Full 49ers Awards at Halfway Point of 2014 Season

After such a disappointing loss to the St. Louis Rams last Sunday, I doubt anyone cares about midseason awards. At 4-4, the San Francisco 49ers are fighting for their playoff lives. 

With the Arizona Cardinals racking up another victory and the Seattle Seahawks staying afloat at 5-3, the 49ers' margin of error is razor thin at this point. One more strike in the loss column could all but erase the 49ers' chances to make the postseason. 

Now, with all this on the minds of players and fans alike, why celebrate an underachieving 49ers team? Well, highlighting the outstanding players can give us perspective on whom we shouldn't blame heading into an all-important bout against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. 

Let's examine the midseason awards for the 49ers! 

Defensive Rookie

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Pick: Aaron Lynch (OLB)

At the quarter mark of the season, first-round pick Jimmie Ward was the selection here. With the season halfway gone, this pick can be none other than Aaron Lynch. 

Lynch's role has expanded over the last few weeks, and the former South Florida player has rewarded the 49ers with great play from the outside linebacker position. Lynch can stand to improve as a run-stopper, but he's undeniably a talented edge-rusher.

Like his teammate Aldon Smith, Lynch (6'5", 270 lbs) is a physical specimen. Lynch has excellent speed, fluid hips, long arms and underrated strength as an edge-rusher. If the 49ers can find him playing time over the next few years, who knows what he can achieve on the field. 

With Smith possibly returning in a week or two, I wonder how the 49ers will use Lynch. The expectation is that Lynch will enter the game on nickel downs, but I'll believe it when I see it. If you haven't noticed, the 49ers hate subbing linemen in, despite their excellent depth along the defensive line. 

Regardless, the 49ers have found a gem in Lynch. If there's truth to the Ahmad Brooks trade talk, as reported by NFL Insider Jay Glazer, we could see Lynch and Smith terrorizing opposing quarterbacks sooner than we think. 

Offensive Rookie

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Pick: Carlos Hyde (RB)

The selection of Carlos Hyde here has nothing to do with his production. If you look at the 49ers' draft selections, there is no other offensive rookie worthy of this award. Hyde wins by default. 

Now, Hyde was the selection during the quarter mark of the season, but the rookie running back actually deserved the award. He looked fantastic and actually had the production warranted for this selection. 

Of course, things have changed since the quarter mark of the season. 

I don't put the blame on Hyde; rather it should shift to the 49ers coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Greg Roman. 

This 49ers offense has become too pass-oriented over the last several weeks. It's one thing if this passing offense has taken off with this philosophical shift, but as we know, that hasn't occurred. 

This team needs to return to its run-oriented roots. It seems the 49ers have this out-of-body experience every year before they start realizing that running the football is the key to victory. 

We'll see if the 49ers return to their roots against the Saints this Sunday. 

Comeback Player

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Pick: Ian Williams (NT)

At the quarter mark of the season, Ian Williams was the selection for the Comeback Player award. With the halfway point upon us, I see no reason to make a change. 

Williams has been sensational in replacing the injured Glenn Dorsey. He's already one of the best run-stuffing nose tackles in the league and has shown to be an underrated pass-rusher up the middle. 

The 49ers have so much talent along the defensive line, especially when Aldon Smith and Dorsey return later in the season. The 49ers will likely bring Dorsey along slowly due to the play of Williams. 

Unfortunately, Williams will not receive the recognition he deserves for his play this season, but those who know football understand his value to this defense. 

Defensive Player

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Pick: Antoine Bethea (SS)

My selection of Bethea over Patrick Willis might surprise a few folks, but if you watch closely, the newcomer has played lights out since joining San Francisco. Forget replacing Donte Whitner's production—Bethea is playing at an All Pro level. 

Bethea has always been a fantastic run-stopper. With the Indianapolis Colts, Bethea was a big hitter with above-average cover ability. He was known for his run-stopping abilities but was more than solid in coverage to hold his own. 

In his first season with the 49ers, Bethea looks like a different player. He looks extremely fluid in coverage, while also maintaining that edge and relentlessness as a run-stopper. 

Cornerback Perrish Cox was receiving a ton of attention by the media for his play, but Bethea has been just as good if not better. When this defense gets fully healthy, Bethea's play should go up another notch.

Though, that will be difficult considering how good he's been through the halfway point of the season. 

Offensive Player

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Pick: Colin Kaepernick (QB)

After his inconsistent play over the last two weeks, some are wondering if Kaepernick should be on any awards list. I certainly understand why folks are doubting No. 7, but we have to put things in perspective before we start pointing the blame. 

Is Kaepernick costing the 49ers games? No!

Is Kaepernick the reason the 49ers are winning games? No!

Kaepernick doesn't deserve the blame, but he also isn't the main reason for the 49ers' success up to this point. The crux of this team will be the defense, and it will stay that way until further notice. 

This offense as a whole has struggled. It starts with the play of the offensive line. 

For the last three years, the 49ers offensive line has been the best position group in the NFL. San Francisco had Pro Bowl and All Pro players at almost every position along the line. While this wasn't the best pass-protecting unit, the linemen were still very good at that end. 

Fast-forward three years later, and the 49ers offensive line has turned into the team's biggest weakness. Yes, injuries have played a role in their performance, but so has poor play.

Simply put, this 49ers line looks lost. 

It's deeply affecting the play of Kaepernick. Statistically speaking, Kaepernick has fared well. He boasts a 94.8 quarterback rating and a 12-5 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions. 

More than anything, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers decide to run the football more in the coming weeks. Despite the offensive line's struggles with run blocking, this is a unit built to run the football.

Maybe some success on the ground will help renew the 49ers' confidence in other areas. This would only help their young quarterback.   

MVP

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Pick: Patrick Willis (ILB)

Wait, what?

How is it that Willis wins this award but can't beat out Bethea for the best defensive player on the team? Well, its simple folks. 

When you look at the MVP award, both performance and leadership should be considered. Yes, we largely base this award on production, but we have to ask ourselves if that should be the only category. 

Look at J.J. Watt. He's likely the best defensive player in the league, but his team stands at 4-5. Some folks would argue that the quarterback situation is awful, but the Texans defense is ranked 27th in terms of total yards. 

Is J.J. Watt still a great player? Absolutely! However, his impact hasn't rubbed off on the other defensive players on the roster. 

How does this relate to Willis? In simple terms, Willis is the heart and soul of this team. He's not only the team's best defensive player but also a leader within the organization. 

The 49ers miss Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman, but the absence of Willis is far greater. The 49ers are 0-2 this season with Willis out of the lineup. 

With both Bowman and Smith out, Willis led the 49ers to a 4-2 record. For whatever reason, Willis seems to be taking a backseat to other linebackers like Luke Kuechly despite the 49ers' record with him in the lineup.

Not to mention, the 49ers had the second-best defense in the league prior to their game against the Denver Broncos, in which Willis was inactive.  

I'm not sure if the 49ers can still catch up in the NFC West, but once Willis returns to the lineup, we should see a far more improved 49ers team.