The Bills have reached the halfway mark of the season and it’s time to dole out some fake midseason awards. The team has shown improvement over their past years at times, but their record isn’t much improved. Luckily for them, the schedule in the second half looks to be easier than the first, which could allow them to finish the season with a record better than their current 6-10 pace.
Offensive Player of the Year
Fred Jackson jumps out for this award, as he leads the team in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns. Jackson has 250 more total yards from scrimmage than any other player on the roster, and fought through a recurring knee injury. He continues to shoulder the load for this team despite being the oldest running back in the league (but not in terms of career touches, which is really important).
(Fred Jackson is 11th in the league for yards after contact for running backs)
Stevie Johnson leads the Bills with 33 receptions and 387 yards. His touchdown catch against Carolina ended an exciting and surprising comeback win. In the past two games, Johnson six more targets than the rest of the team’s receivers combined.
(Stevie Johnson has 24 receptions while playing in the slot. That's 8th best in the league)
Scott Chandler has already caught 29 passes for 341 yards. He had 571 receiving yards last season and looks to be on his way to passing that mark, barring injury. His two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter of games, gave the Bills a chance to win games where they looked outmatched until the scores. In New York, the Bills were able to tie the game late (before the Jets quickly took the lead again). Against the Bengals, Buffalo was able to mount a huge comeback and force overtime.
(Of the TEs who have at least 25 catches, Scott Chandler is 8th in yards per catch)
Defensive Player of the Year
Mario Williams has eleven sacks so far this season, good for second most in the league. He singlehandedly affected the Carolina and Miami games, helping the Bills win late. It’s hard to say any player is ever worth $96 million, but Mario has come close this year.
(Since joining the Bills, Mario Williams has sacked a Heisman trophy winner, a offensive MVP, two Super Bowl MVPs, and two 1st overall draft picks)
Kiko Alonso has had a great season. He’s had crazy, flying plays, huge tackle total games, and game ending sacks. Oh yeah, he also leads NFL linebackers in Win Probability Added.
The third spot is a bit of a tossup for me. Aaron Williams has had some great interceptions. Leodis McKelvin has played nicely throughout the season, showing he could be the second cornerback we thought we’d miss. Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams have been absolute monsters on the defensive line with Mario too.
(In 2012, Aaron Williams allowed QBs to have a rating of 120.4. This year, their ratings have dropped to 70.4)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
This one was reserved for EJ Manuel, but his knee injury ruined that.
Robert Woods has proven to be a fantastic route runner. He only has 22 catches on the season, but that’s largely due to the fact that Thad Lewis hasn’t been looking his way much in the past three weeks. Woods has emerged as the team’s second best receiver and is a great fit in the Bills’ West Coast offense.
(Robert Woods was targeted 39 times in his first five games this year. Over his last 3 games, he's been targeted just 12 times. Still, Woods leads the team in passing attempts to him that go 20+ yards with 12; Tied for 15th in the league)
Marquise Goodwin has struggled with a couple freaky injuries. Despite the missed games (four so far), he’s been the deep, speed threat that Buffalo hoped TJ Graham would become. His highlight so far this season was his game-tying 40 yard reception against Cincinnati, where he just ran past the Bengal defenders.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Kiko Alonso. Nothing else needs to be said.
Nickell Robey is Buffalo’s steal of the UDFA rookie crop. He’s now the team’s top nickel corner (which they use a ton) and hasn’t looked lost. He’s a solid pass rusher when blitzing off the edge and had a great game against New Orleans, despite allowing two touchdowns. Robey is a player to watch going forward.
(PFF has Nickell Robey ranked as the 2nd best CB in the slot. He's been targeted 28 times and is allowing a completion percentage of just 45%)
Comeback Player of the Year
Scott Chandler suffered an ACL tear at the end of the 2012 season. Most, including myself, didn’t expect him to be much of a factor this season, especially in the first half. But Chandler is on his way to a career year and doesn’t look like a player that had major knee surgery less than a year ago.
Fred Jackson also had a serious knee injury at the end of the 2012 season. He’s even re-aggravated the injury this season. It hasn’t stopped Jackson, as he’s been the Bills’ workhorse yet again.
(Last time a Bills player won comeback player of the year was Doug Flutie in 1998)
Brian Moorman is back. Buffalo loves him. He’s a good punter, and punters are people too.
Did I forget anyone? Where does Dan Carpenter factor into all of this? He is the leading scorer on this team after all…
(Additional stats by Joe P. and PFF.com)
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