NFL Musings, Week 8: Mid-Season Awards Include Tom Brady for MVP, Colin Kaepernick for LVP

This week, we are doing something a little different in the NFL musings. Rather than look back at the weekend that was–a weekend highlighted by the Giants-Saints game and a series of devastating and heart-wrenching injuries–we are going to recap the first half of the season. Sure, technically because of the NFL bye weeks and 17-week schedule, we are only 46.1% of the way through the schedule, but let’s not quibble over percentages. The true halfway point is at about 4:50 next Sunday, but I’m not rushing this column out then. Better early than late on the old internet.

Here are some randomly selected highlights and categories from the first 46.1% of the season.

First Half MVP: Tom Brady, New England. He is 8-0 this year, with wins over the Steelers, Bills, Jaguars, Cowboys, Colts, Jets, Dolphins, and Roger Goodell. Brady leads the league in passer rating. He has–twice–against division rivals basically thrown the ball all game to win.

Runners-up: Carson Palmer, Arizona; Cam Newton, Carolina; Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay.

First Half Least Valuable Player: Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco. Kaepernick takes sacks at a huge rate, locks in on receivers, and seems to have regressed greatly. When half of the games played have seen the offense get 7 or fewer points, less than 200 yards, and 11 or fewer first downs, that’s not good. The 49ers might be looking for another solution soon. He ain’t Russell Wilson, bro.

Runners-Up: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts, Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles.

Wildest Game: New Orleans 52, NY Giants 49. Two record setting performances, 7 touchdowns by Brees and 6 by Eli.

Runners-Up: Denver 31, Kansas City 24; Cincinnati 27, Seattle 24 (OT); Carolina 27, Seattle 23; Cleveland 33, Baltimore 30 (OT)

Best Villain Award: Greg Hardy, Dallas Cowboys. He is unrepentant and confrontational and came back guns a-blazing. It even got Jim Nantz fired up. His playing after a domestic violence incident while Ray Rice is still out of the league shows how talent trumps other considerations. He provides a disdainful “no comment” and slaps things out of an assistant coach’s hands. He’s a leader.

Best Daily Fantasy Ads: DraftKings. They’re everywhere, including in this recap. You can’t escape them. Feel free to disagree on the choice here.

Runner-Up: FanDuel.

Worst Play Design: This one.

Best Free Agent Signing from another team: Darrelle Revis, New York Jets. Wading into the free agency spending spree can be dangerous water. The Jets’ signing of Revis added to a pretty good defense and has helped spur the Jets to a 4-3 start, the results from yesterday notwithstanding.

Runners-Up: Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs, DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers.

Worst Free Agent Signing from another team: Dwayne Bowe, Cleveland Browns. Dwayne Bowe still has zero catches as we hit the halfway point. Don’t worry, he’ll probably come in handy in December.

Runners-Up: So many options, but Bowe runs away with it. Andre Johnson to Indianapolis and Byron Maxwell to Philadelphia both certainly seem like mistakes.

Best Trade(s): Brandon Marshall, New York Jets for a 5th rounder from Chicago; Ryan Fitzpatrick to Jets for a conditional late round pick from Houston. This is for the first half only, since we don’t know where the Jets’ offense will go with the Fitzpatrick injury yesterday. But could you have envisioned the Jets would have an offense that ranked top 8 in yards at this point? Fitzpatrick is the answer to when anyone overpays a mediocre QB just because they are afraid of the alternative. He was available for cheap and is not marginally different than a host of other starters out there.

Worst Trade: Philadelphia trading Nick Foles, a 2016 2nd, and a 4th for Sam Bradford and a 5th round pick. I wrote about hating the deal at the time from the Eagles’ perspective, and the returns have not been great. It’s not that Foles has been great, but his numbers are still better than Bradford, he’s a lot cheaper, and the Eagles gave up extra value to make the move. Bradford has more interceptions than touchdowns at the halfway point, and he is averaging 6.4 yards per attempt.

Best Coordinator: Wade Phillips, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator. Denver’s defense is the reason the team is 7-0 despite the early offensive struggles. Phillips was unemployed last year but has come back with a vengeance.

Runners-Up: Hue Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator; Keith Butler, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator (taking over for legend Dick LeBeau).

Biggest Idiot Award: Ryan Mallett, formerly of the Houston Texans. He got cut by a team that needs a QB, that’s how irresponsible and ridiculous he was.

Breakout Offensive Player (non-rookie): Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons. He leads the league in touchdowns with 10 (next is 7). He leads in yards from scrimmage, rushing yards, and rushing attempts. He wasn’t even the starter in the season opener.

Runners-Up: Dion Lewis, running back, New England; Derek Carr, quarterback, Oakland Raiders

Breakout Defensive Player (non-rookie): Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers. Norman  had 22 career starts and 3 interceptions before this season. He has 4 interceptions, 2 returned for touchdown, and is likely on his way to an all-pro season and is a key reason why the Panthers are 6-0.

Runner-Up: Chandler Jones, New England (already has 8.5 sacks after averaging 8 in first three years)

Biggest Surprise Team: Cincinnati Bengals (7-0). They’ve won at Pittsburgh and Baltimore, beat Seattle in a big comeback, and have yet to lose. Can it continue?

Runners-up: Oakland Raiders (4-3), New York Jets (4-3), Minnesota Vikings (5-2)

Biggest Team Disappointment: Detroit Lions (1-7). How has the season gone? A guy named Jim Bob Cooter is now the offensive coordinator, Matthew Stafford is getting beat up and is a mess, and the defense can’t stop a cold.

Runner-up: Baltimore Ravens (2-6), Indianapolis Colts (3-4)

First Impressions Aren’t Always Right Award: Tennessee Titans. Routed Tampa in the season opener and Marcus Mariota looked like he was en route to Canton. Haven’t won a game since. Mariota is hurt. They’re 1-6.

Runner-up: Buffalo Bills. Beat Andrew Luck in the opener, have struggled since. They’re 3-4.

Best Rookie: Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams. In half a season he went from rookie to arguably the best running back in the NFL.

Runners-up: Amari Cooper, Oakland; Stefon Diggs, Minnesota; Eric Kendricks, Minnesota, Marcus Peters, Kansas City; Ronald Darby, Buffalo

Biggest Injury of the First Half: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were a bad call away from playing in the NFC Championship game last year, but the loss of Romo (and to a lesser extent Dez Bryant), has them at 2-5 and unable to generate any offense.

Runners-Up: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City; Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh; Terrell Suggs, Baltimore; Jordy Nelson, Green Bay

Best Spousal Moment: Miko Grimes, wife of Brent Grimes. When you get arrested in the parking lot of a home game, you know you are a little invested.

Most Outrageous Owner Statement: Jerry Jones. On Brandon Weeden–“you won’t find a more gifted passer.” That’s way more outrageous than calling Greg Hardy a team leader.

Best QB Beef: Aaron Rodgers versus Russell Wilson. Rodgers was miffed last year when Wilson attributed the NFC Championship to God. He responded when the Packers won this year. It split the family.