Defensive MVP: J.J. Watt (Texans)

NFL Midseason Awards

Watt's 10.5 sacks are impressive enough. His 10 passes defended/knocked down at the line of scrimmage put him in a category of his own, however. No other defensive lineman is even in the same stratosphere as Watt in terms of passes defended and overall dominance off the edge.

Honorable Mention: Charles Tillman (Bears)

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Raanan's Midway ... By Jordan Raanan, XFINITY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts would compete for the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings, too. The Falcons had a chance to go unbeaten, Reggie Wayne would lead the league in receiving, and Vontaze Burfict would be one of the league's top rookies: These were my preseason predictions. Nailed it. (Writer's note: I conveniently can't find the link to those bold predictions.)

The first half of the NFL season unfolded just as expected... or not. In any case, here are the standouts after eight—or in some cases nine—games. Regardless, let's call it my NFL midseason awards. Just as I predicted before the season, of course.

Jordan Raanan has covered the NFL since 2005. Follow him on Twitter @JordanRaanan, Facebook or email him at jraanan@hotmail.com.
Most Surprising ... The Colts were a two-win team last season. If they doubled their win total from 2011, I thought it would be a successful 2012 considering their offensive line and defense. Add to that coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia early in the season and Indy's prospects didn't look bright. But Andrew Luck has performed like the No. 1 pick, Reggie Wayne has been resurrected, and the Colts have played inspired football under interim coach Bruce Arians. The result is they have already more than doubled their win total from 2011 in the first half of this season.

Honorable Mention: Minnesota Vikings

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Most Disappointi... Some genius with a big nose (that would be me) picked the Chiefs to reach the AFC championship game. How do they repay my optimism? By performing like the single worst team in the league through nine weeks. Kansas City is a ridiculous minus-20 in the turnover category. That's almost twice as bad as the next pathetic team, Dallas.

Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Eagles

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

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NFL MVP: Matt Ry... There's only two numbers that matter for the Falcons quarterback. Those numbers are 8 and 0. That is the Falcons record this season. Undefeated. You can't beat that. It doesn't hurt that Ryan is on pace to complete 69 percent of his passes for 4,720 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning (Broncos)

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Defensive MVP: J... Watt's 10.5 sacks are impressive enough. His 10 passes defended/knocked down at the line of scrimmage put him in a category of his own, however. No other defensive lineman is even in the same stratosphere as Watt in terms of passes defended and overall dominance off the edge.

Honorable Mention: Charles Tillman (Bears)

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Coach of the Mid... Smith has been instrumental to Atlanta's perfect record. The Falcons' coach has pushed all the right buttons, especially defensively, where Atlanta has been very opportunistic after a down year.

Honorable Mention: Lovie Smith (Bears)

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Comeback Player:... When you tear your knee like A.P. did in Week 16 it's supposed to ruin your next season, too. For a normal human, that would have been 2012. Except when you're a freak of nature like the Vikings' running back you come back seven months later ready for training camp. Then you go out and lead the league in rushing (957 yards, 5.7 ypc) the first half of the season. Don't doubt Peterson. Ever. Seriously, this is one of the best comebacks in NFL history.

Honorable Mention: Peyton Manning (Broncos)

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

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Most Inspiration... Just watch this speech. That's all you need to know about this man. I have no doubt Colts coach Chuck Pagano will beat leukemia. He's already beat it, in fact. #CHUCKSTRONG

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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Best Rookie: Rob... The Redskins quarterback and No. 2 overall pick has outplayed No. 1 pick Andrew Luck by a hair. And since this is an individual award, RG3 comes out ahead. He has single-handedly lifted the Redskins into the top 10 in total offense and is on pace for 28 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions. A 2.8:1 TD to turnover ratio is off the charts for a rookie quarterback.

Honorable Mention: Andrew Luck (Colts), Doug Martin (Bucs)

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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Best Second-Roun... The second-round pick out of Utah State is the leading tackler and play-caller for the league's fourth-ranked defense. That's called making an immediate impact. He's a perfect fit in the middle of the Seahawks' speedy defense, as evidenced by his 71 tackles, 2 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. Seattle's had zero dropoff despite the loss of David Hawthorne. In fact, they are probably even better at that position right now.

Honorable Mention: Alfred Morris (Redskins)

(AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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Top Free Agent S... This was obvious as long as Manning returned anywhere near 100 percent. He's done just that, to the tune of 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions if he keeps up this pace. Think about what the price tag would be next year if there were a quarterback on the open market who can go 40-12. Off the charts.

Honorable Mention: Vincent Jackson (Bucs)

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.