — whether we like it or not — are judged by Super Bowl wins. So why is former Raiders QB Jim Plunkett not celebrated as a two-time Super Bowl winner?

For the well-being of Raider Nation, here’s hoping Al Davis indeed has a master plan.