Halfway through a season filled with surprises, disappointments and, most of all, high-powered offenses except for the home teams at Giants Stadium we bring you the best and worst of 2002:

MVP: Drew Bledsoe, QB, Buffalo Bills. To every general manager who could have used a big-time quarterback and didn’t enter the Bledsoe sweepstakes, shame on you. Bledsoe has turned the Bills into playoff contenders overnight.

Offensive Player of the Year: Priest Holmes, RB, Kansas City Chiefs. Another who slipped under the radar screen of personnel execs, he wasn’t even drafted when he came out of Texas in 1997.

Defensive Player of the Year: Derrick Brooks, LB, Tampa Bay. Brooks already has four touchdown returns this season, three by interception and one by fumble, as many TDs as any Bucs offensive player.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Clinton Portis, RB, Denver Broncos. With 562 yards and four TDs, Portis is a big reason the Broncos have recovered from Terrell Davis’ retirement.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Julius Peppers, DE, Carolina Panthers. Coach John Fox said Peppers would be the closest thing we’ve seen to Lawrence Taylor. Fox might be right. Peppers leads the NFL with nine sacks.

Biggest Surprise: Chargers. Marty Schottenheimer’s renaissance continues, as the AFC West-leading Chargers look like the real deal.

Biggest Disappointment: Jets. They looked like Super Bowl contenders in August but turned into the Same Old Jets in September.

Best Trade: Bledsoe to the Bills. Close second: Ricky Williams to the Dolphins. Saints and Dolphins both win on this one. Williams has been the tough inside runner the Dolphins have longed for (711 yards, seven TDs), and Deuce McAllister has led the Saints’ resurgence (836 yards, nine TDs).

Best Coaching Job: Schottenheimer. Dan Snyder ran him out of Washington. Best thing that could have happened to Schottenheimer … and the Chargers.

Worst Coaching Job: Tie, Mike Martz of St. Louis and Herman Edwards of the Jets. Both coaches had enough talent to reach the playoffs. Neither has a prayer of getting there.

Most Improved Player: Brian Griese, QB, Denver Broncos. Mike Shanahan was ready to give Griese the hook in Week 1. But he got things going, and Denver now is a Super Bowl contender. Close second: Bills RB Travis Henry, with 695 rushing yards and 10 TDs.

Least Improved Player: Randy Moss, WR, Minnesota Vikings. He has only 10.7 yards per catch.

Knucklehead Award: Sebastian Janikowski, K, Oakland Raiders. He’s one positive substance-abuse test from being suspended. For that matter, he’s only 8-for-13 on field-goal attempts.

Comeback Player of the Year: Tommy Maddox, QB, Pittsburgh. A former first-round flop in Denver, later a failure with the Giants and Falcons, Maddox went to the Arena League and the XFL and now is getting it done in the NFL. Nice story.

Incredible Stat Award: Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay. He will extend his NFL record to 165 consecutive starts Monday despite a sprained knee. Counting playoffs, he has started 180 in a row.