Steelers mid-season awards: Handing out superlatives during the bye week

Not only do the Steelers currently sit in the driver's seat of their destiny heading into their bye week, but they are also 6-2 and at the top of their division. Pittsburgh has been at this point before, but it will be up to the team to stay even-keeled and find ways to win over their last nine games following their week off. It is going to be a brutal stretch of battles to close out their schedule.

With that being said, the black and gold are nearly halfway through their season. Some players have played exceptionally well, while others have been disappointments. Culminating an award ceremony that would make Pittsburgh turn out in droves to witness in person.

There is plenty of football left to be played after the bye week, but this is how the awards would be handed out if the season ended today.

Most Valuable Player: T.J. Watt

No surprise here as T.J. Watt remains the MVP of the season for Pittsburgh. The Steelers rely on their star defensive player routinely, and he normally shows up in the game's biggest moments. Hopefully, Watt can stay healthy for the rest of the schedule, because they are going to need him against tough opponents. If he misses any amount of time with an injury, it could cause the Steelers to slip.

Watt might not be racking up the same level of numbers that he has in the past in regards to sacks, but he still impacts the game. He has found ways to still create plays despite him being chip-blocked the most of any defender in the NFL. Watt has still added to his sack total, but he has also continued to bat down balls and remains disruptive against the opposition's offense.

Least valuable Player: Broderick Jones

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It was only a couple of months ago when everyone was demanding Broderick Jones to start over Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle. Training camp saw a lot of shuffling across the offensive line, but Troy Fautanu's injury forced the Steelers into their current situation. Moore has been a solid starter at left tackle and arguably has been the group's most steady player.

Jones has been terrible and continues to rank as one of the worst starting tackles in the NFL. Perhaps time will help Jones eventually become the starting tackle that everyone thought he would be, but his stock in the NFL could not be worse. He continues to be a drive-killer with the poor penalties he takes. You could not have drawn up a worse second season for Jones.

Rookie of the year: Payton Wilson

There are a couple of rookies who deserve some recognition for this award. Both Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick have been terrific along the offensive line. Both seem ready to take over as the long-term starters at center and right guard moving forward. With the number of injuries, the Steelers have suffered this season along the offensive line, both Frazier and McCormick have stood up.

Payton Wilson remains the biggest factor on the Steelers moving forward regarding this rookie class. Many thought he would be brought along slowly, and in one sense he has. On the other hand, he has been thrown into the fire and continues to get more reps each week. Wilson should have plenty of chances to increase his opportunity to win the Steelers Rookie of the Year award down the stretch.

Unsung hero: DeShon Elliott

There are plenty of players who are flying under the radar right now as the Steelers head into their bye week. Even though Chris Boswell is getting plenty of attention in Pittsburgh, his reliability as a kicker cannot be discounted. Other guys like Moore and Joey Porter Jr. have been quality starters for the black and gold but have not gotten enough recognition to this point in the year.

With that being said, DeShon Elliott has been the easy winner of this award. He does all the dirty work in his position, and he does it well. He might be the best safety partner Minkah Fitzpatrick has had since joining the Steelers. Omar Khan found a gem with Elliott since signing him in free agency this past offseason. Elliott is on track to have one of his best seasons as a pro.