For two hours on Saturday night, the football world will take its focus off Sunday’s premier matchup and honour the players and coaches who made the 2013 regular season one of the wildest in recent memory.
While Peyton Manning is basically guaranteed to win Most Valuable Player, many of the other top awards are far from a lock.
Here are our picks for the winners:
Most Valuable Player:
Peyton Manning, QB, DEN
This is the easiest MVP choice since Tom Brady’s historic 2007 season. En route to 55 passing touchdowns and almost 5,500 yards, Manning broke six individual records. If the vote isn’t unanimous, it should be considered a travesty.
Honourable Mention: Andrew Luck, QB, IND
Luck led an extremely-flawed Indianapolis Colts team to its second-straight 11-5 season in his sophomore season and consecutive post-season appearances. It’s scary to think what he’ll be able to do when he’s surrounded by talent.
Offensive Player of the Year:
Jamaal Charles, RB, KC
It’s highly likely Manning wins this award too, but Charles had himself quite the season. It’s safe to say without Charles, the Chiefs’ 21st-ranked offence would’ve struggled mightily. With 19 touchdowns and 1,980 total yards, the former Texas Longhorn accounted for 46 percent of the Chiefs’ scores and almost 37 percent of Kansas City’s total yardage.
Honourable Mention: LeSean McCoy, RB, PHI
The NFL’s leading rusher with 1,607 yards, McCoy was the only running back to average more than 100 yards a game in 2013 (100.4), add more than 500 yards receiving and fumbling just ONCE in 17 games.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Luke Kuechly, LB, CAR
In just his second year, Kuechly has emerged as the most complete linebacker in the game. He’s the force behind the Panthers’ defensive transformation and stepped up in huge situations, most notably in the week 16 matchup against the Saints that clinched the division for Carolina in which he racked up 26 tackles and an interception.
Honourable Mention: Earl Thomas, S, SEA
While Richard Sherman is getting all of the attention, he would be the first to tell you that Earl Thomas is the primary reason for the Legion of Boom’s dominance this season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Eddie Lacy, RB, GB
Lacy gave the Packers something they hadn’t enjoyed since 2009 – a 1,000 yard rusher. The bruising running back out of Alabama was arguably the only reason Green Bay survived without their franchise quarterback – that and the fact the rest of the NFC North took a nose-dive.
Honourable Mention: Keenan Allen, WR, SD
Adjusting to the NFL is hard for any rookie, but the wide receiver position usually takes the most time. Not for Allen, who quickly became Philip Rivers’ No. 1 target, surpassing the 1,000 yard mark and racking up eight touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Sheldon Richardson, DE, NYJ
Richardson played a huge role in the resurgence of the Jets and was the force behind the team’s No. 3-ranked run defence. Starting in 15 games this season, the 13th-overall pick registered 78 tackles – fourth among all defensive lineman – 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Already a premier run-stopper, the dynamic Richardson will only get better in all other aspects of his game.
Honourable Mention: Kiko Alonso, LB, BUF
The second-round pick quickly emerged as the best linebacker of his draft class and — although he cooled off in the final weeks of the season – mirrors the aforementioned Kuechly in ability and football smarts.
Coach of the Year:
Ron Rivera, CAR
Four weeks into the NFL season, many were calling for Rivera’s head. The Panthers lost one more game the entire season as “Riverboat Ron” led Carolina to its first division title and post-season berth since 2008. Now the future looks bright for the third-year head coach, who was just rewarded with an extension through the 2017 season.
Honourable Mention: Andy Reid, KC
Halfway through the season it looked like Reid had this award in the bag, but Rivera’s emergence and a less-than-stellar second-half performance from the Chiefs has the big man on the outside looking in.
Comeback Player of the Year:
Philip Rivers, QB, SD
Coming off his worst season as a pro, Rivers and the Chargers were not expected to do anything in 2013. Apparently nobody told Rivers. Even with a less-than-tantalizing roster surrounding him, the veteran quarterback had one of the best seasons of his 10-year career, including a league-leading 69.5 completion percentage and the franchise’s first playoff win since Jan. 2008.
Honourable Mention: Darrelle Revis, CB, TB
Coming off a torn ACL in 2012, Revis took the field for a different team in 2013 but his play stayed the same. Revis remains a top cornerback in the NFL despite playing for one of its more dysfunctional teams this past season.
