So the regular season is over. 17 weeks have passed, and it sure has been an interesting year! We've seen four teams that were cellar dwellers in their divisions in 2007 reach the Playoffs this year (Eagles, Dolphins, Ravens, Falcons). We've watched as the Bills finished the season 2-8 after starting 5-1. We've seen the Lions succeed in their pursuit of imperfection, and the Colts (once thought to be dead in the water) get hot on their way to a 12-4 season following a very lackluster start.
With all of that being said, its time to hand out the first award...
My Choice for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is:
Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta - 87.7 QB Rating, 61.1% completions, 3,440 yards, 16 TD passes, 11 interceptions.
Serious props to GM Thomas Dimitroff for being willing to take chances on both Ryan, coach Mike Smith, OT Sam Baker and signing Michael Turner, who turned out to be the best signing of this past offseason. Ryan showed great pocket presence and an ability to lead a team, while putting up very solid numbers. Honorable mention to Titans RB Chris Johnson, Bears RB Matt Forte, Texans RB Steve Slaton and Ravens QB Joe Flacco, who all put up great numbers this year. Almost any other year, any one of these guys could have won it, but this draft proved to be even deeper than we could have thought last April.
My Choice for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is:
Jerod Mayo, LB, New England Patriots - 128 Tackles (100 solo)
Other rookies might have had flashier years, but none gave the consistently solid performances that Mayo brought to an otherwise aging Patriots linebacking corps. His 128 tackles was good for 10th in the NFL. Missing the postseason and losing Tom Brady to injury in the season opener definitely disappointed many Patriots fans, but Mayo's emergence, along with Matt Cassel's Brady-like rise to stardom definitely gives Beantown something to look forward to in 2009.
My Choice for Offensive Player of the Year is:
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints - 96.2 QB Rating (4th in NFL), 65.0% completions, 5,069 yards, 34 touchdowns, 11 interceptions.
While Adrian Peterson, Philip Rivers and Michael Turner all had outstanding years, Brees had one of the best years by a quarterback in NFL history, amassing the second most passing yards all-time (missing Dan Marino's yardage record by just 14 yards), and did it without the services of top receiver Marques Colston's services for a handful of weeks, as well as pre-season addition Jeremy Shockey for a few weeks as well. If this team had a defense, he'd easily be the top MVP candidate, as their win total would definitely been higher than 7.
My Choice for Defensive Player of the Year is:
James Harrison, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers - 101 tackles, 16.0 sacks, 7 forced fumbles AND
Ed Reed, S, Baltimore Ravens - 41 tackles, 9 interceptions, 3 defensive touchdowns
I couldn't make a decision between the NFL's 4th best sack artist on the league's best defense and the league's leading pass poacher so I split my vote. You could try and argue DeMarcus Ware was deserving, but their defense was so bad this year that they couldn't have been all that much worse without him (now I'm not saying he's not a great player, but come on, you know the 'Boys defense was BAD)!
My Choice for NFL Most Valuable Player is:
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers - 273 rushes, 1,515 yards (3rd in NFL), 5.5 yards per carry, 18 touchdowns (1st in NFL)
This is another race that was wide open. I went with Williams because his team finished with the second best record in the NFC at 12-4, and he was the 3rd leading rusher in the NFL and led the league in touchdowns, all while sharing carries with first round pick Jonathan Stewart (who also had a solid rookie campaign, amassing 836 yards and 10 touchdowns). There are great cases to be made for so many players, but Williams is my pick, and I'm sticking to it!
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