The other night, on "NFL Monday Countdown," I threw out two names -- Rams running back Marshall Faulk and Viking quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Worthy candidates, absolutely.

One is Peyton Manning, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

Another is Curtis Martin, running back for the New York Jets.

The midseason MVP is Rich Gannon, quarterback of the Oakland Raiders.

Gannon is not the best quarterback, let alone the best player, in the NFL. Manning is the best quarterback in football. Faulk is the best player, with Martin and Randy Moss close behind him. But, so far, Gannon has been the most valuable to his team -- no way the Raiders would be 7-1 at the midway point without this quarterback's clutch playmaking this season.

"I don't like to get into campaigning for a guy, but anybody who has watched us play understands what (Gannon) has done for this team," said Raiders coach Jon Gruden. "There are guys with better statistics, guys who throw prettier passes, but I don't know if anyone has done what he's done the first half. He is hurting people on sheer guts. He just plays and he just wins."

Really, Gannon's statistics are nice, but hardly Warner-esque. He has 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions. But he also has 236 yards rushing (4.8 average) and four rushing touchdowns, with an uncanny knack to make plays under duress. Two of the more remarkable wins for Oakland came on the road when Gannon brought the Raiders from behind against the Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs.

"What he did against both teams was ... well, just ask those teams," said Gruden. "That second half in Indianapolis, it might be the best he's ever played in his life."

It's possible the Raiders would be 3-5 without Gannon. Even Sunday night, against a desperate Chargers team that clung to a 13-12 lead for a possible first victory, he showed his value when he drove the Raiders the length of the field to set up Sebastian Janikowski's winning field goal on a night the Raiders were decimated by injuries.

"He's 5-for-5 on that drive, throwing balls to guys I don't even think the general public knows we have," said Gruden. "Both our San Diego games, we lose if he doesn't make a bunch of plays in the last two minutes. I can't imagine anybody who's more competitive."

Gruden notes that the Raiders have allowed just 14 sacks, which he credits to Gannon's "ability to move around ... not just that, but to move around and make decisions."

	Rich Gannon has made plays happen -- like this scrambling gain against the Chiefs -- all season long.

Martin is another player whose statistics are deceptive. He only has 644 rushing yards and a 3.8 average per carry, and another 245 yards receiving. However, he is the one guy opposing defenses key on, especially with Vinny Testaverde struggling in the season's first half.

Now, consider the defenses Martin has had to battle. Buffalo, twice. New England, twice. Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh. Miami.

Here is a very frank assessment from a defensive coach on one of those teams: "Vinny has been so (bad) that if we play the Jets tomorrow, you think we're worried about Vinny? It starts with Martin. Really, he's a terrific player. A year ago, the Jets were tougher to defend. They do miss Keyshawn (Johnson). (Ray) Lucas was scrambling around, making a lot of plays. This year, any defensive coordinator will tell you that Martin is by far their best player, and that offense would be nothing without him."

Manning clearly has more talent around him than Gannon or Martin, when you think about Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison. Manning is the guy who drives the car, and nobody who is anybody in the NFL will question his value.

As one scout pointed out to me, "The Colts had Faulk and Harrison before Peyton came into his own, and they couldn't win. This guy (Manning) is as good as it gets. I think he's a lot more competitive than a lot of people understood when he first came into this league."

Others deserving MVP mention: Just a thought on a couple of other MVP candidates who I haven't mentioned. They were featured Monday night -- Tennessee's Eddie George and Washington's Stephen Davis.

George is probably as vital to the Titans' offense as any player in the NFL, but Tennessee can find so many ways to beat you.

Davis is the Redskins' workhorse in an offense that has been decimated by injuries. However, in case you didn't notice, the Redskins' loss to the Titans dropped them to second place in the NFC East. Washington (6-3) is now a half-game behind the New York Giants (6-2).

Top offensive player: Marshall Faulk
Faulk is my offensive player of the year at the halfway point. I hope I don't have to justify this selection. With Kurt Warner out of the Rams' lineup (injured knee and shoulder), Faulk scored four touchdowns against the 49ers on Sunday.

Faulk has 771 yards rushing with an NFL-best 5.4 average per carry and another 555 yards receiving. He has 14 touchdowns, nine by rushing.

Based on my formula, this award does not have to go to a first-place team, so players like San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia and New Orleans running back Ricky Williams certainly merit consideration.

Not to diminish the performances of Faulk, Garcia and Williams, but the common thread they enjoy suggests a discount is in order -- they all play in the NFC West. Other than the Saints, these are average-to-dreadful defenses, and neither the Rams nor 49ers have played New Orleans yet.

That's why the Vikings' trio of Culpepper, Moss and Robert Smith all merit acknowledgment in this category. Not only have they played the Bucs twice and the Lions, but the Vikings' non-conference schedule also has included the AFC East -- victories against Miami, Buffalo and New England.

Top defensive player: La'Roi Glover
La'Roi Glover is not a household name in the NFL but has 13 sacks and has been a catalyst for the surprising 5-3 mark recorded by the New Orleans Saints.

There's nothing fluky about this defensive tackle -- he's not just a pass-rush specialist but is very active against the run.

Other candidates: Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Bills linebacker Sam Cowart, Bucs tackle Warren Sapp, Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas, Dolphins defensive end Trace Armstrong, Vikings safety Robert Griffith and Jets linebacker Mo Lewis.

Top rookies: Samuels (offense), Howard (defense)
Few rookies come into the NFL and play left tackle as well as Chris Samuels has with the Redskins.

Not only has Brad Johnson been sacked just 15 times -- an extraordinary number considering the injuries the 'Skins have experienced up front -- but Stephen Davis continues to be one of the league's leading rushers with 864 yards through their nine games.

Darren Howard may be a surprise as top defensive rookie, but not to the Saints. The rookie defensive end from Kansas State was a guy the Saints tried to trade up into the mid-first round of the draft to acquire but found no takers. Now we know why the Saints were elated when Howard slipped to their early second-round slot.

It's not just his six sacks that make him special, according to Saints coach Jim Haslett. "He's as good against the run," said Haslett. "He's been everything we thought, and maybe a little more."

Howard has stiff competition as the league's best defensive rookie. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has 56 tackles and six sacks. Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon also has six sacks. Top draft pick Courtney Brown of the Browns has 4.5 sacks and gets plenty off accolades from everybody who has to block him.

Top coach: Dennis Green
Oh, there are a bunch of excellent candidates, but Green's accomplishment with the 7-1 Vikings still merits this award. I still have yet to find a soul outside Minnesota who anticipated that the Vikings would be this formidable, let alone have a winning record.

Green has done it after plugging in a "rookie" quarterback (Culpepper) into a Vikings' offense that had stars such as Moss, Carter and Smith. But the offense also lost veterans such as center Jeff Christy, guard Randall McDaniel and tight end Andrew Glover. Green also tore up his coaching staff and brought in Sherman Lewis and Emmitt Thomas.

The "honorable mention" pool is deep: Jim Haslett (Saints), Jon Gruden (Raiders), Al Groh (Jets), Dave Wannstedt (Dolphins), Jeff Fisher (Titans), Jim Fassel (Giants), Norv Turner (Redskins), Gunther Cunningham and Bill Cowher (Steelers) leap to mind.

I also think it is worthy to acknowledge some coordinators (these are coordinators who are fairly independent from the head coach):
Offensive coordinator -- Dan Henning (Jets); others: Jimmy Raye (Chiefs), Sherman Lewis (Vikings), Tom Moore (Colts) and Chan Gailey (Dolphins).
Defensive coordinator -- Marvin Lewis (Ravens); others: Ray Rhodes (Redskins), John Fox (Giants), Monte Kiffin (Bucs), Larry Peccatiello (Lions), Jim Johnson (Eagles), Jim Bates (Dolphins) and Ted Cottrell (Bills).
Special teams -- Alan Lowery (Titans).

Coming Friday: midseason All-Pro teams, more awards.