Cleveland Browns: 2022 Midseason awards highlight MVP and best rookie

The Cleveland Browns have made it to the midpoint of the season as they enjoy their bye week. With that, let’s hand out some midseason awards

The Cleveland Browns have managed to make their way to the midseason and are enjoying some rest during their bye week. While they sit at a 3-5 record, there has still been some excellent play by multiple members of the team. The second half of the season will certainly be a busy one and will include the return of quarterback Deshaun Watson, so there will be much more to discuss as the weeks unfold.

In the meantime, let’s go back for a moment and discuss several players that have really stood out and have earned these midseason accolades.

Cleveland Browns midseason awards

MVP: Nick Chubb, RB

Nick Chubb is what we want the Browns to be, which is a steady and consistent winner. If Cleveland could have a team full of Chubb-like players who put the team above all else, then this franchise would be in better shape than they are currently with its current losing record.

Chubb has tried his best to help his team out this season. He’s run over his opponents for 841 yards and 10 touchdowns already. He’s having his best statistical season and continues to improve in his fifth season with the Browns.

He’s leading the league in almost every rushing category and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s now had five games of topping the century mark and has rushed for 10 touchdowns. His best seasons prior to this one had him scoring 12 touchdowns on the ground back in 2020 and he ran for 1,494 yards in 2019. Both of these marks could be topped by the end of the 2022 campaign.

The best part of Chubb’s presence is that he’s arguably the most unselfish player and seemingly only cares about his team winning. The fact that Cleveland is still struggling will likely make for an even more impressive second part of the year for Chubb as he tries to do his part in salvaging the season for his team.

Offensive Player: See Nick Chubb Again

Defensive Player: Myles Garrett, DE

The leader of the Browns’ defense continues to get better each week. While that can be difficult to assess at all times because in every play Myles Garrett is being over-analyzed, he still is striving for greater achievements.

Garrett has become a more vocal leader as well in his six seasons with the squad and the team has been responding to his messages about trying to do more, in an attempt at getting back into the win column. Garrett gets a lot of attention because of his importance to the team.

He usually draws double coverage and because of that, he will get undue attention. Despite that, the former No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft still has put together a good first half in 2022.

Moreover, He was in a serious car accident a few weeks ago and missed one game but has since returned more aggressive than ever. He’s registered a tackle in every game this season and sacked the quarterback 7.5 times in seven games. That now gives him 66 sacks overall in his career, which is a Cleveland franchise record.

While Garrett has had moments in his career where he’s not produced at the level that some might expect, this season he seems to be a bit more consistent. He’s recorded a sack in the last three games and continues to apply a lot of pressure on the opposing quarterback.

If he’s not getting the sack, he’s creating enough havoc in the backfield to where another teammate might get the big play.

Best Rookie: Martin Emerson, CB

Martin Emerson, the rookie out of Mississippi State was the first draft pick of the Browns during the draft this past spring. He was considered a talented cornerback with a knack for being around the ball but wasn’t seen as an instant starter. He didn’t have an interception in college, but he made his presence known this preseason when he took an interception back for a touchdown.

The cornerback position was considered a strength of the team coming into the year with Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Greedy Williams all returning. Unfortunately, Ward has been injured again and is in concussion protocol going on a third week and Williams has also been sidelined with an injury.

That’s resulted in Emerson being forced into action and while he’s made his share of mistakes, he’s also made many nice plays where he’s either broken up pass receptions or made an aggressive tackle. While some Browns players have been accused of being lax in their efforts, especially when it’s come to tackling, Emerson seems to really revel in playing hard-nosed football.

He’s quickly establishing himself as a real team leader and we could see his production explode the rest of the season. He has recorded 36 tackles so far and deflected six passes while playing the majority of defensive snaps in the last two games. He had nine tackles in the Browns’ win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

There will be bumps in the road ahead, but Emerson has embraced his role with the team and is becoming a bigger leader at the same time.

Most reliable player: Amari Cooper, WR

Cleveland’s trade for Amari Cooper is looking more and more like a great move by this front office. The former Dallas Cowboy has gotten off to a fast start with Cleveland with 553 yards on 39 receptions and five touchdowns.

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Those numbers have him on pace for one of the best statistical seasons of his career. For example, he’s never caught more than eight touchdowns in a year, and he should crush that mark now.

Beyond the stats though is the eye test and seeing how he’s making things around him even better. The team knows they have an outstanding and reliable wide receiver and that’s something they’ve been searching for over the years. There have been other wide receivers who have come and gone. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. were some of the latest to come through town and while both had their moments, neither did what Cooper is doing now in a Browns uniform.

Cooper has the ability to affect a game in a positive way with his talented skill set as a wideout. But it’s also obvious that he plays the game with a professional demeanor that has him focused and aiming to win games for the team. While Landry and Beckham were good at their craft, they didn’t have that unselfish approach to the game. They have always wanted the media spotlight, while Cooper has just gone along and kept his head down ready for the next play.

The second half of the season could even be better for Cooper as Deshaun Watson makes his first start for Cleveland in a few weeks. Having these two All-Pros playing catch in the near future has Browns fans excited and eager to see how things pan out.

Biggest surprise player: Jacoby Brissett, QB

Coming into this season, the plan was to have Jacoby Brissett manage the Cleveland Browns offense while they waited for the return of Deshaun Watson. The Watson suspension was initially six games but that got a lot of attention for the small number of games. The NFL then appealed and the punishment changed to 11 games as a settlement.

Brissett now would be the quarterback for the majority of the season. The career backup wasn’t expected to make a lot of noise with his offensive skill set as he has a career 17-28 win/loss record which isn’t very good. Despite the negative backdrop, he’s managed to improve after these first eight games. He’s had his share of big mistakes, but he’s also put this team in a position to win on most Sundays.

He hasn’t been blowing people away with his numbers, but the statistics have nonetheless been steady and better than most would have expected. Thus, this award of being the biggest surprise is warranted.

Brissett probably had his worst game three weeks ago when he went 21 for 45 for 266 and threw two interceptions and fumbled twice as the Browns got beat by the New England Patriots 38-15.

Since that game, he’s come back and gone an efficient 39-49, with one touchdown on the ground and one rushing score. His level-headedness seems to be winning his teammates over as the season has unfolded. Though the team still has a losing record, one certainly gets the idea that Brissett and his offense will continue to get better. The quarterback has three more under behind center before Watson takes over.

One can imagine that we’re going to get the very most out of him. If he can help get two or three wins that would put his team in a good position as Watson begins his career in Cleveland.

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