NFL Mid Season Awards

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It's about the halfway point so here are Cincy Sports Live's Mid Season Awards for the 2011 NFL season. There's one on here that will absolutely shock Bengals fans!


Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

At this point Newton has more passing yards than Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. I am personally shocked at how well he came out of the gate. I honestly thought Newton was going to be a bust and had him pegged as the next Vince Young. I was dead wrong! He can throw the ball with the best of them. Yeah he has some interceptions and a losing record but the future is bright in Carolina. Also considered was Andy Dalton and AJ Green who are also having spectacular rookie seasons.

Biggest Suprise Team: San Francisco 49ers

They are currently 6-1 and have beaten some good teams to get there. Their only loss was an overtime game against Dallas that they should have won. Yeah the Bengals, Bills, and Lions are also big suprises, but I saw the Bills show signs the 2nd half of last year. The Lions have a lot of talented players. The Bengals have had a good defense for a few years now. SF has also but the play of Alex Smith and their secondary has been a shock to me.

Biggest Disappointment of a Team: Philadelphia Eagles

This was a no brainer. The supposed "Dream Team" as they were dubbed by Vince Young has flopped coming out of the gate. They are showing some signs of life lately and can still make a run at 3-4, but with the talent they have in Philly there's no way this team should be under .500 seven games into the season.

Coach of the Year: Tom Coughlin, New York Giants

I know most people are picking Jim Harbaugh and/or Jim Schwartz for this award, and a few Chan Gailey, but I think Coughlin has done the best job. His team has been decimated by injury. The Giants play in the tough NFC East. He is coaching in the pressure cooker that is New York City. No one thought the Giants would be 5-2 right now after that preseason with all the injuries and contract drama, great job Coach Coughlin.

Executive of the Year: Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

For anyone that is a Bengals fan this is a shocker. I never thought I'd see the day when Mike Brown won any kind of award relating to success in football. Right now though he's the executive of the year and is likely the favorite to win the real thing at the end of the year. Look at the draft the Bengals had this year, right now it's looking like the best in the NFL. Also he pulled off one of the most one sided trades ever by trading a washed up Carson Palmer who didn't even play here anymore anyway. What he got in return was a 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick that could become a first, but I doubt it will Palmer isn't leading any team to the AFC Championship. Either way most were calling for him to trade Palmer for a 3rd or 4th just to get something. The perfect storm happened and now the future is bright in Cincinnati, finally! (AM I DREAMING!)

Defensive Player of the Year: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings

To me this isn't even close. I know Minnesota is having a bad year, but Allen has 12.5 sacks which leads the NFL. He also has 3 forced fumbles which I believe also leads the NFL and an interception. He is dominating games this year and he has a chance at the all time single season sack record. He is doing this on a team that has only won two games and his team has trailed a lot which makes it remarkable that he has that many sacks when he hasn't had nearly as many chances as other players due to teams not having to throw the ball against Minnesota.

Offensive Player of the Year: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

I give this award to a non QB since they always seem to win the MVP awards. Calvin is having a huge year leading the entire NFL in TD's for any position and 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards. He is basically uncoverable and has almost single handily carried the Detroit Lions offense and made them a playoff contender for the first time in a long time. Calvin has been there for many of the terrible years so I'm happy for him they are finally winning in Detroit.

Coordinator of the Year: Jay Gruden, Cincinnati Bengals

The job Jay has done with a rookie QB and a rookie number one WR is amazing. Also the fact that he did this in his first year with the Bengals, bringing in a new system and not having an off season to implement it during a lock out is unbelievable. Not to mention this is his first coordinator job in the NFL. I don't think Jay is going to be eligible for this award very long as teams will be knocking on his door for head coaching jobs very soon.

Suck for Luck Award: Indianapolis Colts

The Dolphins are right up there with them, but the Colts are now looking just pathetic. They lost 62-7 on a Sunday Night Game. Have some professional pride. For years people have said the Colts are a 4 win team without Manning. Well those people were wrong, because they'll be lucky if the win two games.

The I Got My Money Now I'm Gonna Suck Award: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

I gotta come up with a better name for this award, but you get the picture. It happens all the time in sports, someone gets that big contract and they are terrible afterwards. So congrats Chris Johnson you are that guy. You got your money now your gonna give no effort. I almost could tell this was gonna happen just by the way the guy acts.

The White Guy Cliche Award: High Motor

This year the white guy cliche is when the talking heads talk about white defensive lineman that are good it's they have a high motor or a motor that doesn't quit. Runner up would be talking about any white slot WR as a "Wes Welker Type"

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

This guy has it all. He is coming off a Super Bowl win and his team has shown no hangover signs so far starting off 7-0. He has a cool celebration with the whole championship belt thing. I'm sure he has a smoking hot girlfriend or wife as well. If you are Aaron Rodgers life is good.