Full Denver Broncos Awards at Halfway Point of 2014 Season
At 6-2, the Denver Broncos have played eight of their 16 games in the 2014 NFL season. Aside from last week's beatdown at the hands of the New England Patriots, the season has been overwhelmingly successful for the Broncos thus far.
There's still much more football to be played, and hopefully for Denver, that includes some playoff games, yet here are the awards at midseason for the Broncos.
Best Newcomer: Emmanuel Sanders
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Many would assume that this award is a no-brainer, yet defensive end DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Aqib Talib have also made huge waves in their first year with Denver.
Nonetheless, the impact of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has been absurd, and he wins the best first-year Bronco award.
Sanders is seventh in the league in receiving yards with 785 and third in receptions with 57.
He's made Denver fans forget about both Wes Decker and Eric Welker. (Maybe I got those names wrong; I can't remember.)
Rookie of the Year: Bradley Roby
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With the 31st pick of the 2014 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos used their first-round pick to draft former Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby.
After a brutal 43-8 loss in last year's Super Bowl, no one doubted that Denver needed to revamp its defensive backfield. It's always a mystery how college players, specifically cornerbacks, will transition into the pros, yet Roby has made the progression look seamless.
He's second on the team with 36 tackles and has done a brilliant job all season as the team's nickel corner. He's found his niche in covering speedy slot receivers and has proved to be very effective in this role.
There's no doubt that the Denver defense is much improved as a result of Roby, and hopefully for the Broncos, he'll become a franchise player, making waves on defense for years to come.
Most Improved: Ronnie Hillman
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Running back Ronnie Hillman isn't the most dynamic runner, yet he's done a splendid job so far this season filling in for the injured Montee Ball.
Hillman is a third-year player, yet this is the first season he's been getting his chance to shoulder the workload and prove that he's a reliable NFL running back.
In the five complete games he's played, Hillman has collected 365 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Denver is a pass-first team, yet Hillman has been doing a great job to change the pace and keep the defenses on their toes.
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Offensive Player of the Year: Demaryius Thomas
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Demaryius Thomas has topped 1,400 receiving yards in each of his last two seasons, and this year, he's on track for 1,788 yards.
While I doubt he'll collect quite this much yardage, he will probably once again top 1,400 and reach double digits in touchdowns for the third season in a row.
Thomas is truly a special talent, and he is now universally considered one of the league's most elite receivers.
With Thomas on the field, doors open not only for his production but also for his teammates. Emmanuel Sanders and tight end Julius Thomas have been fantastic, yet there is no question that with Thomas on the field, defenses almost always double-cover him, and even then, it is often in vain.
They say the greats are referred to by one name: Michael, LeBron, Jeter, Megatron, Peyton...Demaryius.
Defensive Player of the Year: Von Miller
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Outside linebacker Von Miller hasn't received the media hype this season that he has in recent years, yet that doesn't mean he's digressed in the slightest.
In fact, Miller looks back to himself circa 2012, when he collected 68 tackles and 18.5 sacks.
This season so far, Miller has 30 tackles and nine sacks, putting him on track to finish right around his 2012 figures.
The Denver Broncos are quietly tied for fifth in the league with 24 total sacks, and Miller is responsible for an astonishing 37.5 percent of those.
MVP: Peyton Manning
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There's no surprise here, and there really shouldn't be. While all of the players aforementioned in this slideshow, and many others on the Denver Broncos, have been great this season, the team would not be anywhere close to where it is right now if it weren't for No. 18, quarterback Peyton Manning.
The future Hall of Famer is defying the laws of aging and continuing to play football at an extremely high level.
At 38 years old, Manning is once again on track for over 5,000 passing yards and close to 50 passing touchdowns. Without fail, his completion percentage continues to hover right around 67-68 percent, and his passer rating of 112.0 is second among full-time starting quarterbacks. (Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers currently has a passer rating of 113.6.)
Manning is truly timeless and is one of the most remarkable players to ever play the game. He will ultimately be remembered as an Indianapolis Colt, yet he has already made quite a mark in his short tenure as a Denver Bronco.
If he finds a way to bring the Lombardi Trophy to the Mile High City this year, he'll go down as not only an Indianapolis legend but a Denver one as well.
All stats in this slideshow are courtesy of NFL.com.
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