It hasn’t felt like a rewarding season so far for the New England Patriots, but even in a year marred with disappointment, there have been multiple players that have stood out on the roster.
Most of those players have been on the defensive side of the ball. Despite being riddled with injuries, the Patriots defense has competed valiantly on a weekly basis.
With a banged-up roster in Week 10, they somehow managed to hold the Indianapolis Colts’ top-10 scoring offense to only 10 points. At the beginning of the season, they looked like one of the best defensive units in the NFL.
Today, we’re handing out some 2023 midseason awards for Patriots players, including MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year and Most Disappointing Player of the Year.
Most Disappointing Player of the Year: CB Jack Jones
Jack Jones’ exit from New England was one of the most shocking headlines of the season. He was a player most believed would develop into one of the next great corners in Bill Belichick’s system.
Yet, too many off-the-field issues eventually led to the Patriots saying enough is enough and pulling the plug on their 2022 fourth-round draft pick. Jones ended up on waivers and was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders.
A slew of incidents, including a suspension late last season, a June arrest at an airport and reportedly being late for a team meeting, along with performance issues, all likely played into the split.
Breakout Player of the Year: CB Christian Gonzalez
Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez was so much fun when he was on the field. In only four games, he looked like one of the best defensive backs in the league.
Nobody up to this point has done a better job of covering Miami Dolphins All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill than Gonzalez.
Christian Gonzalez had the LOCKS on Tyreek Hill last night 😳
Gonzalez was targeted just TWICE while he was in coverage on Hill.
He didn’t allow a SINGLE reception and came away with an interception on one of the targets.
Gonzalez is currently allowing a passer rating of 58.5… pic.twitter.com/oNNDvdaWqz
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 18, 2023
It’s a shame the rookie’s season was cut short with a shoulder injury. The good news is the team knows they’re getting a legitimate playmaker with possible All-Pro upside when he returns next season.
Comeback Player of the Year: DL Christian Barmore
Christian Barmore has been an absolute monster along the defensive front this season. He’s stuffing the run and providing pressure up the middle to opposing quarterbacks.
The veteran defensive lineman has always had elite potential, but injuries have hurt his progress on the field. His ability to stay healthy has paid off with him beginning to show signs of the weekly game-wrecker he’s clearly capable of becoming.
This has been a major bounce-back season for Barmore with the Patriots, and the NFL future is beaming bright for the former Alabama standout.
Rookie of the Year: WR Demario Douglas
There hasn’t been much hope for the receiving corps outside of rookie sixth-round draft pick Demario Douglas.
For all of the misses coach Bill Belichick has had at receiver, he swung for the fences and hit a home run with Douglas, who has the potential to be the next great slot receiver in New England for years to come.
Imagine the damage he could do playing underneath of a legitimate No. 1 outside receiver. The Patriots could be one big receiving target away from providing a major spark to the offense. So far, Douglas has hauled in 30 receptions for 361 yards, which is second only to Kendrick Bourne.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Jahlani Tavai
This is the perfect chance to tip the cap to linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who has taken significant strides this season. Tavai has blossomed from a rotational piece to one of the key defenders for the Patriots on the field.
He does whatever is asked with great success. Do you need him to rush the quarterback? Done. Would you like to see him drop back and defend a pass? He can do it. Do you need him to stuff the run? Watch him work magic.
Tavai fits the mold of a young playmaker the Patriots should continue to build around for the future of the defense.
Offensive Player of the Year: OT Trent Brown
Trent Brown isn’t getting the credit he deserves on a mostly bad offensive line. There was a point in the season when he was the highest-graded offensive tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus.
Bill Belichick on Trent Brown: "Trent's played a lot of good football in his career. He's a good player. … I think he's playing well."
Said this season, with Brown being the highest-graded tackle by PFF, isn't a "big aberration" for him.
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) October 25, 2023
His willingness to play through injuries has obviously hurt his stat line a bit. However, when healthy, he has proven that he can still be one of the best offensive enforcers in the game.
Brown has been a force to be reckoned with along the offensive front as both a pass-blocker and run-blocker. If only the rest of the line played up to that level, the Patriots might be in a much different spot than they are right now.
Most Valuable Player: S Jabrill Peppers
This award could have easily gone to Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, Kyle Dugger or Christian Barmore. The Patriots have been fortunate to have multiple defensive playmakers step up to keep the already sinking team from completely drowning.
Peppers has been a consistent playmaker in the defensive backfield, even when he isn’t always rewarded for plays on a stat sheet. Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams is probably still feeling this hit from the Patriots safety.
Jabrill Peppers and Jahlani Tavai team up for a crazy INT 😱
📺: #NEvsLV on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/B4mQvLOt8O pic.twitter.com/vHQjDgCxEv— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023
Peppers has piled up 59 total tackles, and he also leads the team with six pass deflections. He has done more than enough to earn the MVP nod at the midway point of the season. His ability to make plays regardless of the circumstances around him is a big reason why every game doesn’t end in the Patriots being blown out.
