Trying to predict season awards are as close to predicting which Browns’ quarterback will start next game.  It is completely based on gut feeling, which in the Browns’ case is usually wrong.
 
Keep that in mind as you read our predictions for our picks for individual awards in the NFL.
 
MVP
 
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts – Manning is arguably playing his best football this season.  He has passed for more than 300 yards in the first five games.  Manning is achieving this with a receiving corp of Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.  Not exactly an elite group of football players. Despite Indianapolis’ non-existent running game (ranked 28th in the league), Manning still finds holes in defenses.  Amazing considering most defenses are built to stop the Colts’ passing game.
 
Runner-up: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints- Brees was on fire in the first two games of the season but slowed down in the subsequent games.  In the first two games, Brees threw for nine touchdowns and only two interceptions.  But after that he had a mini-slump that included no touchdown passes in Week 3 and 4.  If Brees continued on his touchdown tear all the way through Week 9, we wouldn’t complain if the NFL handed him the MVP award right now.
 
Brees is helped by the improved running of Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas.  Unlike Peyton Manning, he actually has a running game to help him keep defenses off his receivers.
 
Coach of the Year
 
Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts – Caldwell is only the second rookie coach in NFL history to start the season 8-0 since Potsy Clark did it in 1931 with the Portsmouth Spartans.  Sure, he has benefitted from Peyton Manning’s brilliance but considering an offensive line that features disappointing LT Tony Ugoh and G Mike Pollack, Caldwell made the right call by replacing them with Kyle DeVan and Charlie Johnson.
 
Runner-up: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints –Payton has rebounded nicely since his 7-9 record last 2007.  He has done a great job overhauling the roster this season, retaining only eight players from the time he was hired.  There is currently no apparent chink in the Saints’ armor.  He has improved the Saints’ defense which now leads the league in interceptions and interceptions returned for touchdowns.
 
It’s really a toss-up between Payton and Caldwell but I gave Caldwell the nod because of him being a rookie coach. You can also make a case for Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis for his teams’ surprising performance. The Vikings’ Brad Childress also deserves consideration for personally picking up Favre from the tarmac and convincing Minnesota that Favre can help them be a contender.
 
Offensive Player of the Year candidates
 
Matt Schaub, Houston Texans – Schaub leads the league in passing yards and in touchdown passes.  He has fumbled only once and features a QB rating of 98.1.  If the Texans’ defense held their own against division rivals Indianapolis and Jacksonville, Schaub would’ve led Houston to victory against them.  Schaub is still able to move the ball despite being predictable with targets Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels.
 
Runner-up: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – Since I’ve made a case for Drew Brees above, let’s go to his numbers this season: 94.6 QB rating, 14 touchdowns, six interceptions, 69 percent completion rate and 2336 passing yards.
 
Schaub gets the nod since Brees went through mini slump of scoring no touchdowns in two games.
 
Defensive Player of the Year candidates
 
Darren Sharper, New Orleans Saints – Sharper signed with the Saints’ as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason.  This year’s version of Sharper doesn’t look 34-years-old but 25-years-old when he first made the Pro Bowl.  He has made big plays all season including an interception of Matt Ryan that helped the Saints preserve their streak.  He leads the league in interceptions, yards returned after interceptions with 317 and defensive touchdowns.
 
Runner-up: Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings – Allen is one of the toughest covers in the league.  He is the biggest reason why the Vikings are a well-balanced team.  The numbers speak for themselves: leads the league in sacks with 10.5 and stuffs with six.
 
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
 
Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings – Harvin is always a threat with the ball.  He has scored five touchdowns in eight games; three from playing as a receiver and two from returning kicks.  It seems that his play has definitely outweighed his character issues.
 
I couldn’t count anyone worthy of this award besides Harvin.  Mark Sanchez is not exactly an Offensive ROY candidate.  So is Mike Wallace.  This award looks like a run away for Harvin.
 
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates
 
Brian Cushing, Houston Texans – Cushing is playing great for the Texans and is third in the league with 78 total tackles.  He reacts great and barely gets fooled by ball fakes and play-actions
 
Runner-up: Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills – Byrd makes a strong case for this award because of his elite instincts and his gift of magnetically drifting towards the ball.  He has recorded seven interceptions in a four game span.
 
I give the nod to Cushing because the Texans have a better record than the Bills but you really can’t go wrong with both of them.
 
NFL Comeback Player of the Year
 
Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings – Favre came back from retirement and was pathetic for the Jets.  He came back from another retirement and is playing great for the Vikings.  Maybe the shoulder injury did affect Favre’s performance last season because right now he has been nothing but superb. The legendary QB is also receiving consideration for the MVP award but because of Manning’s brilliance that’s all Favre will get: consideration.
 
Favre added more to his legend by leading the Vikings in the final ten seconds against the 49ers earlier this season.  He has recorded only three interceptions and has thrown for 16 touchdowns so far.  This could be Favre’s best season yet.
 
Favre has earned the right to win this award.  No one else even comes close to what Favre has accomplished this season.

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