Micah Parsons, Sauce Gardner highlight Cowherd’s Midseason NFL Awards
We’re halfway through the 2022 NFL season, meaning those vying for a little individual hardware are firmly making their case.
On Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd,” host Colin Cowherd gave out his midseason NFL awards. Here’s what he came up with:
Offensive Rookie of the Year: RB Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
Midseason stats: 570 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 5.1 yards per carry
Colin’s thoughts: “Do you know he leads all players in the NFL with six touchdowns in the fourth quarter? For a rookie, worn down, wearing down — not a chance. The Michigan State star has been a huge part of the resurgence. Two rookie tackles. Kenneth Walker, he is fun to watch.”
Jalen Hurts, Sauce Gardner, Micah Parsons highlight Colin’s midseason NFL awards
Colin Cowherd reveals his NFL midseason awards on “The Herd.”
Defensive Rookie of the Year: CB Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Midseason stats: Two interceptions, 13 passes defended, 44 combined tackles
Colin’s thoughts: “Thirteen passes defensed, leads the NFL. He is the second-highest graded corner in the league. By the way, this division, I got Stefon Diggs, I got those Miami guys. It’s not like he’s asked to sit and watch the run game. He is taking on stars in this league. He’s really fun. The minute he got into the league, the first week as a Jets fan you’re like, ‘Oh, we found an all-time great player at a position.’ He’s that good.”
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill stats: 76 receptions, 1,104 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns
Colin’s thoughts: “Most receiving yards through nine games in the Super Bowl era. And by the way, he just got to the team. New quarterback, new coach. Schedule hasn’t been easy. Not only leads the NFL in [receiving] yards with over 1,000 — he leads it by almost 250 yards. So nobody is close to his impact right now to me, individually.”
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Midseason stats: Eight sacks, two forced fumbles, 36 combined tackles
Colin’s thoughts: “Four games [with] multiple sacks. Eight sacks, 20 pressures. Even among top pass-rush protectors, for his size, he overpowers guys that weigh 50, 60 pounds more than he does. He is your classic game-wrecker. You can put him inside, outside, blitz, coverage. From Day 1 in this league, like Sauce Gardner, total difference-maker.”
NFL Coach of the Year: Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks record: 6-3, first in NFC West
Colin’s thoughts: “They only returned 11 of 22 starters. This is a brand-new team with a quarterback who is viewed as a bust. It’s also a tough division. Geno Smith‘s completion percentage is over 73%, by far and away the best in the league.”
NFL MVP: QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Midseason stats: 2,042 passing yards, 326 rushing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, six rushing touchdowns, two interceptions, 107.8 quarterback rating, 68.2% completion percentage
Colin’s thoughts: “I think even more than Josh Allen, I think he’s [Hurts] the soul of the team. Josh Allen’s the most valuable player on that team [Buffalo Bills]. I think this team is overlooked, and I think he embodies that. Nick Sirianni is overlooked. Jalen Hurts is overlooked, and I think the players feed off that. In Buffalo, they rely on Josh Allen. In Philly, they feed off Jalen Hurts, and that to me is true value.”
NFL Comeback Player: QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Midseason stats: 2,199 passing yards, 196 rushing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, 107.2 quarterback rating, 73.1% completion percentage
Colin’s thoughts: “He’s always been big and can move. But when people have called you a bust, and you’ve been a backup, now you got to get your mind right to be the guy. I’ve seen him have a couple of plays this year when you’re like, ‘He’s reverting back to Geno,’ and then the next drive he flips it immediately. That’s real composure. He couldn’t have done that six years ago. He’s really grown as a human being. It’s pretty cool to watch.”
Prediction for most regular-season wins: Philadelphia Eagles
Prediction for fewest regular-season wins: Houston Texas
Prediction for California team that finishes with the best record: San Francisco 49ers
Prediction for Florida team that finishes with the best record: Miami Dolphins
Prediction for “New York” team that finishes with the best record: New York Giants
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