2019 NFL Honors: Picking the Award Winners
By: Andrew Martin
Tags: NFL, Football, Sports, Pop Culture

2019 NFL Honors: Picking the Award Winners

There were some very impressive performances this year

There were extraordinary efforts across the NFL in 2019 (Photo via Wikipedia)

The 2019 NFL regular season has officially concluded. It was one filled with thrilling plays and exciting competition featuring many talented players. On February 1, 2020, NFL Honors will take place, which is the league’s annual awards show. In advance of the announcement of who will be taking home hardware, here are some predictions for winners of some of the major awards.

Defensive Rookie of the Year- Defensive End Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers: Although his stats are very similar to fellow rookie Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bosa should get the nod for being a headliner on one of the best defenses and teams in the league. The second overall pick in this year’s draft has been a disruptive force all season, totaling 47 tackles, nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits. He cooled off a bit since registering seven sacks in his first eight games but was on the field for 76% of plays for a 13-win team and did nothing to dispel the belief he will be a major star for years to come.

Offensive Rookie of the Year- Running Back Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders: The University of Alabama product was consistent all year despite battling injuries. In 13 games, he rushed for 1,150 yards and seven scores, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. His accomplishments included five 100+-yard games and 203 rushing yards in two games against the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs (although the Raiders lost both games handily). His 88.5 rushing yards per game ranked fourth in the NFL while his 1,316 yards from scrimmage placed 13th.

Defensive Player of the Year- Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots: The 29-year-old was the best player on a historically good defense. Other than a 53-yard touchdown he allowed to wide receiver John Brown of the Buffalo Bills on December 21st, he was nearly untouchable. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Gilmore was targeted on 80 pass attempts. He permitted just 33 receptions, 456 yards and one touchdown. QBs accumulated a paltry 33.1 rating when testing him. He has also totaled 53 tackles and a league-leading six interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and a league-leading 20 passes defensed. In the NFL you can’t win if you can’t move the ball through the air. As the leader on stingiest defense in the game, he should be the clear-cut winner.

Offensive Player of the Year- Quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: After a promising rookie campaign last year that included seven starts, hopes were high that the 22-year-old would develop into a good starting QB. Not only has he lived up to those expectations, he has reached heights that surprised even the most optimistic of evaluators — especially so early in his career. To call the 2019 season ridiculous would be just about right when describing his level of play. He led the Ravens to a league-best 14–2 record, racking up 3,127 passing yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns (against just six interceptions). Most importantly, he rushed for an NFL QB record of 1,206 yards and chipped in an additional seven scores. Not only did his 6.9 yards per attempt lead the league, but his rushing yardage total was sixth among all players, including running backs. His transcendent play made him not only the Offensive Player of the Year but also the clear-cut choice as MVP.

MVP- Quarterback Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: See above.

Coach of the Year- Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: Yes, there are a number of other very qualified candidates, and yes, the Patriots seemingly post double-digit wins every year under their long-time coach. However, 2019 seemed a little different. The Patriots finished 12–4, on the strength of their defense, which allowed a stingy total of 225 points, which was 34 fewer than the runner up Buffalo Bills. The stellar defense was composed primarily of shrewd draft picks and free agent signings, while remaining light on star players. Belichick still had quarterback Tom Brady, but he is now 42 and with a relative lack of weapons to play with on offense, had one of his more “human” seasons in recent memory. Despite these challenges, the coach still managed to guide New England to another typical finish. although they fell lost in the Wild Car round, and he deserves recognition for this work. Just because he’s been here before doesn’t mean that this season was a little more trying and his efforts weren’t even more impressive.