Monday, January 18, 2010

Ryan, Sanchez, Revis Make Their Cases For Awards

Awards are usually stupid. Outside of MVP I usually don't get into all the other awards. Offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, comeback player of the year, coach of the year, offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie year; I can care less about all of them. Sure I keep tabs on who wins each award every year, but overall I think they're dumb.

About a month ago I did my award rankings. I hit on Manning, Johnson, Woodson, missed on Harvin and Brady by one win my projections, and by two for Cushing. By the end of week 17 I had Cushing at #1, Harvin and Brady misrepresent their awards this year. I still hold that it should have been Vince Young for Comeback Player and Michael Oher for offensive rookie.

Though I still think Michael Oher deserved the award, Mark Sanchez is making the case that he was more valuable as a rookie than any other player in the league. Though Sanchez' numbers have been mediocre, as has his play, it's hard to argue against Sanchez' value as a player this year. He and the Jets may have "backed" into the playoffs, but Sanchez also became the first rookie quarterback to be the only rookie quarterback to make the playoffs and not win the offensive rookie of the year award. This decade alone, Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young, and Matt Ryan have been given the award. It's not as if Percy Harvin had an outstanding year either, there are a lot of people who believe that he was "at best" the third best rookie wide receiver this year.

When I made my list I left Darrelle Revis off of the list for Defensive Player of the Year and immediately felt stupid when this error was brought to my attention. Though Charles Woodson was more of a play maker, and had more prime time opportunities to show off, Revis continues to show why he's a real star. To shut down Randy Moss (x2), Terrell Owens (x2), Chard Ochocinco (x2), Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, and Andre Johnson down in the same season is the sort of thing that Canton busts are made of. Revis may not have gotten the award this year, but he'll get it next year if he has a remotely similar year; a lot like Bob Sanders in 2007.

The Jet that I absolutely believe deserved an award was Rex Ryan for Coach of the Year. Nothing against Marvin Lewis, but the man did not deserve the award. If anything Lewis should have finished fifth in the voting behind Jim Caldwell, Norv Turner, Sean Payton, and of course Rex Ryan.

All Rex Ryan did in 2009 was turn around the culture of a franchise whose culture was losing. The Jets of 2009 were able to do everything the Edwards/Mangini Jets were able to do, except with confidence. They punched the Patriots in the mouth and took care of business when they had to this year. Sure they "backed into the playoffs" but that's not Ryan's fault. He prepared his team to win each and every week, you can't hold other coaches decisions against Ryan. He deserved that award.

The Jet who probably will get an award is Mike Tannenbaum for executive of the year. In the same off season Tannenbaum fired Mangini, straight up released Brett Favre, hired Rex Ryan, signed Bart Scott, and traded up for Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. In other words, he replicated Ozzie Newsome's 2008.

Tannenbaum, like Revis, Sanchez, and Ryan probably won't get the award. They'll end up giving it to Ted Thompson or AJ Smith or some other GM who has done far less than Tannenbaum this year, and that's fine; because Revis, Sanchez, Ryan, and Tannenbaum would much rather be where they are than where all of the other award winners are right now...

Well besides Peyton and Percy, at least.

1 comment:

  1. Offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, comeback player of the year, coach of the year, offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie year; Surely I can't agree with ur behaviors .Because they also want to get awards and perform wonderfully for us in the NFL Draft match ,although they fail ,they try their best to do this.So....That's my point,What do u think?

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