• March 28, 2024

NFL Week 9 Reactions: My Midseason Awards, Surprises, And Disappointments

NickFoles7Midseason Awards

My Leading MVP Candidate: Peyton Manning

Not much of a surprise here. Manning is having one of the strongest seasons on his career, and seems to be only getting better with age. 29 touchdowns through eight games (putting him on pace for 58), and is responsible for running the most dominant offense in football this year. No other individual player has come close to having an impact as strong as Peyton’s through eight games.

My Leading Coach of the Year Candidate: Sean Payton

Sean Payton has returned and brought fresh life his New Orleans Saints. The offense has returned to being one of the league’s best, and hiring Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator was a brilliant move that has made the Saints one of the most complete teams in the league. A high powered offense with a solid defense to support them makes New Orleans a matchup nightmare for any team.

New Orleans was lost without Payton a year ago, and we see the value that a great coach can have on a franchise.

Runner Ups

Pete Carroll (He has kept his defense at the top of the league despite the loss of Gus Bradley, and has built the Seahawks into a strong contender)

Chuck Pagano (The Colts keep taking steps forward).

Marvin Lewis (the Bengals have had a couple of tough losses, but they look like they’ve learned how to rise to the occasion in big games with wins against Green Bay and New England in the first half).

Notable Omission: Andy Reid

No head coach in this league has been luckier than Reid in 2013. The Kansas City schedule has been an absolute cakewalk, complete with bad teams and backup quarterbacks. Now, that’s not to stay that Reid hasn’t done a good job, but he’s had just about every break possible go his way through nine weeks.

Worst Head Coach: Greg Schiano

A pretty easy pick. Schiano has run his starting quarterback out of town, lost his locker room, and found every conceivable way to blow winnable games. His 0-8 Buccaneers are the prime examples of a dysfunctional team.

Runner Ups

Mike Shanahan (Allowing RG III to come back too soon may have done more harm than good, Washington as a whole has taken a major step back).

Gary Kubiak (Texans were expected to win division, but instead have crumbled under his watch).

Mike Smith (Atlanta has had injuries, but they’ve got enough talent that they should be much better than 2-6).

My Best New Head Coach: Mike McCoy

McCoy has revived the career of Philip Rivers, and he’s getting great performances out of his team despite losing his top two receivers to injury and dealing with a general lack of talent at the skill positions. McCoy is famous for running an offense that he adapts to his talent, and he’s done exactly that in San Diego.

Runner Ups

Rob Chudzinski (the Cleveland Browns have used three different starting quarterbacks, and traded away their top running back Trent Richardson, and yet the Browns are 4-5 and just picked up a win over the Ravens. That’s all about a coach coaching up his team and squeezing the most out of minimal talent.)

Marc Trestman (Has Chicago at 5-3, won a big game in Green Bay with Josh McCown)

My Most Surprising Team: New York Jets

I thought that this was the year that the Rex Ryan ship would finally sink, but instead the Jets are 5-4 and have strung together some big wins against the Patriots and Saints.

Runner Up: Detroit Lions (Reggie Bush has made a greater impact on this team than anyone could have envisioned).

My Most Disappointing Team: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons were expected to be a major player in the NFC Playoff picture, but at 2-6 with no Julio Jones or Roddy White, and the team playing with very little pride, its become a lost season for the Dirty Birds.

Runner Up: Baltimore Ravens (The Ravens lost some talent in the off-season, but they should not have regressed this much. Joe Flacco looks like a below-average quarterback, and Ray Rice has been a complete non-factor).

My Most Overrated Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Their defense is legitimate, but that mediocre offense is going to catch up with them. They’ll most likely make the playoffs, but I could easily see them going one-and-done.

My Most Underrated Team: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have flaws, there’s no doubt about it. But their offense is always a threat to explode and their defense is in good hands with Montee Kiffin. I think they’ll win the NFC East, and could be a tough out in the first round.

Denny Basens

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paulman
paulman
November 5, 2013 9:33 am

I disagree with many of your Selections …
Here is Paulman’s LIst at the halfway point of the Season

League MVP
(Offensive) QB – Peyon Manning (Broncos)
(Defensive) MLB – Luke Kuechley (Panthers)

Coach of the Year
Andy Reid (Chiefs) 9-0 speaks for itself, no excuses about schedule
the Chiefs were a 2-14 Team last year..
Runner Ups – Trestman with the Bears, Chudzinski with the Browns

Worst Coach of the Year
Gary Schiano of TB Bucs no doubt about this one
Runner Up
Leslie Frazier – Vikings
Strange Game plans, which should be built around RB AP , Has allowed a Debacle at the QB Position, just seems overmatched as a HC on Gameday

MIke Smith – Falcons , as a Defensive Coach, their Defense has gotten worse and worse each Season, they have become strictly a Pass-First Team and lost their identity as a pound the rock team with a strong running game

Most Surprising Team
Tennessee Titans, NY Jets, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers

Most Disappointing Teams
Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons & NY Giants

Most Overrated Team
The Entire NFC East

Most Underrated Team
Carolina Panthers

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
November 5, 2013 9:58 am

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz and NY Jets Rex Ryan are the 2 biggest surprises in the NFL.
MVP – Peyton Manning
Defensive MVP – Earl Thomas
NFL offensive rookie of year- Giovani Bernard
NFL defensive rookie of year – Kiko Alonzo or Honey Badger

paulman
paulman
November 5, 2013 10:45 am

Good Call on Bengals RB Bernard, tough little back who can do it all..
I do believe the WR Keenan Allen from Chargers making some noise, as well as RB Eddie Laceyt who now will be depended on with ROdgers out for the Packers and may end up with big numbers

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Kiko Alonso of the Bills running away with it and having a Great Season
I had the Eagles taking him the 3rd Round on a couple Mock’s last Pre-Draft but the Bills scooped him up in the 2nd Round and he’s been dynamite .. Also played for Chip Kelly at Oregon and has a nice Future ahead of him.. You notice Today’s Young MLB (Sean Lee, Luke Kuechley, Alonso, Burfict) are all major contibutors and leaders on their Teams ..
Watch for Bears Rookie MLB Jon Bostic to take this same path

paulman
paulman
November 5, 2013 11:08 am
Reply to  paulman

Safety Earl Thomas has played 2 poor games in a Row versus the SL Rams and TB Bucs in my opinion.. He has blown coverages and missed Tackles.. He has slipped in my Opinion as Overall Defensive Player of the Year
Have 4-5 Candidates all emerging
CB Richard Sherman, DE Tambi Hali , MLB Kuechly,
DE Robert Mathis, DE J Houston, MLB S Lee, Safety Eric Berry
and will probably come down to which Player Team finishes up at the Top

Xevious
Xevious
November 5, 2013 11:00 am

I will only comment on the worst coaches this year…It’s a 3 horse Race between Smith Kubiak and Fraiser…All came into the year with big expectations…and have died like dogs. Fraiser and Smith are perhaps tied for incompetence IMO. Kubiak comes in third because Foster has been an issue all year and Schaub has been missing. Smith is probably #1 though then Fraiser followed by Kubiak, I don’t count Shiano because he isnt relavant anymore…that team is toast. These guys actually had a shot to win…Falcons wasted Tony’s last year, sad say.

paulman
paulman
November 5, 2013 11:16 am

**other Notable NFL NEws

Bengals DT Geno Atkins lost for the Season with ACL Tear
Patiros lose Safety Steve Gregory to a broken Thumb for 3 Weeks
Jets lose leading Receiver Jeremy Kerley to Elbow Injury for 2-3 Weeks
49ers Release CB Nnamdi Asamough to activate WR Mannigham
Asamough only played in 3 Games this Year and is probably done for Career wise..
Bills Release QB Matt Flynn (4th Team in 3 Years – A 1 Hit Wonder)

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
November 5, 2013 1:11 pm
Reply to  paulman

Asamough was released? hahahahaha

paulman
paulman
November 6, 2013 11:35 am

Yes the 49ers Activated WR Mario Manningham from IR list and Said Goodbye to Asamough who only played in 3 Games this Season for teh 49ers, so obviously, their Coaches did not think he has it either any longer to get on the field for them…
One of the quickest falls from All-Pro/All-World to Overrated to Out of the NFL stories and Players that I can recall .
(I was never a fan of his game to begin with and always thought of him as one of the more Overrated Players even back in his Raiders day’s)

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
November 5, 2013 1:21 pm

Ryan Tannehill has been sacked more than any other QB,
GM brings in mid season OT waiver cut Bryant McKinnie,
Signs Danny Watkins off Eagles cut list,
Tries to trade unsuccessfully for Brandon Albert,
Decides not to resign Jake Long,
Signs Tyson Clabo —
All of a sudden Head Coach Joe Philbin, GM Jeff Ireland, and Owner Stephen Ross are clueless naive dingbats to what was going on on that OL?
Bull crap!!!!!