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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

2016 NFL midseason awards – Matt Ryan takes MVP

Matt Ryan Falcons

We have now reached the mid-way point of the 2016 NFL regular season, and players have all settled into their respective roles. Trends have been set, expectations have been established and we generally have a good feel about where teams and players stand.

With all of that in mind, here are our mid-season awards based on what we’ve seen through nine weeks of the season.

NFL MVP: Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan

By the time this season ends, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may very well take over this spot. But at the halfway point, he’s played only half of his team’s games due to his Deflategate suspension, so for now, the honor belongs to someone else.

Enter Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who edges out his own teammate, wide receiver Julio Jones, for the award.

Ryan could also be considered the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year for the way he’s performed in 2016, but we’ll get to that later. Right now, it’s all about giving Ryan the tip of the cap he deserves.

After a rough 2015 campaign, many had begun to wonder aloud if Ryan’s tenure with Atlanta was nearing its end. But after nine weeks of the season, Ryan currently leads the NFL in passing yards (2,980), touchdowns (23) and is second only to Drew Brees in completion percentage (69.6) for registering quarterbacks. Ryan is also the second-highest graded quarterback in the league courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Most importantly? Ryan has led the Falcons to a 6-3 record, which currently tops the NFC South.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott

There was little doubt — even less debate — about the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the midway point. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been a game-changer for Dallas, teaming with fellow rookie Dak Prescott to help the team survive the loss of quarterback Tony Romo.

After a rough first game against the New York Giants, Elliott has turned up the thermostat and is not only the league’s premier offensive rookie, but could arguably be considered the best running back in the game.

Through nine weeks of the season, Elliott leads the NFL in rushing (891), yards per game (111.4), first downs rushing (51) and is fifth in rushing touchdowns (7). He is also currently on pace for 1,782 yards on the season, which could lead to him eventually challenging Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record.

Yes, Elliott runs behind one of the best offensive lines in all of football, but he’s been every bit as good as advertised. He’s also one of the reasons the Cowboys are 7-1 on the season and lead the way in the NFC.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: San Diego Chargers DE/OLB Joey Bosa

After a lengthy “holdout” and some apparent bad feelings, first-round pick Joey Bosa signed his rookie deal and reported to the Chargers before almost immediately suffering an injury. And while it caused him to miss four games, he’s made enough of an impact in his five appearances to prove San Diego got their money’s worth.

On the season, Bosa has made 14 tackles (11 solo), while recording four sacks, two stuffs and one forced fumble. But those numbers are really just the tip of the iceberg.

Per Pro Football Focus’ advanced analytics, Bosa has recorded 30 pressures and 10 defensive stops in only 236 snaps. He also hasn’t had a single game in which he recorded fewer than four quarterback pressure. Allow that mind-boggling statistic to set in a bit.

The Chargers themselves may be a bit of a roller coaster, but Bosa is as consistent as it gets. He also offers their defense unique versatility with the ability to play either defensive end spot, as well as outside linebacker.

Comeback Player of the Year: Cleveland Browns WR Terrelle Pryor

As we mentioned earlier, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award could very well go to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Instead, we’re going to take this in a different direction — one that is several years in the making.

In the third-round of the 2011 Supplemental Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected quarterback Terrelle Pryor after he left Ohio State early as part of the fallout from the tattoo scandal.

The Raiders figured they’d gamble on the talented and highly-decorated quarterback, but things didn’t necessarily work out. After three inconsistent seasons, Pryor was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, but failed to make final cuts. He then briefly bounced around the NFL, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals before finding himself without a job.

He did not appear in a single game during that post-Oakland span.

In 2015, Pryor joined the Cleveland Browns as a wide receiver, but appeared in only three games, hauling in one reception for 42 yards. Still, the team saw something in Pryor and brought him back in 2016.

Through nine games this season, Pryor has completely revitalized his career at a new position, hauling in 46 receptions for 579 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers include an incredibly impressive 11-catch, 101-yard performance against the New York Jets and future Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis.

If Pryor keeps up his current pace, he’ll finish the season with 80-plus receptions for 1,000-plus yards and seven touchdowns.

Coach of the Year: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick

Facing the first quarter of the season without quarterback Tom Brady, who is arguably one of the best to ever play the game, the pressure was on Patriots coach Bill Belichick to navigate some very choppy waters.

In typical Belichick fashion, he not only managed to find his way through a potentially rough stretch, but he thrived during it. And that was made all the more impressive due to an unexpected quarterback carousel.

The Patriots started the season with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm, but an injury forced them to turn to the very green Jacoby Brissett. Through it all, Belichick adjusted and re-adjusted his strategy and it paid off. The Patriots went 3-1 without the luxury of Brady and, since his return, the team has gone undefeated.

Mid-season or not, Belichick won the award over the first four games of the season, and it’s highly unlikely that’s going to change over the remaining eight weeks.

Belichick, at this point in his career, has established himself as arguably the greatest coach in the history of the NFL scandals be damned. Barring a tremendous upset the remainder of the way, he will find himself right in the middle of yet another Super Bowl hunt come January.

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