New Orleans Saints 2011: First-Half Awards

The 2011 season for the New Orleans Saints has been a year full of surprises, spectacular performances and a record-breaking 62-point performance on Sunday Night Football, so what players will take home Bleacher Reports' first-half-of-the-season awards? 

From Olin Kreutz's sudden retirement to Sean Payton’s freak accident to Jimmy Graham becoming a household name, the first half of the Saints' season has been a fun ride.  

Drew Brees has been well what he always is, and that's one of the best players in the league, while Darren Sproles has redefined the word electrifying. As for the defense, Will Smith, Malcolm Jenkins and Roman Harper have held down the fort and rank 14th in the league in total defense.

For the team that is No. 1 in the NFL in points scored with 34.1 and ranked second in total offense, these are the first-half awards for the New Orleans Saints.

Biggest Surprise: Darren Sproles' Impact

Is there any other player in the NFL that has caught the league off guard quite like Darren Sproles?  

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: We all knew Sproles would be great, but we didn’t know he’d be the Reggie Bush the Saints never had.

Whether he’s receiving the pitch out of the backfield, running through the tackles or catching the ball, Sproles has been a nightmare for defensive coordinators.  

He has five total touchdowns this season with one of those coming off of a punt return. It’s like the Saints took the production that Bush would give the Saints and multiplied it by 10.  

Sproles isn’t a decoy, and he’s not constantly getting injured or fumbling the ball. Instead, Sproles is getting the football, and he’s making defenses pay.

Best Offensive Weapon: Jimmy Graham

I’m going to go on record right now and say that Jimmy Graham is the best tight end in the league, and if he can stay healthy, he will be for many years to come.  

Graham is sixth in the league when it comes to receiving yards and tied for third in the league in receiving touchdowns with five.

That’s quite an amazing feat for a tight end, and considering the background of Graham, it’s even more remarkable.  

It’s only his second year in the league, and he’s played only one year of college football. I’m not sure if anyone can cover this guy in the league with the speed, size and athleticism he possesses.

Best Defensive Player: Roman Harper

I really wanted to give this award to Malcolm Jenkins because of the way he’s played so far this year, but the numbers don’t lie.

Roman Harper leads the team with 42 tackles and sacks with 3.5. When it comes to the best safeties in the league, Harper isn’t far from the pack.

Sure, he’s no Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed, but who is? Harper has consistently played great football for the Saints, and this year is no different.

Harper is a staple for the Saints defense, and he’s surpassed Jonathan Vilma as the best defensive player on the team in my eyes.

Best Jaw-Dropping Moment: Sean Payton Injury

When Sean Payton’s sideline injury first occurred, I thought he might have just tweaked his knee by looking at his reaction, but once Fox reported he had a torn MCL and a tibia plateau fracture, I gained so much more respect for Payton.  

I mean seriously, he took that injury like a man. His facial expressions gave away that he was in some sort of amount of pain, but after he sat on the bench, he looked like he was fine.  

Payton showed his team how tough he was by handling the injury with toughness and continued to call the game from the bench, and for that, my respect for him has grown tremendously.

I always knew he was a great coach, but now, everyone knows he’s one tough SOB.

Best Play of the Season: The Game-Winner over the Panthers

The best play of the season wasn’t the most dazzling play of the year, but it was the game-winner in a tight game with a divisional foe.

The Carolina Panthers and the Saints went back and forth for four quarters, but it was the Saints that got the last laugh.  

In a game that had fights break out and Jeremy Shockey telling the Saints sidelines they’re No. 1 in some sorts, this was a physical ballgame that came down to the last-minute drive by the Saints.  

The Saints went ahead by three with 50 seconds off a six-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas, and it couldn't have been any sweeter.

Most Improved: Patrick Robinson

Patrick Robinson is finally becoming the player every Saints fan thought he would be the moment the franchise drafted him in 2010.

He started off the season shaky, but Robinson has really turned it up since. He leads the team in interceptions with two, and is breaking up passes left and right.

I never doubt the Saints when they draft players, because they have made some really great picks in the past five years. I mean, look at how successful that Jimmy Graham pick has turned out for the Saints.

So I never doubted them for picking Robinson, but doubt started to creep into my mind after seeing Robinson struggle last year and early this year. Much to the delight of Saints fans, Robinson has picked it up, and is finally playing like a first-round draft pick.

Best Single-Game Performance: Drew Brees vs. Colts on SNF

Drew Brees had a near-flawless night Sunday when the Saints trampled the Indianapolis Colts 62-7. Brees threw for 325 yards, five touchdowns and only had four incompletions. Yeah, enough said.

MVP: Drew Brees

While Graham and Sproles have been fantastic for the Saints this year, Brees is the essential piece of this Saints team.  

As long as Brees suits up in black and gold, he will forever be "the guy." Everything runs through Brees, and without Brees, this offense would be mediocre at best.  

So far this season, he’s posted his normal Brees-like numbers as he’s accumulated 2,477 yards through the air, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The main reason why he’s been the MVP so far this season is because of the struggling running game.   The Saints have struggled early this season rushing the ball, so they’ve called on Brees a lot more.

Before Sunday’s game against the Colts, Brees was averaging 44 pass attempts a game. Because Brees has been passing so much, he set an NFL record with four straight games with 350-plus yards.

When it comes to the elite players in the league, how can you not throw Brees’ name in the hat? I shudder to think what the Saints' record would be without Brees at quarterback.

I imagine it could very well look like what’s going on in Indy.