With the end of Week Eight of the NFL season coming to an end some notes should be made on the first half thoughts. The NFL every year is full of surprises and disappointments, this season is no subject. I have to say one of the teams that I am very surprised with is the Atlanta Falcons. I saw them as a good team already, but I didn’t see them as an undefeated 8-0 team. They have a very explosive team, with Matt Ryan leading the way at quarterback who is also an MVP candidate, Michael Turner leading the ground attack, and of course Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and the underrated Harry Douglas. Some other teams that are very surprising is the Minnesota Vikings who are 5-3 in the “Black and Blue” division, the NFC North. They led by second year quarterback Christian Ponder who has really come around this year, as well as a resurgence of Adrian Peterson who tore his ACL in week 16. AP is leading the NFL in rushing and is a NFL Comeback Player of the Year nominee. Percy Harvin is really taking the NFL by storm because he is Minnesota’s Swiss army knife, because he does it all, he catches passes, returns kicks and punts, and even runs the ball a little. Harvin is also a midseason MVP candidate. Two other teams that are helping their cause include the Indianapolis Colts, who have doubled their win total win total from last year, with the help of Andrew Luck and veteran receiver Reggie Wayne, with four, and are in the early playoff picture. The team that joins them in that category as most improved includes the Miami Dolphins who have four wins this year too, which come on the shoulders of Reggie Bush, rookie Ryan Tannehill, and a solid defense. With the many surprises come the disappointments of the season so far. One team that has disappointed me and many other people is the Carolina Panthers. Last year they were one of the leaders in explosive plays and were led by rookie phenom. Cam Newton, but this year they have a total of one win. Their defense has been not great to say the least, they lost one of their best players, Jon Beason to a season ending injury. Cam Newton has already thrown 8 ints on the season. Another team that has been disappointing to watch was the Buffalo Bills. They spent a lot of money on defense, which includes Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, and Stephan Gilmore, and their defense is ranked 31st in the NFL, although they are 4th in the NFL in rushing. The Bills are just 3-5 and are on the verge of not being in playoff contention. Maybe t6he most disappointing team from the first half is the Philadelphia Eagles. They are loaded on talent and speed. They have Mike Vick, Lesean McCoy, Desean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. On defense they have Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Demeco Ryans, and Nnamdi Asomugha. They suffer from turnovers, and an offense that can’t score points. Their o-line has not protected well and their stats show it. The Eagles at the end of the season last year won 4 straight games and many thought they would be a favorite this year, but they have not lived up to expectations. My midseason awards go out to:
MVP: Peyton Manning-Not only has Peyton Manning came back from 4 neck surgeries; he has come back with a vengeance. He has one of the best passer ratings in the NFL, with 109.0 passer rating. He has 17 touchdowns and only 4 ints. He also has the Broncos in the top 5 for offense, which is new territory from last year because the Broncos ran a wildcat/option/spread system. At this rate Manning could pass for 39 touchdowns.
Offensive Player of the Year: Percy Harvin-Harvin has done everything for the Minnesota Vikings. This year he leads the Vikings as well as the NFL in receptions. He will sometimes go into the game as a running back and carry the ball. Percy Harvin is also a deadly kick returner with a touchdown on the season for the Vikings. Harvin may be the next installment of “Slash”, (a.k.a Kordell Stewart), who played running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and returned kicks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Jennings-Many people believe that J.J. Watt would win the Defensive Player of the Year because of how many pass deflections he has and that he has 9.5 sacks, but I believe that the award will go to Tim Jennings. Tim Jennings, cornerback for the Chicago Bears has picked off 6 passes and has returned one of them for a touchdown. He has helped solidify a good Chicago defense.
Head Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians/Chuck Pagano-At the end of last year the Colts were regarded as one of the worst teams ever. They had no defense, and really no offense. It really showed how Manning was the glue to the team. The team cut Peyton Manning and started over by drafting Andrew Luck. The Colts were seen as a team that would not be very good this year. It was later known that Chuck Pagano had leukemia. An emotional Week 7 win against the Packers really got them going. The Colts overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit to win the game. Bruce Arians/Chuck Pagano has the Colts sitting at 5-3.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck-The Colts rookie quarterback has helped the Colts get to a 5-3 record. In a week 9 game against the Dolphins, Andrew Luck broke a rookie record of 432 yards in a game that was previously set by Cam Newton. Luck has demonstrated a pocket presence and has showed the tools to win in this league. He also has made Colts fans forget that the Colts cut Peyton Manning in the offseason. If Luck can get the Colts into the playoffs you can guarantee Luck that award.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Chandler Jones-This Syracuse Alumni has given the Patriots a pass rusher that they have missed since the departure of Richard Seymour. Jones has 6 sacks on the season and his far and ahead of all rookies in this category and his a favorite for the award.
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