Who's more valuable, Brent Celek, or Fraction Jackson?
After eight weeks of the season, the Eagles are sitting at 5-3 overall with a 2-1 record in the division. It's not a bad place to be at the half-way point, but the Eagles, as well as their fans, understand that 7-1 bounced off this team's fingertips.
A combined eight points between their two losses is the only thing keeping them from having complete control of the NFC East, but they're still in the mix and with a number of players getting healthy, are in good position to make a push in the back eight of the season.
There are a number of players who have stepped up in all three phases of the game, allowing this team be in the position they're in now. So, let's take a look at this team's MVP's at the half-way point of 2009.
Offense: DeSean Jackson, WR
Jackson has already doubled his number of receiving touchdowns from his rookie season with four, and two more touchdowns -- one on the ground and one on a punt return -- to bring him to six total.
26 receptions for 530 yards and four touchdowns has him on pace for 52 receptions for 1,060 yards and eight touchdowns -- not a bad season for a second-year receiver. However, those will be difficult numbers to reach if he doesn't increase that catch total. At the moment, he's averaging over 20 yards per reception which will be very difficult to keep up.
Add his receiving numbers to his versatility to the run the ball on the end-around or the wildcat, and you've got a special player.
Jackson figures to be a deep, big-play threat for the rest of the season, but will need the rookie Jeremy Maclin to step up and starting getting more separation to draw the double team away from Fraction Jackson.
Defense: Trent Cole, DE
With 7.5 sacks on the season, Cole is on his way to a 15-sack season -- a stat that should be plenty to get him to his second Pro Bowl, and would be a career high by 2.5 sacks. Cole has always started off fast but faded at the end, so it will be important for him to keep up this kind of production and finish with at least 14 sacks.
Not only has he been great against the pass, but he's been fantastic against the run. Whether teams run at him or away from him, he's doing a wonderful job of shadowing the runner and bringing him down immediately.
His entire game is coming together beautifully, and he now deserves to be mentioned among the top defensive ends in the league in the same breath as Dwight Freeney, Julius Peppers, John Abraham, and others.
Special Teams: Eldra Buckley, RB
Ellis Hobbs has been decent returning the ball, David Akers has done a good job of putting points on the board, and Rocca has been good but inconsistent. Eldra Buckley, however, has been by far the best performer on special teams.
He's consistently the first guy down the field for kickoff coverage, and if he's not making the tackle he's forcing the return man inside so that someone else, usually Akeem Jordan or Tracy White, to make the tackle.
Buckley is showing why he's on this team and his competition in training camp, Lorenzo Booker, is floating around the free agent wire.
Most Improved Player: Brent Celek, TE
Celek, only halfway through the season, is already looking at career bests for the season. With 40 receptions, 486 yards and four touchdowns, he should be on his way to his first Pro Bowl in only his third NFL season.
At this pace, Celek will finish with 80 receptions, 972 yards, and eight touchdowns. Those are unbelievable numbers for a tight end that, if he can pull it off, should put him in the conversation for one of the best young offensive talents in the league.
Just to show how much he's improved, let's look at his first two season.
Rookie season (2007): 16 receptions, 178 yards, one touchdown
Second season (2008): 27 receptions, 318 yards, one touchdown
This season, even if he disappears in the second half of the season, he's going to blow those numbers away. He is most definitely the most improved player on this team, if not of the entire league.
