It’s been a rough year in Foxboro.

Playoff hopes shot before Thanksgiving, the worst nine-game start to a season since 2000, every blue-chip talent on the roster down with injury. Yet the Patriots persist.

And as they trudge through the midpoint of their latest campaign, let’s hand out some hardware.

Here are the Herald’s midseason awards for the 2023 Patriots.

Most Improved Player

LB Jahlani Tavai

A punchline upon arrival two years ago, Tavai is now a key cog in Bill Belichick’s front seven.

He is the only player on the Patriots to record a sack, a forced fumble and an interception so far this season. He’s tied for third on the team in tackles (54) and tied for fourth in pass deflections, with corners Jonathan Jones and J.C. Jackson. Tavai flips from playing on the edge to playing off the ball like no other linebacker on the roster.

He’ll never reach a Pro Bowl, but Tavai has successfully established himself as an NFL starter. He’s opened all but one of the Pats’ nine games this year.

Breakout Player

TE Pharaoh Brown

New England Patriots tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) runs for a touchdown during the first half an NFL football game against the New York Jets on Sunday Sept. 24, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

Big-play Pharaoh Brown! Who could have seen this coming?

The journeyman tight end may have finally found a home in New England, where his 170 receiving yards are already the second-most he’s ever recorded in a single season. Brown is responsible for the Pats’ longest pass play of the year, a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown at the Jets, and three other explosive plays. Brown also ranks among the team’s best run-blockers.

“Pharaoh’s a big target,” Belichick said last month. “He’s got good hands. He’s done a really good job of running with the ball and securing the ball. A couple of those plays that you’re referring to, he got hit almost as soon as he caught the ball – not on the one against the Jets, but on some of these other plays – as soon as he caught the ball, somebody was right there trying to knock it away from him or knock it out of his hands.

“He’s done a great job of securing the ball and picking up positive yardage after the catch. So, he’s been consistent doing that and it’s been a big help.”

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Rookie of the Year

WR Demario Douglas

It took six weeks too long for Douglas to see a regular role in the Pats’ receiving rotation, but he’s earned it. The sixth-rounder out of Liberty is the Patriots’ best separator and run-after-catch threat. He’s now being featured frequently before the snap in different motions, both as a decoy and to get a head of steam.

The fact the Dolphins double-teamed him on a key third down two weeks ago says everything about his place within the offense. Douglas’ 24 catches and 277 receiving yards lead all Patriots receivers. He’s also carved out a role on punt return, with starting returner Marcus Jones out for the season.

Bottom line: if the Pats need a little juice or an explosive play, Douglas is the best place to turn.

Defensive Player of the Year

S Jabrill Peppers

Foxboro, MA – October 22: New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers celebrates his interception during the first quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Peppers’ stats don’t jump off the page, but he leaps off the tape more than any player on the roster.

Peppers plays with an energy and force the defense has sorely lacked this season. His hit on Raiders All-Pro receiver Davante Adams not only forced a turnover, but should finish on season highlight reels across the league. Peppers has also stepped in to help replace Devin McCourty, both as a leader and a deep safety.

On the season, he leads the Patriots with six pass deflections. Peppers also has 54 tackles, a forced fumble and one interception, which helped spark the Pats to an early lead in their Week 7 upset of Buffalo.

Offensive Player of the Year

LT Trent Brown

The big man on the blind side has been the Patriots’ best player. Full stop.

Brown currently grades out as the sixth-best offensive tackle in the NFL at Pro Football Focus. He’s had a single game with multiple pressures allowed in pass protection, by far the fewest among Patriots offensive linemen, per the Herald’s charting. And he’s dominated as a run-blocker, ranking seventh among all offensive tackles in ESPN’s run-block win rate.

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For an O-line that’s struggled this season, Brown is almost single-handedly keeping one side afloat. His missed game last Sunday was also his first absence of the last year and a half. The 6-foot-8, 380-pounder is showing up and showing out.

MVP

WR Kendrick Bourne

Where would the Pats be without him

Despite missing most of the last five quarters with a torn ACL, Bourne still leads the Pats in receiving by more than 100 yards and tops all pass-catchers with four receiving touchdowns. He ranks as the 11th-best wideout in the league by ESPN’s analytics that track separation, catch difficulty and yards after catch. In losing Bourne, the Pats lost their most consistent playmaker, a trusted target for Mac Jones and a vital piece of their locker room.

Bourne played inside the slot and out wide, catching passes short, medium and long. And he played his best against Pats’ best opponents, scoring touchdowns against Miami, Buffalo and Philadelphia. That’s an MVP.