Atlanta Falcons: First Half Awards

The Atlanta Falcons roll into their bye week at the halfway point in the 2011 season. At 4-3 the team hasn't exactly lived up to everyone's preseason expectations, but they have started to show signs of their 2010 form.

After defeating Detroit in Week 7, they now sit on a their first winning streak of the season. The defense has looked much better recently, and Michael Turner has been solid in his back-to-back 100-yard games.

Matt Ryan still needs to pull it together, though. He's thrown eight picks in seven games; he only threw nine all last season. Atlanta also needs to fix the penalty crisis. They were flagged on 11 plays in their last game, including one careless mistake that brought back an Eric Weems' kick return touchdown.

Week 8 should give the Falcons the time they need to regroup and hone in on some key issues. While they're taking time off, let's take a look at some first half awards. 

Most Improved: Sean Weatherspoon

He's only in his second season so it's not like he's been slacking, but Sean Weatherspoon has really impressed me so far. He leads the team in solo tackles and tackles for a loss, and he also has two sacks to go with it all.

Spoon makes a great addition to the Falcons' solid linebacking corps. Let's hope he continues this level of play in the second half of the year.

Mr. Clutch: Matt Bryant

This isn't a typical award handed out, but I had to give some hardware to this guy. Matt Bryant is the most reliable player on the team this season.

He hasn't missed a field goal since Oct. 17 of last season. That's right, 17 straight games without a miss. The dude is clutch. 

Rookie of the Year...(So Far): Julio Jones

Julio Jones started to catch fire in the third and fourth games of 2011, but unfortunately a bum hamstring has given him some trouble. Thankfully reports indicate that he should return after the Falcons' bye week.

Jones put up a season high 11 catches for 127 yards in Seattle. He has been the most impressive rookie on this team, but this is what was expected of him given how much Atlanta gave up for the young receiver.

Best Defender: Optimus Grimes

Brent Grimes was picked on a lot last year, as teams thought he was the weak link in the Falcons' secondary. He ended up on the 2010 NFC Pro Bowl squad, and he's made his presence known again this season.

I love the new nickname. Optimus Grimes did a great job of containing Calvin Johnson last weekend. The secondary still needs some work—I'm looking at you Thomas DeCoud—but Grimes is a big help.

MVP: Michael Turner

Ranking fourth in the NFL in rushing will make you stand out. Michael Turner has carried his success from 2010 into this season, and it has really benefited the Falcons.

I've said it before, but I figure it won't hurt to mention again. The Falcons are 20-3 when Turner runs for 100+ yards. It's pretty simple, when The Burner has a good day, we can expect good things from the Dirty Birds.

Atlanta will need him to continue running all over defenses if they want to make a playoff appearance this season.