We’ve surpassed the half-way point in this year’s NFL campaign. The season has brought a lot of surprise performances from back-up QBs, a legitimate non-QB MVP contender, an undefeated NFC team, and much more. With that being said, it’s a good time to analyze what we’ve seen so far. This week, we hand out our 2019 NFL midseason awards.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Comeback Player of the Year award is typically given to a player returning from injury. There are plenty of players that ended last year on IR that could win this title. Earl Thomas, Cooper Kupp, Emmanuel Sanders, and Landon Collins are all in the running, but they all missed less than half the season. I’m not sure how much that factors into the decision-making, but I’d say a player would have to miss more than half of the season to be eligible.
For that reason, I’m giving this award to Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers QB has led his team to a perfect 8-0 start, throwing for 1,806 yards, 13 TDs, and 7 INTs. His 2018 season ended after just three games due to an ACL tear. Garoppolo has picked up right where he left off in 2017. While he’s not the only reason the Niners are in this position, he’s a big part.
COACH OF THE YEAR
I mean, this award has to go to Kyle Shanahan, right? Having an undefeated team is pretty much a guarantee that you’re going to win COTY. Shanahan has done a great job with developing his offense to help ease Jimmy G back into the game. His defense has also been one of the best in the league, letting up only 12.8 points per game (second behind New England). I think this award is all but locked up for the year.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs was someone I was really high on entering the season. He’s lived up to the college hype surrounding him, totaling 740 rushing yards and six touchdowns. With Oakland’s offense being up in the air entering 2019, Jacobs has been a calming and consistent force to rest on. With a few rookie WRs also in the mix, Jacobs will need to continue to put up numbers as the premier offensive weapon in Oakland to secure this award.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
The Bosa brothers may be the most dominant siblings the football world has ever seen. Nick Bosa has taken the NFL by storm as part of the league’s second-best defense. His seven sacks are tied for the most among rookies with Jacksonville’s Josh Allen. San Francisco’s defensive draft picks are finally starting to come together and win football games for them, and Bosa will be a staple for them for years to come.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Russell Wilson has been the best QB in the NFL in 2019. If Patrick Mahomes hadn’t had gotten injured, this award may be going to him. However, this is how the cookie’s crumbled. Wilson’s thrown for 2,505 yards, 22 TDs, and only ONE interception while leading his team to a 7-2 record in a competitive NFC. His awareness is almost as impressive as his ability, as he always knows exactly when to tuck the ball and run. He’s not a running QB, but he uses his legs well and extends plays better than almost anyone in the league. A Monday Night match-up with the undefeated 49ers will certainly take everything Wilson has.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
There are SO many good defensive players in the league right now. I hope people are realizing just how good we have it. There will be a lot of names up for this award including both Bosa brothers, but I think it’s time that the secondary reclaims the DPOY award for the first time since Troy Polamalu in 2010.
Stephon Gilmore has been the best CB in the game over the last two seasons. There have been a lot of questions about the teams New England has faced so far in 2019, but the WRs Gilmore has gone up against aren’t terrible – OBJ, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Hollywood Brown to name a few. We’ll have to see if this trend continues against the likes of Alshon Jeffery, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins, and A.J. Green in the second half of the year.
You can only play the guys on your schedule, and holding opponents to 18 receptions, 220 yards, 0 TDs, and a 27.45 passer rating while recording 10 PDs and 3 INTs is pretty remarkable.
NFL MVP
The MVP will be coming out of the QBs’ hands for the first time since Adrian Peterson in 2012. That’s how good Christian McCaffrey has been this season. The Panthers RB has produced 881 yards and a league-leading 10 TDs on the ground and 42 receptions for 363 yards and 3 TDs in the air. McCaffrey is the reason the Panthers are still pounding strong in the NFC South with a 5-3 record despite losing Cam Newton early in the year. The second-generation superstar is lighting up the NFL this year, and so far, he’s my MVP.