Albert Haynesworth, a surprising winner for half-year NFL MVP

Quarterback is considered the most important position for any NFL team.

That's why it is the highest-paid position and the reason the No. 1 overall pick in the draft has been used on that position eight times in the past 11 years.

But halfway through this season, the starting quarterback on the league's only unbeaten team is 35 years old, playing for his fifth NFL franchise and has yet to pass for more than 200 yards in any game this season.

So no, Kerry Collins is not the most important player on Tennessee's roster, which is appropriate because this is the year that the league's glamour position isn't quite so glamorous.

New England's Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game, and Indianapolis' quarterback is playing like he's some sort of knockoff, swap-meet version of brand-name merchandise. He might look like Peyton Manning, but his performance isn't quite up to Pro Bowl standards.

After nine weeks, the most valuable player of the half-year in the NFL is defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, a 320-pound roadblock in the middle of Tennessee's line who forces opponents to use alternate routes.

He's the biggest reason the Titans have given up more than 20 points only once and why they are tied for the league lead in interceptions with 13. Haynesworth might not have picked off any of those passes, but the pressure he puts on an offensive line has cleared the way for his teammates to apply the kind of pressure that forces quarterbacks into bad decisions.

Haynesworth has anchored a defense so great that it has made Collins look good by not requiring him to do much more than hand the ball off. Running back LenDale White leads the league with 10 touchdowns, and rookie Chris Johnson ranks fourth with 715 rushing yards.

But while Haynesworth might be the biggest star so far in this season, he's far from the only one:

1. Coach of the half-year

Tony Sparano, Miami

John Harbaugh of Baltimore, Jim Zorn of Washington and Mike Smith of Atlanta are all first-year coaches with winning records, while Sparano's team is 4-4. But Sparano had farther to go, taking over a team that was one overtime touchdown from going 0-16 last season. Not only that, but Miami traded Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor before the season. Now Miami is in the thick of things in the AFC East even though its leading receiver, Greg Camarillo, started out as a walk-on punter at Stanford, running back Ronnie Brown has run for eight touchdowns and passed for one, and Ricky Williams has stayed on the field by steering clear of the grass. This isn't just good coaching in Miami, it's a legitimate resuscitation.

Honorable mention: Jeff Fisher, Tennessee; Harbaugh, Baltimore; Smith, Atlanta.

2. Rookie of the half-year

QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta

The team was coming off a season in which its franchise quarterback was jailed after a dog-fighting investigation, coach Bobby Petrino skedaddled off to Arkansas in the middle of the season, and the Falcons finished with their worst record since 2000. So it wasn't like there was any pressure on Ryan. He was only chosen third overall in the NFL draft and installed as the starter in training camp. The Falcons are 5-3, Ryan penned a remarkable final-minute comeback against Chicago, and he has shown that his nickname of "Matty Ice" might be more than just a nod to cheap, canned domestic beer. He's cool, collected and, by all appearances, a franchise cornerstone.

Honorable mention: Johnson, Tennessee; WR Eddie Royal, Denver; WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia.

3. Offensive player of the half-year

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans

There are times it seems Saints coach Sean Payton is determined to see if Brees' arm will actually detach from his shoulder if he throws enough passes. Brees led the league in pass attempts last season with 652, 74 more than any other quarterback. Brees is averaging 38 pass attempts per game this season, tied with Denver's Jay Cutler for most in the league. Brees is averaging the most passing yards in the league and has thrown for 15 touchdowns and been intercepted seven times. Oh yeah, receiver Marques Colston is back. Watch out.

Honorable mention: QB Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia; RB Clinton Portis, Washington.

4. Comeback player of the half-year

QB Kurt Warner, Arizona

Warner's scouting report used to read just like a piñata. Whack him a few times and wait for the treats to come spilling out in the form of turnovers. Well, through eight games he has committed 10 turnovers, but six of those were in one game against the Jets. That kind of turnover production has been the exception for Warner, and not the rule. Warner has passed for 16 touchdowns, he is one of four quarterbacks in the league with a passer rating greater than 100, and there isn't anyone who thinks Matt Leinart should be the Cardinals' quarterback. Well, nobody other than Nick Lachey.

Honorable mention: LB Joey Porter, Miami; QB Kerry Collins, Tennessee.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com