NFL First Third Awards

Awards given to players through the first third of the season.

MVP

Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB)

Rodgers has picked up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. He leads the league in QB rating (122.9), touchdown passes (14), and completion percentage (71.7). He is third in total passing yards and has the Packers at 5-0.

In the running

Fred Jackson (RB, BUF) –Freddie has 712 yards from scrimmage, 480 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns for the 5-0 Bills.

Tom Brady (QB, NE) – Tom is still terrific with 1,874 yards, 14 touchdowns, and a 101.4 QB rating.

Matthew Stafford (QB, DET) – A Lion’s QB up for MVP? I guess when you have 1,436 yard and 14 touchdowns in 5 games the consideration is warranted.

Drew Brees (QB, NO) – His number are typical Drew Brees threw 5 games; 1,769 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 102.3 rating. Perennial MVP candidate.

Best Defensive Player

Jared Allen (vikingsgab.com)

Jared Allen (DE, MIN)

Allen has been dominating and flat-out unblockable thus far. He is not only sacking QBs, he is playing a little pass defense as well. Through the first third of the season, Allen leads the NFL with 8.5 sacks and has 4 passes defended, 1 interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He’s been the best on the defensive side of the ball so far.

In the running

George Wilson (SS, BUF) – Wilson is third in the league in total tackles (47) and has a league leading 3 interceptions for the Bills.

Morgan Burnett (SS, GB) – The Packer’s strong safety is tied for the league lead in interceptions (3) and has tallied 8 passes defended, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Carlos Rogers (CB, SF) – Rogers is tied for the league’s lead in both interceptions (3) and passes defended (10). He also has an interception returned for a touchdown.

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, NYG) – JPP is leading one of the league’s best defensive lines with 7.0 sacks (2^nd in the league), 27 tackles, and a forced fumble.

Best Offensive Rookie

Andy Dalton (Getty Images, J. Miller)

Andy Dalton (QB, CIN)

I know, I know, you were probably expecting Cam Newton. While Dalton hasn’t thrown for the yards that Newton has, he has just one less touchdown pass and one less interception thrown than the Carolina QB. Dalton leads rookie passers in completion percentage (59.2%) and wins (3). He has a team with fewer weapons than almost any other in second place in the AFC North.

In the running

Cam Newton (QB, CAR) – The 2011 number 1 pick leads all rookie passers with 1,610 yards, 7 touchdown passes and a rating of 84.3.

A.J. Green (WR, CIN) – The Bengals wideout leads all rookie receivers in yards (402) and touchdowns (3)

Julio Jones (WR, ATL) – Jones leads all rookies with 25 catches and is second with 358 yards.

Best Defensive Rookie

Von Miller (wikipedia.org)

Von Miller (OLB, DEN)

Von Miller has completely lived up to his hype so far. The second overall pick in the 2011 draft has been a bright spot in the Broncos’ dark start. He leads all rookies with 5.0 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. The sky is the limit for this guy.

In the running

Aldon Smith (OLB/DE, SF) – The 49ers rookie is second among rookies with 3.5 sacks.

Patrick Peterson (CB, AZ) – The rookie has tallied one interception to go along with a punt returned for a touchdown.

Comeback Player

Matthew Stafford (nflsfutre.com)

Matthew Stafford (QB, DET)

This was a close one between Stafford and Alex Smith. Ultimately, superior numbers and one more gives Stafford the nod.  Stafford has finally given the Lions’ fans something to roar about. After a terrible injury cut his season to just 3 games in 2010, Stafford has rebounded to be an MVP candidate. He has thrown for 1,436 yard, 14 touchdowns, and has a QB rating of 101.4. More importantly, he has his Lions 5-0 for the first time in 50 years.  

In the running

Alex Smith (QB, SF) – Jim Harbaugh has the former number 1 overall pick finally playing winning football after years of futility. Smith ranks sixth in NFL in completion percentage (65.9%) and fourth in passer rating (104.1).

Steve Smith (WR, CAR) – Smith has rebounded from injuries, inconsistency, and spotty QB play and has returned to Pro Bowl form. Smith leads the league in yards per catch (22.6) and is second in receiving yards (609).

Jason Pierre-Paul (DE, NYG) – JPP has finally started to play up to his first round selection. He has 7.0 sacks and force fumble through 5 games, besting his entire 2010 season output.

Biggest Loser; Winning Free Agency doesn't equal winning games

Tough year for Eagles fans.

Well, now I guess we can say that the proverbial sky has fallen over Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles have sputtered out of the gate to a 1-4 record, vastly falling short of preseason expectations.

The team’s dysfunction is not just limited to the playing field. The fans are calling for the firing of coaches and guys in the locker room are questioning the intestinal fortitude of fellow teammates.   

Should the team's start be a complete surprise? Maybe not. How many times have we seen franchises collect super talent in the offseason and not get immediate results on the field, court, or diamond?

The Eagles committed millions to Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin, Vince Young, and the prize of free agency Nnamdi Asomughua. All of those guys were former Pro Bowlers, and even one is a Super Bowl Champ.  

I guess the Eagles didn’t think about continuity, camaraderie, and team chemistry when they dished out those big contracts.  It’s baffling to see franchises go on wild spending sprees in free agency and expect the team to immediately win when history has always shown the total opposite.

Yankees have one title since '01

The Yankees have always been big free agency spenders but have only won one World Series titles since 2001. The Redskins of the 1990s popularized big spending and bigger losing in the NFL. Last season saw the Miami Heat sign 3 top 20 players and fall short of a title. And this list goes on and on.

Spending big just masks weaknesses that are unveiled in big moments. No one knew the Heat lacked good point guard play and interior defense until the NBA Finals. In the same way, no one was talking about the Eagles' poor talent at linebacker, an inadequate offensive line, and the head scratching move of switching the offensive line coach to defensive coordinator.

The Only Dream Team

This Eagles team was flawed from the beginning. They strengthened areas where they were already strong and completely ignored their major areas of concern. The “dream team” label was only added pressure. Especially since the only Dream Team consisted of all time greats like Jordan, Magic, and Bird. This team is just a bunch of birds with no magic.

photos courtesy of delawareonline.com, boozecrewsports.com, draftdaysuit.com

The list continues - QBs # 5-#3

5. Kurt Warner        FTQBR - 46

Surprise! Who knew Kurt Warner would rank this high on the list? At first glance, you wouldn’t put Warner over Aikman or Marino. But when you look at the numbers, they scream Hall of Fame. Kurt Warner has been an MVP twice, a Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and first team All Pro twice.

He retired second all time with a 65.5% completion percentage and second all time 93.7 career passer rating, both better than the aforementioned Hall of Famers. But perhaps his greatest accomplishment was leading the hapless Ram and Cardinal franchises to Super Bowls. For that alone he should be on this list.

Warner went from bagging groceries to the Super Bowl in a matter of months. A devout Christian and community activist, Warner is living proof that nice guys don’t always finish last.

4. Peyton Manning        FTQBR - 53

You didn’t think Peyton Manning would be left out did you? Manning walked into the worst franchise in the NFL in 1998 and changed the fortunes of the Colts forever. After a 3-13 rookie year, Manning led the Colts to 13-3 the next season and they haven’t had a losing season since.

Peyton plays the position like General Patton. He barks plays at his troops and meticulously attacks the opposition with tenacity; firing bullets up and down the field with precision.

His stats are straight up ridiculous. He’s thrown for 54,000 yards, 399 touchdowns and he’s been named All Pro 5 times. Cap those numbers with a Super Bowl win and we’re talking about a guy on the Mt. Rushmore of quarterbacks.

I don’t know if there is any quarterback that works harder at the position as Manning. His record 4, yes 4, MVP trophies are proof of that.

3. Steve Young        FTQBR - 55

Steve Young was one of the most physically gifted athletes to ever play in the NFL. The dude was 6’2, 215 lbs, had 4.5 speed, pin-point accuracy and had the intelligence of a lawyer.

After playing in quarterback purgatory, coaching legend Bill Walsh traded his second and fourth-round draft choices to Tampa for Young. The Bucs got Vinny Testaverde and more years of losing while the 49ers got a Hall of Famer.

When he finally got his time to start in San Francisco, he never looked back. He won a record 6 passing titles, 2 league MVPs, and 3 first team All Pro selections. He played big in the NFL’s biggest game throwing a record 6 touchdowns and earning the MVP award in his Super Bowl victory over the San Diego Chargers.

The guy would do anything to get a victory. If it meant throwing the winning touchdown pass or running threw a linebacker for a first down, Young did it.

Young threw and ran his way through the NFL record books. He retired with the highest quarterback rating in NFL history and a quarterback record 43 rushing touchdowns.

Young was the most versatile quarterback to ever play the game. To know how good he was just think about this. The Niners sent the great Joe Montana to Kansas City in Young's favor and the team didn’t miss a beat. Nuff said.