IRVING – The Cowboys are at 6-2 at the midway point of the season and atop the NFC East standings. After a 2-2 start, the Cowboys were at a crossroads of mediocrity when they beat Kansas City in overtime to kick start this four-game winning streak. Now they look to be one of the best teams in the NFC, though they're not up with New Orleans or Minnesota just yet. The second half starts Sunday at Green Bay with the Cowboys having a chance to continue their recent hot streak, but before they play the Packers, we hand out some first-half awards. Team MVP, Offense – Tony Romo After his three-interception performance against the New York Giants, Romo took complete blame and said he would get better. He's thrown just two interceptions since. He has played some of the best football of his career this season, establishing a single-game high for passing yards, adding more three-touchdown pass games and using his legs more to make plays. Mr. Unsung, Offense – Kyle Kosier Now you see how valuable he is to the line based on what happened when he missed 13 games in 2008 with a serious foot injury. He will not awe with strength or blow you away with quickness, but he has been the most consistent linemen this season. He makes a difference for Flozell Adams at left tackle and Andre Gurode at center because of his ability to pick things up. Biggest Surprise, Offense – Miles Austin How do you not go with Austin and his 27 catches and 612 yards? He has interjected some energy into an offense that needed big-play ability in the passing game. His seven touchdown catches have him on pace to match Terrell Owens' production and without the other headaches. The next test will be how he handles the extra attention defenses give him over the second half of the season. Team MVP, Defense – Jay Ratliff This was a tough call because of DeMarcus Ware, but Ratliff gets the slight edge. He has been a monster this year at nose tackle. He is a matchup problem for just about every center in the game because of his quickness off the ball. He can shoot gaps and disrupt running plays in a hurry but he must watch getting caught out of position on that too. As a pass rusher, he is relentless. Mr. Unsung, Defense – Marcus Spears The former No. 1 pick is putting together a nice season. He had a big stop on Donovan McNabb on the fourth-down sneak last week. He has two sacks this season in limited opportunities. Defensive ends in a 3-4 have to sacrifice a lot and do not get rewarded much but Spears is having his best season. Biggest Surprise, Defense – Mike Jenkins He leads the Cowboys with three interceptions and nine pass deflections. His recent surge has helped Wade Phillips be more aggressive with his calls up front because he has more faith the corners can hold up. Jenkins has been much more aggressive in his tackling too, which had been a worry coming. He will give up some passes but he has shown the ability to move on pretty quickly. Team MVP, Special Teams – Joe DeCamillis Why a coach? After what the Cowboys put on the field in 2007-08, you should know the answer to that. He has changed the culture of the unit with not only his new schemes but his energy. His gruff, no-nonsense approach forces the players to join or sit. They don't want to disappoint him and each week special teams has done something positive. How many times did you say that the previous two seasons? Mr. Unsung, Special Teams – Pat Watkins Life as a gunner is difficult because you often face double teams on the outside but Watkins has an uncanny ability to get by them to get to the punt returner the fastest. Part of it is his 6-foot-5-inch frame and part of it his hustle. He has 13 tackles, which is the most among special teamers. Biggest surprise, Special Teams – David Buehler It was odd, at the time, when the Cowboys used a draft pick on Buehler but he has certainly made the front office look sharp. He leads the NFL with 17 touchbacks and his deep kicks have helped the coverage teams saw the field in half. That's a big reason why teams are starting on average at the 21.9 yard line. Plus, he's been a willing tackler too.
