2017 NFL Awards

And now it's time for football weekend to commence.  Super Bowl Week is always chock-full of blog-worthy events, so I'm gonna be busy over the next couple days.  Let's get this thing started, then.  And what better way to do it than with the NFL awards.  After all, they've built an entire two-hour primetime telecast around them.

MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots-Carson Wentz was the clear MVP front runner until he tore his ACL against the Rams in Week 14.  Which turned this into a two-horse race between Tom Brady and Todd Gurley.  Except you know Brady's going to end up winning it.  Brady didn't really do anything out of the ordinary this season.  He basically just had a typical season.  A typical Brady season.  Which is something far different than the typical season for a mere mortal.

Offensive Player: Todd Gurley, Rams-Personally, I've never quite seen the point of having both an MVP and an Offensive Player of the Year, seeing as they generally go to the same person.  But this year, I actually do think they'll go to different guys.  Because how could the Offensive Player of the Year be anyone but Todd Gurley?!  Over 2,000 yards from scrimmage, 19 touchdowns, big play after big play.  He was the best player on the best offense all year.

Defensive Player: Aaron Donald, Rams-Defensive Player of the Year figures to be one of the closest votes of them all.  Because deciding between Jacksonville sack master Calais Campbell, one of the biggest reasons for the Jaguars' change in fortunes this season, and Aaron Donald, the scary, scary man in the middle of the Rams' defensive line.  Campbell had better numbers, but that's because he's a pure pass rusher.  Donald was disruptive in all areas, tallying 11 sacks and also forcing five fumbles.  And the Rams' defense wasn't nearly diverse as the Jaguars', meaning teams had to focus more on Donald.  And, more often than not, he still got the better of them.

Offensive Rookie: Alvin Kamara, Saints-Last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year vote came down to a pair of teammates, and it still blows my mind that they gave it to Dak Prescott instead of the clearly superior Ezekiel Elliott.  But I digress.  Anyway, this year it comes down to a pair of running backs.  And this time, you can't really go wrong, as you have NFL rushing leader Kareem Hunt of the Chiefs and the Saints' Mr. Everything Alvin Kamara.  Kamara gets the nod because of his overall versatility.  He wasn't just a threat out of the backfield.  He could catch the ball and was a dynamic return man, too.

Defensive Rookie: Marcel Lattimore, Saints-Perhaps the easiest vote of them all.  Lattimore was the top defensive rookie in football by a wide margin.  As good as the New Orleans offense was, it was the defense that made the difference in the Saints' turnaround this season (the final play against Minnesota not withstanding).  I'd imagine this was likely a unanimous vote, as the Saints complete the Rookie of the Year sweep.

Coach: Doug Marrone, Jaguars-There were eight new playoff teams this season, which means there are plenty of viable candidates for Coach of the Year.  The Rams' Sean McVay is gonna get a ton of support, but there was another playoff team that was even more out of left field.  And that was the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The longtime punchline ended up in the AFC Championship Game.  It'll probably get Tom Coughlin Executive of the Year honors, but I think Marroe deserves a lot of the credit, too.  He'd get my vote.

Comeback: Case Keenum, Vikings-As usual, you really couldn't go wrong with any number of players who returned to All-Pro form after missing a good portion of last season with an injury.  From the Chargers' Keenan Allen to the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski or the Cardinals' Tyrann Mathieu, who all fit into the category.  Or, you could also give it to a guy who came out of nowhere.  Which is exactly what happened with Case Keenum, who went from third string to NFC Championship Game starter for the Vikings during his career year.

Man of the Year: J.J. Watt, Texans-It's cute how the NFL has been acting like anyone else has a chance of winning this award.  No offense to the other 31 candidates, but how many of them raised $1 billion for hurricane relief in a day and a half?  The best defensive player in the game made more of an impact in a year when he missed pretty much the entire season after that gruesome injury than he ever has on the field.  It's why J.J. Watt was the SI Co-Sportsperson of the Year.  And it's why the Walter Payton Man of the Year could've been given to him back in October.  Houston Strong.

So there you have it.  The NFL is going to hand out eight awards on Saturday night.  And if you were to ask me, these are the eight who'd be getting them.