NFL Midseason Awards

It's about a week too late, but I figured I'd go through with this anyways. This has been an exciting and unpredictable season and I'm sure the second half will have just as many surprises and thrills.

MVP: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos-I was a complete skeptic of Peyton Manning coming off a serious neck injury at age 36 and I was proven dead wrong. It just shows you can't do anything to bring down an all-time great like Manning. He's on track to have one of the best seasons of his career and the Broncos keep improving as a team week in and week out. If Manning continues to play at this high level for the rest of the year, He should easily get his fifth MVP award and potentially lead the Broncos to a deep playoff run.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings-Like Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson was coming off a major injury (torn ACL) and proved the critics (myself included) wrong. This beast just can not be stopped. He's embarrassed top-notch rush defenses including the Seahawks, Lions, and Buccaneers and only looks to be getting more dominant as the season goes on. The fact that he's going to probably run for 2,000+ yards on a bum knee is nothing short of incredible and locks his position as the best running back in the league.

Honorable Mentions: A.J Green Cincinnati Bengals, Arian Foster Houston Texans, Marshawn Lynch Seattle Seahawks,

Defensive Player of the Year: Charles Tillman, Chicago Bears-Charles Tillman has been flying relatively under the radar for years now, but with his insane numbers this year he has made sure he's not unnoticed anymore. He has shutdown pretty much every great receiver he has faced this year and the 7 forced fumbles, 2 INT's (both for scores) and 49 tackles through 9 games have made him a standout on a Bears defense that is full of standouts.
Honorable Mentions: J.J Watt Houston Texans, Von Miller Denver Broncos, Tim Jennings Chicago Bears

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts-Prior to a couple of weeks ago, I would've said Robert Griffin III would take this award, but Luck has played out of his mind the past few weeks and the Colts are in the playoff hunt because of it. He has been a spark plug for this offense giving Reggie Wayne career-high numbers and allowing fellow rookies like T.Y Hilton and Vick Ballard and everyone else around him to thrive. Luck's play has brought a far quicker turnaround than anyone expected and the early comparisons to Peyton Manning are beyond valid.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Griffin III Washington Redskins, Doug Martin Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trent Richardson Cleveland Browns

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers-This has been a great rookie class, but Kuechly has made a previously awful defense a bit more stingy with his great tackling ability and insane speed coming off the outside.
Honorable Mentions: Chandler Jones New England Patriots, Melvin Ingram San Diego Chargers, Marc Barron Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Surprise Team of the Year: Indianapolis Colts: As I stated earlier, no one expected the Colts to be back in the playoff hunt so soon. Andrew Luck has been excellent and just what the doctor ordered after losing Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne is back with a vengeance, and the defense has even played pretty decent. The emotional factor of head coach Chuck Pagano's leukemia diagnosis has made them play with even more heart and determination. Very unexpected and they have a good shot of clinching a playoff bid this year.

Honorable Mentions: Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Philadelphia Eagles-Might be the biggest no-brainer out of all this years awards. The Eagles are just a mess. They have shown flashes of brilliance and they have the talent, they just can't seem to play good football. Their offensive line is abysmal and Michael Vick has been a turnover machine all season. Their defense has actually played pretty decent (they are ranked 11th overall in the league), but they are allowing points because of the short fields their opponents are getting. You can't win games if you turning the ball over and that is the Eagles main problem. I had high hopes for the Eagles going into the year, but those has been dashed through their god awful offensive play.

Dishonorable Mentions: Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints (though they are playing much better in the past few weeks)