The First Annual Half Way Awards

NFL Half Way Awards

Now that the NFL season is half way done, I thought it would be great time to give out the first annual Sportsbook Veteran Half Way Awards. Like the end of season, awards except these don’t mean anything.

Most Valuable Player of the first half – Peyton Manning

The choice is between Drew Brees and Peyton Manning both lead 8-0 teams but I picked Peyton Manning because he’s done it with a weaker team.  The Colts are a bottom 5 rushing team and the Saints are a top five rushing team. The Colts need Peyton’s arm to win.

Least Valuable Player of the first half – JaMarcus Russell

Russell has done nothing to live up to his pre-draft hype. He’s only completed 42% of his passes and holds a dismal, 47.1 passer rating. If a quarterback doesn’t complete a single pass, he gets a 39-passer rating.  Somewhere Ryan Leaf is smiling from rehab.

Rookie of the First Half – Percy Harvin

Harvin is living up to the pre-draft hype; he can run, catch and return kicks. He leads the league in return yards, averaging over 107 yards a game and he has returned two kicks for touchdowns. Harvin makes the field a lot shorter for Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson.

Old Guy Performing like a Young Guy of the first half – Tie Brett Favre and Darren Sharper

Brett Favre is second to Drew Brees with a 106-passer rating and a 16 to 3 TD to INT ratio. We all grew sick of Favre’s flip-flopping in the offseason but unless you’re a Packer fan, you have to agree he made the right choice. The old gunslinger still has some bullets left.

Unless your name is Deion Sanders, 34-year-old corner backs aren’t supposed to dominate the league, in fact not only dominate but also get better. Sharper has been a ball hawk for the Saints making big plays for the defense including seven interceptions and three returned for touchdowns. Sharper is padding his resume for Canton.

Coach of the First Half – Josh McDaniel

Of the Bill Belichick protégés starting new gigs this season Josh McDaniel has performed the best. Coaching the Broncos to an AFC West best 6-2 record, this includes a win over Belichick’s own Patriots. The second half will be harder for the Broncos as they weren’t expected to contend in 2009 so they surprised many early but teams will be ready for them in the second half.

Award for Impersonating a Head Coach in the First Half of the Season – Eric Mangini

Eric Mangini has been called Eric Man-Genius but I think it’s like when you call a fat guy slim.

I think the only reason Mangini still has a job is that owner Randy Lerner is still on the hook for $21 Million dollars for Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage.