🏆🏈 NFL awards: And the winners should be …
As the 2021 NFL regular season comes to a close this weekend, it’s time to discuss the candidates for the MVP, offensive and defensive player of the year awards, or should I say the underdogs, the players who I think should take home the trophies. While the front-runners in the MVP race are undoubtedly Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor should be in that conversation. Of course, one can’t deny that historically the MVP award has turned into the “best quarterback of the year” honor. The last non-quarterback to win league MVP was running back Adrian Peterson in 2012. Since 1957, a non-quarterback has won the award only 21 times. Nevertheless, Taylor has played like a man on a mission. He currently leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,734), rushing attempts (317), runs for 20 yards or more (13, including an 83-yarder in a 31-3 win over the Houston Texans on Oct. 17, the longest run in Colts history) and rushing touchdowns (18). In a 27-17 win over the New England Patriots on Dec. 18, Taylor reached his 11th straight game with a rushing touchdown, the longest streak since LaDainian Tomlinson went 18 straight from 2004 to 2005. Taylor also reached a top speed of 22.13 mph on his 67-yard game-clinching touchdown run against the Patriots, the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season. Said teammate and Pro Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard of Taylor after that game, “There is absolutely no question. What he is doing now in this NFL, there’s absolutely no question that he is the MVP.” Like the MVP race, defensive player of the year and offensive player of the year also have a few sleepers vying for their first award. While a shoo-in for defensive rookie of the year, I think Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons should also be the top choice for overall defensive player of the year. The 12th pick in the 2021 draft, Parsons began his NFL career with seven tackles in the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, then recorded the first sack of his career in a Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, where he was used as a pass-rusher following an injury to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. He has 84 total tackles, 30 quarterback hits, 13 sacks and is tied for first with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt for most tackles for loss (20) this season. He’s the first rookie with 75-plus tackles and 10-plus sacks in the last 25 seasons. “I take complete pride in being the most versatile player in the NFL,” Parsons said at his weekly news conference. “I think I would put myself up there with the elite guys around the league in terms of impacting the game.” For offensive player of the year, a category usually dominated by quarterbacks and running backs, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is my dark horse. The third-year wideout can do it all, hauling in 73 receptions for 1,310 yards and six touchdowns, besides rushing for 320 yards and seven more touchdowns. Samuel’s astounding performance has earned him an invite to his first Pro Bowl. So there you have it, my picks for the league’s top dogs this season. All three have played exceptionally well and have been huge assets to their teams. Besides, it sure would be nice to see new faces take home some hardware for a change. — Calvin Sykes