Mid-Season NFL Awards + Super Bowl Prediction

 With half the season in the books, it is time to re-visit the awards races that we took a look at during the quarter-season mark. What has changed? Who has stormed into the race? Who has dropped out? Plus, I will name my playoff/SB mid-season prediction as well. This is always a fun thing to come back to later on. Let's get into it!

Comeback Player of the Year

3. Derrick Henry, Running Back, Tennessee Titans
Statline: 183 carries for 870 yards, 9 TDs rushing | 14 receptions for 140 yards receiving

The King is back! After starting last season on a record-breaking tear, Derrick Henry broke his foot and was out for the remainder of the regular season. He STILL finished near the top in rushing yards, despite missing 9 games. There was real doubt whether Henry would be able to get back to his old ways in 2022, but it is safe to say those doubters are silenced. Henry has comeback better than EVER, leading the NFL in carries and rushing yards, while having the second most rushing TDs in the league as well through the mid-season. Even more impressively, Henry has singlehandedly been winning this team games. Ryan Tannehill has missed the last two, and Henry ran for over 200 yards in one game and the Titans won and then Henry ran for 130 and 2 scores against KC and lost in OT!! With Malik Willis playing awful. Henry is that good. Don't call it a comeback if he surges to the top of this leaderboard when it is all said and done.
Q1 no. 3: Jeff Okudah (CB, Lions)

2. Saquon Barkley, Running Back, New York Giants
Statline: 163 carries for 779 yards, 5 TDs rushing

I will admit, it is strange to put Barkley ahead of Henry, who clearly has the better numbers, but hear me out. This award isn't usually based completely off the best player, but moreso what they really came back from. Many argue Saquon is the run-away favorite for this honor due to multiple years of major injuries and many thinking his career was on the outs. Barkley has responded in a huge way this year, leading his Giants to a 6-2 start whilst being the third leading rusher in all of football. HC Brian Daboll has allowed Barkley to put the team on his back and it has contributed to major winning ways. Barkley is currently the odds on favorite to win this award on many sportsbooks, but I have him slightly below my personal #1.
Q1 no. 2: Jaycee Horn (CB, Panthers)

The Winner: Geno Smith, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Statline: 2,199 yards, 15 TDs, 4 INTs passing, 68.0 QBR, 73.1 comp. % | 9 carries for 41 yards, 1 TD rushing

He still hasn't written back. Geno Smith takes home my mid-season CBPOY honors! I cannot describe in words how shocking Smith's revelation has been. EVERYONE had written him off as a career backup and bust, but in his 10th season he has flipped the switch and is playing like an MVP candidate. Smith leads the NFL with his astoundingly high 73.1 completion percentage and is amongst the best in the league in all other major QB statistics. PFF has had him as a top 3 QB all season long. Best of all, the Seahawks are a wagon right now. They've won four in a row behind Smith's leadership, all by 10+ points as well. Seattle is looking like a potential SUPER BOWL team right now in a weakened NFC and it is all from the resilient comeback season from Smith. He HAS to be the winner when it is all said and done in my opinion. He won't write back.
Q1 no. 1: Barkley

Honorable mention: Za'Darius Smith (EDGE, Vikings)

Offensive Rookie of the Year

3. Chris Olave, Wide Receiver, New Orleans Saints
Statline: 43 receptions for 618 yards, 2 TDs receiving

While the Saints have been a disappointment thus far into the season, one player who has not has been rookie 1st-rounder Chris Olave. Olave was my no. 3 ranked OROY at the quarter mark, and he stays here another quarter later! With Michael Thomas having barely played this year, even with a revolving door at QB, Olave has been a bonafide WR1. The route running ability with this guy makes him ANY QB's dream target. He simply gets open. He is always seemingly standing wide open somewhere on the field, and at first you blame the D, but then you watch the replay and see the masterclass that Olave has put on. With the play of the two ahead of him, I'm not sure if Olave can end up winning this award, but this is one of the better rookie WR seasons of the last 5 years (sans Ja'Marr Chase). 
Q1 no. 3: Olave

2. Dameon Pierce, Running Back, Houston Texans
Statline: 148 carries, 678 yards, 3 TDs rushing | 20 receptions for 98 yards, 1 TD receiving

If you read my weekly power rankings, you are definitely very in the know about how highly I think of Dameon Pierce. A little-known 4th round pick heading into the year has quickly established himself as an easy top 10 RB in all of football in just 9 weeks. There may not be an RB harder to tackle in the sport right now. Pierce leads the NFL in broken tackles, and even had 18 of those in a single game against Jacksonville early on in the campaign. To make things even better, Pierce is coming off of his best game yet, as he ran all over the vaunted Eagle D for a career best 139 yards on 27 carries. Pierce is a top 6 rusher in the league statistically and seems to be getting better each and every week. While he definitely has a great shot at winding up winning OROY, his team having just 1 win makes it harder...
Q1 no. 2: Breece Hall (RB, Jets)

The Winner: Kenneth Walker, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
Statline: 111 carries for 570 yards, 7 TDs rushing

You can really see why Seattle is surprising so many people right now. They are 2-2 on awards to begin this article! Ken Walker is the future face of the league at the RB position. With Rashaad Penny beginning the year as the starter in Seattle, Walker did not see meaningful snaps really until week 6. He has started just 4 games, and he is already one of the most productive players in the whole league, despite missing out on big time opportunities until 6 weeks in. Walker has the fourth most rushing TDs in all of football with 7 and leads the league with 6 coming in the 4th quarter. He is one of the few RBs that actually gets BETTER as the game goes along. That is something that truly sets the good apart from the great. Notice how Walker has only started the last 4 games, and Seattle is 4-0 with each win coming by more than 10 points in those 4 games. The speed that Walker plays with is top of the line but what is so rare about him is his suddenness and ability to make a complete 90-120 degree cut at FULL speed. This guy could be an all-time player, and we have only seen the beginning. I expect WALKer to RUN away with this one down the stretch!
Q1 no. 1: Pierce

Honorable mentions: Garrett Wilson (WR, Jets) | George Pickens (WR, Steelers)

Defensive Rookie of the Year

3. Aidan Hutchinson, Edge Rusher, Detroit Lions
Statline: 20 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 pass deflection

While I'm going to list 3 candidates for each award, this race is currently really a two man one. Still, Hutchinson would be my guy in third so I will give him his respect. After being erased from a few games to begin the year, the no. 2 overall pick in the draft has come into his own of late. He leads all rookies with his 4.5 sacks and had an unreal goal-line INT of Aaron Rodgers this past weekend. That play was a major reason why the Lions were able to upset Green Bay. While Hutch is already finding himself double teamed by many opposing offenses, he is figuring out how to work through it as all the best pass rushers in football do. This is a great start to his career and he looks like he is an elite pass rusher in the making. However, I find it hard to see him actually WINNING this award unless he goes on a tear to finish the season and finishes with 10+ sacks.
Q1 no. 3: Devin Lloyd (LB, Jaguars)

2. Tariq Woolen, Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks
Statline: 31 total tackles, 4 INTs (one returned for TD), 8 pass deflections

Seattle's award-winning streak comes to an end, just barely though! As I mentioned above, this DROY race feels like a two man one at the beginning of these final 9 weeks. Woolen was my #1 in this category at the quarter and feels like he is just BARELY behind the current winner. What a start it has been for the 5th rounder out of little known UTSA. Woolen is tied for the second most INTs in the entire league with 4, he's top 5 with 8 pass deflections, and he continues to man up and destroy some of the best WRs in football. DeAndre Hopkins was unreal in his first two games back from suspension but had just over 30 yards receiving this past week in week 9, due to Woolen shutting him DOWN. Award or not, Woolen has a bright bright future in Seattle, and may just be their defensive franchise cornerstone.
Q1 no. 2: Sauce Gardner (CB, Jets)

The Winner: Sauce Gardner, Cornerback, New York Jets
Statline: 44 total tackles, 2 INTs, 13 pass deflections, 44.6 passer rating allowed

He really has brought the Sauce to New York. The reason why the Jets have seen their record go from worst to nearly top of the league in one off-season has been Sauce Gardner. The top 10 draft pick rookie has been a top 5 CB in the entire NFL since he first stepped foot on the field in week 1. I have never seen a rookie CB play THIS well THIS quickly. Sauce might already be the best CB in the entire NFL. Gardner leads the league is pass breakups with 13 and is top 5 in lowest passer rating allowed with 44.6. He can straight up take a team's best WR out of the game like only a handful of guys in NFL history have been able to do. While it is definitely a close race between he and Woolen, he has the upper-hand right now and can buff his lead if he continues to do what he's been doing with such ease. The Jets drafted a future Hall of Famer, I already believe that.
Q1 no. 1: Woolen

Honorable mentions: Jack Jones (CB, Patriots) | Coby Bryant (CB, Seahawks)

Coach of the Year

3. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

If there was an award for best character in the league, McDaniel would certainly have that one on wraps. In all seriousness though, McDaniel has been an unbelievably good coach in his first year with Miami. The 'Fins started out as the second longest unbeaten in the sport but faltered briefly with QB Tua Tagovailoa out. However, since he's returned, the Dolphins have been back to their dominant ways with McDaniel's offense looking unbeatable. The Dolphins have gone from one of the worst teams with one of the worst offenses to one of the best teams with one of the best offenses, much in part to the genius that is McDaniel. Rookie head coaches get tons of love in this award race every year, so it is very very possible that McDaniel comes out as the winner when it is all said and done, and if the Dolphins can find a way to win the vaunted AFC East.
Q1 no. 3: Brian Daboll (Giants)

2. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

ANOTHER Seahawk! This man is probably the reason why all the other Hawks on this list are here. The oldest coach in the league has brought new life to this team, and it is a joy to watch. Carroll has taken a lot of heat publicly over the last year with the ways he has run his team, but no one can talk now, as everything he promised is coming into fruition. Just when you think this team is ready to bow out, they bow back in. Carroll might be one of the most infectious leaders in the sport, and it is clearly translating to wins. The only reason I do not have him in the top spot here is because he has been in the league, with the Seahawks, for so long, and the winner of this award tends to be a younger coach in his first year or so with a team. Carroll may win this award, he may not, but all that matters to him is how unreal his team is playing for him right now.
Q1 no. 2: McDaniel

The Winner: Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

The coach of the best team in football. Nick Sirianni has led his Eagles to their first 8-0 start in franchise history. Many questioned the hire of the little-known Sirianni a year ago, but all he has done since coming to Philly has been win. That is all that matters. He has his team playing like a wagon and they are easily the most balanced team in the league, which is a direct testament to him as a coach. Sirianni also easily fits the mold of young coach in his first two seasons with his team, and the best record in the sport is hard to turn away every single year when this award comes out. If the Eagles finish with the best record in football, Sirianni is likely the winner of his first COTY award!
Q1 no. 1: Sirianni

Honorable mentions: Brian Daboll (Giants) | Kevin O'Connell (Vikings)

Offensive Player of the Year

3. Nick Chubb, Running Back, Cleveland Browns
Statline: 149 carries for 841 yards, 10 TDs rushing

While Chubb has cooled down a slight bit since the first quarter, he is definitely still a name worth mentioning in this OPOY race. There are few better pure football players in the sport than Chubb. He is just a grind it out player, and plays for the contact. He does not shy away from the hard hit, and runs downhill with power and aggression. Chubb is currently second in the league in rushing yards and first in the league in rushing TDs. Cleveland has stayed afloat without Deshaun Watson due to the unreal performance week in and week out from Chubb. While I'm not sure he will actually win the award, he is having the best season of his stellar young career, and is a guy no one wants to (or really can) tackle.
Q1 no. 3: Travis Kelce (TE, Chiefs)

2. Derrick Henry, Running Back, Tennessee Titans

AS SEEN ABOVE

The Winner: Tyreek Hill, Wide Receiver, Miami Dolphins
Statline: 76 receptions for 1,104 yards, 3 TDs receiving

We have all known Tyreek Hill as an elite WR for years. What we didn't know is how good he could be WITHOUT Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Many people, myself included, expected a down year from Hill in his first season with the Dolphins. New team, new coach, worse QB, he was bound to do worse. WRONG! Hill is in the midst of what *could* wind up being the best WR season ever. He is on pace to break Calvin Johnson's single season yardage record with ease. Hill leads the NFL in catches and receiving yards, yardage by over 100 yards. The craziest part for Hill is how he has done all of this in ways we wouldn't have expected. In KC all of his yardage and TDs for the most part came from deep bombs from Patrick Mahomes. Hill has had to go up and make grabs with Tua underthrowing balls routinely. At 5'10, 185 pounds you would not expect him to be able to make some of the contested grabs he routinely comes down with. Even crazier, Hill has hundreds of yards in PI calls and another good sum of yards in incomplete under-throws that could have been massive TD plays. This is shaping up to be an all-time season from Hill, and he is running away with this award like a 'cheetah'!
Q1 no. 1: Chubb

Honorable mention: Joe Mixon (RB, Bengals)

Defensive Player of the Year

3. Matthew Judon, Edge Rusher, New England Patriots
Statline: 11.5 sacks, 35 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass deflections

Another 'shocker' on the mid-season awards list. Who would have thought that the veteran edge rusher who some thought was past his prime would be amongst the DPOY conversation at the mid-way point? Probably only Bill Belichick. Matt Judon is having a career year in year 7. He leads the NFL in the most talked about defensive stat (sacks) with 11.5. The next closest is 8.5. Judon has been ridiculously good and is the reason why New England's defense remains a top 5 unit in football. The Patriots would not be winning games without the crazy play of their defense, and that all stems from Judon's tear. If Judon really keeps this pace and finishes the season somewhere around 18-22 sacks, he has a real shot at one of the most unlikely DPOY wins of all-time!
Q1 no. 3: Chris Jones (DT, Chiefs)

2. Patrick Surtain II, Cornerback, Denver Broncos
Statline: 30 total tackles, 5 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble

This might shock some people, but Patrick Surtain II is right there near the top of this DPOY race. With names like Jalen Ramsey and Trevon Diggs in the sport, and popular rookies like Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen, Surtain is oft overlooked, but he is the best CB in the NFL right now, and it's not close. Sure, the statline might not jump out to anyone, but for the best of the best at CB, the lockdown guys, the stats never tell the full story. Teams simply DO NOT target Surtain. He shuts down an entire half of the field. Denver's defense has been a lone bright spot in a rough first half of the season, and that is hugely accredited to Surtain II, who has a real shot at DPOY in his second NFL season if he keeps this level of play up.
Q1 no. 2: Nick Bosa (EDGE, 49ers)

The Winner: Micah Parsons, Outside Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys
Statline: 36 total tackles, 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections

The only player yet on this award list to hold the top spot in Q1 and Q2! Micah Parsons is different. He is becoming the runaway favorite to take home this hardware one year removed from taking home DROY. There are many versatile defensive players in the league right now, but none are more dominant in every area than Parsons. These jack-of-all-trades LBs are fun and all, but not dominant. Parsons is. While he is best known for his elite pass rushing ability (8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles), Parsons does a ton of elite work in the second level too. His tackling is top tier and he is even awesome in coverage with 2 breakups of his own. I just can't believe my eyes when the significantly smaller Parsons simply overPOWERs a much bigger OT to get home to the QB. The Cowboys are rolling right now, and are being carried by their defense, which is being carried by Parsons. He is the easy DPOY right now and would need to really fall off during the back-half of the season to lose this one. This potential DPOY award could be the first of many for the second year man!
Q1 no. 1: Parsons

Honorable mentions: Nick Bosa (EDGE, 49ers), Za'Darius Smith (EDGE, Vikings), Jefferey Simmons (DT, Titans)

MVP

3. Geno Smith, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks

AS SEEN ABOVE

2. Jalen Hurts, Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
Statline: 2,042 yards, 12 TDs, 2 INTs passing, 63.1 QBR, 68.2 comp. % | 88 carries for 326 yards, 6 TDs rushing

The commander of the top team in the NFL comes in at #2 in the MVP race at the mid-way point of the season. Jalen Hurts had a really promising first full season as a starter in 2021, but I'm sure few predicted him (and his team) to take such a sudden leap just the following year. Hurts was so good last year due to his elite rushing ability from the QB position and also his big arm, but he struggled with accuracy a lot of the time and made some awful decisions that resulted in turnovers. Fast forward less than a year, and pretty much all of those mistakes have disappeared. Hurts is throwing the ball more often and more effectively than ever, with just 2 INTs to go along with his 12 TDs passing, and we cannot forget the additional 6 scores he has accounted for with his legs. Hurts has been unreal, but his main claim to fame for this award is his squad's record, still undefeated with half of the season in the rearview. If the Eagles can claim the top record in the NFL (and *potentially* go undefeated), it would be hard to deny Hurts his first career MVP award for leading the way.
Q1 no. 2: Josh Allen (QB, Bills)

The Winner: Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
Statline: 2,605 yards, 21 TDs, 6 INTs passing, 75.4 QBR, 66.2 comp. % | 27 carries for 176 yards, 1 TD rushing

Who else could it really have been. When there is a generational player like Patrick Mahomes, he could arguably win the MVP award every year of his career. After claiming one a few years back, Mahomes is starting to runaway with the award for the second-time in his future Hall of Fame career. Even with Tyreek Hill off in Miami, Mahomes and his offense have not skipped a beat. Patrick leads the league in passing yards and passing TDs, along with having the second highest QBR in the sport as well. His Chiefs are sitting pretty atop the AFC West with a 6-2 record and look like the potential AFC Super Bowl favorite once again. He is still getting better! The play is really never dead when he has the ball in his hands, and he can even rush for HUGE gains that contribute to wins when needed. If Mahomes continues on this torrid pace, he will secure his second league MVP.
Q1 no. 1: Mahomes

Honorable mentions: Josh Allen (QB, Bills) | Tyreek Hill (WR, Dolphins) | Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Dolphins)

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JKFOOTBALL MID-SEASON PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NFC:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
2. Seattle Seahawks (12-5)
3. Minnesota Vikings (11-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
5. Dallas Cowboys (13-4)
6. San Francisco 49ers (11-6)
7. New York Giants (11-6)

AFC:

1. Cincinnati Bengals (13-4)
2. Miami Dolphins (13-4)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (13-4)
4. Tennessee Titans (10-7)
5. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
7. Baltimore Ravens (11-6)

Mid-season Super Bowl Prediction: EAGLES over Chiefs

Call me lame, whatever, I'm taking the team with the current best record in football to win it all when the confetti falls. In recent years, the longest remaining unbeaten team was not my favorite at the mid-season mark. I saw major flaws with the Cardinals last year and the Steelers the year prior. Both ended up being first round exits. These Eagles are different. They are the best team in football because they are the most balanced team in football. Their claim to fame last season was their elite rushing attack, and they have gotten BETTER in that regard, while also adding an elite aerial attack, mostly in the form of WR AJ Brown, but also Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. 

With that offense, they also have the arguable best defense in football, or at least top 3. Their play in the trenches on both sides of the football is outstanding. I see KC running up the score on opponents throughout the post-season to reach another Super Bowl, but will be baffled by how balanced Philly is and how they are able to do so many things against them that they will have yet to see up to that point. This SB match-up has potential to be a classic.

Honorable mention potential SB winning teams: Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins

HERE'S HOW I SAW THE PLAYOFFS PLAYING OUT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED: