The Star’s Chiefs and NFL midseason awards: KC still in the wild-card mix

The Chiefs are at the midway point of the 2015 season, and while no one expected them to get out to a 1-5 start, they have managed to pull back into the thick of things by winning their last two games.

Unbelievably, the Chiefs are still in the wild-card mix. The Steelers, 5-4, and Jets, 5-3, own the final two spots, but the Chiefs have a head-to-head win over the Steelers.

The Chiefs also have showdowns looming against Oakland and Buffalo, two other teams currently ahead of them in the wild-card mix. They also have the benefit of a schedule that gets significantly easier down the stretch — their final six opponents have a combined 21-28 record.

So yes, things can potentially get pretty interesting here, especially if they find a way to upset Denver, 7-1, on the road Sunday. But in the meantime, here are The Star’s midseason awards for the team and the entire NFL.

Team awards

Derrick Thomas Team MVP: DE Allen Bailey

Super-tough decision here between Bailey and nose tackle Jaye Howard, who also makes a very strong case for this award. They have been the Chiefs’ best — and most consistent — players all season, but we don’t believe in ties at The Star, so we need to make a decision. Howard has the edge in tackles (36 to 31), but Bailey has the edge in sacks (4  1/2 to 1  1/2 ). Bailey also has two forced fumbles, compared to Howard’s zero.

But perhaps the biggest reason Bailey gets the slight edge is in total snaps. Bailey has essentially become the team’s No. 1 interior linemen. The best ability in the NFL is availability, and the truth is Bailey rarely leaves the field. He’s logged 440 snaps to Howard’s 351. That is a fairly significant margin.

The breakout performance for both players has been a feather in the cap of general manager John Dorsey, who inked Bailey to a four-year, $24 million extension last October and claimed Howard off waivers from Seattle before the 2013 season. Dontari Poe’s lingering back problems could have been a death knell for this team, but the play of Howard and Bailey has made it an afterthought.

Honorable mention goes to Justin Houston, who leads the team with 5  1/2 sacks but was quiet during a three-week stretch in which the Chiefs lost to Green Bay, Cincinnati and Chicago.

Mack Lee Hill Rookie of the Year: CB Marcus Peters

Peters has certainly lived up to his billing as the Chiefs’ first-round pick this season. The 6-foot, 197-pounder has flashed outstanding competitiveness and instincts while hauling in a team-leading three interceptions and recording a team-high 11 pass deflections. His transitional quickness and temperament were a concern for some during the predraft process, but the Chiefs did their homework on Peters and he’s conducted himself like a professional since arriving in May.

The evaluation of all draft prospects is a team effort led by Dorsey, director of football operations Chris Ballard and director of college scouting Marvin Allen, but West Coast scout Trey Koziol served as the lead scout on Peters during the run up to the draft.

Peters barely beats out second-round pick Mitch Morse, who has shown a lot of promise at center through eight games, for this award. Morse’s smarts, athleticism and toughness has carried him through his adjustment back to center, a position he hasn’t played since 2012, and while the offensive line has struggled to pick up stunts and blitzes, it has gotten better in recent weeks. Morse has a chance to be a really good player, and credit goes to area scout Terry Delp, who served as his lead scout.

The Star’s Chiefs awards (We made these up)

Best offensive player: WR Jeremy Maclin

With Jamaal Charles out for the rest of the season, the decision basically comes down to Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce. Their stats are close, with Maclin barely having the edge in catches (42 to 40) and yards (566 to 538) and Kelce having the edge in touchdowns (three to two), but Maclin’s competitiveness gives him the edge. He’s brought a swagger and edge to the offense that it has lacked at receiver for quite a while. And he gets bonus points for ending the Chiefs’ embarrassing scoreless streak from its wide receivers.

Biggest surprise: RB Charcandrick West

Prior to the season, it would be hard to imagine West usurping almost all of the carries in the event of an injury to Charles, but that is exactly what has happened. Knile Davis is a good football player, and he’s someone who can probably carry the mail for someone, but West — an undrafted rookie free agent from Abilene Christian — has looked great the last two weeks. Credit also goes to area scout Willie Davis, who served as the lead scout on West prior to the 2014 NFL Draft.

Chiefs season outlook

Reason to hope: With a victory, the Chiefs will improve to 4-5. Since 1990, 16 teams have gone on to make the playoffs with that record after nine games. So it’s possible. You can also argue they should have beaten Denver in week two. They were in position to win late despite five turnovers.

Reason to mope: This is very much a season-defining game. With a loss, they will drop to 3-6. Since 1990, only four teams have gone on to make the playoffs with that record. By the way, Andy Reid is 0-5 against Denver as the head coach as the Chiefs.

NFL awards

League MVP: QB Tom Brady, Patriots

Brady remains the league’s best quarterback. He’s guided his team to a spotless 8-0 record while playing very efficient football, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 2,709 yards, 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. Honorable mention goes to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Atlanta receiver Julio Jones and Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer, all of whom are having outstanding seasons.

Coach of the Year: Marvin Lewis, Bengals

Lewis’ Bengals are a sterling example of what happens in this league when you give a competent man plenty of time to instill his system, values and methods. Lewis, in his 13th season, is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL behind New England’s Bill Belichick, and this year’s team might be the best he’s had. The Bengals are searching for their first playoff win under Lewis, but they’ve been to the playoffs four years in a row. Although he has one coach of the year trophy under his belt, so does his primary competition for this year’s prize, Carolina’s Ron Rivera. Rivera has done an outstanding time guiding the Panthers to an 8-0 record. Belichick, Atlanta’s Dan Quinn, Oakland’s Jack Del Rio and Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer remain in the mix.

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Julio Jones, Falcons

Jones is having a career season, hauling in 80 passes for 1,029 yards and six touchdowns. He could challenge Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving yardage record of 1,964 with a strong second half of the season. But keep an eye on New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has 44 catches for 693 yards and seven touchdowns through eight games and is basically uncoverable. Palmer, who is back after an ACL tear, and Rodgers, who is without star receiver Jordy Nelson, also deserve credit for leading their teams to 6-2 records.

Defensive Player of the Year: CB Josh Norman, Panthers

Norman has come out of nowhere to emerge as one of the league’s best cornerbacks, with 31 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass deflections. He’s consistently made plays and contributed greatly to the Panthers’ 8-0 start. Oakland safety Charles Woodson is having a heck of a season for a 39-year-old — 41 tackles, five interceptions, eight pass deflections — and he’s helped revitalize an Oakland squad that at 4-4, has a promising future. Houston defensive end J.J. Watt is on a 3-5 team, but he’s having another spectacular season, racking up 40 tackles, 8  1/2 sacks and five pass deflections. Don’t count him out yet.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: WR Amari Cooper, Raiders

There are some very nice candidates for this one. Minnesota receiver Stefon Diggs, a fifth-round pick, has been a revelation with 28 catches for 461 yards and two touchdowns in only five games. The Chiefs saw how good he is — he caught seven passes for 129 yards against them. The Rams’ Todd Gurley has been superb; he’s rushed 118 times for 664 yards and four touchdowns in six games since returning from ACL surgery. His sterling 5.6 yards-per-carry average is the highest among any back with 100 carries. And Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota has been efficient, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and only five picks. But the winner, thus far, has been Cooper. They say the best ability in pro football is availability, and Cooper is the only one of the aforementioned four to play and make an impact in all eight of his team’s games. He’s been outstanding, too — the super-smooth route runner has hauled in 45 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns. He’s going to be a problem in the AFC West for years to come.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: CB Ronald Darby, Bills

Here’s a battle that essentially comes down to two talented cornerbacks — the Chiefs’ Peters and the Bills’ Ron Darby. While Peters has given the Chiefs’ secondary a much-needed dose of playmaking, the same can be said for Darby, a second-round pick who has more tackles (44 to 38) and pass deflections (15 to 11) than Peters does. Peters has the edge in interceptions (three to two), but Darby has done it behind a defensive front that hasn’t been as disruptive as the Chiefs’has. Darby has the edge for now, but this one should go down to the wire. Philadelphia linebacker Jordan Hicks was also making a strong case until a torn pectoral recently ended his season.

Comeback Player of the Year: S Eric Berry, Chiefs

There are some interesting candidates out there. Arizona is 6-2, and a big reason is the play of quarterback Carson Palmer, who is killing it after tearing his ACL last season. This year, Palmer has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,386 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. His running back, Chris Johnson, also has a case; the 30-year-old Johnson was thought to be washed up, but he’s rushed for 676 yards and three touchdowns in 141 carries. His per-rush average of 4.8 is his highest since 2009. Running back Adrian Peterson is also having a big season for the Vikings, who are 6-2. But come on, guys — Eric Berry beat cancer. In less than eight months, no less. He has 31 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception after fast-tracking his way through chemotherapy. He is the definition of what this award should be about.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 5:03 PM with the headline "The Star’s Chiefs and NFL midseason awards: KC still in the wild-card mix."