Handing out midseason New England Patriots awards – ESPN Boston

Great stuff in here, and I have to say my opinions line up a little closer with Field Yates’.

My choices:

Offensive MVP: Tom Brady

It hasn’t been his best season stats-wise and it might be easy to overlook him, but Brady has stood tall in the face of unprecedented adversity and come through with some clutch moments despite some inconsistency.

Defensive MVP: Devin McCourty

The back end of the Patriots defense has been a major problem since 2010, but now with McCourty back there, the Pats haven’t been hemorrhaging passing yards any more. We knew a full offseason working at safety would help. McCourty’s been one of the best in the NFL.

Rookie of the Year: Chris Jones

Little debate about this one, Jones has been outstanding replacing Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly. With his interior rushing skills he should be a long-term fixture on the defense. He should be even better with a rotation around him.

Game of the Year: Saints

There hasn’t been a last-minute miracle win like this one for the Pats in a long time. Certainly wasn’t a perfect game and left us with concerns, but it showed the Pats once again have a fearless team that will fight until the end.

Best Coaching Decision: Cover 1 Robber Defense

Look back at the tape of when the Pats were getting shredded in recent seasons and almost always you’ll see soft zone coverage. Maybe it’s been Aqib Talib or maybe it’s just the better talent all over, but the Pats have been primarily a man-to-man defense and it’s made a big difference. Steve Gregory excels in the robber role, coming down into the box against the run or to cut off the short inside routes. They still don’t get over-aggressive but they have the corners to execute the scheme and the results are clear.

Unsung Hero: Michael Hoomanawanui

I’m with Reiss on this one, Hooman has come through with a few big catches playing 71.1 percent of the offensive snaps. That could dip a bit now with Rob Gronkowski back, but the Hooman did an admirable job playing a big role.

Second-Half Player to Watch: Aqib Talib

I’m excited to see what Shane Vereen does, but I think the Patriots playoff hopes live or die with Talib’s ability to be the shutdown corner he was early this season. If he can do that the Pats will be a very tough out.