Come next Tuesday afternoon (the conclusion of Week 9) we will officially be halfway through the 18-week 2021 NFL season, and so there are many awards to hand out.
From Rookie of the Year to Most Valuable Player, we've covered everything in what has been a half-season full of dazzling individual efforts.
So, without further ado, here are our award recipients through eight weeks of NFL action:
Rookie of the Year
Mac Jones
Jones, the 2021 NFL draft's 15th overall selection, has improved at a gradual pace since the relatively sluggish first couple of games of his career (five turnovers across his first three starts).
The 23-year-old has generally been accurate on short and intermediate passes and has had the ball in his hands more than any other rookie QB; his 282 pass attempts ranks first among rookie QBs and fourth in the league overall.
Jones ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (1,997) and completion percentage (68.1%), and despite ranking in the bottom half of starting QBs in terms of passing TDs he has shown significant improvement in Josh McDaniels' New England offence.
The Patriots are looking for another saviour at the QB position after the departure of franchise legend Tom Brady to the Buccaneers, and they'd be liking what Jones is currently showing them. So do we, as Jones is our Rookie of the Year through eight games.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Ja'Marr Chase
Former LSU standouts Chase and QB Joe Burrow have picked up right where they left off in terms of their QB-to-WR chemistry, with the duo connecting on a bevy of explosive plays for the Bengals throughout the first half of the season.
Not only does Chase lead all rookie WRs in receiving yards (786) and receiving TDs (7), but he also ranks third in the entire league in receiving yards and equal-fourth in receiving TDs.
The now-comedic pre-season talk about Chase's drop troubles seems worlds away as the 21-year-old is quickly ascending into a top receiver in the NFL just one year into his career.
He looks to be a shoo-in for OROY at this point. He certainly is for us.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Micah Parsons
Parsons has been turning heads since the opening week of the season.
The Pennsylvania State linebacker was the No. 12 pick at the 2021 NFL draft and has lived up to that selection so far.
Amongst a crowded Dallas line-backing corps that initially featured Parsons, Leighton Vander-Esch and Jaylon Smith, Parsons shone brightest, with the Cowboys eventually choosing to release Smith in favour of the former two.
The 22-year-old has notched 42 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and two passes defended so far in 2021. His stats may not necessarily jump off the page, but Parsons makes his presence felt and makes things happen for Dallas' defence. Therefore, he's our current DROY.
Coach of the Year
Brandon Staley
Kliff Kingsbury is unlucky to miss out here, as his 7-1 Arizona Cardinals are currently one of the top teams in the NFC.
However, Staley and his 4-3 Chargers have persisted through an extremely tough start-of-season schedule and have arrived at the halfway mark in a great position to challenge for the playoffs during the second half of the season.
Staley's boldness on fourth down has been an early coaching trademark through eight weeks.ย The most notable example came during LA's Week 2 triumph against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium when he refused to punt back to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City in the dying stages of their match-up. The decision helped secure a crucial Chargers victory.
With match-ups against the Eagles and Vikings upcoming, the Chargers should be well-placed to challenge for the AFC West title and ensure this season's Coach of the Year honours belong to the first-year man.
Offensive Player of the Year
Derrick Henry
In 2020, Henry became the eighth running back in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, with his 2,027 settling in as the fifth-highest mark ever.
The 27-year-old was on track to break more records this season before he suffered a broken foot during Tennessee's win in Indianapolis last week. He's likely to miss between 7-10 weeks but may have a chance to return to the field before the playoffs.
Regardless, to the halfway point of this season, he has indisputably been the best offensive player in the NFL and claims our Offensive Player of the Year honours.
Through just eight games, Henry managed a whopping 937 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs (both rank first in the league). His ludicrous 117.1 rushing yards per game and 49 total first downs both obviously also rank first in the NFL.
Hopefully, we get to see the Alabama product back and healthy in time for the post-season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Trevon Diggs
Myles Garrett (10.5 sacks, 11 TFLs) is unlucky to miss out on our eight-week DPOY award, but Diggs has lit up the league on the defensive side of the ball for the Cowboys and has arguably been the more impressive of the two.
The 24-year-old Diggs leads the league in interceptions (7), passes defended (11) and interception TDs (2) in what has been a magnificent sophomore season so far for the Alabama product.
Cornerbacks don't typically take home the DPOY award (Charles Woodson, 2009, and Stephon Gilmore, 2019, are the most recent CB winners) but we believe Diggs currently deserves the honours based on his play to this point.
Comeback Player of the Year
Dak Prescott
After missing the majority of the 2020 season with a gruesome ankle dislocation, Prescott has been superb for the Cowboys throughout the first half of this year and is undoubtedly the leading candidate for the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year award.
Most expected an improvement from Dallas as a whole in 2021, but perhaps not to this astronomical extent. In addition to a vastly improved defence, the Cowboys' rise is almost completely due to a healthy and dynamic Prescott.
The 28-year-old ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards per game (302.2) and his total passer rating (115.0) ranks second among current starters behind only the Rams' Matthew Stafford.
The Mississippi State product missed the Cowboys' Week 8 victory over the Vikings but is not expected to be out for too long.
Most Valuable Player
Tom Brady
It's hard to go past the evergreen Tom Brady as league MVP thus far.
A case could be made for Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and even Tennessee's Henry, but Brady's consistent brilliance is too hard to ignore. It seems like a foregone conclusion that he will once again take Tampa Bay far into the post-season.
Brady threw a game-sealing interception (just his fifth of the season so far) in the latter stages of a 36-27 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, but the 44-year-old has been mostly clinical through eight contests; currently leading the league in passing yards (2,650) and passing TDs (25).
With three of the Buccaneers' next four match-ups coming against Washington, the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, Brady and the Bucs offence should continue to feast and increase their advantage atop the NFC South.
