Awards Time (All-Pro Teams etc)

[Chrisbob74]

This is my take on the winners for some of the end of season awards, including my All-Pro team. Take it for what it's worth, just an opinion:

Gridiron Gazette: Awards Time

Awards Time

As the regular season draws to a close, here's my all-stars

Every season brings with it a share of All-Pro teams, MVP Awards and other such considerations. While this writer isn't going to get a vote in the AP's ballot, I would like to offer my own set of awards for your consideration. bear in mind, these are only an opinion and it is rare that everyone agrees with all the choices.

So without further ado:

NFL Most Valuable Player: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Runners up: Shaun Alexander, RB Seattle Seahawks

Lots of fine contenders here but the 'Across The Pond' NFL MVP goes to New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady. Everyone knows Brady as a clutch performer but this season more than any, his team has had to lean on him to get them through a rough patch. With injuries along the offensive line and what seemed to be a different running back every week while Corey Dillion was absent, Brady pulled his team along and once the injurioes healed, he kept them on track for the play-offs with his best ever passing season. For the first time he has surpassed 4000 yards passing and currently ha a career high 93 rating for the season.

Brady has shown in the past he can be a leader. he's shown in the past he can be clutch. Now he has shown he can carry a team.

There were plenty of other viable candidates in considering this decision. LaDainian Tomlinson has had another fantastic year and while his rushing total isn't amongst the leagues best he has been a complete threat, receiving and even throing the football. The Chargers would be lost without him. The progression of Carson Palmer is going better than most would have imagined and he is now regarded as one of the top signal callers in the league. Tiki Barber, for so many years 'underrated' finally got talked about as an MVP type candidate and he has been outstanding during his teams run towards the play-offs, especially given that the Giants passing game has started to run out of gas. The nearest contender to Brady in my eyes was Shaun Alexander. Last week, the Seahawks runner tied the single season record for TD's in a season with 27 and is a good bet to surpass that total this week. He is leading the league in rushing after falling 1 yard short of the rushing title last year and has helped ride his team to a 10 game winning streak that has helped them gain home field advantage for the play-offs.

Offensive Player of The Year: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Runners up: Shaun Alexander, RB Seattle Seahawks

Do I really need to explain again? I'm not one of these people who believes you can give the MVP award to one person but then snub him for another award by flip-flopping your top two from last time.

Defensive Player of The Year: Osi Umenyiora, DE, New York Giants

Runner Up: Jason Taylor, DE/OLB, Miami Dolphins

This was a really tough choice. Lots and lots of geniune contenders but to be honest, no one stood out head and shoulders above the rest of this is a very open award and I dare say when other media outlets publish their versions of these type of awards, you'll see a few different winners. I went for Osi Umenyiora because the guy has really come on as a passing rushing force this season and while he may not get the attention Micheal Strahan does, he certainly makes the impact. Given the Giants haven't the best set of defensive backs and rely on the horses up front, plus the way the defense and Osi in particular has played down the stretch, he gets my vote.

I made Jason Taylor my runner up. He has been asked to change his style a little with the Dolphins running a 'tweener' defense mixing 3-4 and 4-3 looks but he has been as dominant as ever and if the Phins were going to the play-offs, he'd be getting a lot more credit. Micheal Strahan, Dwight Freeney, Champ Bailey and Nathen Vasher are just a few others who might have gotten some seriously consideration.

Coach Of The Year: Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals

Runner up: Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears

Lewis has built the Bengals slowly but surely and this has been their break-out year. For a guy known for his defense he has got a team led by a high powered offense that can score with the best of them. His defense is also great at causing turnovers and that's one of those stats all coaches love to win. In a division featuring the always strong Steelers as well as the always tough defense of the Ravens, Lewis has managed to get the bengals into the play-offs for the first time in 15 years.

Lovie Smith ran him close, he has built a dominant defense that last year went unnoticed but this year has just plain killed people. Other contenders included Tom Coughlin who has gotten a big turnaround from the Giants, Tony Dungy who led his team to a 13-3 start and Mike Holmgren who currently is enjoying a 10 game winning streak and #1 seed in the NFC.

Comeback Player Of the Year: Joey Galloway, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Runner up: Tedy Bruschi, LB, New England Patriots

Hard award to pick. Plenty of candidates but I went for Joey Galloway, who is having a career year in Tampa after it looked like he was washed up. Released by the Cowboys in 2004, he hooked up with the Bucs but got injured and disappeared from many peoples thoughts. This year he has come back to light up the receiving charts and provide the Bucs with a deep threat they haven't had for years. It's worth noting that while Cadillac Williams went into a mid-season slump, Galloway was the one who stepped up and formed a deadly partnership with young QB Chris Simms.

Steve Smith gets a lot of shouts for this award, but I never doubted he would come back and I certainly didn't dount his career was finsihed. Both Mark Brunell and Drew Bledsoe get consideration after been written off by many. I gave my runner up spot to Tedy Bruschi who has overcome a stroke to get back on the playing field and help inspire his team towards the play-offs and a possible third Super Bowl win in as many years.

Rookie Of The Year: Odell Thurman, LB, Cincinnati Bengals

Runner up: Shawne Merriman, LB, San Diego Chargers

In a few years, people will look back at the 2005 draft and might just remember it as the year of the Linebacker. So many good linebackers have found their way onto NFL playing fields this season via the 2005 draft and it is apt that both my winner and runner up occupy that position.

My winner is Bengals LB Odell Thurman. One of the reasons the Bengals are going to the play-offs this year is his exceptional play as he stepped right in at MLB for the team and hasn't looked back. One of the reasons for the Bengals success this year, as I mentioned when talking about Marv Lewis, is their ability to get turnovers. Thurman has 5 interceptions to go with his 92 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Mastering the mental side of the game can be just as tough for a rookie as actually playing. Thurman has managed both aspects of this and his team have reaped the benefits.

Runner up was Shawn Merriman, who has been a passing rushing force for the Chargers, something they desperately needed going into last off-season. He is someone every offensive co-ordinator has to now gameplan for and his performance in helping the Chargers become the first team to beat the Colts this year was one that will not be quicjkly forgotten.

Other contenders who were also LB's include the Chiefs Derrick Johnson, Seahawks Lofa Tatupu and the Raiders Kirk Morrision. Someone is going to get disappointed when the all-rookie teams come out. Oh, there were some non-LB's worth thinking about, including Cadillac Williams in Tampa Bay who got off to the best three game start of any rookie runner ever. His old Auburn team mate Ronnie Brown also had a solid season and Steelers TE Heath Miller became an effective red zone target for a team that doesn't traditionally throw too much to its tight ends.

I'll end with my All-Pro Team:

QB: Tom Brady, New England Patriots - Kept his team alive through an injury crisis with his finest ever season.

RB: Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks - Likely rushing champion and TD's in a single season record holder.

FB: Lorenzo Neal, San Diego Chargers - LaDainian Tomlinson gets all the fanfare, Neal just lays the wood!

TE: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers - Over 1000 yards and leads all TE's in receptions. Actually missed the first game of the season when suspended.

WR: Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers - Being a team leader on offense all year long, team has little else in the passing game except him.

WR: Santana Moss, Washington Redskins - Break out year for the speedy Moss and has had little help opposite him so had to do most of it on his own.

OT: Walter Jones, Seattle Seahawks - Look at Steven Alexander.

OG: Steve Hutchinson, Seattle Seahawks - See Walter Jones. The pair make up the best left side in the league.

OC: Olin Kreutz, Chicago Bears - Bears OL gets little credit due to the headlines for the defnse but the team has ran the ball well all year and Kreutz is the swing man for an impressive unit.

OG: Chris Snee, New York Giants - Fantastic second year for Coughlins son-in-law, Barber has his best ever season and Eli Manning is getting through a lot of games barely touched.

OT: Levi Jones, Cincinnati Bengals - kept Dwight Freeney quiet but gets little credit as his fellow tackle Willie Anderson goes to the Pro Bowl!

K: Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals - One of the few bright spots for the Cards. Has been as close to automatic as it gets for a kicker.

P: Donnie Jones, Miami Dolphins - Decent average but the fact he has placed 28 punts inside the 20 and his return average against is extremely low.

KR: Dante Hall, Kansas City Chiefs - Not got the best average around but still a dual return threat, scored a TD on a return and teams have to gameplan so much for him.

ST: Brendon Ayanbadejo, Chicago Bears - Leads the league in special teams tackles, also forced a fumble on a return. Bears have one of the better coverage units in the league.

DE: Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins - Great year for Taylor who has floated between LB and DE.

DT: Rod Coleman, Atlanta Falcons - Dominant in the middle for the Falcons and was due a Pro Bowl spot after being ignored the previous year.

DT: Pat Williams, Minnasota Vikings - A big part of the Vikings great late season run, stuffs the middle as well as any lineman in the league.

DE: Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants - My defensive MVP so has to be on this team!

OLB: Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears - All action linebacker who plays the run and pass equally well.

MLB: Al Wilson, Denver Broncos - Denver are extremely tough on D and Wilson is the leader on the field.

OLB: Cato June, Indianapolis Colts - great in coverage and sweeps up really well behind an excellent DL.

CB: Nathan Vasher, Chicago Bears - big plays have rolled out of this guy it seems almost every week.

CB: Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Has really impressed down the stretch, vital turnovers for his team at important times.

SS: Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers - Has continued his impresive progress, hits hard and covers well.

FS: Darren Sharper, Minnasota Vikings - Showed the Packers he wasn't washed up and returned two ints for TD's amongst his league leading 9 picks.

[Chopper Dave]

Bull**** on that all-pro team. Taylor is one of two shutdown safeties in the history of the game. Sharper has nine picks because he's old, slow(er), and people aren't afraid to throw at him. I'm curious as to see how his INT numbers compare with completions and touchdowns allowed.

[Simmsm88]

Great list! I'm not so sure on the LB's, I'd probably have Zach Thomas or Mike Peterson at MLB.

[TheREALJBird]

that list sucked