NFL midseason awards

Some obvious choices -- but don't overlook Bengals and Steve Smith, either

Image: RodgersGetty Images

Aaron Rodgers is having a remarkable season in Green Bay.

OPINION

updated 4:33 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2011

Gregg Rosenthal

We?ve reached the midway point of the season.

Some things have gone according to plan. (The Packers are quite good.) Some teams have surprised us. (Hello, 49ers.) Other teams have made us question whether we even like watching football. (Looking at you, Colts.)

To make sense of it all, it?s time for our annual midseason lists, awards, and lists of awards.

REBORN PLAYER

1. Steve Smith, Panthers wideout: So much for being unhappy in Carolina. With the help of Cam Newton, Smith is leading the league in receiving.

Image: Steve Smith

Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

The Panthers' Steve Smith is second in the NFL in receiving yards.


2. Brian Cushing, Texans linebacker: A year removed his from steroids controversy and injury problems, Cushing is flying around again like a madman. He?s a perfect fit for the Texans? new 3-4 defense.

3. Wes Welker, Patriots wideout: It?s not like he was worthless last year. But Welker is on pace for the greatest possession receiver season of all time.

4. Alex Smith, 49ers quarterback: He?s not the reason the 49ers are so good, but he?s not getting in the way. Smith understands his role, doesn?t make mistakes, and leads the league in fourth-quarter comebacks.

5. Brian Waters, Patriots guard: He barely got a sniff in free agency. Now the former NFL Man of the Year winner could be headed to a sixth Pro Bowl.

6. Carlos Rogers, 49ers cornerback: The former Redskin is playing sticky man coverage and actually catching a few interceptions this time around.

7. Nick Barnett, Bills linebacker: He?s been an instant leader in Buffalo.

COACH OF THE YEAR

1. Jim Harbaugh, 49ers: He?s turned the 49ers from also runs to the likely No. 2 seed in the NFC. Harbaugh did it using Mike Singletary?s players and philosophy. (A run-first offense with a stout defense.) Harbaugh works around Alex Smith?s limitations and is creative at manufacturing offense. Plus he has a mean handshake.

Image: Harbaugh

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

Jim Harbaugh has led San Francisco to an 8-0 start.


2. Chan Gailey, Bills: The quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was undrafted out of Harvard. He?s on his third team. Running back Fred Jackson was undrafted out of Coe College. Wideout Stevie Johnson was a seventh-round pick; fellow starter Donald Jones was undrafted.? Put them all together, mix in an underrated offensive line, and you have one of the best offenses in the league. That?s all Gailey. This is a quintessential spread offense for a spread offense era.

3. Jim Schwartz, Lions: I have one Midseason Coach of the Year rule. If you have the Lions at 6-2, you make the list. Schwartz is the perfect ascending, aggressive, defensive coach for an ascending, aggressive, defensive team.

4. Mike McCarthy, Packers: He doesn?t get the credit he deserves as an offensive mind. There may not be a better playcaller in the league. Sean Payton is close.

5. Marvin Lewis, Bengals: It?s like he started over with a new team without ever leaving town. Lewis clearly relishes every minute of the post-T.Ocho era.

6. Tom Coughlin, Giants: Coughlin has a knack for getting his team to play well when no one expects. (Though I did have them winning the division.) They have fought through injuries better than any team.

MVP

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: There?s really not a close second.

Rodgers might wind up with the highest yards-per-attempt since 1954. It?s hard to come up with a player similar to Rodgers historically. Steve Young may have the closest match to Rodgers? combination of athleticism and precision passing. How do you defend this guy?

Image: Rodgers

Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

Packers quarterback?Aaron Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions this season.


2. Tom Brady, Patriots: It?s a huge drop to No. 2 on the list, but the last few games have obscured that Brady has been dealing. His yards-per-attempt average is the highest of his career, even besting his 2007 campaign. No one completes more passes to well covered receivers.

3. Matt Forte, Bears: When everything else on the Bears offense breaks, Forte still works. No player accounts for a higher percentage of his team?s yards and it?s not even close.

4. Fred Jackson, Bills: The most underrated back of his generation is finally getting his due. Like Forte, Jackson has an outside shot to break the league?s yards from scrimmage record.

5. Drew Brees, Saints: The bad games tend to be quite bad, but the Saints would experience a Colts-like fall without Brees running the show.

6. Eli Manning, Giants: Only Aaron Rodgers is throwing for more yards-per-pass. That will be tough to keep up as the schedule gets more difficult.

7. Calvin Johnson, Lions: Detroit?s entire offense often comes down to ?Throw the ball up to Megatron.? And it works.

MOST UNDERRATED GROUP

1. Bengals defensive line: Wondering how the Bengals are 6-2? Their deep defensive line might be the best in football. Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins are the standouts of a group that goes eight deep.

Image: Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans

Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Bengals defenders Kelly Jennings and Carlos Dunlap are two of the reasons why they're 6-2.


2. Bills offensive line: This once-maligned group is strong, especially up the middle. Andy Levitre should make the Pro Bowl at guard and has chipped in at tackle. Eric Wood is a solid center. Ryan Fitzpatrick getting rid of the ball quickly doesn?t hurt.

3. Jaguars linebackers: I dogged Jacksonville for spending so much on free agents this year, but it?s paid off at linebacker. There may not be a more complete 4-3 linebacker group than Paul Poslusnzy, Daryl Smith, and Clint Session. Now if only the team had a pass rush. And a quarterback.

4. Texans defense: They are a legitimate top-ten group. Maybe better. That reminds me ?

COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR

This should actually be an award.

1. Wade Phillips, Texans defensive coordinator: Phillips and Norv Turner would be first ballot inductees to the Pro Football Better Coordinator than Head Coach Hall of Fame. Phillips took the league's worst defense, changed it to a 3-4 scheme, and immediately made them a top-10 group. Losing Mario Williams has hardly made a difference.

The Texans will make the playoffs because of Phillips.

Image: Wade Phillips

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

Wade Phillips has shaped Houston into the league's No. 1 defense.


2. Mike Zimmer, Bengals defensive coordinator: Someone needs to give this guy a head coaching job. Cincinnati?s defense is greater than the sum of its parts because the whole team plays disciplined football.

3. Chuck Pagano, Ravens defensive coordinator: He?s brought the fear factor back to the Ravens defense. They blitz more. They confuse more. They still beat the crap out of offenses.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. Cam Newton, Panthers quarterback: He doesn?t just have ?potential? to pass next generation guys like Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Josh Freeman. Newton is already better.

Newton has transformed the worst offense in the league into a top-10 group by himself. His pocket presence under pressure and ability to deliver any throw is better than all but the top-five quarterbacks. His running ability puts him on another level.

Just imagine how good he might be if he didn?t have a phony smile.

Image: Cam Newton, DeAngelo Hall

Chuck Burton / AP

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton is pace to throw for nearly 4,700 yards and 23 touchdowns.


2. A.J. Green, Bengals receiver: The No. 4 overall pick is enjoying a better rookie year ? by far ? than the last two can?t miss wideout prospects: Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. Green is a magician plucking balls out of the air.

3. Andy Dalton, Bengals quarterback: Dalton?s decision-making and smarts were expected. His ability to hit downfield throws when necessary has been a surprise. He may be the next Chad Pennington.

4. Tyron Smith, Cowboys tackle: The book on Smith coming out was that he was the most talented lineman in his draft, but he would take a while to develop. He?s already one of the better right tackles in football, so the ceiling here is unlimited.


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