We are now halfway to Wildcard Weekend, so all this week, The Checkdown will be giving awards for the best moments of the 2017 NFL season (so far).
You might have seen other outlets doing their midseason awards last week -- but giving midseason awards after Week 8 is like celebrating the new millennium in 2000 instead of 2001. Sure, the New Year's Glasses look better, but technically you're jumping the gun. We at The Checkdown are very serious about our journalism; that's why we strive for Alex Smith-level accuracy with our first annual, and very prestigious, Middies Awards.
Keep an eye on The Checkdown all week for more awards, including our grand prize: The Best TD Celebration of 2017 (So Far).
Best Player You Regret Not Drafting in Your Fantasy League
At the start of the season, no one knew the running back from Toledo, who was drafted in the third round by the Chiefs. Yet, Kareem Hunt has been able to shine for fantasy owners. With over 100 yards from scrimmage in each of his first 7 games, Hunt has already accumulated 169 points. Next time, make sure you do your draft research. --Daniel Greco
Best Dance Instructor
Winner:Hayden (7-year-old Giants fan)
Runner Up:Ravens RB Alex Collins
Hayden and Jason Pierre-Paul have more in common than their loyalty to the New York Giants -- they've both lost a digit in their extremities. Hayden lost his toe while battling cancer and Pierre-Paul lost a finger in a fireworks accident in 2015.
Best Non-Kicker Doing Kicker Things
Winner:Cowboys safety Jeff Heath
Here's something you don't see often in the NFL: a defensive back kicking extra points.
After Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey went down with injury, the team relied on emergency kicker Jeff Heath, who nominally plays strong safety for the defense. In his relief effort, Heath went 2-for-3 on extra point attempts, and handled kickoffs, too. His one miss bounced off the upright, so it was still entertaining.
The 212-pound DB actually has experience kicking. In high school, he was named Big Play Player of the Year after kicking a game-winning 49-yarder to give Lake Orion a playoff victory.
Football is a team game and that's never more apparent than when you see players filling roles that just look... wrong, but at the same time, feels so right. --Grant Pardee
Best Kicker Doing Non-Kicker Things
Winner:Raiders P Marquette King
Runner Up:Bills K Stephen Hauschka
Marquette King is a man of many talents. He's probably the best punter in the NFL, and he's definitely the most versatile. He recently released a song on Spotify that he composed and performed.
King's fans know that the Georgia-raised kicker has always been musically inclined. Here he is playing piano as the Green Ranger.
Sometimes he'll just jam out in a parking lot with only a pet lizard and a skateboard by his side.
Our runner up deserves a shout out here, too: Stephen Hauschka's forced fumble against the Raiders is not a play you'll usually see from kickers. But for us at The Checkdown, we're here for it. --Grant Pardee
