Week 9 is in the books, which means that the halfway point of the 2024 NFL season has arrived.
To mark the occasion, “The Facility” and the “NFL on FOX Podcast” each handed out awards and superlatives for the first nine weeks of the season. Let’s take a look at who they picked as the winners for each of the major awards!
MVP
LeSean McCoy: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Chase Daniel: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
James Jones: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Emmanuel Acho: Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
NFL on FOX pod: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
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McCoy: “This was a tough one because Pat is undefeated and Josh Allen’s playing elite. I’m going with Lamar Jackson. Winning those two MVPs was really hard to do, but [he’s] playing better than them MVP [seasons].”
Daniel: “This guy [Mahomes], he’s had his best two games the last two games. The Chiefs are heating up.”
Jones: “[Lamar] is the best player on the planet right now playing in the National Football League. The vote’s been in weeks ago.”
Acho: “This one, for me, was difficult. Jared Goff leads the league in completion percentage. Jared Goff has the best offense in football. Jared Goff has the best team in the NFC, one of the best teams in the NFL.”
David Helman: “Lamar Jackson, absolutely incredible start to this season. It’s easy for me to believe he repeats as MVP if he keeps this up.”
Coach of the Year
LeSean McCoy: Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid
Chase Daniel: Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn
James Jones: Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn
McCoy: “Every year [Reid] wins over and over again, and we give him no acknowledgment because he’s a good coach? Well, that’s what the award’s for. He’s on pace for a three-peat.”
Daniel: “[Quinn] has given them hope. He’s the leader of that franchise. In just nine games, you have turned in the complete opposite direction of where your franchise was headed. It helps when you have Jayden Daniels.”
Jones: “Nobody in the world thought the Minnesota Vikings would look like the way the Minnesota Vikings look, especially with Sam Darnold. And kudos to Sam Darnold, because you are playing really good football. But that has a lot to do with the coach and the game he is calling for you.”
Acho: “For me, it’s simple. I trust this person to lead — not just a country, but an organization. I trust this person to galvanize troops. I trust this person, though they lagged as a head coach before … now they’re showing me they’re ready to take over: Dan Quinn.”
Midseason surprise team
LeSean McCoy: Washington Commanders
Chase Daniel: Minnesota Vikings
James Jones: Arizona Cardinals
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders
McCoy: “I didn’t expect a rookie quarterback to do all of this. You trade all these players last year and you still have a good season.”
Daniel: “I like the Vikings. Sam Darnold, Kevin O’Connell, the most important hire Kevin O’Connell made was Brian Flores. And that defense, that’s the reason why they only have two losses right now.”
Jones: “Where did we expect [the Cardinals] to be right now? Not first! They’re not really good on defense. Kyler Murray’s just making plays at the end of the games to win football games. They are 5-4 right now, No. 1 in the West. Put respect on the little man, Kyler Murray.”
Acho: “The Washington Commanders, they are the oldest team in football. How are they 7-2? Their division was supposed to be the toughest and they were supposed to be at the bottom of it.”
Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels & Bears headline NFL midseason awards
Offensive Rookie of the Year
LeSean McCoy: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Chase Daniel: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
James Jones: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
NFL on FOX Pod: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Acho: “Jayden Daniels is the only thing that can bring us all four together.”
Helman: “It really feels like it’s what can Jayden do from here because it feels like Offensive Rookie of the Year is in the bag.”
Biggest disappointment
LeSean McCoy: San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys
Chase Daniel: Chicago Bears
James Jones: New York Jets
Emmanuel Acho: Las Vegas Raiders HC Antonio Pierce
Daniel: “C’mon Bears, what are we doing? Even though they’re 4-4, the coaching has not been up to par. We need to get better. Everything they’ve done to build up this team and to surround Caleb Williams with stuff has been a disappointment.”
Acho: “Nobody has broken more hearts, nobody has made more incompetent decisions on a week-in and week-out basis: Antonio Pierce.”
Other awards
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Los Angeles Rams EDGE Jared Verse
Helman: “It feels like the obvious winner of this award so far is Jared Verse.”
Comeback Player of the Year: Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Helman: “If the Jets pull it together, not saying they will, but Aaron Rodgers is not playing poorly considering that he’s coming off the same injury.”
Defensive Player of the Year: New York Giants DL Dexter Lawrence
Helman: “If you’re asking me to predict the winner, that’s not the point of this. Lawrence is a deserving midseason Defensive Player of the Year. If he keeps this up, he is a deserving winner and I hope people can look past that Giants’ record to recognize that.”
Offensive Player of the Year: Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry
Helman: “I think Derrick Henry is one of the defining stories in the NFL this year. I’d be really surprised if he tapers off. Passing game production can be finicky. Handing the ball off to Derrick Henry isn’t finicky.”
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