After seven months of hype, the NFL season is finally here.
So, the NFL panel at sportsnet.ca is ready to make their predictions for all the major awards of 2013 and venture which team will end up hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The panel includes Geoff Lowe and Jeff Simmons of sportsnet.ca, Jim Lang of Sportsnet 590 The Fan, and Jordan Heath-Rawlings of Sportsnet Magazine.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Heath-Rawlings: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos – Denver’s defence and running game will struggle in the first half of the season, but it won’t matter because the Broncos can throw on anyone. Expect a lot of 38-35 victories, and Manning to etch his name onto a few more pages of the NFL record books.
Lang: Tom Brady, New England Patriots – With less offensive weapons to work with than any other elite quarterback, Tom Brady will once again put up the kind of numbers that lift the Patriots to the AFC East division title.
Lowe: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos – If not for Adrian Peterson, Manning would’ve taken this award last season. At 37, he looks better than he ever and with the weapons he has at receiver and the explosiveness Julius Thomas showed at tight end, how will any one stop this passing game? It’s simple: they won’t.
Simmons: Tom Brady, New England Patriots – You think Brady is going to struggle without his entire receiving corps from last year? Well, you’re wrong. Throughout his career, Brady has always gotten the most out of his players (remember the Deion Branch era in Seattle, yuk!) and soon Kenbrell Thomkins and Zach Sudfeld will become household names around the NFL.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Heath-Rawlings: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos – Give one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time the best set of pass catchers he’s ever had and…well, what do you expect to happen? Think Tom Brady circa 2007, and expect some subtle-yet-classy post-game digs at the haters who hinted he might be finished a year ago.
Lang: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings – Some are suggesting that Peterson won’t be able to repeat his 2,097 yard performance of last year but the addition of Greg Jennings will help to keep opposing teams honest. Peterson still has a very good offensive line blocking for him and his surgically repaired knee should be even stronger in 2013.
Lowe: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Despite the addition of Reggie Bush, the Lions will remain a pass-first team and Johnson is Matthew Stafford’s only legitimate option at receiver. After breaking the single-season record for receiving yards in 2012, Johnson has a great shot at being the first to surpass the 2,000 yard mark.
Simmons: LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles – So you thought I was going to go with Manning, didn’t you? While the Eagles may be a work in progress, LeSean McCoy could put up eye-opening numbers in Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offensive attack. The Eagles are expected to feature McCoy in a number of ways and he looks primed for the best season of his career.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Heath-Rawlings: Patrick Peterson, Arizona Cardinals – A combination of Darrelle Revis’ shutdown defence and Devin Hester’s special teams proficiency, Peterson might well lead the league in both interceptions and return yards. He’s known for the returns, but this year is the defensive coming out party.
Lang: J.J. Watt, Houston Texans – Watt’s numbers last year were insane for a 3-4 defensive lineman (20.5 sacks, 16 passes knocked down). This year Watt’s numbers will be even better with the return of linebacker Brian Cushing from injury.
Lowe: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers – The Panthers’ defence will be much-improved in 2013 and linebacker Luke Kuechly will be the reason for it. Kuechly led the league with 164 tackles last season, and is fast, instinctive and powerful. He’s Brian Urlacher 2.0.
Simmons: Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals – Atkins is the best player on what may be the best defence in the AFC. The defensive tackle is a wrecking ball on the defensive line and should build off his breakout campaign from 2012. There’s a reason the historically cheap Bengals gave him all that cash.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Heath-Rawlings: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots – It’s been a few years, so the man in the hoodie is about due for his fourth of these awards. The toughest task for a personnel man in sports is rebuilding on the fly, and Belichick has done it at least four times now. It’s strange to say it, but he almost doesn’t get enough credit.
Lang: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints – With Payton back from his suspension, the Saints will enjoy a bounce back year and earn a wild-card spot in the NFC. That will be reason enough for voters to select him as the NFL Coach of the Year.
Lowe: Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs – It was time for Andy Reid and Philadelphia to part ways, and now he’s walked into a great situation in Kansas City. The Chiefs were better in 2012 than their 2-14 record suggested, and Reid and his new coaching staff have made some intriguing moves that could see this team contending for a wild-card spot. If they make the playoffs, Reid will win coach of the year.
Simmons: Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears – The Bears won 10 games last season but the former Alouettes coach has finally taken the steps to help Chicago jump Green Bay in the NFC North. The Bears have reloaded along the offensive line and, if Trestman can get the most out of his quarterback, the Bears could be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Watch out for this team.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Heath-Rawlings: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers – The Packers simply haven’t had a running back this dynamic since Aaron Rodgers became the starting quarterback. There will be ample room for the Alabama product to run, and more than a few easy touchdowns from inside the five.
Lang: Tavon Austin, St. Louis Rams – Not only will Austin will be Sam Bradford’s best playmaker on offence but he will also return punts. Add it all up and the speedy Austin will score touchdowns on both offence and special teams, locking up this award.
Lowe: Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals – While he’s not the starter in Cincinnati (yet), the Bengals love their second-round pick out of North Carolina. Bernard was called on time-and-time again throughout the pre-season and will likely take the majority of the snaps this season. Bernard will crack the 1,000 yard mark in his rookie year.
Simmons: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers – The Packers have finally given Aaron Rodgers a talented running back to work with as Green Bay has been throwing out barely serviceable players at the position since Ahman Green left town (yeah, it’s been that long). Lacy is an absolute monster that could score 10-plus touchdowns in his rookie campaign.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Heath-Rawlings: Kiko Alonso, Buffalo Bills – – More a matter of opportunity than anything else, Alonso steps in as a three-down linebacker in a defence that desperately needs an anchor in the middle. He should challenge triple digit tackle numbers and is athletic enough to make a few big plays along the way.
Lang: Jarvis Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers – Carolina’s Star Lotulelei will be a force this year but sacks are a sexy stat for voters and Jones is poised to have a lot of them in the Steelers’ defence.
Lowe: Ziggy Ansah, Detroit Lions – The raw pass rusher from Ghana steps into a great situation along the defensive line in the Motor City. Playing with arguably the best defensive tackle tandem in the NFL in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, Ansah will often be left in single coverage and has the ability to take advantage of such mismatches.
Simmons: Kenny Vaccaro, New Orleans Saints – The Saints’ defence was a mess last season and Vaccaro gives New Orleans the kind of sideline-to-sideline player they’ve lacked in their secondary for years. The Texas Longhorns have produced a high number of quality defensive backs over the last decade and the Saints should see major dividends from their first-round pick this season.
AFC CHAMPION
Heath-Rawlings: New England Patriots – In a relatively weak conference, every contender has flaws – so when in doubt, go with the legendary quarterback and coach combination. Tom Brady has taken no-name receivers to the Super Bowl before, and Belichick has quietly been turning draft picks into a very solid defence.
Lang: Houston Texans – After years of building to this point, this is finally the season the Texans put it all together. Houston will unleash the ferocious J.J. Watt on the rest of the NFL while they remain deep and talented on offence. Everything is falling into place, so much that not even Matt Schaub can screw it up.
Lowe: Denver Broncos – If Thursday night’s opener was any indication, the Denver Broncos’ offence could challenge as one of the NFL’s best ever. If they get any sort of a running game going, watch out. Not to mention the defence didn’t miss a beat without Von Miller.
Simmons: Denver Broncos – Peyton Manning has never had this kind of talent surrounding him and the Broncos could run through a light AFC this season. Wes Welker gives Denver the kind of presence on third down they desperately lacked in the playoff loss to Baltimore last year. Good luck stopping this offence.
NFC CHAMPION
Heath-Rawlings: Seattle Seahawks – Another potent coach-quarterback connection. Pete Carroll believes in Russell Wilson, and Wilson rewarded his faith last year with an epic second half to the season. Both the Seahawks and 49ers have a devastating front seven and a punishing ground attack, but the difference between the two is in the secondary where Seattle is elite.
Lang: San Francisco 49ers – What we saw throughout the post-season from Colin Kaepernick was just a taste of what’s to come in 2013. Kaepernick is the leader of an offence that received a big boost with the acquisition of receiver Anquan Boldin. The 49ers are a tough, well coached team that will avenge last year’s Super Bowl loss.
Lowe: Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. The team boasts one of the NFL’s grittiest defences and added nothing but depth in the off-season. With a monstrous running game led by Marshawn Lynch and the continuing maturation of Russell Wilson, the Seahawks seemed poised to be kings of the NFC.
Simmons: Green Bay Packers – The 49ers and Seahawks should be right in the mix but this could be the year for Green Bay Packers. Adding Eddy Lacy at running back looks like the missing piece that could put them over the top,
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION
Heath-Rawlings: Seattle Seahawks – The NFC is simply the stronger conference. The Pats have enough to overcome the flawed AFC teams, but Carroll’s group is more athletic and cohesive than anything they’ll face along the way.
Lang: San Francisco 49ers – How fitting that two tough teams that like to run the ball will face each other amid the snow and ice that is expected to descend upon MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2. In what is sure to be a physical game, the 49ers will emerge victorious and another Harbaugh brother (Jim) will raise the Vince Lombardi trophy.
Lowe: Denver Broncos – It’ll be a stingy defence versus a high-powered offence in Super Bowl XLVIII, and offence will prevail. Sure, the conditions may be less than favourable in New Jersey, but that works both ways. There’s no reason to think Manning and his offence won’t be prepared to deal with these types of conditions – they play in Denver for Pete’s sake.
Simmons: Denver Broncos – Denver has a wealth of talent on both sides of the ball – so much that you didn’t even notice Von Miller’s absence Thursday night. In a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIII, Denver will give fits to a secondary that doesn’t have the ability to neutralize Manning and his superior aerial attack.
Note: I made this prediction long before Thursday’s shellacking:
