Mid-season votes for league awards

As one of the 50 nationwide voters for the official NFL Associated Press awards, I've started to research my picks.

Here's where I'm looking after eight games:

Most Valuable Player: Peyton Manning, QB, Colts -- How can it be anyone else? He's playing at the top of his game.

Offensive Player of the Year: LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers -- I like wide receiver Andre Johnson of the Texans, but they don't win. No player, besides Manning, might be more important to his team's success than Tomlinson. He leads the league with 1,151 scrimmage yards, a 4.9-yard rushing average and an 8.5-yard receiving average with 14 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Urlacher, LB, Bears -- If he's not out for too long with the injured toe -- he's trying to come back for the Sunday night game against the Giants -- no other players means as much to a good defense as Urlacher. He controlled the fourth quarter of the victory at Arizona.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Laurence Maroney, Patriots -- He's on pace for more than 900 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while sharing the workload with Corey Dillon. Maroney also is tied for the NFL lead with a 29.7-yard kickoff return average. (Reggie Bush of the Saints and Joseph Addai of the Colts also deserve consideration.)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Baltimore Ravens -- I'm breaking from tradition here to examine why and how the Ravens maintain one of the NFL's top defenses each year. They are getting major contributions from three rookie defensive players: fifth-round DB Dawan Landry has three interceptions; rookie free agent cornerback Ronnie Prude has two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown; and top pick, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is clogging the middle as the three-technique (nose tackle). Impressive.

Coach of the Year: Sean Payton, Saints -- He has made-over the roster and rallied a homeless team into the best story of the season. And they can play. Each week, they prove more that they are not a fluke. Absolutely no one saw a 6-2 record at midseason for the Saints, outside of their locker room.

Comeback Player of the Year: Damon Huard, QB, Chiefs -- He had not played a snap in 2004 and 2005 behind Trent Green, but when Green suffered a concussion in the opener on a clean hit by the Bengals' Robert Geathers, Huard had to step in. All he has done is led the Chiefs to a 5-2 record in his seven starts by throwing 11 touchdown passes, one interception and 1,623 yards. His 105.2 passer rating is second only to Manning's. It reminds me of the situation in New England in 2001 when starter Drew Beldsoe was injured and then-unknown Tom Brady had to play. Brady played so well, en route to the Super Bowl MVP award, that coach Bill Belichick broke with football protocol and allowed Bledsoe to lose his job because of injury. Chiefs coach Herm Edwards might consider the same move. No one could blame him.