With each team having now played at least eight games, the NFL has officially reached its midway point.
What does that mean here at the Denver Post? It’s time to hand out some midseason awards, obviously. But we’ll let others debate the MVP, rookie of the year and coach of the year awards.
Here are the players, teams and, yes, footwear that have us talking at the season’s halfway pole:
Came Out Of Nowhere Award: , RB, Redskins.
In his fifth season, Thompson already has set career highs in receiving yards (435) and receiving touchdowns (three), and he’s well on his way to eclipsing his single-season high in rushing yards. Thompson, who has dealt with various injuries during his career that have hampered his production, has four games of at least 52 yards receiving — and that has come in a change-of-pace role. He’s a safety valve for QB Kirk Cousins who can turn a leak out of the backfield into a busted pipe with his electric open-field ability.
The Vet Who Still Has It Award: Calais Campbell, DE, Jaguars.
The former Denver South standout leads the NFL with 11 sacks, which included a four-sack performance against Houston in the season opener. The 31-year-old appears to have found the fountain of youth in Jacksonville. Through eight games, he’s already tallied two more sacks than in any other season during his 10-year career.
Player You Never Expected To Save Your Fantasy Team: Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Lions.
Detroit expected big production out of Jones when they signed the former Bengals WR as a free agent ahead of the 2016 season. Coming off a three-game stretch in which he has caught 19 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns, Jones is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season. He’s given QB Matthew Stafford a target you could call Megatron Light. He’s no , but the Lions appear to be getting their money’s worth out of Jones.
Team We Didn’t See Coming (Thumps Up Edition): Los Angeles Rams.
What a difference a new head coach makes. Jared Goff struggled mightily as a rookie quarterback under Jeff Fisher last season. But he’s found a kindred spirit in 31-year-old Sean McVay, who has maximized the quarterback’s strengths while creating an energetic culture at the base of the Hollywood hills for a 6-2 team leading the NFC West race.
Team We Didn’t See Coming (Thumps Down Edition): Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After flirting with the postseason a season ago, the Bucs seemed poised to make a big jump and compete for the NFC South title. Instead, they’ve cratered through the first half of 2017. QB Jameis Winston hasn’t taken the jump most expected, and now he’s injured. And that’s only one problem on a long list.
Catch Of The Season’s First Half: , WR, Dolphins.
With Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined for the season due to an injury, Parker did his best to pay tribute to the “The Odell Catch.”
DeVante Parker comes up with an AMAZING one-handed grab!
— LeadingNFL (@LeadingNFL)
Best Cleats: , LB, Broncos.
This was probably the award with the most competition. But how can you beat shoes that actually look like they could help a player fly? That, of course, refers to the rooster cleats from Adidas worn by Miller as he warmed up in Los Angeles last month.
.'s custom "Rooster 2.0" Adidas Freak cleats for Week 7. More:
— SoleCollector.com (@SoleCollector)
If those weren’t enough to take the cake, Miller followed up with a Halloween-inspired pair that were scary good …
.'s Frankenstein-themed custom Adidas Freak cleats for Halloween. More:
— SoleCollector.com (@SoleCollector)
