DENVER, Colo. -
With the bye week as close to mid-season as possible, there's no reason for me to delay putting together my Midseason Broncos awards. I'm going to re-title it accordingly, though.
So without further delay, let's start handing out some hardware for the Bye Week Awards!
Biggest Surprise: Nominees include Kyle Orton, Josh McDaniels, Elvis Dumervil, and the entire defense.
...and the winner is! EVERYONE. The Broncos have so far surpassed expectations that this award has to be shared. Coach McD wouldn't have it any other way. Orton's TD/INT ratio is absurd (9/1), McDaniels' preparation of the team is second to none. Elvis leads the league in sacks, and the defense is stingiest in the league. Congrats to all of the Broncos on this one.
Offensive MVP: Nominees include Orton, McDaniels, and Brandon Marshall.
...and the winner is! Tough call here, but I'm giving the nod to the coach. Orton is the one making the plays, B Marsh has lifted the Broncos to a pair of wins, but it's Josh's guidance of the unit that has really made the difference.
Defensive MVP: Nominees include Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins.
...and the winner is! Another difficult decision. Champ has been thrown at more than usual, and has punished opposing offenses for doing so. Dawkins sets the tone in practice, in the tunnel, and on the field. However, the pressure Dumervil has brought is unlike anything we've seen in Denver since Rich 'Tombstone' Jackson. Anytime I get to mention #87, the player being associated with him HAS to win something. Dumervil gets the nod. 'Tombstone' is the winner of best nickname award...for now and forever.
Most Unlikely Contributor. Nominees include Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Marshall and Mario Haggan.
...and the winner is! This is a fun category. Gaffney came aboard having played in McDaniels' system previously, but did anyone really expect him to be tied for second on the team in receptions? Mario Haggan was buried on the depth chart under Mike Shanahan, but has since become a starting Sam linebacker, and a good one at that.
It's unthinkable that Brandon Marshall is on this list, but with his offseason issues, preseason suspension, and virtual invisibility in the first two games, his reemergence has been nothing short of miraculous -and over joyous- for everyone in Broncos Country. Brandon Marshall: the weirdest award winner for Most Unlikely Contributor.
The Happy Warrior Award. Nominees include Kenny "The Rock" Peterson, Darrell Reid, and Knowshon Moreno.
and the winner is! First of all, a brief description of this award. I'm handing this out to the guy who will give you a million-watt smile, then wipe you off the face of this earth. Moreno has been a happy camper all season long, and his tough running makes defenses miserable. But can we really give this out to an offensive player? Kenny Peterson is as great a guy as you will ever meet---a real human being and a class act---and he's a bull in the trenches. However, he suffers from the fact that most of his impacts are in close quarters, so he doesn't get a head of steam going...like our winner, Darrell Reid.
Reid can crank it up on special teams, and when on defense, can light up a ball carrier like a cheap cigar. In the locker room, and in studio, he's just a great guy. He's the type of person (like K Pete and others), who when you look in his eyes, you see a person, and not a multimillionaire.
And the final award.
The "Man this Crow Deliciously Tastes Like Chicken!" Award. Nominees include everyone who doubted this team.
...and the winner is! Me. I want to be the first in line to raise my hand, tell the world I predicted this team would win 6 games admit that I was horribly wrong, and clear my conscience. The Broncos are THE story of the year in the NFL. They've done what Andy Dufresne did in " The Shawshank Redemption." You know, when he swam through a river of you-know-what and came out smelling like roses on the other side. Josh McDaniels has built a locker room of quality individuals, and hard working men. He, himself, has gotten more and more comfortable in his new-found role, and is increasingly displaying signs of actually being human, unlike his mentor in New England. This is a great team to cover, and a great team to pull for.
I'm sure the Broncos are all gushing over receiving these awards but really, when they emerge from the bye, there's only one award they'll really want: The Lombardi Trophy.
So without further delay, let's start handing out some hardware for the Bye Week Awards!
Biggest Surprise: Nominees include Kyle Orton, Josh McDaniels, Elvis Dumervil, and the entire defense.
...and the winner is! EVERYONE. The Broncos have so far surpassed expectations that this award has to be shared. Coach McD wouldn't have it any other way. Orton's TD/INT ratio is absurd (9/1), McDaniels' preparation of the team is second to none. Elvis leads the league in sacks, and the defense is stingiest in the league. Congrats to all of the Broncos on this one.
Offensive MVP: Nominees include Orton, McDaniels, and Brandon Marshall.
...and the winner is! Tough call here, but I'm giving the nod to the coach. Orton is the one making the plays, B Marsh has lifted the Broncos to a pair of wins, but it's Josh's guidance of the unit that has really made the difference.
Defensive MVP: Nominees include Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins.
...and the winner is! Another difficult decision. Champ has been thrown at more than usual, and has punished opposing offenses for doing so. Dawkins sets the tone in practice, in the tunnel, and on the field. However, the pressure Dumervil has brought is unlike anything we've seen in Denver since Rich 'Tombstone' Jackson. Anytime I get to mention #87, the player being associated with him HAS to win something. Dumervil gets the nod. 'Tombstone' is the winner of best nickname award...for now and forever.
Most Unlikely Contributor. Nominees include Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Marshall and Mario Haggan.
...and the winner is! This is a fun category. Gaffney came aboard having played in McDaniels' system previously, but did anyone really expect him to be tied for second on the team in receptions? Mario Haggan was buried on the depth chart under Mike Shanahan, but has since become a starting Sam linebacker, and a good one at that.
It's unthinkable that Brandon Marshall is on this list, but with his offseason issues, preseason suspension, and virtual invisibility in the first two games, his reemergence has been nothing short of miraculous -and over joyous- for everyone in Broncos Country. Brandon Marshall: the weirdest award winner for Most Unlikely Contributor.
The Happy Warrior Award. Nominees include Kenny "The Rock" Peterson, Darrell Reid, and Knowshon Moreno.
and the winner is! First of all, a brief description of this award. I'm handing this out to the guy who will give you a million-watt smile, then wipe you off the face of this earth. Moreno has been a happy camper all season long, and his tough running makes defenses miserable. But can we really give this out to an offensive player? Kenny Peterson is as great a guy as you will ever meet---a real human being and a class act---and he's a bull in the trenches. However, he suffers from the fact that most of his impacts are in close quarters, so he doesn't get a head of steam going...like our winner, Darrell Reid.
Reid can crank it up on special teams, and when on defense, can light up a ball carrier like a cheap cigar. In the locker room, and in studio, he's just a great guy. He's the type of person (like K Pete and others), who when you look in his eyes, you see a person, and not a multimillionaire.
And the final award.
The "Man this Crow Deliciously Tastes Like Chicken!" Award. Nominees include everyone who doubted this team.
...and the winner is! Me. I want to be the first in line to raise my hand, tell the world I predicted this team would win 6 games admit that I was horribly wrong, and clear my conscience. The Broncos are THE story of the year in the NFL. They've done what Andy Dufresne did in " The Shawshank Redemption." You know, when he swam through a river of you-know-what and came out smelling like roses on the other side. Josh McDaniels has built a locker room of quality individuals, and hard working men. He, himself, has gotten more and more comfortable in his new-found role, and is increasingly displaying signs of actually being human, unlike his mentor in New England. This is a great team to cover, and a great team to pull for.
I'm sure the Broncos are all gushing over receiving these awards but really, when they emerge from the bye, there's only one award they'll really want: The Lombardi Trophy.
