Bob Glauber's midseason NFL awards show
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is the first-half MVP, and is on pace to throw for 52 touchdowns. Credit: AP / Jae C. Hong
Scoring is at historically high levels (the Giants and Jets notwithstanding). Ratings have bounced back after an unusual slump last year. The Big Three are still going strong, with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees all at the top of their games. And many young quarterbacks, led by Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, have injected new enthusiasm in many offenses.
Halfway through the NFL season, things are looking up in a league that suffered a rare downturn in 2017.
With the furor regarding national anthem protests that drew the ire of President Trump and many other political leaders now subsiding after NFL owners decided during the summer to back off a mandate that required players to stand for the anthem, the focus has been almost exclusively on the game itself.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights — and lowlights — at the midway point:
MVP: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs. Kansas City decided it was time to move on from Alex Smith, and Mahomes has justified that decision in spectacular fashion. In his first year as a starter, he’s on pace to throw 52 touchdown passes, which would be the second-highest total in NFL history (Peyton Manning, 55). Mahomes has earned the nickname “Showtime,” with good reason. He has given the Chiefs legitimate hope of a Super Bowl run.
Offensive player of the year: Todd Gurley, RB, Rams. Gurley is off to a career-best start with 800 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and is at the heart of the Rams’ 8-0 season. Gurley has a league-best 1,151 yards from scrimmage.
Defensive player of the year: Aaron Donald, DT, Rams. He held out of training camp in a contract dispute and showed some rust early in the season, but Donald now leads the NFL with 10 sacks and is back to his intimidating self in the middle of the Rams’ defensive line.
Comeback player of the year: Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans. He was off to a terrific start as a rookie last year but suffered a season-ending knee injury. Watson took some time to regain his form this year but has been exceptional of late in leading the Texans to five straight wins after an 0-3 start. A close second is Redskins running back Adrian Peterson, who has 587 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Offensive rookie of the year: Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants. It has been a miserable season for the Giants, with one notable exception. Barkley has been fabulous, rushing for 519 yards and five touchdowns and catching 58 passes for 497 yards and two TDs.
Defensive rookie of the year: Darius Leonard, LB, Colts. Leonard not only leads all NFL rookies with 88 tackles, he leads all NFL players. He also has four sacks and three forced fumbles and already has won defensive rookie of the week honors twice.
Tough guy award: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers. Rodgers has been playing through a knee injury that might have knocked some players out for at least a few weeks. He has 13 touchdown passes — a down year by his standards — but only one interception. He again is the biggest reason the Packers have a chance at a playoff spot.
Best coaching job: Sean McVay, Rams. What a brilliant offensive mind from the NFL’s youngest coach. The 32-year-old McVay’s ingenious schemes make the Rams’ offense must-watch and he already has proved to be a terrific leader -- even if he is younger than some of his players.
Worst coaching job: Jon Gruden, Raiders. Gruden inherited a marginally talented football team and has run it into the ground. He traded away his best player in Khalil Mack during the summer, and the fallout continues in a 1-8 season that hit bottom with Thursday night’s 34-3 loss to a 49ers team led by quarterback Nick Mullens -- making his first NFL start.
Best trade: Golden Tate to the Eagles. The defending Super Bowl champs remained aggressive, as general manager Howie Roseman swung a deal for one of the best slot receivers in the game. He’ll provide a major boost for quarterback Carson Wentz.
Worst trade: Khalil Mack to the Bears. The Raiders may have scored two first-round picks for Mack, but it set in motion the steepest decline for any team this year. The morale on Gruden’s team is woeful, in large part because he dealt away a generational pass rusher.
Sunshine boys award: Adam Vinatieri, K, Colts. Vinatieri has enjoyed the equivalent of two full careers after moving from the Patriots to the Colts. At age 45, he is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,550 points. Bravo.
Worst career move: Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers. He has yet to sign his franchise tag and has missed out on millions in salary in a senseless season-long holdout. It’s one of the worst financial decisions we’ve seen in years. The Steelers prepared for this day by drafting James Conner, and the former Pitt star has been terrific in Bell’s place with three straight 100-yard rushing games and nine touchdowns.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
