Bucky Brooks Names Joe Burrow His NFL Midseason MVP

Receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are torching defenders on the outside, whether facing single or double coverage. Brooks said that has made the Bengals' offense "must-see TV."

Smith-Njigba, the receiver Brooks calls JSN, is his Offensive Player of the Year pick. He has already passed 1,000 yards in nine games, averaging 115.1 yards per game and 14.6 yards per catch.

Brooks said Smith-Njigba leads the league with nine touchdowns and 51 first downs on 71 receptions. He has 16 catches of 20 or more yards, one fewer than Christian Watson, the most in the league.

Another award would put him alongside running backs Marshall Faulk and Earl Campbell. Faulk won in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and Campbell in 1978, 1979 and 1980. They are the only players in NFL history to win consecutive Offensive Player of the Year awards, Brooks wrote.

Brooks said Smith-Njigba has done it despite playing with multiple quarterbacks and facing loaded zones or double coverage on most downs.

On defense, Brooks chose Buffalo Bills pass rusher Greg Rousseau, who is having a breakout season under new coordinator Jim Leonhard. Through eight games, Rousseau has eight sacks, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

He has at least one sack in five of Buffalo's eight games. That includes multi-sack outings in each of the first three weeks, against the Texans, Lions and Chargers.

Opponents then adjusted their schemes to neutralize him. Rousseau has since recorded sacks in back-to-back weeks and five passes defensed in the last three games, Brooks said.

Brooks also picked 49ers tackle Williams, 38, as "the best tackle in football." The 12-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro is listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds.

Williams has a shoulder issue and was questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Brooks wrote.

Among rookies, Brooks highlighted a second-round pick named Boston, who he said was not expected to take the league by storm. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver averages 15.8 yards per catch, with six receptions of 20 or more yards and three touchdowns.

Boston leads all NFL rookies with 507 receiving yards on 32 catches.