NFL Mid Season Awards

The pomp and circumstance of awards shows isn't for me. Having celebrities galavant across a red carpet to people asking them personal questions they pretend to enjoy and laugh off, to the three hour ceremonies that could take 25 minutes if done correctly, the political statements made during every other acceptance speech...it's all too much.

But as the NFL calendar passes the halfway point, an awards show I can stand behind is in order. This is an awards show for the people. This one cuts the bullshit and gets right to brass tax. We have six awards to give out, so let's start with the obvious one.

MVP

If this wasn't awards week I would've done my weekly blog on the Bills and this guy. We just reached the halfway point of the season and the Bills have already won the division. They have a four game lead with eight games to go, are undefeated in division play while everyone else has 2 losses, and haven't even gotten to play the Patriots yet.

They rank fourth in points per game with a rag-tag group of rugrats that wouldn't be household names in 75% of self-proclaimed football households. Josh Allen lost his two best receivers this offseason, the defense got worse, which only put more pressure on the offense, and he's looked the best he's ever looked.

He's playing conservatively aggressive, something Bills fans, and myself, have implored for years. He's thrown just two interceptions this season, with one hitting Coleman in the hands and the other thrown just as Amari Cooper began slipping in the Seattle rain. His TD/INT ratio ranks second. He's taking less big hits, throwing the ball away more, and operating at the most efficient level of his career. And they're winning games.

I can entertain an argument that Lamar should be MVP, and I won't have much of a retort. His stats are certainly better. But I'm going with Josh cause he's playing the way at least I've said for years is the way he needs to play to win a Super Bowl. And he's doing it with way less help than Lamar (peep King Henry's stats). Without Lamar the Ravens are a borderline playoff team; we've seen them win many games with backups. Without Josh the Bills are below .500 at best. For years he's been the most valuable player for his team, but his backyard bullshit always held him back. The way he's playing now, to me the choice is easy.

Coach of the Year

So many good candidates here; almost as many as there would be for worst coach of the year. But I'm giving the nod to the backwards hat, who's constructed a full 180 on the sorry Washington franchise after mere months at the helm.

Of course a lot of the success is attributed to the stud QB they drafted (that I predicted would be the best in the class), but there are plenty of ultra talented young QBs who fall short of their potential due to bad coaching, so allowing him to flourish and getting the team to buy in earns Dan Man some credit.

This team, this franchise, has been lost for years. Always in the news for the wrong reasons, never an attractive destination for free agents, and frankly one of the laughing stocks of the league, Dan Quinn's credit goes beyond what transpires on the field.

He's building a culture that players want to be a part of, that players believe in. Players on other teams even, as reports of players across the league requesting to be traded to the nation's capital for the first time since Watergate.

Many coaches have preceded him and in years at the job haven't accomplished what he's accomplished in half in season. Ownership was in the way, yes, but regardless have fallen flat.

DQ had already proven he's a good coach, but a 28-3 Super Bowl choke job left the public with a sour taste, with many demoting him to career coordinator. I'm glad Washington gave him another chance, and I'm glad he's taking advantage of it. I love a world that gives second chances.

Game of the Year

If you listened to the Fundamentally Unsound pod you know this isn't your regular cookie-cutter mid-season awards show. No one gives a shit about the defensive rookie of the year award. You want to relive the best moments of the first half of this incredible season.

DISCLAIMER: Fuck the NFL for not allowing these videos to play on my back-alley website. I think you can click and copy the link if you care to watch.

The first place my brain went was this Bengals/Ravens game in week 5. 41-38 in OT, both QBs put up 400 all purpose yards, Joey B with 5 TDs, Jamarr Chase with nearly two bills and two of those TDs. Lamar double stiff arm of Sam Hubbard, to an overtime fumble, Zac Taylor playing pussy ball and taking the ball out of Burrow's hands opting for a 53 yarder, which was missed, all leading up to King Henry's breakaway run to seal the game.

From start to finish this was must see TV. Both teams were in dire need of a win, and both (offenses) played like it. Top plays every quarter, OT drama the like we haven't seen all year, and one of the best rivalries the game has today. I can't wait for the rematch tonight.

Play of the Year

I could argue the three best plays of the season happened in week 9. Garrett Wilson's catch on Thursday night, Drake Maye's insane scramble at the buzzer, and Saquon's backwards hurdle in the city of Brotherly. I don't think that's a recency bias take.

But I gotta go with my guy. There's no doubt the more impressive physical display was the other two, but when I think best play I think what got me out of my seat. What had me screaming at a toddler level high-pitch. What gave me goosebumps, and took me minutes if not hours to come back to baseline from.

This season has sucked for Patriots fans. Even with Drake it's not that fun. But plays like this, those plays where you sense a bit of magic from the young QB, a bit of "it" that so many teams and QBs long to have, are the ones that keep you coming back. He's had many plays and throws this year that have made me excited for the future, but that play is one I'll remember for a while. That was the highlight of our season. Outside of beating the Jets.

Best Preseason Take of the Year

Per usual, this one's difficult because, well, I'm a football Nostradamus. I could bring up how I predicted the Jets would be worse than everyone projected and Aaron Rodgers wouldn't be MVP Rodgers, although I admittedly didn't think they'd be this bad. I could mention me calling the Cowboys decline for a lack of RB talent and inaction in free agency, although again, not to this extent. Or that the Rams defense would fall off after Aaron Donald's departure and be the reason they struggle to make the playoffs.

This list goes on and on, but the choice for me is obvious. I was laughed off the stage by my own cohost when I predicted the Denver Broncos to be 9-8 and sneak into the 7 seed. It wasn't for a ringing endorsement of Bo Nix, but rather one last dig at the Russell Wilson Broncos.

"I know they don’t have a QB, but they didn’t have one last year and almost snuck into the playoffs. If they had one the year before that could put up 18 points a game they would’ve made the playoffs then, too. So the team isn’t shit."

Turns out the team isn't shit. The Broncos yet again have one of the best defenses in the league, allowing opponents to score over 20 points just twice prior to Sunday's shalacking in Baltimore. Bo Nix is showing steady growth, and after a few weeks of playing like a chicken with his head cut off, he's cut down on the turnovers (two picks in the last six games) knowing he doesn't have to do too much, and you can see the confidence growing.

If the season ended today the Broncos are the 7 seed. No one on planet Earth outside of yours truly predicted that. If no one else will, I'll give myself my flowers for that one.

Worst Take of the Year

Unfortunately with the good comes the bad, that's part of being in this business. And while I look like a boy genius for my Broncos prediction, this one doesn't look as good.

"I like the Saints in this spot. I know he was there last year with limited success but I really like Jamaal Williams backing up Alvin Kamara, who’s primed for a great year if Jamaal is slightly more effective. Michael Thomas is gone, and that means Chris Olave gets the chance to prove himself. I think he’s the real deal and maybe the best WR in the division (currently, all due respect to Mike Evans). My hesitation is that I think Dennis Allen has turds for brains. But even turd brain got this team to 9 wins last year. I think they do it again, sweeping the Falcons and taking the division."

I think I got a little excited after my Bucs prediction last year and thought I was the gatekeeper to the NFC South. At least my Dennis Allen turd brain comment was right.

The Saints may be the worst team in football. They just lost to the perceived clear-cut worst team in football on Sunday, and haven't won a game since week 2 when they beat the brakes off the now-known-to-be pathetic Cowboys. Their two wins came against those Cowboys and the Panthers...yikes.

They've yet to beat a good team, haven't been competitive since week 4, at 2-7 are in last place in their division, and tied for last place in the NFC and entire NFL.

So picking them to win the South wasn't my best. I had two bold predictions heading into the year; at the halfway mark, one was my best take, and the other my worst.

""You miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

-Wayne Gretzy

-Michael Scott"

-Me