NFL Midseason Awards: St. Louis Rams, Sam Bradford and 25 Biggest Surprises

At the NFL's midseason point, it's time to hand out a few awards and look at the biggest surprises of the season so far.

While everyone hoped guys like Sam Bradford would bring an immediate turnaround to the St. Louis Rams, he's succeeding beyond what even the Rams' front office probably had hoped for.

There are a few teams under-performing and a handful of players who are catching everyone's attention who were unknown a few months ago.

Read on for some awards and some surprises.

Honorable Mention: The Donovan McNabb Situation

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DETROIT - OCTOBER 31: Kyle Vanden Bosch #93 of the Detroit Lions hits Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins during the first quarter of the game at Ford Field on October 31, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

While it's too early in the process to properly rank the Donovan McNabb situation in Washington, it's worth mentioning his benching at the end of the Detroit game, the subsequent comments, and the fact that JaMarcus Russell now has been brought in to work out with the Redskins.

This is as bizarre a situation as you will see in the NFL and we'll be ranking it down the road.

25. Best Backup Award: Kerry Collins

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 24: Kerry Collins #5 of the Tennessee Titans throws a pass during the NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles at LP Field on October 24, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans won 37-19. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Kerry Collins came in and looked like he'd been running the Titans offense for years.

Even though Vince Young gets most of the reps in practice and Collins has filled in before, you have to applaud a guy who is able to step in and keep the offense as open and unpredictable as Collins has.

24. Surprise: David Garrard

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback David Garrard #9 of the Jacksonville Jaguars throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the game at EverBank Field on October 18, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

We're not saying David Garrard is a horrible quarterback, but he's not one of the elite QBs in the league.

So his near-perfect 157.8 quarterback rating on Sunday is pretty amazing. You expect to see that occasionally from a Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Tom Brady.

But David Garrard? On this team?

No matter what, a QB rating like that qualifies as a surprise.

23. Surprise: The Jets' Win Streak

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Darrelle Revis #24 of the New York Jets reacts against the Green Bay Packers on October 31, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Despite not having Darrelle Revis for several games, and despite Mark Sanchez not really lighting it up, the Jets went on a five-game winning streak after the opening week loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Sanchez is on pace to have an average season, but Braylon Edwards caught more balls than he dropped during this run.

However, Sanchez' accuracy numbers are awful, with his completion rate at 53 percent, making the win streak that much more surprising.

22. Surprise: Ryan Fitzpatrick's Fantasy Numbers

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 10: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Buffalo Bills gets ready to take the snap agaisnt the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. Jacksonville won 36-26. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Get

While the Buffalo Bills still have no wins to show for it, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been delighting the few fantasy owners who decided to take him. He has thrown for 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns already this season.

Take that, Tom Brady owners!

21. Surprise: Colt McCoy Looking Better Than Jimmy Clausen

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NEW ORLEANS - OCTOBER 24: Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on October 24, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen each have had a few starts now, with Clausen getting three to McCoy's two to date.

However, the Browns now have a legitimate quarterback controversy. The Panthers put Matt Moore back in and nothing changed.

McCoy looked calm and composed versus two very tough defenses and didn't do anything to lose the game versus the Steelers.

Advantage: McCoy

20. Surprise: Trent Edwards' Exit from Buffalo

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback Trent Edwards #5 of the Jacksonville Jaguars throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the game at EverBank Field on October 18, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

While no one thought Trent Edwards was the quarterback of the future in Buffalo, no one thought Ryan Fitzpatrick was the quarterback of today.

So Edwards now backs up David Garrard in Jacksonville, which isn't really a bad gig if you think about it.

19. Who's That Guy? Award for the First Half of the 2010 Season: Kenny Britt

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 10: Wide receiver Kenny Britt #18 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Titans won 34-27. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Yes, there are a couple of other names going through your head right now.

Don't worry, we'll get to them in due course.

Kenny Britt was known by Tennessee Titans fans, hardcore fantasy football fans and few others.

Then he broke up a bar fight and caught three touchdown passes in a 72-hour span.

Now that's how you make an impression.

Let's all hope his hamstring injury doesn't short circuit this guy's season.

18. Surprise: The Bengals' Offense Stinks

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CINCINNATI - OCTOBER 31: Carson Palmer #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the ball during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Let's say you have Carson Palmer at quarterback and two of his receivers are Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.

Let's also say that you have some good young talent to catch the ball, like Jordan Shipley and Jermaine Gresham at tight end.

You'd think with that kind of talent, you'd have the best offense in the league.

Nope, not even close.

Palmer has been inconsistent, putting up great numbers but throwing really poorly-timed interceptions.

The receivers aren't doing bad, but they're not getting the numbers everyone thought they would have by now.

And the Bengals are 2-5.

17. Surprise: Miami Dolphins Can't Win at Home

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - AUGUST 21: Head coach Tony Sparano of the Miami Dolphins watches the action during a preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on August 21, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The Dolphins are 4-3 on the season, with every single win coming on the road.

The Dolphins have playoff aspirations, but there's no way they make the playoffs in the AFC East unless they can start winning home games.

16. Most Abused Quarterback Award: Jay Cutler

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears talks with teammates including Caleb Hanie #12 on the bench during a game against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 1

When your offensive line gives up 19 sacks in three games, you have problems.

Jay Cutler is lucky to still be walking upright after the abuse he's taken over the last month. The bad news is there's still half a season left for him to keep taking abuse.

Good luck, Jay!

15. Most Overrated Quarterback Award: Mark Sanchez

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers on October 31, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Packers defeated the Jets 9-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/

The Jets can talk up their playoff hopes all they want.

The fact is that Mark Sanchez has had very little to do with the Jets' success so far this season. They've won in spite of him most weeks, and his numbers in Green Bay this past Sunday aren't worth writing home about.

Zero touchdowns and two interceptions, setting up one field-goal attempt on a very windy day. None of these are good for a team looking to make the playoffs.

14. Surprise: The Detroit Lions Holding Their Own

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DETROIT - OCTOBER 31: Calvin Johnson #81 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field on October 31, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Redski

The Lions quietly have been playing really good football despite missing their franchise quarterback since his injury in Week 1.

The Lions got robbed of a win versus the Bears that day, but they've earned two more wins and been in almost every game since then.

While the Lions aren't ready to be a playoff team, you can see the young talent developing, and that's an exciting thing for Lions fans.

13. Surprise: The Steelers' 3-1 Start

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PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 03: Charlie Batch #16 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hands of the ball to Rashard Mendenhall #34 during the game against the Baltimore Ravens on October 3, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Im

Nobody is surprised that the Pittsburgh defense is one of the best in the league, or now that Ben Roethlisberger has returned, that the team is doing well.

What was surprising was the 3-1 start under backup quarterbacks and a very suspect offensive line.

12. Surprise: Where's the Ravens' Defense?

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BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 24: Ed Reed #20 of the Baltimore Ravens returns an interception against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Bills 37-34. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

To be 100-percent clear, I'm not saying the Ravens defense is bad.

It's not. Their defense is great.

That being said, the defense you expect to see on the field isn't the defense you're getting. This defense already has given up 100-yard days to Peyton Hillis on the ground and to Brandon Lloyd and Steve Johnson in the air.

They let Buffalo put 30 points up on the board, and Ray Lewis hasn't been in the highlight reels like he used to.

For Baltimore, this qualifies as a subpar year so far.

11. Best Running Game Award: Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 24: Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 24, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Chiefs have two running backs on their roster capable of getting 100 yards a game: Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones.

The Chiefs have the kind of running game at the moment that a lot of other teams would kill for. Most teams are lucky to have one rusher capable of getting 100 yards a game, and the Chiefs have two of them.

10. Surprise: The Chiefs' 2010 Season

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KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 31: Kicker Ryan Succop #6 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after making a filed goal in overtime to win the game against the Buffalo Bills on October 31, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie

Speaking of the Kansas City Chiefs, at 5-2, they qualify as one of the biggest surprises of the season.

While everyone expected the Chiefs to be better than last year, the 3-0 start right out of the gate was a statement to the rest of the league that this isn't your older brother's Chiefs.

A combination of good coaching and good execution by the players has given Kansas City fans new life.

9. Surprise: Arian Foster

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INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 01: Arian Foster #23 of Houston Texans runs with the ball during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 1, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Houston Texans have been gifted with a great wide receiver and now they have a franchise running back in Arian Foster.

Foster already has 737 rushing yards on the season, including a 231-yard day the first week of the season versus the Indianapolis Colts.

At age 24, this guy is just getting started.

8. Surprise: The Denver Broncos' Freefall

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Quarterback Kyle Orton #8 of Denver Broncos and Chris Kuper #73 of Denver Broncos leave the feel dejected in defeat after the NFL International Series match between Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium o

With the 6-0 start to last season, the collapse of the Broncos last year was a bit of a surprise.

With one year under his belt, the easy assumption is that head coach Josh McDaniels would learn from his mistakes and the Broncos would be a better team this year.

There were a rash of injuries early, especially to the running game. But a lot of McDaniels' moves have been puzzling and the lack of in-game adjustments has left the Broncos at 2-5.

7. Surprise: The Buccaneers Don't Stink

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scrambles away from Joey Porter #55, Kenny Iwebema #91 and Will Davis #59 of the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Gle

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 5-2 going into Week 9 of the NFL season, and Josh Freeman is becoming the definition of clutch in the fourth quarter.

Neither the offense or defense are ranked very high, so that goes to show you how stats can be misleading sometimes.

Head coach Raheem Morris now finds unexpected job security when most people thought he'd be on the hot seat right now.

6. Surprise: LeGarrette Blount

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 31: Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hands off to LeGarrette Blount #27 against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Harry H

One of the reasons the Bucs are where they are is the risk they took signing LeGarrette Blount.

Blount was a highly-rated prospect who became a pariah after punching a guy on the field after the game ended during his last year at Oregon.

Drafted by Tennessee, he was cut at the end of training camp and Tampa Bay took a chance.

That chance has paid off big time, as Blount ran all over the field versus Arizona last week and he has 222 yards on 43 carries.

Expect those numbers to rise in the second half of the season.

5. Surprise: The Raiders Have Come to Life

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OAKLAND, CA - OCTOBER 31: Darren McFadden #20 of the Oakland Raiders runs with the ball against the Seattle Seahawks at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 31, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

All of a sudden, the Raiders are a force to be reckoned with in the AFC West.

While the Raiders appeared unarmed at the beginning of the season, all of a sudden Jason Campbell looks competent. Darren McFadden is running through everything and the Raiders' defense is destroying everything in sight.

If Al Davis were alive to see this, he'd be very pleased.

What, he's not dead? Nevermind.

4. Biggest Implosion of the Year Award: Dallas Cowboys

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 31: (L-R) Jon Kitna #3, Jason Witten #82 and Phil Costa #67 of the Dallas Cowboys look on from the sideline late in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cowboys Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (

While the Dallas Cowboys talked Super Bowl coming into the season, the warning signs were there in the preseason that this year wasn't going to be easy.

Tony Romo's injury aside, the Cowboys have no running game, their defense makes stupid mistakes and the coaching staff can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

Jerry Jones is leaving Wade Phillips twisting in the wind, even though there's no doubt Wade is living on borrowed time.

3. Comeback Player of the Year Award: Michael Vick

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass against the Washington Redskins on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

There was little doubt Michael Vick could still play.

The question was if he could still play at the level he was at prior to his legal troubles in Atlanta.

Vick answered that question the first few weeks of the season, and only a ribcage injury has kept him off the field the last few weeks.

Vick re-enters the game this weekend and he's a threat on the ground and through the air.

Head coach Andy Reid decided Donovan McNabb wasn't the answer, and there's no doubt, given the situation in Washington at the moment, that Reid knows what he's doing.

2. Surprise: Sam Bradford is as Good as Advertised

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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Sam Bradford #8 of the St. Louis Rams warms up prior to the start of the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 24, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Rams are 4-4 going into Week 9, and Sam Bradford has been as good as any Rams fan could've hoped.

Even in the losses, Bradford hasn't looked awful, and now there's real hope around St. Louis that the Rams could be playoff contenders in the very near future.

1. Surprise: The Randy Moss Drama

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MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Wide receiver Randy Moss #84 of the Minnesota Vikings catches a pass during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Cowboys 24

There is no greater surprise than the Randy Moss drama in the NFL.

Beginning the season in New England, he made some comments about his contract situation, made a few more a few weeks later, and off to Minnesota he went.

But the Vikings weren't very good, and Moss made a few more statements that weren't received kindly. Now Moss has left the room in Minnesota.

As of this writing, we have no idea where Moss will land, but it's going to be a fun ride.