Can halfway award contenders sustain success?
In a most unpredictable of NFL seasons, with only the Detroit Lions showing true consistency — and not quite what you seek — pinpointing the best performances at the halfway mark is a particularly difficult task.
For example, who is the front-runner for Coach of the Year with the likes of Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Vrabel, Matt LaFleur, Sean Payton and John Harbaugh performing so well?
With reigning Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry probably sidelined for the remainder of the regular season after another dominant two months, who deserves the nod? Is three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald deserving of an unprecedented fourth honor?
Here’s what some members of the voting panel think:
MVP
This seems to be by invitation to quarterbacks only.
“It’s a tossup right now,” says Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “Kyler Murray’s chances actually might have decreased with the Cardinals’ victory over the 49ers as they won easily without him and with Colt McCoy, who is a career backup. Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Tom Brady. Take your pick. No one is running away with the award, and I’d say no one is in the lead. The only reason I give it to Murray now is because his team has the best record.”
Adds Rick Gosselin of the Talk of Fame Network: “There are three teams with 7-2 records at the midway point and Murray has beaten two of them. Who would have thought back in August that Arizona would be the first team to eight wins?”
John Czarnecki of Fox Sports leans toward the “old man” of the QB collection.
“Has to be Tom Brady based on his 25 touchdowns and production overall,” Czarnecki says.
None of the voters canvassed felt a non-quarterback was among the frontrunners.
COACH OF THE YEAR
This is wide open, as well. Bob Glauber of Newsday favors Arizona’s Kingsbury.
“How big a risk did Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and GM Steve Keim take in hiring Kingsbury? Well, the guy had a sub-.500 record in college and his ‘Air Raid’ offense was thought to be unworkable in the NFL,” Glauber says. “Well, how’d that work out? The Cardinals have the best record in football, and Kingsbury’s cutting-edge offense is the envy of the NFL.”
For Jim Miller of SiriusXM, Kingsbury is in the mix and two others are pushing him.
“I’m looking at (Green Bay’s) LaFleur, Kingsbury, and keeping my eye on Sean Payton,” Miller says. “It will be interesting how Sean navigates the quarterback issue moving forward without Jameis Winston, but the Saints have the defense.”