There really is no other candidate which qualifies for this award more than the Manning-Master. Not only did he lead his team to a 14-2 record as both quarterback and offensive coordinator (he may not be credited for it, but we all know he's the the one calling the plays), but the only two losses that his team suffered came when he wasn't starting. If that does not convince you how essential Manning is to the Colts success this season then I don't know what else will. Just in case though i'll provide you with some of his impressive feats this season, such as having the 2nd most passing yards out of any quarterback this season(only behind Matt Schaub) with 4500. Along with that, Manning threw 33 touchdown passes and had an overall QB rating of 99.9%. Combine those stats with a near perfect season (DAMN YOU CALDWELL!), and you have yourself a perfect MVP Candidate.
Runner-Up: Drew Brees
You may know him as Bresus. This 'Saint' has been putting up God like numbers the past 2 seasons and always seems to lead his teams to big wins. Unfortunately he gets the runner up spot because, unlike Peyton, his teams few losses did come with him in the lineup.
Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Johnson
Although most of us entered this NFL season thinking that Adrian Peterson was the best running back in the league, we were all proven wrong by the astounding performances that Titans RB Chris Johnson put on every week. The biggest difference between AP and CJ is that while Peterson's success came with the help of one of the best Offensive Lines in the league,there was little to no help for Johnson on his path. Instead relying only on his blistering speed and his pounding toughness, Quicksilver (yes that's my nickname for him) ran for over 2000 yards in the season and was only 109 yards off from breaking Eric Dikerson's single season rushing record. While he wasn't a top candidate for MVP due to Vince Young's reemergence on the Titans, and his team's 0-6 start, the stats and performances that Johnson put up each week this season were more than enough to win him our Offensive Player of the Year Award.
Runner-Up: Drew Brees
He's the most accurate passer in the league with a 70.6 completion percentage. That perfectly compliments the way he throws for a league leading 34 touchdowns and a league high 109.6 QB Rating...
------------------------------------------------------Defensive Player of the Year: Darrelle Revis
Although he doesn't have the best stats out of any defensive back in the NFL this season, what makes Revis' success so astounding is who he has had to cover and how he has performed against them in doing so. Beginning week 1, Revis had to cover Andre Johnson, who is most likely the best Wide Receiver in the league at the moment, and held him to 4 receptions for 35 yards and 0 touchdowns. The very next week he has to cover Randy Moss, holding him to 4 receptions and 24 yards. When the Jets went up against the Saints in week 4, Revis and the rest of the Jets secondary held Drew Brees to 190 passing yards. The second time that the Jets played the Patriots, Moss did better with 5 receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, but the impact was still felt, as anyone who can hold Randy Moss to less than 50 yards reciving is doing their jobs correctly. During his best game of the season against the Carolina Panthers, Revis not only held Steve Smith to 1 reception for 5 yards, but also had 2 interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown. The following 2 weeks he continued his streak with interceptions against the Bills and Buccaneers. When the Jets faced the Falcons, Revis took Roddy White out of the equation by holding him to 4 receptions. During his best game of the season against the Carolina Panthers, Revis not only held Steve Smith to 1 reception for 5 yards, but also had 2 interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown. Finishing strong, he had a reception against the Colts while holding Reggie Wayne to 3 receptions and 33 yards receiving. Arguably the biggest point of his season though was litterly shutting out superstar Chad Ochocinco, who is his rival (or at least according to Ocho he is.) Sure 18 tackles and 6 interceptions may not seem like DPOY quality, but when you look at the broader picture, Revis is most definitely the best candidate.
Runner-Up: Patrick Willis
Pat has been a force since he came into the league in 2007. This year he lead the league in tackles yet again. Out of the top 10 tacklers in the league he is 2nd in Ints, 1st in touchdowns and 1st in forced fumbles. If it wasn't for Darrelle Revis messing it all up for him the DPOY award would be his. I'm sure in the future he will earn one though.
Special Teams Player of the Year Josh Cribbs
There weren't many bright spots in the Browns season however that which shined the brightest was anything that Josh Cribbs did. Seriously this guy is litterly 75% of the Browns offense this season; from kick returner, to wildcat QB, to Wide Receiver to running back, Cribbs does it all. When it comes to his kick/punt returns Cribbs may not have the speed of Devin Hester or Ted Ginn, but he has the toughness to break tackles and the smarts to find routes to run through. This season alone Cribbs had 3 touchdowns from Kick Returns, 1 from a punt return, 1 rushing TD and 1 Reciving TD; these stats may not seem like a lot, but considering how bad the Browns were for most of the season the fact that he had this kind of production on such a team is astounding. Cribbs is the kind of guy who scares other teams so much that it gives other players on the Browns the ability to succeed and grow in their abilities; essentially Cribbs is the main reasons that the Browns did not lose every game this season. It's scary to think what this young man could do if the Browns manage to snag some talent in the off-season.
Runner-Up: Percy Harvin
The Vikings Mr. Do-it-all (no, not BrettFavreBrettFavreBrettFavre) was fantastic on offense and on special teams. He was tied for 2nd in kick return touchdowns and tied for 3rd in return average (Minimum 30 returns).
Best Player on an Awful Team: Steven Jackson
First and foremost, the St. Louis Rams are a horrible football team. They finished their season with a record of 1-15, only beating the Detroit Lions who only won 2 games themselves this season. Unlike the 2008 Lions however, the Rams still had one thing going for them, and that was Jackson. Despite his teams godawful record, Action Jackson managed to have the 2nd most rushing yards this season with 1416, only behind Chris Johnson. Despite his amazing skill he only had 4 touchdowns due to the rest of his team being as talented as a bunch of wet sacks of potatoes.
Runner-Up: Andre Carter
Andre really flew under the radar when the Skins signed Albert Haynesworth. Unbeknownst to most he lead the team in sacks with 11, forced fumbles with 3, and tackles for a loss with 9. He silently was the rock of that defensive line and was arguably their best defensive player.
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Worst Player on a Good Team Kris Brown
It might seem like a cheap shot to give this award to a kicker, but given the circumstances there is no other player that has hurt his team more than Kris Brown did to the Texans this season. During the season Brown made only 21/32 field goals, which for those of you who like math is about 60%. Considering that being a kicker is probably one of the easiest and most important positions in modern football, you simply cannot have miss more than 6 field goals in a year and still be allowed to keep your job.
Not only did Brown miss a numerous amount of field goals, but the ones that he did fail to make were the most crucial for his team's success. A missed field goal cost the Texans their game against the Colts in Week 9 as the final score was 17-20. Two weeks later Brown missed two field goals in the game against the Titans and Houston lost the game once again 17-20. Of course, not yet satisfied with his awfulness, Brown nearly cost the Texans their game against the Patriots in Week 17, as he not only missed 2 field goals, but an extra point as well; Brown cost Houston as much as a touchdown with the amount of points he failed to tack on. Despite the fact that the Texans won the game, it is inexcusable for a player such as a kicker to cause so much damage to his team. Essentially Kris Brown is the very reason that the Texans are not in the playoffs and just barely managed to have their first winning season with a 9-7 record. Because of this floppy footed kicker Andre Johnson missed a well deserved shot at the playoffs. If this man is not fired over the offseason, the Texans are simply asking to be mediocre.
Runner-Up: Lawrence Tynes
As a Giants fan I feel like it was my obligation to give this guy a nod. I hate him. He seems to blow way too many games and isn't very clutch. He's the opposite of what a kicker should be. Yes he did have that one big kick back in 2008 vs. the Packers in OT, but that was his THIRD attempt after missing 2 potential game winners minutes earlier. The straw that broke the camels back was when he intentionally blew the game vs. the Chargers. Yes, I said intentionally. I can't find any video evidence of him stopping mid kick that isn't a crappy fan cam, so I think the NFL is covering this up. It's possible, it's like anti- Spygate.
Best Team to Miss the Playoffs: Houston Texans
Amazing how a team can have a quarterback with the most passing yards this season, a receiver with the most receiving yards this season, the #1 Passing Offense in the NFL (even higher than the Colts!), the #4 Overall Offense in the League, and have a winning record (their first) with 9-7 and not make the playoffs. Of course the Texans cannot say that they were cheated out since they were mathematically eliminated due to their record, but it's really quite unfair when the Texans beat the Patriots (who they were beating with Brady in) and yet they get a trip to the post season, even though they will inevitably fail within the first 2 games due to Brady's security blanket that is Wes Welker. If the Texans want to blame anyone though for their unfortunate luck it has to be their kicker Kris Brown who cost them several games on his own. There is however always next year for this Houston team who will likely be just as good.
Runner-Up: Miami Dolphins
Next season the Phins will win the AFC East. Mark my words! Take a great team with bad luck and the leagues hardest schedule and give them an easy schedule in 2010, their best offensive player back (Ronnie Brown), and a more experienced Chad Henne or Chad Pennington and you have a fantastic team.
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Worst Team to Make the Playoffs New England Patriots
Lets be honest here, does anyone really believe that the Patriots this year are good enough to compete with teams like the Colts, Chargers or Bengals? Especially considering that they just lost to the Houston Texans (a team which missed the playoffs.) With Brady banged up with broken ribs, and Wes Welker out for all of next season with an ACL injury the Patriots truly are not a high caliber team. They may have won 10 games this season, but thats in part due to the fact they get to play the Bills twice a year. I understand the Jets also made the playoffs, and they don't have a record to match New England's, however what they do have is the top pass defense in the league and a strong running game, both of which will be undeniably helpful in their quest for post-season glory. Where the Jets are a rising star, the Patriots are a on the edge of collapse and will inevitably lose in either the first or second round of the playoffs.
Runner-Up: Dallas Cowboys
Okay, they may not be the worst team in the playoffs, but they are certainly the worst playoff team in the playoffs. Romo is notorious for blowing big games, even when he's not at QB. This picture explains the rest.
Ryan Leaf Award for Epic Failure by an Individual Player Jamarcus Russell
If there is any current embodiment of a first-round draft bust it has to be Jamarcus Russell, who in was drafted first overall in the 2007 draft. The first indication of his awfulness came in his rookie season when he decided to holdout for most of the season and when he finally did decide to stop being a stupid piece of shit he threw 4 interceptions and 2 touchdowns in four games. The next year things were starting to look up as he started 15 games and threw for 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions. This year though it became clear that unlike Vince Young, there is no hope for Jamarcus Russell. Throwing only 3 Touchdowns the entire season where he started 12 games he wasn't exactly doing the Raiders any favors. Combine his lack of positive output with his 11 interceptions and 9 fumbles, and you have a QB who is doing nothing but causing problems for your team. Then there's the other problems such as showing up to training camp overweight, being lazy, and most recently going to Vegas instead of appearing at a team meeting. If the raiders truly want to start being taken seriously as a franchise again, they either need to start looking for a new QB or get a new gameplan for Jamarcus, because the way things are working right now, they're continuing on their path to 0-16.
Runner-Up:
First Half of Season: Jay Cutler
When you come to Chicago in a trade for high draft picks and a solid QB they are going to expect one thing from you, NO MISTAKES. Chicago is a running and defensive team and they don't need a superstar QB. Honestly, they've never really had one and they've managed many championships. Cutler just needed to be safe with the ball and productive in certain situations. What does he do? He opens up by losing to the Packers all by himself as he throws 4 picks. He then continues to throw 17 in his first 9 games. A high percentage of these came in the Redzone which makes it even worse. He turned it around a little in the second half of the season, and he especially did well his final 2 games including a win vs. the Vikings. Cutler has already shown that he works well with some of his targets, such as Greg Olsen and Kevin Aromashodu, now if he can find that same balance with Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Running Back Matt Forte, he can seriously be the weapon that Chicago hoped he would be.
Larry was once a feared RB for the Chiefs. After starting the season mediocre, things just got worse as he was suspended by the team. He then threw temper tantrums and acted like a bitch until they dumped him. Now he sits as the 3rd string RB on the Bengals.
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18-1 Award for Epic Failure by a Team 4th and 2
What else is there to say about this play call by Bill Bellicheat that has not already been said? Aside from it being a god awful decision not to punt the ball on 4th down against the Colts when in enemy territory when the game is on the line, the plays that the Patriots called to attempt to get a 1st down were lackluster on their own. First off, the Patriots were 2 yards from a 1st down on both 3rd AND 4th down. On both plays instead of doing the smart thing and give the ball to their fullback Sammy Morris to pound out the yardage they decided to pull an old Brady screenpass. Now maybe this would have been acceptable on 3rd down, but if you're going to go on 4th down anyway why not just go for the safest option and call a fullback smash? Because in the Bellicheat rules of football, a win only counts if you embarrass your opponent in some way. Well ironically, that same logic ended up with everyone (even ESPN) questioning Bellicheat's coaching skills, as it his was own arrogant play-calling which lost them the game. This loss was followed by defeats from numerous teams such as the Saints, Dolphins and Texans, which have led to Bellicheat slowly losing his mind and doing things such as blaming the condition of the field for their loss against the Texans. This might not seem that far-fetched except that the Texans play in a Dome! 4th and 2 was the next step in Bellicheat's fall, which will eventually lead to him being fired and being shown for the hack that he is.
Runner-Up: Eagles losing 9-13 vs. the Raiders
This was the perfect example of how streaky and inconsistent the Eagles are. How can a team that averages 32 points per game in its first 4 games then lay an egg and only score 9 vs. the lowly Raiders?! After that they went and scored 27 the next game, and 40 the following. They just failed hard that one week and did pretty well until they failed epically again week 17 against the Cowboys. Of course the Raiders did have some help from a certain bird.
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Comeback Player of the Year Vince Young
Not many people had much faith in Vince Young before this season, from his emotional collapse last season, to his inconsistent play due to injuries in the past. However, I'm not afraid to say that I always felt that Young had a lot of potential, and it turned out that I was right, as he remerged this season in his team's time of need. Coming off an awful start, the Titans started Vince at Quarterback in Week 8 following a bye week from an 0-6 start. Combined with the running attack by Chris Johnson, Vince helped rebound the Titans to the powerhouse that they were last season by going on a 5-game winning streak against some solid teams such as 49ers, Texans and Cardinals, only being stopped by the then undefeated Colts. From there on they went on to win 3 more games and only lose to the white hot Chargers in December. Vince's ability to make a deep threat helped to take pressure off of Chris Johnson and the run game, and used the notice on Johnson to make some run plays of his own with impressive speed. The fact that the Titans went 8-2 with Vince as a starter after losing six games in a row is more than enough of an impressive feat to win Young our Comeback player of the year.
Runner-Up: Alex Smith
Back in 2005 he was drafted #1 overall. He threw 1 touchdown that year in 9 games. In 2006 he had his only full starting season. It was pretty bad. Between 2007 and 1/3 though this season he only started 7 games and never threw a pass in 2008. Then when they decided to switch back to Alex from Shaun Hill things started to turn around for him and the Niners offense. He had an amazing comeback and almost beat the Texans in the second half. He threw 16 touchdowns and 2,400 yards this season after missing 1/3 of the year, not too shabby.
Coach of the Year: Mike Singletary
Sure he may not have lead his team to a near perfect season, hell his team didn't even win their division or make the playoffs, but the obstacles that Mike Singletary helped his team to overcome make him more than qualified for Coach of the Year. Going into the season the Niners were thought to be nothing, but a bunch of spoiled misfits with no real identity on offense, and their only real hope on defense residing with superstar linebacker Patrick Willis. However, after being installed as the permanent head coach for San Fran after a year as the interm head coach following Mike Nolan's firing, Singletary managed to form his batch of undisciplined rejects into one of the toughest, meanest and uprising teams in the league. Players who held an amazing amount of talent, but allowed their egos to get in the way such as Vernon Davis came out onto the field this season as completely different players, understanding that the path to success took both patience and hardwork. VD ended up being the best Tight End in the league, and had the best season he has ever had due to the new attitude that Samurai Mike pounded into him. The same was done to cocky rookie WR Micheal Crabtree, who held up for the first half of the season, as Coach Singletary managed to prevent him from becoming the next T.O. and turned him into the team's #1 Wide Receiver. Aside from these reformations, quite possibly the most impressive feat by Singletary as a coach was taking well known draft bust Alex Smith and giving him another shot at redemption. While Smith was far from being amazing, his progress from earlier in his career was undeniable. It is undeniable that Singletary has had a positive reaction on the Niners this season, and this will only continue over time. Like Mike Ditka's reformation of the Bears in the 80's, look for the Niners to continue to grow over the years until they eventually win a Superbowl with Singletary as Head Coach.
Runner-Up: Sean Payton
Sean has done some amazing things with the Saints since he took over the head coaching job and this year was no different. He is an offensive minded coach and he lead his team to another season of being arguably the best offense in the league.
Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin
As one of the receivers that made Brett Favre's bout in Minnesota seem much more successful than it actually was, Harvin made a big impact on the field due to his speed both as a receiver and a kick returner. With sixty receptions for 790 yards and 6 touchdowns, and 2 kick returns for touchdowns, Harvin brought a new speed to the Vikings and became one of the top recievers. Along with Sidney Rice, Harvin made Brett Favre seem like an MVP candidate (he shouldn't be) by making big plays out of seemingly nothing. If he doesn't allow himself to become a DeSean Jackson and gain an ego bigger than his level of talent then the future seems like a bright one for Percy Harvin.
Runner-Up: Hakeem Nicks
Considering he missed 5 games due to injury or a filled up receiving core at the beginning of the season he did amazingly well. Hakeem tied Percy Harvin with 790 yards for first among rookie receivers. He was also tied for 2nd with Percy in rookie receiving touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing
When you play alongside defensive superstars such as Mario Williams, DeMaco Ryans and Bernard Pollard, it can be hard to make a name for yourself (especially if you're a rookie.) However, Brian Cushing defied expectations and had an amazing rookie season as a Texan, as he had the 6th most tackles in the league with 133, as well as 4 interceptions, 4 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Look for Cushing to continue to be a dominate force on the Houston defense over the years, as the already impressive Texan defense continues to build to a championship level caliber.
Runner-Up: Vontae Davis
The way he blanketed Randy Moss each time they played was fantastic to watch. Vontae was also tied for 2nd in rookie interceptions and rookie pass deflections.
Rex Grossman Award for Largest Drop In Skill by a Player Over the Season Joe Flacco
When the season began back in September, Flacco was one of the biggest surprises, as it looked as he had finally realized his potential as a young, high caliber quarterback by averaging at least one touchdown pass for the Ravens first 7 games. Beginning to come into his own as an offensive leader on the team, Flacco looked as his lowest quarterback rating in Baltimore's first 7 games was 70.1% and his highest 111.8%. However, the success that he had suddenly flopped and became as inconsistent as John Madden's insightful opinions during the week 9 game against the Bengals where he threw 2 interceptions and had a QB rating of 48.3%, costing the Ravens the game. While he wasn't awful for the rest of the season, Flacco never truly achieved the amount of consistency in his success by having an awful game against Green Bay one week with a 27.2% QB rating and throwing 3 interceptions, and then having a perfect game against the Bears 2 weeks later with 4 touchdowns. It's clear that Flacco has the talent to lead his team to victory, however he needs to find consistency or he will allow himself to fall into mediocrity.
Runner-Up: Chris Henry?
Rest in Peace.
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Denver Broncos Award for Largest Drop In Skill by a Team Over the Season Denver Broncos
Starting their season with a six game win streak, and defying all expectations upon them, the future looked bright for the Denver Broncos, considering they had traded away their star QB Jay Cutler during the offseason. Under new Head Coach Josh McDaniels and Def. Coordinator Mike Nolan, the Broncos went from being a team that was expected to finish with less than 5 wins to one which surpassed these expectations during the first six weeks. However, like the year before the Broncos suffered the same cruel joke of starting off hot and then being extinguished later on in the season. Even in the extremely weak AFC West, the Broncos were unable to make the playoffs with a division title due to the San Diego Chargers and their amazing play in December. You could say that McDaniel's cockiness got to the best of him, as he talked trash about the Chargers before they faced off for the second time and claimed that the Broncos, "Owned them." Of course the Chargers made Bellicheat's former apprentice eat his words as they embarrassed the Broncos with defeat. Now with star receiver Brandon Marshall likely to leave like Cutler did the season before, it's unsure if Denver will ever get it's footing back.
Runner-Up: New York Giants
When a recent Super Bowl Champion starts the season 5-0 in dominate fashion, no matter what teams they played, you would think they could at least make the damn playoffs at the end of the season. In the Giants case this turned out false. They went on to lose their next 4 games, squeeze out a win against Atlanta, then go 2-4 the remainder of the season. They also went from the top defense in the league to giving up 85 points in their last 2 games.
Team most likely to pull a 2007 Giants Green Bay Packers
If there is any team that is not getting the recognition that it deserves going into the playoffs it is (ugh..) the Green Bay Packers. As much as it pains me to say it, Arron Rodgers is easily one of the best QB's in the leauge at the moment, only behind Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. With the 4th most passing yards and touchdowns this season, Rodgers has not only come out of Brett Favre's shadow, but is close to surpassing him. Instead of bombing passes into a cluster of opposing players the way Favre does, Rodgers' passes are both near pin-point accurate and extremely well thrown. These impressive stats combined with the fact that he was the most sacked QB in the league this season (sacked 50 times!), show that Rodgers is both skilled and tough enough to get the job done. In terms of defense, the Packers had the #1 rushing defense in the leauge, as well as the #5 pass defense, and the second best defense overall. So don't believe the hype on teams like the Cowboys, when the Packers are much more likely to succeed in this playoff race.
Runner-Up: New York Jets
The Jets may have the strongest defense in the playoffs and one of the best rushing games. That is eerily similar to the Giants play style of 2007. Now that they found out they can utilize Brad Smith to make big plays and don't have to let Sanchez throw it deep and mess up, they could go far.
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Most Improved Player Vernon Davis
Let me take you back to 2006. The 49ers were on the clock in the NFL draft and they decided to take Tight End VDave 7th overall. Why? Well you see he was a 6-3 250 pound tight end with the hands of a wide receiver and could run a 4.3 40 yard dash. Unfortunately he also had the attitude and work effort of a diva WR. In his first 3 seasons he barely put up 1,000 yards combined and had a mediocre 9 touchdowns. The guy also had a fumbling problem for the limited amount of times he carried the ball.
Enter Mike Singletary. Going into the 2009 season VDave did not have high expectations surrounding him for the first time except from Coach Mike. Exit the season with 78 catches, 965 yards and a league leading 13 receiving touchdowns. Clearly he had the talent, and it seems that all VDave needed to become a star was the discipline of a warrior. Good thing for him Coach Mike came just in the nick of time because the patience of Niners fans was wearing thin.
Runner-Up: Ray Rice
RayRay had a fantastic year totaling over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and lead all Running Backs with 702 receiving yards. He basically tripled his production from last season and was a huge part of the Ravens success on offense this year. Once Willis the Touchdown Machine McGahee starts to fall off, Ray will earn more goal line carries and more TDs also.
Most Improved Team Cincinnati Bengals
In 2008 the Bengals finished with a record of 4-11-1 (remember the McNabb tie), and were on the brink of absolute collapse, as Ochocinco was unhappy, Carson Palmer was injured, and Marvin Lewis was on the hot seat for being fired. Somehow things came together in the off season for the Bengals, as they went from being the 2nd worst team in the third worst team in the AFC to one of the league's top teams. With Chicago-draft bust Cedric Benson (god I hate him) making a career rebound and bringing a powerful running attack to the Bengals Offense, which then gave the passing attack some breathing room for Ochocinco to do his thang. This year the Bengals won the AFC North and finished with a 10-6 record (the 4th best in the AFC.) Whether they succeed in the playoffs or not, it is apparent that this is a different team than what we saw last year.
Runner-Up: Detroit Lions
So they still suck, but they did improve their winning percentage by INFINITY...
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