MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks) (2,505 YDS, 22 TD, 1 INT, 203 Rushing YDS, 3 TD)
Wilson's 2019 campaign has been damn near perfect thus far. He's played largely mistake-free football while routinely taking over games, making highlight-worthy plays and bailing the Seahawks out of tricky predicaments during their excellent 7-2 start.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
Top Offensive Player: Christian McCaffery (Panthers) (165 CAR, 881 YDS, 10 TD, 42 REC, 363 YDS, 3 TD)
No none-QB has meant more to their team in the opening portion of the 2019 season than McCaffery. By making navigating through stacked boxes behind a mediocre offensive line look as easy running in the open field, not dropping a single pass and displaying a strong nose for the endzone, he's been exactly the consistently explosive playmaking presence this offense needed to make Kyle Allen's unexpected transition to the starting QB role as seamless as possible.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), Dalvin Cook (Vikings), Quenton Nelson (Colts)
Top Defensive Player: Aaron Donald (Rams) (25 tackles, 5 sacks, 11 TFL's, 9 QB hits, 2 forced fumbles, 1 FUM REC)
There are several players with better raw stats (Nick Bosa, Calias Campbell, Myles Garrett) and he's not racking up quite as many as sacks as he usually does, but Donald is still pressuring QB's and blowing up plays at the line of scrimmage more than any other player in the league. It would be a true shock if his year-end numbers don't provide a more accurate depiction of his down-by-down dominance.
Honorable Mentions: Calias Campbell (Jaguars), T.J. Watt (Steelers), Eric Kendricks (Vikings)
Top Offensive Rookie: Josh Jacobs (Raiders) (152 CAR, 740 YDS, 6 TD, 11 REC, 102 YDS)
Jon Gruden has called on Jacobs to be a bellcow back despite his modest workload at Alabama and so far, the 21 year old has responded remarkably well to that challenge. His strong, physical rushing style has made him a key cog in the Raiders surprisingly solid offense and allowed to him rank within the top 10 in the league in total rushing YDS (740, 6th overall), rushing YDS per game (92.5-4th) and rushing TD's (6-tied for 5th).
Honorable Mentions: DK Metcalf (Seahawks), Terry McLaurin (Redskins), Gardner Minshew (Jaguars)
Top Defensive Rookie: Nick Bosa (49ers) (21 tackles, 7 sacks, 13 QB hits, 11 TFL's 1 INT)
Thanks to a wide arsenal of pass-rushing moves combined with an explosive first step and beautiful technique, Bosa has immediately emerged as a top-tier edge disruptor in the pros. Like his brother Joey in 2016, the extensive amount of time he missed in the offseason battling various injuries make this incredible start to his rookie year that much more impressive.
Honorable Mentions: Devin Bush (Steelers), Josh Allen (Jaguars), Brian Burns (Panthers)
Comeback Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp (Rams) (58 REC, 792 YDS, 5 TD)
The fact that Kupp appears to be putting together his best NFL season less than 12 months after suffering an ACL tear is truly astonishing. On a Rams offense that hasn't been nearly as dynamic as it was a year ago for a variety of reasons (wretched offensive line play, weaker rushing game, erratic play from Jared Goff), Kupp has been the lone source of splash plays as well as a much-needed safety net for Goff.
Honorable Mentions: Teddy Bridgewater (Saints), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan (49ers)
About 2 months ago, I predicted that Shanahan was a strong bet to get fired this season. Like a lot of the takes I threw out during my preseason preview series, it ended up being comically wrong. Shanahan's creative playcalling paired with the sudden emergence of their defense as an elite unit has the 49ers off to an 8-0 start and on track to make their 1st playoff appearance since 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Matt LaFleur (Packers), Sean Payton (Saints), Frank Reich (Colts)
AFC:
1.Patriots
2.Chiefs
3.Ravens
4.Texans
5.Bills
6.Colts
Wild Card:
Ravens over Colts
Texans over Bills
Divisional Round:
Patriots over Texans
Chiefs over Ravens
Conference Championship:
Patriots over Chiefs
NFC:
1.Saints
2.49ers
3.Packers
4.Cowboys
5.Seahawks
6.Rams
Wild Card:
Rams over Packers
Seahawks over Cowboys
Divisional Round:
Saints over Rams
Seahawks over 49ers
Conference Championship:
Saints over Seahawks
Super Bowl:
Patriots over Saints
Showing posts with label NFL mid-season awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL mid-season awards. Show all posts
Monday, November 4, 2019
Thursday, November 3, 2016
2016 NFL Mid-Season Awards
MVP: Derek Carr, quarterback (Raiders)
Tom Brady has made a strong case for this award with his play over the past month, but a 4 game sample size isn't enough to name some mid-season MVP. With Brady out of the equation, the crown has to go to Derek Carr. Carr has overcome a shaky defense (31st in yards allowed, 23rd in points allowed) and team-wide lack of discipline (they're averaging 10.8 penalties per game, which is almost 1.5 more than anyone else in the league) to lead the Raiders to a 6-2 record, and a legitimate shot at clinching their first playoff berth since 2002.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Tom Brady (Patriots), Drew Brees (Saints)
Top Offensive Player: David Johnson, running back (Cardinals)
2016's running back headlines have been dominated by Ezekiel Elliott's breakout rookie campaign and DeMarco Murray's unexpected return to form, but David Johnson has quietly been the most dominant running back in football this season. Johnson has picked a league-leading 1,112 all-purpose yards (705 rushing, 407 receiving) behind an injury-riddled offensive line and is the primary reason the Cardinals offense has been able to stay afloat during their disappointing 3-4-1 start.
Honorable Mentions: Julio Jones (Falcons), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Top Defensive Player: Von Miller (Broncos)
A huge new contract has not changed Von Miller in the slightest. The NFL's highest-paid defensive player has once again proven why he's the best outside linebacker of his generation by consistently flashing his rare combination of run-stuffing (26 run stops, 4th most in the NFL among edge defenders) and pass-rushing prowess (45 quarterback pressures and 8.5 sacks, most and 2nd most in the league respectively) during the first 8 games of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Donald (Rams), Linval Joseph (Vikings), Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)
Top Offensive Rookie: Ezekiel Elliott, running back (Cowboys)
In one of this season's least shocking developments, Ezekiel Elliott has found instant success in the NFL. After a merely average first 2 games, the Cowboys running back been a nearly unstoppable wrecking ball, carving up defenses at will with his punishing rushing style. With a favorable second-half schedule and an elite offensive line blocking for him, it seems like a safe bet to assume Elliott will hold onto the league-lead in rushing yards for the rest of the season and cruise to an Offensive Rookie of the Year win.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Jack Conklin (Titans)
Top Defensive Rookie: Joey Bosa, outside linebacker (Chargers)
The 1st defensive player selected in this year's draft got off to a late start to the season after engaging in an inexplicable contract dispute and missing the first 4 games of the year with a hamstring injury, but he has more than managed to make up for his lengthy absence since he stepped on the field for the 1st time in early October. Bosa has been every bit of the edge-rushing force he was touted to be coming out of Ohio State, racking up 26 quarterback pressures, 13 tackles and 4 sacks in just 4 games. Bosa is the clear king of the defensive rookies and it would be a massive shock if anyone was able to match or exceed his level of play in the 2nd half of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Keanu Neal (Falcons), Karl Joseph (Raiders), Michael Pierce (Ravens)
Top Comeback Player: Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Browns)
You could easily give this award to DeMarco Murray, but his comeback from a down season with the Eagles isn't nearly as impressive as what Terrelle Pryor Sr. has done this season. Pryor has been out of the league for almost 2 full seasons (he appeared in 1 game for the Browns last year) and is still honing his skill set as a wide receiver after playing as a quarterback for the first 3 years of his NFL career yet has still managed to emerge as one of the few reliable contributors on a talent-barren Browns squad with 532 yards (18th most in the league, more than DeAndre Hopkins, Jeremy Maclin and Jordy Nelson) and 3 TD's (tied for 21st in the league, more than Amari Cooper, Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall). While those aren't Pro Bowl/All-Pro caliber numbers, it's still wildly impressive for a newly-converted wideout that has been forced to catch passes from 5 different quarterbacks this year.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray (Titans), Terrance West (Ravens), Morris Claiborne (Cowboys)
Top Coach: Jack Del Rio (Raiders)
What Jack Del Rio has done with the Raiders this season is nothing short of incredible. Del Rio's resilience and dice-rolling mentality has helped the Raiders overcome a slew of obstacles (porous defense, league-leading number of penalties, revolving door at running back), and put them on the right track to end their nearly 15-year playoff drought.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Zimmer (Vikings), Doug Pederson (Eagles), Dan Quinn (Falcons)
Top 3 Surprise Teams:
1.Eagles
2.Falcons
3.Titans
Top 3 Disappointments:
1.Panthers
2.Cardinals
3.Bengals
Revised Playoff Picks:
AFC:
1.Patriots
2.Broncos
3.Steelers
4.Texans
5.Chiefs
6.Raiders
Wild Card:
Steelers over Raiders
Chiefs over Texans
Divisional Round:
Patriots over Chiefs
Steelers over Broncos
AFC Championship:
Patriots over Steelers
NFC:
1.Cowboys
2.Seahawks
3.Vikings
4.Falcons
5.Packers
6.Redskins
Wild Card:
Vikings over Redskins
Packers over Falcons
Divisional Round:
Cowboys over Packers
Vikings over Seahawks
NFC Championship:
Cowboys over Vikings
Super Bowl:
Patriots over Cowboys
Tom Brady has made a strong case for this award with his play over the past month, but a 4 game sample size isn't enough to name some mid-season MVP. With Brady out of the equation, the crown has to go to Derek Carr. Carr has overcome a shaky defense (31st in yards allowed, 23rd in points allowed) and team-wide lack of discipline (they're averaging 10.8 penalties per game, which is almost 1.5 more than anyone else in the league) to lead the Raiders to a 6-2 record, and a legitimate shot at clinching their first playoff berth since 2002.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Tom Brady (Patriots), Drew Brees (Saints)
Top Offensive Player: David Johnson, running back (Cardinals)
2016's running back headlines have been dominated by Ezekiel Elliott's breakout rookie campaign and DeMarco Murray's unexpected return to form, but David Johnson has quietly been the most dominant running back in football this season. Johnson has picked a league-leading 1,112 all-purpose yards (705 rushing, 407 receiving) behind an injury-riddled offensive line and is the primary reason the Cardinals offense has been able to stay afloat during their disappointing 3-4-1 start.
Honorable Mentions: Julio Jones (Falcons), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Top Defensive Player: Von Miller (Broncos)
A huge new contract has not changed Von Miller in the slightest. The NFL's highest-paid defensive player has once again proven why he's the best outside linebacker of his generation by consistently flashing his rare combination of run-stuffing (26 run stops, 4th most in the NFL among edge defenders) and pass-rushing prowess (45 quarterback pressures and 8.5 sacks, most and 2nd most in the league respectively) during the first 8 games of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Donald (Rams), Linval Joseph (Vikings), Patrick Peterson (Cardinals)
Top Offensive Rookie: Ezekiel Elliott, running back (Cowboys)
In one of this season's least shocking developments, Ezekiel Elliott has found instant success in the NFL. After a merely average first 2 games, the Cowboys running back been a nearly unstoppable wrecking ball, carving up defenses at will with his punishing rushing style. With a favorable second-half schedule and an elite offensive line blocking for him, it seems like a safe bet to assume Elliott will hold onto the league-lead in rushing yards for the rest of the season and cruise to an Offensive Rookie of the Year win.
Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Jack Conklin (Titans)
Top Defensive Rookie: Joey Bosa, outside linebacker (Chargers)
The 1st defensive player selected in this year's draft got off to a late start to the season after engaging in an inexplicable contract dispute and missing the first 4 games of the year with a hamstring injury, but he has more than managed to make up for his lengthy absence since he stepped on the field for the 1st time in early October. Bosa has been every bit of the edge-rushing force he was touted to be coming out of Ohio State, racking up 26 quarterback pressures, 13 tackles and 4 sacks in just 4 games. Bosa is the clear king of the defensive rookies and it would be a massive shock if anyone was able to match or exceed his level of play in the 2nd half of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Keanu Neal (Falcons), Karl Joseph (Raiders), Michael Pierce (Ravens)
Top Comeback Player: Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Browns)
You could easily give this award to DeMarco Murray, but his comeback from a down season with the Eagles isn't nearly as impressive as what Terrelle Pryor Sr. has done this season. Pryor has been out of the league for almost 2 full seasons (he appeared in 1 game for the Browns last year) and is still honing his skill set as a wide receiver after playing as a quarterback for the first 3 years of his NFL career yet has still managed to emerge as one of the few reliable contributors on a talent-barren Browns squad with 532 yards (18th most in the league, more than DeAndre Hopkins, Jeremy Maclin and Jordy Nelson) and 3 TD's (tied for 21st in the league, more than Amari Cooper, Alshon Jeffrey and Brandon Marshall). While those aren't Pro Bowl/All-Pro caliber numbers, it's still wildly impressive for a newly-converted wideout that has been forced to catch passes from 5 different quarterbacks this year.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray (Titans), Terrance West (Ravens), Morris Claiborne (Cowboys)
Top Coach: Jack Del Rio (Raiders)
What Jack Del Rio has done with the Raiders this season is nothing short of incredible. Del Rio's resilience and dice-rolling mentality has helped the Raiders overcome a slew of obstacles (porous defense, league-leading number of penalties, revolving door at running back), and put them on the right track to end their nearly 15-year playoff drought.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Zimmer (Vikings), Doug Pederson (Eagles), Dan Quinn (Falcons)
Top 3 Surprise Teams:
1.Eagles
2.Falcons
3.Titans
Top 3 Disappointments:
1.Panthers
2.Cardinals
3.Bengals
Revised Playoff Picks:
AFC:
1.Patriots
2.Broncos
3.Steelers
4.Texans
5.Chiefs
6.Raiders
Wild Card:
Steelers over Raiders
Chiefs over Texans
Divisional Round:
Patriots over Chiefs
Steelers over Broncos
AFC Championship:
Patriots over Steelers
NFC:
1.Cowboys
2.Seahawks
3.Vikings
4.Falcons
5.Packers
6.Redskins
Wild Card:
Vikings over Redskins
Packers over Falcons
Divisional Round:
Cowboys over Packers
Vikings over Seahawks
NFC Championship:
Cowboys over Vikings
Super Bowl:
Patriots over Cowboys
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