NFL midseason awards

By Jeff

Not a big fan of midseason awards, but I'm feeling kind of lazy today. You can only take so much from eight games of the season. Just look at the Denver Broncos last year. They were 6-2 after eight games and Josh McDaniels was looking like Coach of the Year. Since then, he's won like four games and is looking like a good candidate to be fired at season's end.

So here we go!

MVP: Peyton Manning

Arguments could be made for Phillip Rivers and Tom Brady. Rivers is the only thing keeping the San Diego Chargers in contention, while Brady is showing that Randy Moss was expendable to the New England Patriots. But neither has played at the level of Manning this season. He has passed for more than 250 yards in all but one game this season, and he had 244 in that one game. His teammates are dropping like flies, yet he will probably still lead them to another AFC South title.

Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster

OK, he probably won't win it, but Foster has been amazing this year. He's leading the league in rushing and has picked up the slack for the struggling Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Unfortunately for Foster, it looks like the Houston Texans are going to miss the playoffs again. If they do make the playoffs, he has to be considered a dark horse for MVP, even though he is not a quarterback.

Defensive Player of the Year: Lawrence Timmons

Go ahead, call it a homer pick. But if you have watched any Steelers game this year you know he is playing out of his mind. He has 78 tackles, two interceptions, three sacks and six forced fumbles. What isn't in the stats, is that he seems to be in multiple places at one time. So many of his tackles have come when it looks like the ball carrier is about to break a big play. He played a big role in the Steelers getting off to a 3-1 start without Ben Roethlisberger.

Comeback Player of the Year: Michael Vick

This is strictly as a player. I'm sick of people saying what a great redemption story Vick is. It's a great football story. He went from jail, to back up, to playing some of the best football of his career. But I don't think a person's achievements can redeem them for killing dogs by drowning, electrocution and hanging. If he were to open or make large donations to no kill animal shelters, then I would call that redemption. Until then, this is just a good sports comeback.

NFC Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford

I didn't expect him to play as well as he has. The St. Louis Rams are already 4-4 this season, which is more wins than the team had in the past two seasons combined. Even if they lose out the rest of their games, he has been better than advertised.

AFC Rookie of the Year: Maurkice Pouncey

He probably won't win, but he has been the most consistent lineman the Steelers this year. While the team lost it's starting tackles and has had both guards miss time this year, Pouncey has started every game at center and done an incredible job. Not as easy task, yet he has made it look easy.

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick

I hate him so much. I refuse to say anything nice about him, but he will win. I'm done.


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