Since everyone in the media is doing their mid season awards, I’ll give mine. I’m only going to do them for the Steelers though, because I don’t watch enough other games to give any intelligent picks.
MVP - Maurkice Pouncey - He’s such a huge upgrade over Hartwig. He’s already the best OL they have. He gets good push, can move to the second level with great effectiveness, and he even has the speed to pull on outside running plays. He plays to the whistle on EVERY DOWN. If he knocks his man down, he always moves downfield for another block. Hustle like that is something you can’t teach at this level. Great draft pick.
OPOY - Flozell Adams - He’s been a rock in pass pro and a fucking mauler in the run game. When he’s come out of the game with ankle problems the past few weeks, his absence was immediately noticeable. Pouncey could be listed here as well, but I didn’t want to give him 3 awards. None of the skill players have shown enough to be listed here.
DPOY - Lawrence Timmons - He’s really coming into his own this year. He’s leading the team in tackles by a bunch. His play in the passing game has been very good also.
Coach - Sean Kugler (OL) - His much-maligned unit had a few issues vs the Saints, but for the most part they are much improved over last year. Having a stud C and bulldozing RT helps a lot, but Kugs is making the most out of what he has.
Comeback - Troy Polamalu - He hasn’t been having a huge impact the last few games, but he basically dominated in the first two, and his presence has been vital in the secondary. If Aaron Smith was still healthy he would get this award.
Rookie - Maurkice Pouncey - See above. Stevenson Sylvester, Manny Sanders, and Jason Worilds have also been solid additions on ST. I think Pittsburgh had a great draft. Too bad they released Thaddeus Gibson, as he was immediately picked up on waivers. That was a boneheaded move by Tomlin/Colbert, one of their few personnel mistakes.
Disappointment - Jeff Reed - He cost his team a W against Baltimore by going 0-2 on FGs. He missed a chip shot resulting in OT vs ATL. He missed a 50 yarder in the dome last week that gave the Saints good field position and ended in a 6 point swing. His kickoffs have improved significantly, but that doesn’t excuse missing key kicks to help the team win. He is not doing himself any favors if he wants a big contract going forward. At this rate he might find himself out of a job next year.
Coaching Goat - Mike Tomlin - He’s too conservative. He routinely makes mistakes managing the game that hurt his team. Not saying I don’t like him, but he hasn’t been great this year. Having a “Coaching Goat” is kind of funny when your team is 5-2, but there’s always room for improvement.
Anybody else have awards for their team?
