This is the year of the Cowboys. Brett Favre will get one more chance at a Super Bowl. Ryan Matthews will make Chargers fans forget LT. The Rams are still two to three years from competing. The Eagles will miss Donovan McNabb.
Those pre-season predictions were almost considered guarenteed expectations for the season. But these just show how wide open the NFL has been this year. While we still have some notable names up for the top awards, many of them have at least three to four competitiors as of now, and more are likely to join in the second half of the season.
So who are the award winners of the 2010 NFL season thus far? Eric Galko and David Wothers debate.
Most Valuable Player
Eric Galko: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
The running game has been close to as frustrating as last year, still ranking near the bottom. The offensive line hasn’t given him consistent time in the pocket. His receivers have been injured on and off all season. But Manning still is statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the league, with his down field throws opening up the running game, his calls at the line and quick decisions hiding the offensive line’s play, and the use of unexpected contributors such as Blair White and Jacob Tamme. Tremendous year so far, and I don’t anticipate a slow down.
David Wothers: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
Eric, I can’t disagree with you here. What Peyton’s done with what amounts to be a reserve team and almost no run game is amazing. Peyton’s the only 4 time MVP in NFL history and hasn’t changed any voter’s minds yet about slowing down. He’s the coach under center, offensive coordinator at the line, and QB in the game. I don’t think anyone right now is playing at Manning’s level.
Offensive Player of the Year
Eric Galko: Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
It’s usually hard for a quarterback to be on a losing team, almost out of playoff contention, and him have a legitimate excuse for still making a case for MVP. But with his left tackle and number one receiver for the first half (roughly) of the season and relatively no running game compared to year’s past along with at least a loss or two thanks to the poor special teams play, and it’s easy to feel sorry for Rivers, who may get very close if not break Dan Marino’s passing record with his top receivers Malcolm Floyd and Legadu Naanae.
David Wothers: Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
This team has had so many issues with Ryan Matthews getting beat up early. Vincent Jackson’s and Marcus McNeil’s holdout hasn’t exactly helped this team but somehow Rivers has found a way to perform week in and week out. He’s already thrown for more yards than anyone in history through the first 9 weeks of the season. With Jackson coming back and hopefully Naanee and Floyd getting healthy, I can easily see Rivers breaking Marino’s record against some skeptical AFC West pass defenses.
Defensive Players of the Year
Eric Galko: LaRon LanDry, Washington Redskins
Sometimes for a defensive player who plays outstanding early in the season, we see a drop-off in production because of a variety of reasons. Sometimes injury, sometimes inconsistency, sometimes just a few poor plays. But in LanDry’s case, he’s been so dominate in the run and pass game that offenses have changed how they play the Redskins. That’s why we’ve seen DeAngelo Hall have four interceptions in a game and quarterbacks holding the ball too long and getting sacked. It’s because they are scared of LanDry, and for good reason. Teams are also scared of Matthews, I agree, and he’s tied for second in my books with Troy Polomalu. But I think LanDry’s versatility and complete impact on the defense separates him thus far from the rest of the pack.
David Wothers: Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers
Ah, I knew we’d find something we disagreed on. I think the “Clay-maker” has been making his case since the first couple weeks that he deserves the award already. Having two 3-sack games so far in the season and his total domination against opposing linemen makes him a sure fit for Defensive Player of the Year in only his second season. He’s amassed 10.5 sacks, passing his 2009 total in just 9 games. Add the additional forced fumble and TD return in for icing and I think Matthews is a lock to win this award.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
EG: Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
Usually, there is some debate on who the rookie of the year is offensively. Sometimes it’s a receiver who is in a great situation with a good quarterback and on a winning team. But Dez Bryant hasn’t been successful enough, nor on a winning team. Sometimes is a running back who is pushed into the number one back role and can’t help but get over 1,000 yards. But Ryan Matthews hasn’t been successful either, nor on a winning team. And sometimes, it’s a quarterback who surprisingly starts for his team and plays well enough to win games. Not only is Sam Bradford exceeding expectations with an average offensive line and even lesser weapons, he may be leading the Rams to the post-season, with him being the feature player of his offense. Not even Big Ben, Joe Flacco, or Matt Ryan could say that about their rookie seasons. Surprising as well may be the 2nd place offensive rookie in my opinion, in Maurkice Pouncey, CENTER for Pittsburgh. But quarterback on a playoff team has to take priority.
DW: Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
I really was hoping Dez Bryant would be the rookie we’d be discussing at this point in the season. While he’s showing that he’s going to be a star in this league, you have to look at what Bradford has done for this lowly Rams team. This team won just 3 games total in the past 2 seasons, and he’s already won 4 games for them and has them in a tie for 1st place in the NFC West. While that conference is a shaky one to put it nicely, he’s showing Coach Spagnuolo and company that they made the right choice on draft day. His poise in the pocket plus smart decision making is really making him look like he’s got the potential to be one of the next great QB’s in this league. They still need a couple more draft classes of linemen and receivers to have this Rams team in the running in the NFC, but they’re definitely moving the right direction on Bradford’s arm.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
EG: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
Surprisingly in agreement, as I thought safeties Nate Allen of the Eagles, Earl Thomas of the Seahawks, and TJ Ward of the Browns were very, very close to Suh in this race, but in the end, I give the edge to Suh. Allen and Ward have been very productive tacklers, while Thomas has had some great plays in the secondary and in the return game. But Suh, similarly to LanDry, has an impact beyond statistically. He has become increasing disruptive over the season, and as the Lions start to mature over the season (they’ve played very well for a bottom 10 team thanks to some tough losses and the two-time loss of their quarterback), I think Suh will become more and more impressive and impactful. I’d take Thomas second, Ward third, and Allen fourth behind Suh.
DW: Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
I think this one was a little more evident than you did Eric. Suh’s presence on this revamped Detroit defensive line has been noticeable since game 1. He’s already starting to command double teams and he’s getting moved around along the line to help free him up from these blocks. His domination in the Washington game was enough evidence to let me know that he’s steps ahead of Thomas and Ward currently. I really do believe Nate Allen’s play for Philadelphia was the closest to Suh as he’s been a welcome addition in a beat up Philadelphia secondary. There’s still another half of football to go, but the more experience that Suh is getting working in this front 4, I think the better he’s going to continue to get. He’s going to be a dominating presence in the NFL for years.
Comeback Player of the Year
Eric Galko: Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants
Last season, Umenyiora was out much of the year with an injury and his career to an extent was questioned because of it’s severity. Would he ever be as productive as his past years again? Well so far, he’s proved to be the MVP of the Giants defense with 8 sacks and 7 forced fumbles. He has been a stable force at defensive end and his impact on the Giants has allowed Justin Tuck and other pass rushing options to run free and play more versatile. I don’t think Vick should be up for the award, as he came back last year, and all he’s coming back from is a season as a back-up. I’d rather give the award to Darren McFadden, who has been the key to the Raiders resurgence after being injured much of 2009, or my second place candidate Danny Woodhead, who went from practice squad and fringe roster guy to a primary weapon as a running back and receiver for Tom Brady.
David Wothers: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
This was a close one to me. There were a couple people that I could easily see this award going to. Osi has really been a dominating DE for the Giants and his numbers are really impressive, but I think Vick’s climb back up from the bottom to me is more remarkable. Vick came back from 2 years in prison and 3 years from starting and looks better than he ever did in Atlanta. His accuracy seems to be improved. He still has the burst and speed which sold Atlanta on him years ago and made him arguably one of the best mobile QB’s in NFL history. What is even more amazing, he’s yet to throw an interception this year. Now I know he’s missed a couple games thanks to that rib injury, but he came back against the Colts at home and basically outplayed Peyton Manning in-front of a sold out home crowd. Vick’s making a great case for him to be one of the most coveted free agents this coming offseason.
**I wanted to give a close 2nd to Terrell Owens, who’s on pace to have a staggering 1,400 yards and 13 TD’s on a struggling Bengals offense.
Divisions Winners
EG: Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Chiefs, Eagles, Packers, Falcons, Rams
Although it’s been a wide-open season thus far and there have been many surprises in the divisional races, but I think by now we have a pretty good idea on who will be competing and potentially winning each division. The Patriots and Steelers will have to beat out the two Wild Card teams, the Jets and the Ravens, in the season, but as of now, I think both New England and Pittsburgh are more consistent than the other two. The MVP is just now starting to get his team in the right direction, and Peyton Manning even more comfortable is a scary thought. The Chiefs should hang on over the Raiders thanks to their offensive play. I think Vick leads the Eagles just over the Wild Card Giants, and the Falcons beat out the Saints and Bucs in the NFC South, with either New Orleans or Tampa Bay getting that sixth seed. The Packers and Rams don’t play in the best of divisions, and I think quarterback play by Rodgers and Bradford is better than any in each of their divisions, hence why they win their division. I still think the NFC West winner could be at 8-8 or worse.
DW: Jets, Ravens, Colts, Chargers, Giants, Packers, Saints, Rams
A lot of the reasoning behind my picks were about the only thing that I see winning games in this league this year: Consistency. There’s not been really much of it at all this year, but its slowly starting to rise to the top. The Jets are consistent at doing 2 things very well; They run the ball and play strong defense. You can make the case for the Ravens as well. The AFC South is a big toss up, because I can make the case that the Titans will win the South as well since they’re doing exactly that, running the ball and playing sound defense. I just can’t see betting against Peyton Manning. Although the Colts have been injured, I see them finding a way to finish the division off. San Diego is notorious for starting out slow and going on a tear to finish the season out. The way Rivers is playing; it’s fitting the bill properly. In the shaky NFC, the Giants are looking like the front runners in the East. Their defense has the tenacity to take them far in the NFC where everyone else has large question marks. You can say the same about the Packers as well. It’s amazing they’ve been able to survive playing through so many injuries and be effective. It doesn’t hurt that the Bears are falling apart and the Vikings are imploding internally. As good as Atlanta is, New Orleans is hitting its stride. Their defense is playing fearless again and priding itself off turnovers. This is what sparked their run last year, and I think they’ll make a late season pull to win it again this year, with Atlanta making the wild card. I can’t say enough about the Rams. They’re playing with a new look and a new motivation that they’ve not seen since the early 2000’s. With Rookie Sam Bradford under center, plus all 3 other teams in the west having more issues than points, I think the Rams will sneak their way in with either a .500 record or just under. Atlanta will take the first wild card with Philadelphia getting the second one on Michael Vick’s back.
Super Bowl Prediction
EG: New England Patriots 31-14 Atlanta Falcons
In the pre-season, I predicted the Patriots would be in the Super Bowl….against the Vikings. Since then, the Vikings have all but imploded and following the Vikings is more like watching MTV than the NFL. But the Patriots, they have gotten out to tied for the best record in the NFL and are still getting Brand Tate and Deion Branch at receiver comfortable and getting their Pro Bowl guard back. I predicted the Patriots in the pre-season not because of their weapons necessarily or their improved defense. I looked at it like this: the top three quarterbacks in the NFL, all just about interchangable, are Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees. Two of those were in the Super Bowl last season, and it wasn’t Brady. Belichek and Brady haven’t been in the Super Bowl discussion for a few years now, and the Patriots, as I figured, have been focused, relentless, and one of the best teams in the NFL. The NFC is wide-open, but my other two favorites, the Giants and Eagles, are question marks. The Giants don’t have tons of weapons on offense and poor linebacking play, and I know Vick is great, but he’s never been great in the playoffs and that team is very young and inconsistent on the offensive line. So I’ll take the Falcons with a complete team and still hitting their stride.
DW: Baltimore Ravens 29-17 New York Giants
I want to agree with you Eric, but I just can’t believe in the Patriots or Falcons. Both have great coaches. Matt Ryan is good, and Tom Brady is great. The only problem is they both play “ok” defense, but not great defense. The Falcons do a lot of things good, but not anything great. The Patriots are a great offensive team, but I think they lack defensive leadership. This is what I believe will bring the Ravens and Giants past them to the big game. New York has developed a great offensive game with Bradshaw running and their defense has taken to Perry Fewell’s system even better than could have imagined. The Ravens have a fully established pass game with Housh, Boldin, and Mason and have one of the league’s most dangerous backs in Ray Rice. Defensively, they’re stacked all the way around and are only getting better with Ed Reed coming back. They have leadership all around on both sides of the ball and these teams are battle tested, they win in the trenches, and know how to stay together when it comes down to the end. I see Baltimore just being too much for the Giants to handle, with the passing game exploiting the Giants real weakness, the back 7. While recently signed S Rolle strengthens up the defensive backfield, he can’t be 3 places at once and all it does is pull one less person out of the box for Ray Rice to get free. If they can find a way to contain Rice, it still leaves TE Todd Heap lined up to move the chains.
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