NFL Players of the Season : What? No Harrington?
I’ve recently been asked to put together my NFL players of the season for a new site called NA Sports.
Much like keeping a straight face when someone genuinely starts singing to/at you, lists are always a hard thing to compile. How long do you make them? What are the exact parameters for selection? If I put Joey Harrington down will they realise I’m being ironic, or just think I’m a massive twat.
So with that in mind, here are my picks. Carlson, my co-host on NFL Live made his selections too, and you can see the article in it’s entirety, complete with reasonably pretentious promo shot of me, at the NA Sports website. : http://www.nasports.co.uk
Offensive Player of the Season : Honourable mentions have to go to Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Cedric Benson & Stephen Jackson, but it’s hard to look past Chris Johnson who has had a phenomenal year on a so-so team. In terms of Rookies, I think Percy Harvin edges the competition.
Defensive Player of the Season : I think Darrell Revis is a popular player with analysts, and he’s shut down some of the best receivers in the NFL this year including Ocho, TO, Colston, Moss and many pundits have it as crap shoot between Revis and Charles Woodson, who obviously had a terrific year, but I’m gonna go with Patrick Willis of the 49′ers. It’s a less glamorous role in the middle, and playing on a mediocre team, he’s the real deal, leading the league in tackles and according to insiders, making plays that 99 out of 100 backers simply couldn’t. Rookie wise, prob Cushing of the Texans or Clay Matthews.
Special Teams Player of the Season : Josh Cribbs, hands down. Shout to Ted Ginn Jr too. I may be a better receiver, but can still return the hell out of a football.
Coach of the Year : Marv Lewis has done remarkably well at Cincy against all the odds. No-one gave them a chance this season – after a particularly dysfunctional (even by their standards) display on HBO’s Hard Knocks – so to make the playoffs, with some ease, from the AFC North, is mightily impressive. Nods to Caldwell, Payton and Turner too.
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