NFL
Many Memorable Performances Marked This Season, And They Were Highlighted At The NFL Awards Ceremony
With the 2019 season now in the books there were many performances to remember. This season was seen as an offensive explosion. Teams passing more and more often and offenses becoming more and more dynamic. The Los Angeles Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs game from earlier in the regular season proved this.
The final score was 54-51. It became one of the highest scoring games in NFL history. Many of the year’s great seasons did not see any awards. Drew Brees had one of his best games as a pro and almost lead the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl berth.
Khalil Mack had a stellar first season with the Chicago Bears, and finally, undrafted rookie Philip Lindsay showed that you don’t have to get drafted to become a star. But with that being said, here are the players who did win the NFL’s most prestigious awards.
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes had one of the best seasons by any quarterback ever. This was also only his second year in the league, and he threw for a league-leading 50 touchdowns. As soon as he stepped on the field in Week 1 and picked apart the Los Angeles Chargers, it was evident he would be a star.
His success led his team to the AFC Championship game. They were also a Dee Ford offside from making it to the Super Bowl. He did all of this leading one of the worst defenses in the league. His only other competition for the award was Drew Brees, but he tailed off towards the end of the season which made it an easy choice.
Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
Donald was the easy choice for this award. He racked up a staggering 20.5 sacks as an interior pass-rusher. Those numbers are unheard of for a player of his position. Donald has now won this award in back-to-back seasons. He is clearly one of the best players in the NFL.
He was vital to the Rams’ success this season as he was able to consistently put pressure on the quarterback and was an important factor in the running game. The other player that was considered for this award was Khalil Mack. He had a great season with Chicago this year but was unable to match the numbers that Donald put up.
Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Luck had a great season. He threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns. This is even more impressive knowing he missed part of 2016 and all of 2017 due to a shoulder injury. Some thought that he might never play again or at least never be the same player that he once was.
He proved all of the doubters wrong this year as he led one of the least talented offensive teams (at least skill-position wise) to a playoff berth. The Colts dominated the Houston Texans in the Wild Card but ultimately fell to the Chiefs. Now the Colts go into the offseason with Luck locked up and a massive amount of cap space to build their team.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
Barkley had one of the best seasons by a rookie in recent memory. He did it playing behind one of the worst lines in the NFL and consistently facing defenses that planned for him. Barkley rushed for 1,307 yards and also caught 91 passes for 721 yards. He also scored 15 total touchdowns.
Barkley was every bit as good as advertised this year. This was the most one of the most debated awards as many thought that Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Baker Mayfield should win for leading his team to a stellar second half of the year. But in the end, Barkley was the correct choice as he has established himself as a top three running back in his first year.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis Colts
Darius Leonard came out of nowhere for the Colts. He was drafted in the second round by the Colts, and many saw that as overdrafting. He proved critics wrong by posting a league-leading 163 tackles en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro Selection.
Leonard changed the entire Colts’ defense. He helped make them one of the best on the league. Chargers’ safety Derwin James was the runner-up for the award. James was a stellar player for the Chargers’ defense but was not quite as good as Leonard.
Coach of the Year: Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
The Bears hired Nagy from the Chiefs in the offseason. He’s proven to be a great hire he’s been for Chicago. He was a respected offensive mind, and many thought he could turn the Bears’ offense around. Nagy succeeded in being able to turn an archaic offense under John Fox into one of the best in the league.
He also hired Vic Fangio. Fangio helped turned them into the best defense in the NFL. Nagy was also able to show some promise out of Mitch Trubisky finally. He looked like a possible franchise quarterback instead of the disappointment he was last year.
Photo Credit
Featured Image courtesy of DAEWOO KANG via Flickr
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