With the bye week, it's time for us to look back at the first half of the New England Patriots season. And that's just what we're going to do. All this weekend, we will be doing a series of mid-season articles. We'll be talking about this year's good and bad so far.

Next up is taking a look at the Patriots' midseason MVPs. Sitting at 2-8 this season, there are few positives, but a few players have done well despite it all. Because of that, they deserve to be recognized. So, let's jump into it. 

Offense MVP: WR Demario Douglas

Selected in the sixth round, the wide receiver out of Liberty was certainly viewed as a long shot to make the roster. But he didn't let that stop him. 

Douglas impressed during training camp, showing himself to be a top receiver and earned a spot on the 53-man roster. 

After making a mistake early in the season, fumbling in the Patriots first game against the Miami Dolphins in September, Douglas used it as a learning experience. He was benched for a short period of time as his "punishment," but came back stronger than ever. 

With Kendrick Bourne out for the season after tearing his ACL, Douglas stepped up and has become a real threat for the Patriots despite their struggling offense. While he has yet to haul in a touchdown pass, Douglas has shown off his speed and skills that keep causing defenders to miss. 

While New England's offense isn't that much fun to watch at the moment, watching Douglas remains entertaining. 

Defensive MVP: Jabrill Peppers

Referred to as a "psychopath" by fellow teammate David Andrews, Jabrill Peppers is a menace on defense. 

And he even admits that about himself, having an iconic quote when asked about if he would be participating in flag football at the Olympics. 

"I don’t know about the flag football thing," Peppers said. "I’m a violent guy. I don’t think I’d fare too well. They try to kick me out of games with equipment so I don’t know if that’s for me."

So far this season, Peppers has 59 total tackles (40 solo), with one forced fumble, one interception, and six passes defended. 

He also is someone who holds himself and the team accountable after all the losses, still believing in the players and not giving up. Peppers leads both through his words, but also by his actions on and off the field. 

Special Teams MVP: Brenden Schooler

Brenden Schooler just has a way of getting to the ball on every field goal. 

The special teamer already was able to block one attempt this season, getting in the way of a 49-yard field goal attempt by Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders. 

And the best part about it all was Schooler executed a play that many had seen before. With a perfectly timed run, Schooler sprinted across the line of scrimmage and was able to block the kick, allowing Kyle Dugger to scoop it up.

While he had one very poor performance during the Patriots loss to the Washington Commanders, racking up two penalties, he has been solid this season. 

And he poses a real threat, which the Patriots need. 

New England Patriots mid-season rookie report cards

They still have plenty of room to grow.