We are now just over the halfway mark in the NFL 2017 season, so here we will look at all the big award frontrunners of the year
We’ve officially passed the halfway mark in the NFL 2017 season. With every team playing at least eight games by now, there’s an accurate snapshot of what we these guys are.
Teams like the Atlanta Falcons have proven they aren’t the same team from 2016, as the defending NFC champions have limped to a 4-4 start. Also proving they aren’t the same team is the Philadelphia Eagles, who followed up a losing year with the hottest start in the NFL as they’re 8-1 following another Week 9 win.
There’s still more that will be discovered about teams and players, but at midseason we can pause and raise a glass to those who have done the best so far. Here are the midseason award winners for each major NFL trophy.
Related Story: Power Rankings: Eagles stay red hot, Chiefs cool off
Defensive Rookie of the Year: T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Entering the season there was a lot of hype around what pass rushers like Myles Garrett, Solomon Thomas and Derek Barnett could do. None have been disappointments, but they also haven’t had the impact of outside linebacker T.J. Ward. The Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick has 28 tackles, four sacks and an interception. To be fair, Garrett has as many sacks, but has only played three games because of injury problems. He may overthrow Watt before the year is over, but if he can’t stay on the field, J.J. Watt’s little brother will take some hardware home.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
He’s 17 rushing yards ahead of Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys for the rushing title, but has played one more game. That’s still a lot to brag about for a third-round draft pick who fumbled on his first ever NFL carry. Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs has been a monster for them, rushing for 800 yards and four touchdowns while adding another two scores and 331 yards off 32 receptions. He’s running away with this title and has a shot to be the second rookie in a row to win the rushing title, following in the aforementioned Elliott’s footsteps.
Defensive Player of the Year: Calais Campbell, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars went all out this offseason signing talent to their defense, but so far their best move has been picking up defensive end Calais Campbell. The veteran end leads the league with 11 sacks so far along with 34 total tackles and two forced fumbles. He’s always been good, but with this team around him, he’s amazing.
Offensive Player of the Year: Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
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The talk about a sophomore slump for quarterback Dak Prescott just seems laughable now. The 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year has possibly been better this season than last. He has 1,818 yards passing with 16 touchdowns and added another four scores on the ground. After a slow start to the season ‚— and a lot of offseason noise — Prescott has proven to be a steadying force for America’s Team.
Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
This one is a no-brainer. The Los Angeles Rams stunk last season, and quarterback Jared Goff looked like a bust. The first overall pick out of Cal had the lowest quarterback rating of all the rookies who had significant snaps and was 0-7 as a starter. His completion percentage was under 55 percent and he had more interceptions than touchdowns.
This year, he’s up to 60 percent passing and has 13 touchdowns to four picks. The difference in last year to now? Head coach Sean McVay. The rookie coach has the entire Rams team playing lights out, and at 6-2 they’re a favorite to win the NFC West. Which makes him the favorite to win the 2017 NFL Coach of the Year award.
MVP: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
While a case could be made for veteran quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, the MVP award has to go to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. He’s led his team to an NFL-best 8-1 start and is proving to be a true leader on offense. Up to this point, Wentz has a league leading 23 touchdowns against just five picks while completing 60.5 percent of his passes. He’s adjusted to the NFL incredibly fast, especially given that he played at a smaller school in North Dakota State. Wentz is a winner, and his team believes in him. They’ll believe in him even more if he can hoist this same award after all 16 games are done.