Smidgeon
11-05-2010, 05:20 PM
Since everyone else is doing it...
MVP:
Aaron Rodgers. As in, do you really think the team won't miss him if he wasn't playing? This isn't an indictment on Matt Flynn but an aknowledgment that Rodgers is where the team begins and ends. If Matthews goes down, they can attempt to hide it in a scheme though the defense wouldn't be as good. If Rodgers goes down, this pass-first team with an opportunistic defense (though less so than last year) will only be able to limp through the season as an occasional spoiler for other teams.
Honorable Mention: Clay Matthews (see below)
Offensive Player of the Mid-Year:
Brandon Jackson. He leads the team in yards from scrimmage with over 100 more yards than the second, Greg Jennings. He doesn't have the TDs of Jennings (2 to 5), but is doing his best to keep defenses honest. When Ryan Grant went down, there didn't seem to be much hope for the ground game. But Jackson has been averaging 4.4 yards per attempt all year long which ties Grant's 2009 average and beats his 2008 average.
Honorable Mention: Greg Jennings. After a slow start in 2010 with 14 catches for 183 yards in the first five games, Jennings stepped up his game with 18 catches for 288 yards in the last three. While it still isn't the overall pace we're used to, it's much closer than what we expected before the season began.
Defensive Player of the Mid-Year:
Clay Matthews. His 9.5 sacks leads the NFL, even after sitting out over a game with a hamstring injury. Without him on the field, the defense became ordinary and lost two close games.
Honorable Mention: B.J. Raji. Can anyone overstate how important it is that Raji's been able to play almost every snap of every game this year and still make the offense account for him? If this year doesn't end with a Pro-Bowl nod, people haven't been paying attention.
Offensive Rookie:
Bryan Bulaga. While he fought hard for a starting position in training camp, an injury slowed him enough that the veteran experience in the line kept him as the top backup. He's played most of one game for Clifton and several games for Tauscher and looks to be a starter for a long time on that line.
Honorable Mention: Andrew Quarless. Even though he's had some rookie mistakes and recently got called out by his coach for not gutting out an injury, Quarless has already had more receptions in his rookie year in six games than Finley had in his rookie year in fourteen. Plus, he hasn't shown public immaturity by blaming his coaches and QB for his dropped passes. While he doesn't have the ceiling of Finley, Quarless shows a lot of potential to be a future #1 TE...for a team that doesn't have a super-TE.
Defensive Rookie:
Sam Shields. An early prediction to be cut in the training camp roster reductions when he couldn't catch a punt to save his life. He used his speed in the preseason games to keep being on the roster bubble and eventually worked his way up to legitimate nickel back. Another Tramon Williams? Perhaps. But Shields hasn't been picked on by opposing QBs. Which makes me wonder how good he's going to be considering he's been a DB less than two years.
Honorable Mention: Frank Zombo. A hard worker who made the team based on toughness in the preseason. He appears to play the run well though doesn't have a lot of pass rush to him. As an undrafted player, he still has time to develop.
Assistant:
Mike Trgovac. Could it be anybody else? He took Howard Green and made him a good player in one practice. He certainly didn't play like someone who had just been cut. Not only that, but Raji's been playing with a non-stop motor on a high play count and he's had Wilson and Wynn rotating in after season ending injuries to Harrell and Neal. He's also had Jenkins and Pickett miss portions of or entire games and the unit has still been stout.
Honorable Mention: (tie) Kevin Greene. If just for the progression of Clay Matthews. (tie) Ben McAdoo. The tight end situation was thrown for a huge loop when Finley went down and Lee got injured. What did McAdoo do? He got an undrafted TE in Crabtree and a player many thought was a year or two away in Quarless to show up and produce. Not too bad.
Coach/Coordinator:
Dom Capers. Despite all the injuries, Dom has been putting together a respectable defense in almost all of the games so far (ignore Detroit please). The Jets game was a testament to this. I think Capers is doing more this year in the system than he could last year. Next year the defense should be scary with more defensive starting quality players than there are starting spots.
Honorable Mention: Mike McCarthy. Granted, there wasn't much choice left between him, Philbin, or Slocum, but he gets credit for the Jets win, the challenges in the Minnesota game, and keeping an injured team on fire and playing like they have something to play for.
MVP:
Aaron Rodgers. As in, do you really think the team won't miss him if he wasn't playing? This isn't an indictment on Matt Flynn but an aknowledgment that Rodgers is where the team begins and ends. If Matthews goes down, they can attempt to hide it in a scheme though the defense wouldn't be as good. If Rodgers goes down, this pass-first team with an opportunistic defense (though less so than last year) will only be able to limp through the season as an occasional spoiler for other teams.
Honorable Mention: Clay Matthews (see below)
Offensive Player of the Mid-Year:
Brandon Jackson. He leads the team in yards from scrimmage with over 100 more yards than the second, Greg Jennings. He doesn't have the TDs of Jennings (2 to 5), but is doing his best to keep defenses honest. When Ryan Grant went down, there didn't seem to be much hope for the ground game. But Jackson has been averaging 4.4 yards per attempt all year long which ties Grant's 2009 average and beats his 2008 average.
Honorable Mention: Greg Jennings. After a slow start in 2010 with 14 catches for 183 yards in the first five games, Jennings stepped up his game with 18 catches for 288 yards in the last three. While it still isn't the overall pace we're used to, it's much closer than what we expected before the season began.
Defensive Player of the Mid-Year:
Clay Matthews. His 9.5 sacks leads the NFL, even after sitting out over a game with a hamstring injury. Without him on the field, the defense became ordinary and lost two close games.
Honorable Mention: B.J. Raji. Can anyone overstate how important it is that Raji's been able to play almost every snap of every game this year and still make the offense account for him? If this year doesn't end with a Pro-Bowl nod, people haven't been paying attention.
Offensive Rookie:
Bryan Bulaga. While he fought hard for a starting position in training camp, an injury slowed him enough that the veteran experience in the line kept him as the top backup. He's played most of one game for Clifton and several games for Tauscher and looks to be a starter for a long time on that line.
Honorable Mention: Andrew Quarless. Even though he's had some rookie mistakes and recently got called out by his coach for not gutting out an injury, Quarless has already had more receptions in his rookie year in six games than Finley had in his rookie year in fourteen. Plus, he hasn't shown public immaturity by blaming his coaches and QB for his dropped passes. While he doesn't have the ceiling of Finley, Quarless shows a lot of potential to be a future #1 TE...for a team that doesn't have a super-TE.
Defensive Rookie:
Sam Shields. An early prediction to be cut in the training camp roster reductions when he couldn't catch a punt to save his life. He used his speed in the preseason games to keep being on the roster bubble and eventually worked his way up to legitimate nickel back. Another Tramon Williams? Perhaps. But Shields hasn't been picked on by opposing QBs. Which makes me wonder how good he's going to be considering he's been a DB less than two years.
Honorable Mention: Frank Zombo. A hard worker who made the team based on toughness in the preseason. He appears to play the run well though doesn't have a lot of pass rush to him. As an undrafted player, he still has time to develop.
Assistant:
Mike Trgovac. Could it be anybody else? He took Howard Green and made him a good player in one practice. He certainly didn't play like someone who had just been cut. Not only that, but Raji's been playing with a non-stop motor on a high play count and he's had Wilson and Wynn rotating in after season ending injuries to Harrell and Neal. He's also had Jenkins and Pickett miss portions of or entire games and the unit has still been stout.
Honorable Mention: (tie) Kevin Greene. If just for the progression of Clay Matthews. (tie) Ben McAdoo. The tight end situation was thrown for a huge loop when Finley went down and Lee got injured. What did McAdoo do? He got an undrafted TE in Crabtree and a player many thought was a year or two away in Quarless to show up and produce. Not too bad.
Coach/Coordinator:
Dom Capers. Despite all the injuries, Dom has been putting together a respectable defense in almost all of the games so far (ignore Detroit please). The Jets game was a testament to this. I think Capers is doing more this year in the system than he could last year. Next year the defense should be scary with more defensive starting quality players than there are starting spots.
Honorable Mention: Mike McCarthy. Granted, there wasn't much choice left between him, Philbin, or Slocum, but he gets credit for the Jets win, the challenges in the Minnesota game, and keeping an injured team on fire and playing like they have something to play for.