by Adam Schein

Our weekly Scheiners, tying a nice, big, fat, happy red bow on the first half of the NFL season, Schein 9 style ...

1. Foaming at the mouth

MVP: Peyton Manning

I can give you his glowing and dominant stats and cite the five-game streak of 300-yard passing games to start the season to support my argument. Or I can simply cite the injuries to Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown, Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson, among others. Whether it was the clutch play in Miami or the domination in Arizona, no player defines the word "value" quite like Manning.

Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees

There are quarterbacks with better stats. There are running backs and receivers having eye-popping seasons. I frankly don't care. Drew Brees has been the most dominant offensive player according to the old eyeball test, what I see every Sunday. And Brees is tied for first in touchdowns and the league leader in passer rating, if you are a stat geek.

Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper

The Saints safety has a whopping seven picks at the midway point. But it is so much more than that. Sharper has returned three interceptions for touchdowns this year. And he has broken up a pass in every game but one. And then there's the leadership Sharper has brought to the undefeated Saints on defense. Think about the money the 'Skins spent on Albert Haynesworth. Now think about the fact that Sharper has more takeaways than the entire Washington defense.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin

Really, it isn't even close. As a receiver and returner, helping the Vikings dominate field position, Harvin has put together a magical first half.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Cushing

The Texans linebacker has been the most consistent rookie, leading the team in tackles. In fact, Cushing is second in the NFL in tackles at the midway point. Cushing also has forced fumbles, sacks, picks, several pass breakups and a safety on his resume.

Coach of the Year: Jim Caldwell

It's very difficult not choosing Sean Payton, Josh McDaniels, Brad Childress or Marvin Lewis. However, I cannot choose five guys. I think what Caldwell has done in Indy's 8-0 start has been remarkable. First, he gets the credit for bringing in Larry Coyer and giving him full autonomy on defense. For those who say there has been no true change from Tony Dungy to Caldwell, there's a shift in defensive philosophy. Caldwell has dealt with major adversity, from a rash of injuries to going through an offseason program without his offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Taylor

NFL MIDSEASON

At the NFL's midpoint of the season, this week FOXSports.com takes stock in our Midseason Report to reflect on what's happened, and what's to come. MONDAY: Czar: Second-half storylines Video: Kramer 1st half shout-outs Video: Best/worst QBs of first half TUESDAY: Hench: NFL renders all of us idiots Schein: Midseason awards time Video: Coaches review midseason WEDNESDAY: Marvez: Team-by-team grades Concha: Second-half predictions Video: Race for No. 1 pick THURSDAY: Schein: Boom or bust for 2nd half Billick: Second-half adjustments Scout.com: 2010 Mock Draft

Carson Palmer is too easy. He may be impossible to ignore at season's end. Tom Brady? I expected this. Taylor is back in Miami and back to his dominant form, things we questioned after Taylor left the Dolphins last year on bad terms and wasted away in Washington in 2008. I'm thinking outside the box.

2. Rise and Schein

It has been the year of the defensive guru, and I wanted to seize the moment at the midway point and give some proper credit.

Mike Nolan has taken one of the worst defenses a season ago, changed the scheme to a 3-4 and made the Broncos into a clutch, lockdown unit. Elvis Dumervil has thrived playing outside linebacker under Nolan and become one of the best sack artists in the NFL. The immortal Ronald Fields anchors the middle of Nolan's defense. The average football fan asks, "Who the heck is Ron Fields?" Exactly.

Gregg Williams has changed the culture, intensity and play-making ability of the previously soft Saints defense. The Saints defense has scored more than the Cleveland offense. The Saints always had a great offense. But the defense's performance is the reason New Orleans is perfect on the season.

Cincy's Mike Zimmer has the Bengals defense playing at an elite clip, perfect against AFC North foes.

Larry Coyer has implemented a more aggressive style, and it has worked to perfection in Indy, with Antoine Bethea having a sensational season. Indianapolis has had a plethora of key injuries on defense, from Bob Sanders to Marlin Jackson to Kelvin Hayden, yet the Colts haven't missed a beat.

Dick LeBeau is still the best coordinator in the business, and the Pittsburgh defense is playing like it, despite injuries to Aaron Smith and Troy Polamalu for a period of time.

And let's credit Wade Phillips, who took over his Cowboys defense and has watched it improve greatly from a year ago. Jay Ratliff, Keith Brooking and Mike Jenkins have been difference-makers en route to a 6-2 Dallas start.

3. Hide the women, children and Matt Millen

The parity party is dead. There are some awful teams in the NFL.

A whopping five teams only have one win at the midway point. And three have only two wins!

NFL on FOX Video Central

See the latest from the NFL on FOX team — recaps, reactions and analysis. NFL on FOX Video Central

Let's not let recent wins for the Bucs and Rams overshadow just how gruesome it has been for these clubs in the first half. St. Louis was shut out twice and totaled four games with less than 10 points! That's unacceptable. The Bucs were unwatchable up until the thrilling upset against the Packers. Tampa Bay has one win and up until Sunday, the Bucs looked as if they were going all year without one. Raheem Morris has not looked the part as an NFL head coach thus far.

Kansas City has just one win. I thought the Chiefs would be more competitive.

The Lions actually won a game against the 'Skins! But they still look like, well, the Lions in the other games they've played.

And then there's Cleveland, with Eric Mangini sucking the life out of the team, the club foolishly deciding to fire George Kokinis, owner Randy Lerner being between clueless and detached and the pathetic offense and quarterback situation.

The Raiders have managed to embarrass the league with Tom Cable's behavior, wretched quarterback play and the overall lack of talent and direction en route to two wins.

Washington turned to a bingo caller to save the offense. I'll just let that sentence stand alone for the 2-6 'Skins.

Poor Lions. Even Seahawks fans are making fun of them. (Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images)

And yes, Tennessee has won two straight. But that doesn't eradicate the terrible start for a team that internally thought it was going to the Super Bowl. The no-show in the snow in New England is tough to get out of my mind.

4. Backseat coaching

On a rare occasion, I am wrong ...

After I killed Josh McDaniels all offseason, the Denver coach has proven to be up for the challenge, shocking the world with a first-place showing in the AFC West.

Brad Childress stuck his neck out for Brett Favre, and the Vikings are 7-1 under Childress' watchful eye.

5. Schein's Anatomy

There were a ton of signature players who succumbed to season-ending injuries, from Chad Pennington to Leon Washington to the Texans being forced to play in the second half without stud tight end Owen Daniels. The Bengals' loss of pass rusher Antwan Odom was a big deal. I think this will catch up to Cincy in the second half. Perhaps even bigger was the Jets' losing the irreplaceable nose tackle Kris Jenkins. But the Bears lost their pulse when Brian Urlacher didn't even make it to Week 2. It's why the Chicago defense has slumped and why the Bears will miss the playoffs.

6. Second-half hot seat

My preseason pick for the NFC title game was Green Bay over the Giants.

Welcome to the hot seat, Mike McCarthy and Tom Coughlin.

If you read my columns, watch my video picks on FOXSports.com, listen to my radio show and watch our television show (I need a vacation), you know how much I respect both of these coaches. And they are very similar in terms of preparation and attention to detail. Their players love playing for them.

But the Giants are on a four-game losing streak and have lacked any kind of consistency on defense or special teams. And it certainly seems as if Coughlin appointed an overmatched defensive coordinator in Bill Sheridan. The loss to San Diego was awful, with Coughlin not trusting Eli Manning to score a touchdown, settling for a field goal to give Philip Rivers a chance to drive down the field and win the game. And, of course, Rivers did that against Sheridan's defense that provided no pressure.

And I get so riled up when someone calls our radio show and screams that McCarthy or Ted Thompson should be kicked to the curb. But it seems like that combination, and yours truly, grossly overestimated the offensive line play. It killed Green Bay twice against the Vikings and in the Week 9 embarrassment to the Bucs. The offensive line could keep the underachieving, 4-4 Packers out of the playoffs if it doesn't get better in a hurry.

7. My Guys

Tom Brady

The rust against the Bills and Jets seems like a lifetime ago. The game against Tennessee in the snow was epic. Brady is back to, well, being Tom Brady.

Jared Allen

He's just a hair short right now for Defensive Player of the Year. It's not just the sacks (10.5) and pressures. Allen is a great run stuffer and represents the pulse of the Vikings defense.

Carson Palmer

He's back. Palmer is a top-five quarterback in the NFL and has proven it during the Bengals' improbable 6-2 start.

Vincent Jackson

The Charger has emerged as one of the elite receivers in the NFL. Jackson is third in the league with 722 receiving yards.

Matt Schaub

Schaub has stayed healthy and played excellent football, with 17 touchdowns and 2,653 passing yards. In a make-or-break season, Schaub has risen to the challenge.

8. My Goats

NFL Week 11

Week 11 action (all times ET)

MIA 24, CAR 17 -- Recap | Box
IND 17, BAL 15 -- Recap | Box
DAL 7, WSH 6 -- Recap | Box
GB 30, SF 24 -- Recap | Box
MIN 35, SEA 9 -- Recap | Box
NYG 34, ATL 31 (OT) -- Recap | Box
NO 38, TB 7 -- Recap | Box
JAX 18, BUF 15 -- Recap | Box
KC 27, PIT 24 (OT) -- Recap | Box
DET 38, CLE 37 -- Recap | Box
ARZ 21, STL 13 -- Recap | Box
SD 32, DEN 3 -- Recap | Box
NE 31, NYJ 14 -- Recap | Box
OAK 20, CIN 17 -- Recap | Box
PHI 24, CHI 20 -- Recap | Box
TEN-HOU, 8:30 p.m. (Mon.) -- Preview


---

HELP THE TROOPS: NFL on FOX is making DVDs of our pregame show from Afghanistan available for purchase, with all proceeds going to military charities.

---

JaMarcus Russell

He did nothing to fix his reputation as a lazy underachiever.

Larry Johnson

The Chiefs finally cut the running back who refused to grow up and live up to expectations in K.C. Ripping his coach on Twitter and using a gay slur toward reporters rightly sealed Johnson's fate as an ex-Chief.

Eric Mangini

The Browns are awful and lifeless, and that's a direct reflection of the coach.

Daniel Snyder

As Jim Zorn keeps his head coaching job yet loses his play-calling duties and the club brings in a bingo caller to run the offense, the failures of this two-win first half fall at the feet of Snyder, who created this entire mess.

Lovie Smith

The Bears are underachieving at every level and are at 4-4. Lovie runs the defense and thus deserves the heat.

9. Three and out

1. The Ravens, Jets and Jaguars are all 4-4 yet have very different feels. Jacksonville is thrilled to be at .500 with an unstoppable Maurice Jones-Drew and the sudden emergence of Mike Sims-Walker at receiver. Nobody expected much out of the Jags. However, the Ravens looked like the best team in football after three weeks, but bad luck, a dropped ball in New England, a missed kick in Minnesota and bad play in the secondary killed them in the next five. The Jets led the league in trash talk, and like the Ravens, fizzled after a 3-0 start.

2. T.O. has been a total non-story in every possible way. That's nugget-worthy at the halfway point of the season.

3. Cedric Benson carved up the Ravens defense twice for 100-yard games, cementing a sensational first half for the upstart Bengals. When you put pencil to paper, Benson is top 10 for league MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. Not bad for a guy with a terrible reputation for being soft and a bad teammate in Chicago. What a turnaround!

You can watch Schein and Chris Carlin on Loud Mouths, weeknights at 6 ET on SNY (DIRECT-TV 639).

You can listen to Schein and Rich Gannon on the Sirius Blitz, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Sirius NFL Radio 124.

Join Schein on NFL Sundays for the Sirius NFL Tailgate show from 9 a.m. to noon ET on Sirius NFL Radio and immediately after the Jets games on SNY for Jets Postgame Live.

Adam Schein has joined the Twitter craze. Follow his work on foxsports.com, SNY, and Sirius NFL Radio at twitter.com/AdamSchein.

E-mail Schein at adamjschein@hotmail.com.