NFL Midseason Awards

MVP- Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers): The man is a statistical anomaly. Through seven games, Rodgers has amassed 2,372 yards through the air, with twenty touchdowns and a mere three interceptions. His 125.7 QB rating is tops in the league, ranking  20 points higher than second best Tom Brady.  His completion percentage is also best in the NFL as Rodgers makes connections on 71.5 percent of his throws. Completing passes at such a high rate and boasting a league leading 9.93 yards per attempt make for a rough day for opposing defenses.  Rodgers has achieved these unbelievable milestones without the help of a dominant running game. His two core running backs, James Starks and Ryan Grant, have been able to keep defenses honest, but have averaged just a little more than four yards per carry. The Packers are 7-0 because of Aaron Rodgers. The Pack hold the 31st ranked pass defense but this hasn’t stopped Rodgers’ squad from outscoring opponents by an phenomenal 12 points per game. The Packers are the league’s best team and Aaron Rodgers is playing far and away like the league’s best player. Easy choice.

Offensive Player of the Year- Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions): Megatron is an offensive freak of nature. In their first fully healthy season together Johnson and quarterback Matt Stafford have been putting on a show. Cal-Jo has collected 679 yards on forty-one grabs and a league leading ten of these receptions have gone for scores. Despite seeing constant double teams and safety help, Johnson has managed to consistently produce. In his first four games he managed to amass eight touchdowns, beating teams deep as well as dominating them near the end-zone. As teams began not allowing Megatron to go over the top, he started working underneath, averaging six grabs for 119 yards over his next three contests. Johnson’s speed, strength, and 6 foot 5 inch frame make him a matchup nightmare for any defense. His hands are some of the best in the game as well, only dropping two of his sixty-seven targets and not losing a fumble thus far in the season.

Defensive Player of the Year- Patrick Willis (San Francisco 49ers): Patrick Willis has been a dominant defensive force since he entered the league in 2007. His forty-seven tackles and seven passes deflected have helped anchor a defense that is second best in the league against the rush. Opposing offenses game-plan around keeping the ball away from Willis, yet he still manages to consistently rack up tackles and deflections. In their important week six game, Willis made seven tackles and deflected a season high three passes on route to a win over Calvin Johnson’s Lions. This award could very well go to Darelle Revis, Ndamukong Suh or Jared Allen because the sports media tends to overhype extravagant players, but the dependable Willis deserves this award for his work this season.

Rookie of the Year- Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers): While this award is traditionally split into a defensive and offensive category, for this prediction they have been combined. Newton is the obvious choice here. His play has silenced all those who doubted him coming out of college. The twenty-two year old ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards and despite his position has the second most rushing TDs in the league. Though his 82.8 passer rating is not phenomenal, he has managed games quite well. A three point loss to New Orleans and seven point loss to Green Bay prove that Cam is able to hang with the best in the business.  Newton has few complementary pieces around him on a weak Carolina team, but has still managed to hold his own.

Coach of the Year- Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco 49ers): In his first full season with San Francisco, Harbaugh has redefined the way modern bay-area fans look at 9er football. The team sits atop the NFC West with a 5-1 record due to Harbaugh’s hardnosed coaching style. The team came back from a steep second half deficit to beat Philadelphia, dominated Tampa Bay and to top it all off, engineered a win against the 5-0 Detroit Lions. Harbaugh has gotten the most out of his players, turning underachieving Alex Smith into a consistent quarterback and helping mold a top-ten defensive unit. •