With only two weeks left until the Super Bowl, it’s time to get prepared for the NFL Honors Ceremony. With several breakout players and stunning rookies, the press finally get to award them for their contributions to this season.
There are several categories that Net will make predictions for, including Hall of Famers, Executive of the Year, Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.
Net will also provide some context on why specific players deserve these recognitions and awards. Some will be more obvious, while others might be more stunning for followers of the league.
Firstly, the picks with Hall of Fame inductee predictions with a different format.
Hall of Famers
Tony Gonzalez (TE), Isaac Bruce (WR), Ed Reed (FS), Steve Atwater (S), Champ Bailey (CB), Ty Law (CB), Steve Hutchinson (G)
-- Tony Gonzalez is one of the greatest TEs in the history of the NFL. To snub him out of becoming a Hall of Famer would be a disgrace.
-- Isaac Bruce, despite being nominated three times, has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet. It’s a shame that he hasn’t, as he was a stud WR who contributed to several rosters. This is finally the year he becomes a HOF.
-- Ed Reed is an incredible free safety, who lit up players while also putting up crazy stats. His NFL Career was special, and he deserves to be inducted.
-- Steve Atwater was the best safety when he played and is in the debate for one of the greatest safeties of all time. There should be no doubt about whether he should be inducted
-- Champ Bailey was a shutdown corner. Period. He had an illustrious career with the Broncos, winning two Super Bowls, and closed out strong with the Jets. There shouldn’t be a debate about this pick.
-- Ty Law was a severely underrated cornerback. He was the face of a top five defense in New England, along with racking up the most postseason interceptions among all players. He deserves to be in the HOF, despite not being as “well known.”
-- Steve Hutchinson was a phenomenal guard for the Seahawks and Vikings. He was consistently a top guard in the league from 2001 to 2011, and has earned his spot in the HOF.
Executive of the Year
Chris Ballard, GM, Indianapolis Colts
Wow. The Colts turned everything around in just one year. After finishing last year with a losing record, rallying around backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Chris Ballard decided to keep Andrew Luck even though his career was in jeopardy. Their offensive line was one of the worst in the league last year, and with stellar free agency moves and the drafting of Quenton Nelson, the Colts line quickly became the best in the league. His picks of Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard are arguably the best in the draft, as Leonard is now the face of a completely turned around defense. On top of all this, handling the Josh McDaniels situation was simply incredible, and the hiring of Frank Reich was the icing on the cake. Frank Reich is a phenomenal coach and is a better fit than Josh McDaniels. Lastly, the team that Ballard formed was able to rally from an 0-3 start to the second round of the playoffs. This was truly a miraculous story, that began with the moves of Chris Ballard.
Coach of the Year
Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
Matt Nagy was simply amazing this year. He turned around his team, who had finished at 5-11 and last place in the NFC North last year. This year, they were first place in the division, and proved to the league that they were a threat. With a weak defense until the addition of Khalil Mack, and a well rounded offense with flaws, it was surprising that Matt Nagy was able to turn this team into contenders. Despite suffering a heart breaking playoff loss to the Eagles (thanks Cody Parkey), Net sees Matt Nagy as the best coach this year.
Comeback Player of the Year
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Is there really any debate here? The only other person is J.J Watt, but come on! Andrew Luck was predicted to be out of the league. His shoulder injury was career threatening. To come back from that, throw over thirty touchdowns and four thousand yards, and lead the Colts to the playoffs, is simply stunning. Next please. Net predicted this way back in week 11.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Darius Leonard was a snag. With first round talent, Leonard somehow fell to the Colts, and showed the rest of the league what they missed out on. Despite being a rookie, Leonard finished the year with the most tackles among all players and was selected first team, all pro. He was unstoppable, as he racked up tackles and tackles, and quickly became the face of the Colts top ten defense. He was a key piece to the turnaround the Colts had this year, and for that reason, he is the definitive defensive rookie of the year.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
There is no room for debate here here. You can make your excuses: Lindsay had less carries, Baker only played thirteen games. Guess what? Those aren’t solid excuses. Saquon is in contention for the offensive PLAYER of the year. Yes, player. He was that great this year. Racking up over two thousand scrimmage yards is no joke. Neither is rushing and receiving over a seven hundred yards. Barkley’s a stud, and is bound to be the face of the Giants along with Odell (and Kyler? Haskins?). He can only get better from here, and I can’t wait to witness it.
Defensive Player of the Year
Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
20.5 Sacks. Talk about a breakout season. Once again, there is no debate here. Khalil Mack might’ve been impactful for the Bears, but Donald was a monster. He was a different breed. Racking up 20.5 sacks in only nineteen games isn’t a joke, and he was one of the only bright and consistent spots in the Rams porous defense. He made clutch plays to win games. He lead the Rams defense to the Super Bowl. He’s clearly the best defensive player of the year.
Offensive Player of the Year
Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Drew Brees is not going to win MVP this year. It sucks, but it's true (at least he gets to play in a Super Bow... oh wait. Shoutout to NFL Referees). Despite having the highest completion percentage in the regular season, ALL TIME, Drew Brees was outshined by the sophomore in Kansas City. He still deserves an award though, and offensive player of the year fits the best. Even though Todd Gurley is in strong contention, he won last year. Drew Brees should be rewarded for his record breaking season, but also not forgotten because of Patrick Mahomes. For that reason, he is Net's offensive player of the year.
Most Valuable Player of the Year
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes is not an elite, top five quarterback yet because he hasn’t proven himself. Going 1-4 in primetime games (including playoffs) does not prove your worth. Mahomes has flaws, and they will show next year - he’s bound to fall off. Therefore many will find it painful to say, despite everything previously stated, that he is the MVP. There’s no debate for this award. 50 Touchdowns and 5000 Yards. It’s not incredibly hard to flourish in an Andy Reid offense, but Mahomes didn’t flourish. He feasted. He put up wild numbers in every game, made crazy plays and passes - he went absolutely ham this season. Patrick Mahomes is the clear cut MVP this year, but will it be good to see him fall off next year? Yes.
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