With half of the NFL regular season in the rear-view mirror, it's time to take a look at 2007's standouts and hand out some awards.
MVP: This is an easy one. Tom Brady has been putting up ridiculous numbers through half the year. Project his totals out for the entire year and he will finish with 4,775 yards, 59 touchdowns, seven interceptions, a completion percentage of 73.2 and a 131.8 quarterback rating.
Those aren't just MVP numbers - those are numbers that would place him among the all-time greats. If the New England Patriots continue at the rate that they're going, Brady's a lock for this one at the end of the year.
Offensive Player of the Year: This one's a little more controversial, as a strong case could be made for a certain Patriots wide receiver. But Minnesota Vikings rookie sensation Adrian Peterson is stealing the show, and the edge in this category.
Despite his inexperience, Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards - by almost 300. He has carried a lackluster Vikings offense, and is probably the only reason they have a three in the wins column rather than a zero. Last week, Peterson turned in his best performance of the season, rushing for an NFL single-game record 296 yards and tallying three touchdowns.
Rookies aren't supposed to set single-game records. It's supposed to take years to get used to the speed of the NFL. Perhaps rookie running backs have it a little easier than, say, rookie quarterbacks, but Peterson's feats are still amazing.
He's the only rookie in NFL history to have two games of 200-plus rushing yards, and there's still half a season left. His 6.6 yards per carry also lead the league. Maybe Peterson couldn't conquer Boise State, but he seems to be dominating the NFL without much of a problem.
Defensive Player of the Year: There are a bunch of options for this one. Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel has 8.5 sacks and leads the league with five forced fumbles. The Washington Redskins' Sean Taylor and Baltimore Ravens' Ed Reed are clearly the best safeties in the NFL, as they are tied for the league lead with five interceptions and are among the hardest hitters in the game.
The New York Giants' Osi Umenyiora has eight sacks and three forced fumbles - one of which he returned for a touchdown - and his constant pressure on the quarterback has created openings for other players and improved the defense tremendously. Giants backup defensive end Justin Tuck is two off the NFL lead with seven sacks.
But the winner of this midseason award is Green Bay Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman. He leads the NFL with nine sacks and plays the run well, having recorded an impressive 39 tackles from the end position. He has at least a half a sack in all but one of the Packers' games, showing remarkable consistency. Packers fans should give credit to Kampman and the rest of the defense for Green Bay's 7-1 record.
Rookie of the Year: Clearly Peterson's got this one in the bag, but since he's already our Offensive Player of the Year, Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch gets the nod. Lynch has played with an awful offensive line and no reliable quarterback to speak of, but he has still put up steady numbers all year, which is part of the reason he's fourth in the NFL in rushing yards.
Like Peterson, Lynch is only getting better. He turned in his best performance of the year on Sunday when he broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time, rushing for 153 yards and a touchdown, as well as doing his best LT impersonation by throwing for an additional touchdown. The Bills are at .500 right now, and it's certainly not because of quarterback Trent Edwards, who has one touchdown and five interceptions. Lynch is here to stay.
Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick and Tony Dungy are perennially among the best coaches in the league, and one could make a case for either deserving this award. But this one's going to Giants coach Tom Coughlin.
After an 0-2 start in which the team looked terrible, panic was spreading in New York and it would have been easy for Coughlin to lose control of a downward-spiraling season.
Instead, he has completely transformed his image from a hard-nosed disciplinarian to a friendly, benevolent player's coach, leading the Giants to six straight wins. Any man capable of that type of personality change in his 70s deserves an award.
