Barnwell's NFL midseason awards: Ranking candidates for MVP, Rookie of the Year, more

"Does it really feel like we're already halfway through the NFL season? In a year where there are no undefeated teams and not even a single one-loss team as we hit Week 9, actually landing on the teams that are going to stand out from the pack by the end of the season can be a murky, dangerous proposition. There are nine two-loss teams right now. This is not normal."

"I'm a little more confident in evaluating what I've seen out of individual players and coaches, which helps as I put together my midseason awards ballot. Thinking about teams in terms of what we've seen over nine games is difficult, especially when so many games have come down to one possession late in the fourth quarter. It's easier to evaluate individuals, seeing their performance over hundreds of snaps."

"Availability matters more in smaller samples, and players who have missed two games have missed as much as 25% of their team's season so far, which is going to be disqualifying for these half-season honors unless they've otherwise played like an MVP candidate when they've been on the field. Let's begin with the rookies and work through seven different awards. Defensive Rookie of the Year Injuries have thrown this award into disarray, with 49ers edge rusher Mykel Williams becoming the latest rooki"

No NFL team remained undefeated nor had a single one-loss team by Week 9, and nine teams carried two losses, an unusual distribution. Many games have been decided by one possession late in the fourth quarter, making team-level evaluation across nine games difficult. Individual performance evaluation is clearer because players accumulate hundreds of snaps, enabling more confident assessments of players and coaches. Availability is critical in this smaller sample; missing two games can equal about 25% of a team's season and can disqualify players from half-season honors unless performance is MVP-caliber. Injuries have disrupted award races, including the Defensive Rookie of the Year competition.

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