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2020 NFL Awards - NFC Edition - Episode 102
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Crowd cheers. Settle Allo and welcome back to the onboard podcast. This is episode a hundred and two of the show and we are here to finish the NFL awards that we started in episode a hundred and one. Today we'll be talking about the other conference of the NFL. So episode a hundred and one we talked about the AFC. We went through offensive and defensive MVP's, offensive defensive rookie mvps, and we also went through some other awards like coach of the year, signings of the year, game the year. So we're going to be doing the exact same thing today, but on the NFC side of things. So without further a duke, I think I said that almost every episode, but Arek. We get straight into it, starting with the offensive MVP. Once again, like yesterday's episode, I'm going to go division by division and use that as sort of a nominee sort of situation. So we'll start the NFC east offensive MVP. I can't lie, they weren't too many options in this division. Definitely the weakest division in the NFL this year. But the offensive MVP candidate for me is Amari Cooper. Given the catastrophe of a year. It was a Dallas and they're changing quarterbacks with dacks injury and he dolman also got injured. So you had to deal with Bendnucci and I actually forget the other bloke's name, but there was another guy played one game. So he dealt with four different quarterbacks throughout the season. He still performed to a pretty high level, in my opinion. I haven't finishing as the seventeen best wide receiver for the year, which is probably about where we would have him at the start. Maybe we thought you would finish a little bit higher than that, but if you knew duck was going to be injured from about week five, on which you'd maybe coming some slack. So I think he had a pretty impressive year, just given all those moving parts. Eleventh in receptions in this in the NFL, fourteen in receiving yards. So I think Amara Cooper did his best in a struggling team and I think there's cart me too many complaints with his performances this year. So he's the offensive MVP candidate from the NFC east, to my opinion. Moving on to the NFC north, this is a completely different story. Here we are spoiled for choice, but the clear standout is our and rodgers. There could be a case for Davante Adams as in my opinion he was the best wide receiver. But Yeah, look a number one wide receiver versus a in my opinion, top too. I don't want to spoil it, so I'll say a top to quarterback. It's tough to pick the wide receiver there, so I'm going with Aaron Rodgers. Most passing TD's for the year, best completion rate of anyone who had over a hundred and fifty attempts, least interceptions of anyone who started at least fifteen games. So pretty incredible year from him. I can't lie. I thought he was maybe on the decline his career after the twine ten year and in saying that, he still probably had a top ten year but probably was just outside the top five. But he came back with vengeance this year and in my opinion he was the best quarterback on the season. Honorable Mentions do have to go to Davanta Adams. Like I said, eighteen touch receiving touchdowns, over one thousandree hundred yards. He was the number one wide receiver in I think, everyone's opinion also worth mentioning. Dalvin Cook, was had another cracking year. Probably finished as the running back to behind Henry, and then Justin Jefferson, David Montgomery, Aaron Jones, Adam thiel and, Allen Robinson and kirk cousins all have pretty impressive years, so I think they all deserve and mentioned. Moving on to the NFC south, another division that...
...is fairly stacked to nothing convarted to the NFC in northern terms of individual talent, but I've actually gone with a strange on here. I reckom. Most people would have Kemara or Brady, but I've actually gone with Calvin Ridley. We predicted his breakout at the start of the season on this podcast and he did certainly do that. He's season was messed around a little bit with Julio Jones being injured for a lot of it. He was also injured for some of it, but the end of the year thirteen in receptions, sixth and receiving yards, top ten in receiving touchdowns and he was also fourth in yards per game. So when he was on the park he was one of the better wide receivers in the competition. I had him finishing as the fifth receiver. That's including tight ends. I Kelsey as the number four, so realistically, items the number for wide receiver on the season, which is pretty impressive considering Atlanta didn't have the most successful of seasons. So he's probably an outside call, but I'm going to pick him as my NFC south candidate for the offensive MVP of the NFC. Honorable Mentions got to go to Tom Brady. I Have Tom Brady as my qb five on the year, so for the qbfive to miss out on a divisional MVP, that's pretty rare. So condolences to him. I guess off that he gives a crap where I rank him. Then Kamara. I had him as the RB three as well, so he also very unlucky to miss out. And then Mike Evans and DJ more. Both have pretty good years in their respective teams. Then finally, the NFC west. This is probably an interesting one. I think at week ten you would have laughed as someone said this award wouldn't go to Calamari or Russell Wilson, but in in fact they actually weren't too high in my final standings. They were. I think they both missed out on the top ten. If am honust. So definitely, I don't know if that's a consensus opinion, bit of my opinion. They definitely fell away later in the year. So I'm actually going to give the offensive MVP TO DK METCALF A. finished seventh in receiving yards, ninth and receiving touchdowns. He was just a force all year. It's pretty hard to contain someone that big and that fast. I think Jay and rams he's probably the only guy who could do it. Can't remember anyone else really putting much of a lockdown job on him and yeah, he was just impressive. Or your human tyler lock it up probably. I'm just saying this off the top of my head, so don't shoot me, but they're probably the best one to wide receiver Combo coming out of this season, you'd have to say. And then combine with Russell Wilson. It's tough to see Seattle going to too fast south in terms of ability in the next few years. So it's going to be interesting to see how DK metcast progression goes, because I thought he hadn't now standing here this year. Honorable Mentions do go to tyler lock it as I mentioned before. He had a kill a year, and then also deandre Hopkins and Robert Woods for Arizona and the rands respectively. Both had really good years. So some interesting nominees there. I can't lie. It's not that close. Like, let's be real, Amari Cooper is not winning the offensive MVP the NFC. Neither is DK metcalf, neither is Calvin Ridley. So they all had very impressive years, but pretty are from Aaron Rodgers and it's fair to say Davante Adams, if he was in another division, would probably be the clear number two candidate for this award. So and even Dowvin Cook would probably be a number three. So big year for the NFC north, massive year for Aaron Rodgers, and he is my NFC offensive MVP. And just a little side note, I have him above my home, so he is actually my NFL MVP for the year. So well done, Aaron Rodgers. MR DILF I don't know if he is a deal for he gives off deal FIBS. I reckon, but they're the goodlooking rooster from Green Bay. He absolute BLINDER OF YEAR WITH MATT LA floor. Their offensive schemes were pretty much unrivaled all season and they find...
...they sadly stumbled on the final hurdle like they did last year at the NFC championship game, but I'm sure they will be back next year, hopefully with a few more wide out talent in Aaron Rodgers is opinion, I'm sure. And looking on the defensive side of the ball NFC east, I've gone with Blake Martinez, the linebacker for the New York giants. He's I don't know how long it was a green bay actually, but he was a pretty good servant for the Green Bay packers for a long time and they let him go and he moved over to New York and he had just a very good season a lot like a lot of linebacker is nothing outrage is in terms of specific start, but just very, very well rounded in each category. He's main stat would probably have to be ten most solo tackles in the league, which is pretty impressive. Be Yeah, he was probably, I guess you could say, the quarterback of a very good defense there in New York. Honorable Mentions go to Montez sweat and chase hung. Both were causing havoc on that on that Washington d line. But yet very impressive years from those two as well, and my defensive MVP candidate from the NFC north is got to be row Quan Smith. He had an incredible year, the linebacker from the Chicago bears. We all knew coming into this year he was one of the better linebackers going around, but this year I think he really established himself as one of the very best. I mean at ninety eight Solo tackles, which was second in the NFL. Yet eighteen tackles for a loss, which is second in the NFL as well, which is pretty impressive from the linebacker position. You would expect edge rushes or defense events to have the most tackles for losses. So very impressive from row Kuan Smith, and he was a another the Chicago defense had another stelly year and he was another vital reason why that defense ticks so well. I'm honorable mentions have to go to Sadarius Smith throughout another cracking year on the Green Bay d line. He's been pretty incredible since they've picked him up. Eric Wilson from the Vikings had a pretty good year in Khalil Mac. Probably wasn't quite his destructive best, but he was pretty impressive for most of the season as well. The NFC south. This was a very impressive defensive division in the end. Probably wouldn't have been expecting it going into the year. You would have thought Atlanta and Carolina would have had a pretty poor defenses, but in the end pretty much all for the teams had good or above average defense. Is Not sure if we can say that about Atlanta, but I'll say but for me the MVP nominee is the Tampa Bay buccaneers lineback at Devon White. In his second year in the League. He had an absolute blind he had a pretty good year and his first year and I think he had pretty high expectations coming into this one and he didn't. He didn't disappoint. Third most tackles for losses in the NFL, the most solo tackles in the NFL and that whole temper buccaneers defense. They had a few off games, but devin white was a consistent performer in that linebacker slot and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Super Bowl, along with the rest of his buccaneer defensive teammates, because they're really going to have to trouble my homes if they're going to try and win that game, but a lot of honorable mentions have to go out in this NFC South Division. It was very competitive, especially in terms of individual defensive players. Are La Fonte, David, another buccaneers linebacker, voice side Lew con not sure if I'm saying that right. From the Falcons, Deon Jones, Jason Pre Paul and Malcolm Jenkins all had very impressive years and were a big reason why the NFC south was pretty good this year. And then in the NFC west, you could probably have guessed it, but I'm it's are and Donald. I was actually surprised. A lot of my things are based on statistics and Jalen Ramsey probably similar to Ji Alexander Actually, and I'm sure there was some...
...in the AFC episode, but lockdown corners. Unfortunately they're more of an eyest a bit like an old line, and there's not really stats that back them up that much because usually they're just locking down a player so the ball doesn't go to them too much. So Rams, he's probably been underappreciated here by me with the stats, but Aaron Donald is my defensive MVP candidate from the NFC west. Finished for the year with thirteen and a half sacks, which was second most in the NFL, fourteen tackers for a loss, twenty eight qb hits was which was the fourth most in the NFL, and for force fumbles. So pretty incredible stats. And when you factor in he's probably copying a double team on eighty percent of his snaps, that's pretty bloody impressive from Aaron Donald. We've come to just expected every week, but we probably need to sit back and take notice of how impressive it is. An honorable mentions go to Buddha Baker. He is probably probably, next to the honey Badger, one of the biggest prime time feends I've ever seen. In defense, he absolutely lit it up whenever the cardinals had a primetime game. I'm picturing that game a and seahawks where he just went cut loose, but I'll talk about that game later. So he also deserves a big shout out because he had another really impressive year. So the candidates are Blake Martinez, roke one Smith, Devon White and our and Donald. I'm actually not going with Aaron Donald, which most people probably would go with. I'm not going with Devon White, sadly. Blake Martinez is a little bit off the pace, but I'm going with Roquan Smith as my defensive MVP of the NFL, out of the NFC. Sorry, he had an absolute blinder year in pretty much every start. It's pretty impressive, so it's tough to ignore. Alarm back having the second most tackles for a loss in the competition is very impressive and I actually have t j watt finishing above them in terms of the NFL and the defensive MVP rankings, but broke on Smith is my number two. So yeah, incredible year, but also big shout out to Devon Wye Narrow Donald, because they had very impressive years as well. Moving on to the offensive rookie. Once again, similar to the AFC, there's not too much to choose from it in terms of these divisions, but we'll try our best. Luckily, for this one we didn't have like the toughest decision picking one. It was clearly out of CD lamb or Antonio Gibson for the NFC East Offensive Brookie Award, and I've gone a CD lamb, although Antonio Gibson was extremely impressive in his first year coming out of college. He was an instant hit as the Washington football teams running back, I'm going with CD lamb. Similar to Marie Cooper, he dealt with a lot of quarterback situation, didn't have much preseason and the fact that he was just an instant impact from week one. Basically he superseded Michael Gallop and became their number two to Amari Cooper pretty quickly. He finished the year in the top thirty in terms of receiving yards and receptions and yeah, he made some incredible grabs throughout along the way. So I'm looking forward to see what he can do next year, hopefully with a full year with Dak Prescott. Will obviously wait and see with the contract negotiations what happened there what happens there. Be a big shout out to Antonio Gibson. Think he missed a couple games as well towards the back end, but he was a big reason why Washington made the playoffs. My NFC north offensive rookie, another sitter, Justin Jefferson. I think I'm realizing that the NFC rookies are a lot better than the AFC. But Justin Jefferson, fifteen in receptions, fourth and receiving yards, fourth in yards per target. Is a deep field threat with his pace and height and letticism. It's just a bit of a different cat really if you watch him. He a lot of wide receivers. They're very structured and the way they just run their routes and they're almost a bit robotic. But Jefferson, he seems to just move and just...
...feel the route and where the ball basically takes him, and then as soon as he captures it, he's an absolute danger after the catch because he's so lanky and like hard to get down I'd say, and he's fast. I'm so yeah, he was really impressive to me. He was probably the most impressive Brookie of the year. Yes, it was impressive what Herbert did, but Jefferson blew my socks off quite a few times with some of the performers he was putting up. Big shout out to deandre swift as well, who he took a while to claim that number one running back thrown in Detroit, but once he did he really shine. And Sean shined? I don't know, but yeah, he had a pretty good year and FC South Offensive Rookie. They didn't have a candidate. Actually, there wasn't too many to pick. I can't even think of it an offensive rookie. To be honest. They are the Adam treatment backup tight end for the New Orleans. But now I can't think of anyone else, so we'll leave that one blank. And then on the NDFC west side, once again not too many options. But Brandon I you, I think, had a seriously underrated season. Once again, similar to the Dallas guys, he was dealing with the quarterback change almost monthly. He built up quite a relationship with Nick Molins and then Cej Bethard stepped in, so that was a shame. But Yeah, top thirty in reception and yards per game. Only played twelve games and yeah, he was very impressive when he played. Divo, Samuel and George could all weren't there for most of it and he just stepped up and you always forgot that he was a rookie and I think if it was our actually honestly reckon nick molins is the reason why he's seasons going to be underappreciated. I think if he was on the receiving end of a bigger name quarterbacks throwing, I think I season might have been talked about a bit more. And the fact that he only played twelve games, I think means you know, he's volume was a bit depressed, so it was suppressed and I think that means the less chats going to be about him. But I'm very excited to see what he does next year. Hopefully devo Samuel gets on the pitch and interested to see what they can do together. But in terms of offensive rookie it's got to be Justin Jefferson had an absolute blind of the year. I've got him as the fifth best wide receiver on the year, so for a rookie to do that, that's pretty incredible. He was one of the least talked about high picks in terms of wide receivers. Everyone was talking about henry rugs, CD lamb, Jerry Judy and Justin Jefferson was just quietly going about his work in the preseason and during the draft periods and then he just went bang onto the scene from Lsu to the Vikings and he was absolutely loving it with Oudam tell and and kirk cousins. So excited to see what he can do next year. Defensive Rookies, back to the AFC NFC east, another pretty clear one. Chase Young, seven point five sacks, ten tackles for a last four fours fumbles. He was a wrecking bull from pretty much week one. We were expecting it. He was talked about as being actually the number one player in the draft class. It's just the QB importance went borrowin number one. So everyone was expecting it from chase young, but the way you did it so quickly and so effectively, you would expect people to go from bullying college football and then go to struggle in NFL, but he seemed to really have no trouble with that and just started bullying the NFL as well. So, chase young, incredible opening season in the NFL. NFC North, there won't many to pick from. Joel Gladney. Look, I can't lie, I don't really know who he is, but he is the guy I've picked. Nothing really of not to talk about him. N If south. Once again, nothing outrageous from these boys, but I've gone with Aj Trell. He was a high pick for the Atlanta Falcons in quarterback position. At three fos fumbles, which I reckons pretty impressive for a rookie quarterback. But yeah, nothing...
...of note really, apart from the three force fumbles to mention from him. Antoine Winfield and Jeremy Chin also had pretty good years for the buccaneers and panthers respectively. NFC West didn't have a defensive rookie candidate. So overall, my defensive rookie MVP for the NFC is chase you're not really a shock. He almost actually was the MVP candidate for the NFC in general over Blake Martinez. So you're not really surprised the chase young's winning this award, and he will be. I think I gave it to Patrick Queen on the AFC side and I've actually yeah, I've got chase young just pipping Patrick Queen. So chase young, can confirm, is my defensive rookie MVP, even though that is not an award. But play on. Looks like it's going to be another short episode here today, but we're into the general awards now. Coach of the year is actually a tough one because I like to look at last year's performance and then look at this year's and see who improved the most as a bit of a gage for coach of the year, and blocks like cliff kings bring that Lafleur of popping up, but I decided to put them aside and I've gone. I have three candidates to you. I think they're all very worthy. I'm Bruce Arians. They were probably the biggest improves in terms of a team and there are a chance of winning a super bowl. I think if they win the super bowl might be a different conversation. But I'm probably going to say no to him being coach of the year in the NFC just because I think with the roster they had, I think it was more a bit of a GM job building that list in turn instead of a coaching job. But he still did very well to bring them all together as a team and get them playing well by come playoffs time. But the two main men I'm looking at here as mountain rule, the Carolina Panthers coach, and Ron Rivera. I think I'm going to just give it to Ron Rivera, but I'll quickly talk about Matt rule and his credentials. First Year in the NFL, Caroline were being picked as a oen sixteen team. Coming into the year. Everyone thought they were going to be absolutely hopeless, especially on the defensive side of things, and they ended up having a pretty good year. Can't remember their record exactly, but I reckon they had five or six wins, which was pretty impressive. Teddy Bridge Order, yes, he fell away towards the end of the year, but he was a pretty good pick up in terms of the first half of the season. And Yeah, I just think it was a pretty incredible year from mount rule what he got out of this team. They finished five and eleven, so it doesn't sound as good as I'm making it out to be, but the fact that they improved on last year and that they had, on paper, one of the worst teams you'll ever see, especially on the defensive side of things. I think Matt Rules did a very good job in his first year and I think the panthers have a bright future if they could know the actually going to do with the quarterback position, whether they're going to draws on but I think we're going to do an episode in near future about team needs and who they should draft and pick up and freed and see, so I might talk about it there. But yeah, Ron Rivera, he took the Washington team to playoffs. It has to be said if it was a stronger division, that team wouldn't have got there, but I think they got to seven wins in the end and they beat teams like the steelers and stuff like that. So for them, for him to get Ron Rivera to get that out of a team on paper that didn't look great, probably look to the worst out of the division. I think that's a pretty incredible effort, especially in his first year with a new team. He obviously had all the off field drama with his cancer treatment stuff. It's been announced this morning that he's cancer free. So well done, run Rivera. That's very impressive, very awesome, very awesome to here. Looking forward to what he can do with his team next year. They look like they're found one in Antonio Gibson. Terry McLaren continues his rise. They turn Logan Thomas into a like a top five tight end. Interesting to see what they'll do with the quarterback position, whether they keep Alex Smith under center,...
...they give it to Taylor Heiniki or they draft someone once again, we'll talk about that in future episodes. But whoever was under center, whoever was at running back, whoever was in any position, run Rivera seemed to get the boys going and the fact that they made the playoffs is, I think, mainly a credit to Ron Rivera. So yeah, he's my coach of the year in the NFC gave me the year. In the NFC I've gone with the Arizona cardinals versus Seattle Seahawks in week seven. This game last for the AFC. I kind of did some research and looked at the games and thought about which ones were good. But this one which just stuck my head. Week seven. This is where the famous d came metcalf chase down tackle on but a baker was and the cardinals won. And over time Sang Gonzalez clutched up. I think he missed a field goal late in the game and then he kicked one on the siren to send it to overtime and then he kicked one in overtime to win it. I was looking at the ESPN when probability in the seahawks actually were the favorite, as in had over fifty percent win probability the whole game until over time. So that's pretty incredible that the cardinals won and overtime. Wilson and Mauri both put on a show. They had over four hundred yards combined passing and rushing each. This was when both of them were in the prime in elite form. They both had over three touchdowns and this is the game tyler lock could absolutely balled out. had like seventeen catches or sithing for two hundred yards three touchdowns. And Hopkins also had a pretty good game of self. I think he had like a hundred and ten yards and a touchdown. So yet there was a few good games to choose from, but for me this stood out the most. Both teams were just firing shots to each other, but a baker also put on a very impressive performance in one of Arizona's few primetime games that he kind of announced himself to the competition with a few important stacks and an interception. But yet incredible game. A lot of men are memorable moments. So that for me is the number one top three signings of the year in the NFC. Honorable Mention giving to Malcolm Jenkins, quarterback, came from the Philadelphia Eagles back to the New Orleans Saints, who he was previously with, and he returned to some of his best form under the Saints Coaching. He had four falls fumbles and he was just impressive all year really, so I thought I'd mentioned that. And then number three. I've talked about them before, but Blake Martinez went from the green backpackers to the New York giants in that linebacker slot and didn't really miss a beat. You'd thought he was maybe pass his peak, but he just showed that you still one of the better linebackers in the competition. Number two, I'm going with Tom Brady. Obviously high profile move from the Patriots to the buccaneers and he had the third most pressing passing yards of the year, second most passing touchdowns, three game winning drives, three fourth quarter comebacks and he's on the verge of winning another Super Bowl. So I think them just being in the super bowls already a win for them, in my opinion, but the fact that there are a chance to win it is pretty incredible. Number One, I'm going to give it to George Ay Hopkins, third in receiving yards, fifth in yards per game. He was obviously part of that famous trade, one of Bill O'Brien's, or probably, I guess you would say infamous moments in a trade involving David Johnson. Everyone thought it was outrageous at the time and looking back on it, it still was out it still is outrageous, but Arizona snagged a genuine elite wide receiver and I think that was a big reason why they pushed towards the playoffs really change the offense, in my opinion. So for me they are the top three signing to the year, with Deandre Hopkins being the number one. But that's all I've got for you today and my NFL awards NFC audition. So that's the ACNN IFC done. Now. If you haven't seen the AFC, feel free to go back and listen or watch it. But yet for now there's a...
...lot more content to come, lot more cricket content, lot more NFL content as well. I'm definitely going to be doing a playoffs review after the Super Bowl. I might do it before the Super Bowl, but it will be later, in a better week's time. Whether it be before or after I'm unsure. Then I'm going to be looking at the tennis is that starts to come up, the cycling I'm going to try and get back on the soccer and before we know at the Australian sports will be starting back up with the AFL and then Rl. So a lot more to look forward to. But in terms of the NFL and specifically got a playoff review coming and then I've probably got a draft preview free see previous sort of situation where I look at what team needs what and who they should go for and stuff like that. So I'm yes, stay tuned to the social media outlets of the on the ball podcast. Follow us on Instagram, twitter, facebook, all that good stuff, and you'll be notified whenever there's a new episode. or You can follow us on spotify, apple podcast and Youtube. But Yeah, if you've gotten this far, very much appreciate you listening and, Yep, show you support to the podcast in any way. You can really appreciate it and I'll see you next time.
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