A short listing before we apply these updated predictions: The following choices are NOT not not meant to be “winter holiday” who we would vote for from just now. Instead, we tried to work on the information we currently have and predict those who win the awards at the end of the year.
Do.
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USATSI Defensive Player of the Year
Prisco: Aaron Donald, Rammer. He is a single player sometimes. He had four bags against 49ers to show how dominant he could be from the inside. Donald has a competition from guys like J.J. Watts, but he is a leader now.
Brinson: J.J. Watt, Texans. Playing his tail off right now, helping the Texans move to first place in their division.
Breech: Donald. I was thinking about placing Khalil Mack here, but he has struggled with an injury and it may be weeks before he actually plays 100 percent again. Meanwhile, a player who definitely plays 100 percent Donald, who currently leads NFL with 10 sacks.
Wilson: Khalil Mack, Bears. Yes, he is struggling for an injury and his production has tailed off as a result, but when he is well, Mack is a one-man breach. In his first four matches with the bears, he had five sacks, four forced fumble, two crossed defense, one intercept and one touchdown. Through six matches, the Raiders – outfit who handled Mack just before the season – seven sacks, four interceptions and four fumble. If Bears will be relevant in NFC North, Mack must be healthy and continue to dominate.
Dubin: Donald. As I said before the season he will be my voter until someone actually takes the price from him.
Wagner-McGough: Mack. An injury injury has slowed Mack after his historic start of the season, but if he can recover and become strong, he will be in the conversation. I chose him before the season so I can not really change that prediction now.
Offensive Year Player
Prisco: Gurley. He leads NFL in rush and has 14 touchdowns, 11 rushing and three receiving points. Gurley remains the best best game and one big reason why Rams is undefeated.
Brinson: Mahomes. He could easily win the MVP prize in the way he plays.
Breech: Mahomes. Even though I give my MVP vote to Gurley, I also think Mahomes deserves a certain recognition for his performance so I go with him for my Offensive Player of the Year.
Wilson: Adam Thielen. Seven games, seven times Thielen has at least 100 meters to receive. And it’s more than cumulative statistics; Thielen is No. 1 in total value across all shores, in front of Michael Thomas, Tyreek Hill, Deandre Hopkins, Antonio Brown and anyone who considers you to be one of NFL’s best recipients. Thiel’s five touchdowns through seven games also binds a career best – with nine games to go.
Dubin: Gurley. He can get 2000 total turns and will almost certainly reach 25 touchdowns. Yes, I would say it is OPOY-worthy.
Wagner-McGough: Gurley. He is the best offensive player who is not quarterback and he plays in a system that is designed around him. I think it will be too difficult for him to steal MVP with so many quarterbacks playing at an MVP level, but he gets OPOY as a comfort prize.
Saquon Barkley has been a highlight of a terrible giant battle.
USATSI
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Prisco: Saquon Barkley, Giants. He is playing a bad team, but he does many things to help the offensive. He has 519 rushing yards and 497 receiving laps. He has been as good as expected and his number will go up when he gets used to the NFL game.
Brinson: Sam Darnold, Jets. Saquon Barkley is likely to receive much love for this award.
Breech: Barkley. Barkley may be in a bad team, but he has easily been the best rookie. Despite the fact that the giant break has been terrible, Barkley is still on track to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving laps, which would make him just the third player in the NFL story to pull it off.
Wilson: Calvin Ridley, Falcons. It was unclear what kind of impact Ridley would have as a novice because he would share snaps with Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. But through seven games, the first round has 27 selections for 392 meters and six touchdowns. He ranks first in value per game among all the wideouts and is seventh in total value over Mike Evans and the previously mentioned Jones, who is still looking for his TD in 2018.
Dubin: Barkley. His team is terrible but it’s not his fault. He has actually been quite inconsistent on a game-to-game basis, but none of the rookie-QBs have been good enough to take this award from a guy who will have some bad counting statistics at the end of the season.
Wagner-McGough: Barkley. He has been incredible to run behind a bad offensive line and next to a bad quarterback. He also generated the kind of great highlights that should help him get votes. Unless one of the rookie quarterbacks ends the season on fire, this is a one-man race.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Prisco: Derwin James, Laddare. He has been across the field this season for a charging defense that improves this week. He can blitz and can play in coverage. His versatility is the key to the Los Angeles defense.
Brinson: Darius Leonard, Colts. Playing off his tail and affecting games in some pretty big ways.
Breech: Leonard. This was actually the hardest award to leave. I was thinking about giving it to Denzel Ward or Derwin James, but instead I went with Leonard and it’s because he was a sparkle for a Colts defense that flew under the radar for most of the year. Leonard not only leads the entire NFL in eight weeks, but also has four sacks and three forced fumbles in the season. Also in contrast to Ward and James, both of whom were taken in the first round, Leonard was a steal as a second round.
Wilson: James. When James was elected with the 17th overall election last spring, many could not believe he lasted so long. And through seven matches he proves why he is one of the league’s best players already. James already has 3.5 sacks to go with six defenses and a whistle. Pro Football Focus ranks him sixth among all safety.
Dubin: James. I almost chose him before the season just to chill out and he has been exactly as good as I expected.
Wagner-McGough: Denzel Ward, Browns. Ward makes Browns look smart to move on to Bradley Chubb, who was no-one moving at the time. If he continues to generate sales at this rate, he should be able to run away with the price.
Sean McVay (left) has done wonders for Jared Goff (right) and has Rams obsessed at halfway.
USATSI
Coach of the Year
Prisco: Sean McVay, Rams. His team is the last undefeated team in the league and his offensive game call is outstanding. It’s hard to believe that he’s only in his second season.
Brinson: Pete Carroll, Seahawks. If Seattle gets to the final game, it will be hard not to reward him for doing this job.
Breech: Jay Gruden, Washington. If Redskins wins NFC East, and I think Redskins will win NFC East, then I think you have to give this award to the horror. The red skins made it bold to let Kirk Cousins go and then turn and allow two old guys (Alex Smith, Adrian Peterson) who are now the core of the crime. It was a crazy gig, but it seems to be paying.
Wilson: McVay. It’s hardly surprising picking considering the frames are 8-0. But that’s how McVay did it. Rams has scored 33 or more points six times and they have the league’s best points difference (107), 29 points better than Chiefs. Not surprisingly, the profit margin – 15.3 points – is also the best in the NFL. Finally, McVay has taken Jared Goff, who fought like a rookie in Jeff Fisher’s last season and turned him into one of the league’s best players.
Dubin: McVay. Duh.
Wagner-McGough: Andy Reid, Managers. Sean McVay and Bill Belichick are also deserved, but I give Reid bonus points for grooming Mahomes and make him an MVP so early in his career. Reid has been so undervalued for so long. He has his fault, but what he does this season is amazing to watch.
Player of the Year
Prisco: Andrew Luck, Colts. It was doubtful if he would be the same guy when he returned after missing the whole last season. But he is the same guy. He has been a one-man band sometimes for Colts – as in the old days.
Brinson: Luck. He surpassed so much and played good for a nice Colts team who could steal that division.
Breech: Luck. After Luck missed the whole 2017 season, I began to think he could never return to NFL, but here he is and he puts up absurd numbers. Happiness is in line to throw 46 touchdown passes, which would rank fifth full-time for a single season (Or sixth all-time if Mahomes ends throwing more than him).
Wilson: Deshaun Watson, Texans. He was our choice before the season and after a slow start – which we partly blame for when he recovered from the ACL operation and partly on a suspicious offensive line – Watson sees every time the franchise quarterback that Texans is trading up to take in 2017. If Texan’s O-line can hold it together, this team will return to the playoff after winning just four matches a year ago.
Dubin: J.J. Watt, Texans. Yes. This guy is just as good as we remember. That’s really good.
Wagner-McGough: Watt. After losing his last two seasons against the series’s injury, Watt looks like Watt again with eight bags in eight games. It will work. If I had not already chosen Mack to win DPOY, I would have switched to Watt. He has the name recognition. And he plays up to his reputation.
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