Full Philadelphia Eagles Awards at the Halfway Point of the Season
It's been a wild, crazy eight games for the Philadelphia Eagles, and something tells me things are about to get even crazier.
Although the Eagles are in first place in the NFC East with a 6-2 record, there's a sense of impending doom among the fanbase right now. Starting quarterback Nick Foles suffered a broken collarbone in the victory against the Houston Texans, an injury that could end up costing him the rest of the season.
Inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles, a season-ending injury for the 30-year-old defensive captain, while veteran guard Todd Herremans may need season-ending surgery on a torn bicep.
Credit Chip Kelly and the rest of his brilliant coaching staff for keeping the team in the playoff race. When one man goes down, another steps up, as fans have seen throughout this season, notably on the offensive line and at inside linebacker.
With eight games to go, the Eagles still need to face the Dallas Cowboys twice, plus the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Things can and will change dramatically over the next two months, but at this point, the team awards for the Eagles are as follows...
Most Valuable Player: Jason Peters
1 of 9
There are a number of Eagles players who have helped carry the team this season, notably Darren Sproles, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Peters. The general consensus among the fanbase is that Maclin has been the team MVP, but I'm going to opt for left tackle Jason Peters for this award.
Peters' value to this team cannot be expressed. With an offensive line that was decimated by injuries early in the season, the big left tackle was the rock who held the offense together.
Without Peters, LeSean McCoy might have had negative rushing yards against the Redskins and 49ers. Without Peters, Nick Foles might have been injured a month ago. Without Peters, the offensive line would have consisted of Andrew Gardner, Matt Tobin, David Molk, Dennis Kelly and Todd Herremans for portions of the season. That's a scary, scary thought.
It was Peters who shut down fearsome pass-rushers Robert Quinn and Jason Pierre-Paul in consecutive games. He rates as the best player on the Eagles according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and the third-best offensive lineman in football.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jeremy Maclin
2 of 9
Here's where Jeremy Maclin gets his due. The former first-round pick has been the best offensive player this season; it's really not even close.
In eight games, Maclin has caught 45 passes for 790 yards and eight touchdowns. He's on pace for 1,580 yards and 16 touchdowns, which would both be single-season records for an Eagles receiver.
His one-handed catch against the San Francisco 49ers on third down is one of the best catches you'll ever see, and he's proving to be a legitimate weapon on the deep ball and a much more complete receiver than DeSean Jackson.
"Maclin has the game-clinching TD against Texans, game-tying TD against Colts, and game-winning touchdown against Redskins. #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) November 3, 2014"
Defensive Player of the Year: Malcolm Jenkins
3 of 9
There are realistically four players who could be chosen as the defensive MVP for the Eagles this season. Defensive end Fletcher Cox, linebackers Connor Barwin and Trent Cole and safety Malcolm Jenkins have all been exceptional through the first half of the season.
But when considering the depth of the rest of the team, Jenkins is easily the most valuable. The former New Orleans Saints castoff signed a three-year deal in free agency and promptly intercepted three passes in his first four games. He's been terrific in coverage and a solid tackler.
If Cox went down, the Eagles would start Vinny Curry. If Barwin and/or Cole went down, the Eagles would start Brandon Graham. Both are solid backups and could succeed as starters. But if Jenkins went down with an injury, the Eagles would be forced to turn to Earl Wolff opposite Nate Allen. That wouldn't end well.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jordan Matthews
4 of 9
There's really only one rookie on the offensive side of the ball who has made any kind of contribution for the Eagles this season: second-round pick Jordan Matthews.
The hype for Matthews was a little excessive during OTAs, and Matthews hasn't been one of the six or seven standout rookie receivers in the NFL this season.
But he's still had success as the team's slot receiver, catching 32 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers put him on pace for 64 catches, 626 yards and six scores.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brandon Bair
5 of 9
No rookie on the defensive side of the ball has impressed for the Eagles this season.
First-round Marcus Smith has collected zero tackles in eight games. Fourth-round corner Jaylen Watkins and fifth-round defensive end Taylor Hart have been inactive each week. Fifth-round safety Ed Reynolds was cut before the start of the season. Only seventh-round nose tackle Beau Allen hasn't been a disappointment halfway through the season.
So I'm going to bend the rules a little and select a player who has technically appeared in games with three teams over the past three seasons but never on the defensive side of the ball.
That would be Brandon Bair, a reserve defensive end who turns 30 next month. In limited action, Bair has collected 1.5 sacks and five tackles. He also added a blocked field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars and managed to tip another kick against the San Francisco 49ers.
Offseason Acquisition of the Year: Darren Sproles
6 of 9
The Eagles were not heavy spenders in free agency last offseason. They elected not to pursue safeties Jairus Byrd or T.J. Ward, instead signing former first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins. On the offensive side of the ball, they added veteran running back and return man Darren Sproles.
Both Jenkins and Sproles have been spectacular this season, but it's Sproles who has made a significant contribution in every game he's played.
The 31-year-old running back is averaging 6.5 yards per carry and has scored three touchdowns. He's also averaging a career-high 12.2 yards per catch, and on special teams, Sproles has averaged 15.4 yards per punt return, which includes an 82-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.
Offensive Dud of the Year: Nick Foles
7 of 9
Now that LeSean McCoy has picked it up over the last few weeks, there's really only one candidate for offensive dud.
That would be quarterback Nick Foles, who has done everything to show that his incredible 2013 season was a major fluke.
After throwing 27 touchdowns against two interceptions in 2013, Foles has thrown 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this year. He's been a turnover machine, and now that he has a broken collarbone, there's a decent chance that he'll never start in Philadelphia again.
Defensive Dud of the Year: Marcus Smith
8 of 9
There's only option for this selection. Cornerbacks Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher have been disappointing, but no player has failed to meet expectations as much as first-round pick Marcus Smith.
Considered to be a second- or third-round talent, Smith was picked with the 26th selection in the first round. He's produced almost nothing on the field this season, playing in 50 defensive snaps and collecting as many tackles as you and me.
"It's week 9 of the regular season and Marcus Smith is a healthy scratch. Not even playing on special teams.
— Kyle (@IgglesNest) November 2, 2014"
The Eagles have been working Smith at inside linebacker for the past few weeks, but he's still far from NFL-ready, which is a shame considering the recent injury to DeMeco Ryans.
There's still plenty of time for Smith to establish himself as a solid starter or even a star, but halfway through his rookie season, he really couldn't have done less.
Position Coach of the Year: Jerry Azzinaro
9 of 9
Obviously, head coach Chip Kelly is the most important member of the team's coaching staff. He's led the Eagles to six wins in their first eight games despite coaching a team that just can't stay healthy.
Special teams coach Dave Fipp has been tremendous, as the Eagles have produced four touchdowns in a six-game span.
But the most impressive position coach has been defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro. Kelly's assistant head coach has done a terrific job with both the team's pass rush and their run defense.
The Eagles have allowed just two rushing touchdowns in eight games, while defensive ends Fletcher Cox, Vinny Curry and Brandon Bair have done a terrific job as pass-rushers. Cedric Thornton is stout as always against the run, and Bennie Logan has locked up the nose tackle position in his second season.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
