Tag: Comeback Player of The Year

When exactly did Dak Prescott lose Comeback Player of the Year to Joe Burrow?

Dak Prescott was considered a shoo-in for the award for most of the 2021 season; when exactly did Burrow sneak up to woo AP voters? | From @ToddBrock24f7

Back in late summer, Cowboys fans were dreaming wistfully of watching their star quarterback, with a gruesome injury squarely in his rearview mirror and the Comeback Player of the Year award tucked safely in his back pocket, lead their team onto the field during Super Bowl LVI pregame festivities to close out a fairytale season.

Turns out Bengals fans were reading from the same storybook. But they’re the only ones in line for a happily-ever-after. Joe Burrow is on the cusp of a downright magical coronation; Dak Prescott is just another guy watching it from the sofa.

That Prescott wasn’t named the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year doesn’t really matter that much, not in the grand scheme of things. Given a choice, Prescott, the Cowboys organization, and their millions of fans would obviously have rather never been in the running for the honor to begin with.

But as the 28-year-old Prescott endured endless months of rehab, persevered through an entire offseason and training camp under the microscope, and finally re-took the playing field only to silence his critics by not merely returning to his previous form but surpassing it, it seemed hard to imagine that anyone else could possibly win the comeback accolade for 2021.

So, just as Cowboys fans were left asking about their season as a whole… what happened???

NFL analysts unanimously predict Cowboys LB Micah Parsons to win Defensive Rookie of the Year

Parsons got all 29 votes from the panel as they projected the year-end awards; he also received a vote for Defensive Player of the Year. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The league will hand out its end-of-season hardware this week with the 11th edition of NFL Honors. Along with the official reveal of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022, fans will also learn who The Associated Press has awarded with its seven major accolades.

If the predictions made by the panel, composed of analysts from NFL Network and NFL.com, are any indication of the actual final tally, the Cowboys look to be well represented. Two players off the Dallas roster received votes from the 29 experts; one was the only unanimous selection of the year.

Micah Parsons is projected to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year by the panel, which includes notable names like Brian Baldinger, Judy Battista, Gil Brandt, DeAngelo Hall, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steve Mariucci, Willie McGinest, Kurt Warner, and Lance Zierlein.

Parsons got all 29 votes from the network’s panel as the likely recipient of this year’s award. Washington’s Chase Young was 2020’s winner; past honorees in the category include Nick Bosa, Darius Leonard, Aaron Donald, Luke Kuechly, Von Miller, Ndamukong Suh, Brian Urlacher, Derrick Thomas, Lawrence Taylor, and Mean Joe Greene.

“[H]e might be the best [linebacker] since Lawrence Taylor entered the league in 1981,” Brandt said of Parsons. “The only first-year pro to top 80 tackles and 10 sacks in the last quarter-century, per NFL Research, Parsons is, quite simply, one of the best I’ve ever seen as a rookie at his position.”

What made the Penn State phenom’s first pro season even more remarkable is that he excelled not only as a linebacker, but also when lining up at defensive end.

“What speaks to Micah this year is the versatility, playing some end and playing ‘backer,” said Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn last month. “And having a chance to do that as a rookie, I think that is a challenge. And he has certainly answered that one.”

Parsons admitted the award had crossed his mind as well during the season.

“I mean, of course,” he said back in early December when asked. “For any football player, you have to have some personal goals as well as team goals. I feel like the way I’m performing, the way I’m playing, as long as I keep going and never let up, all of that stuff is going to come.”

Parsons had been talked about during the season as a potential candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, too, but his stats tapered off some as the team cooled down the home stretch of the season. He still received one vote for that award, which the panel ultimately forecasted going to Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was considered a leading contender to win Comeback Player of the Year early in the season. He got off to a torrid pace in September, that after an eleven-month rehab from the ankle dislocation and compound fracture he suffered in October 2020.

Prescott missed a game in late October due to a calf strain; a midseason slump followed, and he never truly returned to award-winning form. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, meanwhile, bounced back from his own devastating 2020 lower-leg injury and took the Bengals on an improbable run to a conference title.

NFL Network’s panel gave Burrow the nod for Comeback Player of the Year; Prescott got six votes.

The panel chose Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers as the league’s Most Valuable Player, the Rams’ Cooper Kupp as Offensive Player of the Year, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase as Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel as Coach of the Year.

These predictions have no bearing on who will actually take home the awards, but they may offer a glimpse into what fans can expect when the winners’ names are announced. NFL Honors will be broadcast live on ABC at 9 p.m. ET this Thursday.

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Dak Prescott is the favorite for NFL Comeback Player of the Year, but should he be?

While deserving, Prescott hasn’t been better than a certain someone in Cincinnati.

Dak Prescott’s return this year from the gruesome compound ankle fracture and dislocation he suffered in Week 5 of last season has been nothing short of remarkable.

His re-addition to the Dallas Cowboys has helped take them from 6-10 and a third place NFC East finish in 2020 to 11-5 and the division title this year. As a result, Prescott is the betting favorite to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award at -135 odds on Tipico Sportsbook.

If Prescott were to win the award, he would be a deserving candidate. Through 15 games, he’s over 4,000 yards passing for just the second time in his career and he has a career-high 32 passing touchdowns and 68.4 completion percentage. He’s as good, if not better, than he was before the injury and his play has impacted team success.

However, that doesn’t mean Prescott is the most deserving candidate. Joe Burrow also suffered a catastrophic injury last season, tearing the ACL and MCL in his left knee and suffering other structural issues on a hit in Week 10. And like Prescott, he’s bounced back to have an incredible season and lead his team to the playoffs.

Burrow’s odds for Comeback Player of the Year are second-shortest at +105, but he actually has a stronger case for the award than Prescott.

Stats

As good as Prescott’s aforementioned numbers are, Burrow’s are even better. The second-year phenom is better than Prescott in just about every category, with the only knock against him being his higher interception total. But when you factor in fumbles lost – two for Burrow and six for Prescott – the turnovers are even between the two. Even as Burrow has been sacked a league-high 51 times behind one of the NFL’s worse offensive lines.

Player Cmp% Yds TD Rate Int Sk Y/A Rush TD
Burrow 70.4 4611 34 108.3 14 51 8.9 2
Prescott 68.4 4154 32 100.9 10 29 7.3 1
Team success

The Cowboys have one more win than the Bengals at 11-5, but Prescott and Burrow have equally accounted for 10 wins since Prescott was out for the Cowboys’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings. And Burrow’s 10 wins are a lot more impressive than Prescott’s considering the state of these teams entering the season.

Not only were the Cowboys expected to at least be competitive within their division, they had the highest preseason win line of any team in the NFC East at 9.5. After Washington won what has been a bad division at just 7-9 last year, there wasn’t a clear-cut favorite entering this season. Dallas was as good a pick as any. Until last year, the Cowboys hadn’t finished a season under .500 since Prescott took over as starter in 2016. 

Cincinnati, on the other hand, entered the season as the doormat of the AFC North – perennially one of the NFL’s toughest divisions. The Bengals hadn’t put together a winning record since 2015. Dallas had as many wins in 2020 as the Bengals did in 2019 and 2020 combined. Cincy entered the season with a 6.5 preseason win line and not only went over by several games, but somehow won the division for the first time since 2013. 

Even in what turned out to be a down year for the AFC North, every team was still alive for the postseason through 16 weeks. Cincinnati’s division title is a lot more impressive than Dallas’.

Timeline

Both of these players suffered horrific injuries and worked incredibly hard to get back onto the field, so this comparison isn’t meant to minimize one or the other. But Prescott’s injury happened more than a month before Burrow’s, which obviously cut his season sooner but also meant he had a headstart on his reported four- to six-month timetable. 

A story by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ben Baby at the time of Burrow’s injury said the timetable for his type of injury was typically nine- to 12 months. So, the fact he even completed rehab in time to start the opener is remarkable. Add to that the type of season Burrow is having, and the team success that has followed, and it’s hard to make a case against him for Comeback Player of the Year.

A visual of Prescott’s foot turned the wrong way will be forever etched in the minds of anyone who set eyes on the play he was injured. What he’s doing after suffering that injury should not be taken for granted. But neither should Burrow’s accomplishments, which stand out just a little more as worthy of the award.

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Sixth-year Florida LB nominated for Comeback Player of the Year Award

Jeremiah Moon had three of his last five seasons cut short by injury, but he always came back stronger.

Jeremiah Moon‘s decision to come back for a sixth year at Florida is paying off. After sitting out most of last season with an injury, Moon has put up career numbers while starting all six games for the Gators. As a result, he’s been nominated for the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Three players are selected as nominees for the award ten times during the season for a total of 30 nominees. Three of those 30 will be selected in December as winners of the award and recognized at a ceremony during the Fiest Bowl on Jan. 1. Washington and Jefferson College defensive end Alex Keith and Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson joined Moon as this week’s nominees.

The Comeback Player of the Year Award is open to athletes from all levels of college football who have overcome injury, illness or other challenges, according to an official description on the award’s website. Moon fits the bill for that suffering three season-ending injuries in five years at Florida.

Moon worked hard to rehab and come back better than before from each of those injuries. The result so far is 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack in six starts for the Gators. Moon has been one of the key players that have helped make up for the loss of team leader Ventrell Miller.

Bringing home the award would be some well-deserved validation for Moon’s decision to return as a super-super-senior, but getting to play a full season might be enough for the Florida vet.

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Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has 6th-best odds to win Comeback Player of the Year

#Chiefs RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif seems like a longshot for Comeback Player of the Year honors after opting out to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

After a year spent fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas City Chiefs will return a former starter from Super Bowl LIV during the 2021 NFL season.

Last season, Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif worked at a long-term care facility near his hometown in Quebec, Canada. He occupied a number of different roles and filled in where he was needed in one of the hardest-hit areas of care. Now, Duvernay-Tardif is back with the Chiefs after opting out of the 2020 NFL season. Some even believe that he’ll make a strong case to earn an annual NFL award, recognizing his perseverance in overcoming adversity.

BetMGM’s Sportsbook lists the former starting right guard with the sixth-best odds to take home the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award for 2021, with +1600 odds. Those listed ahead of Duvernay-Tardif are as follows:

  1. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (+180)
  2. Giants RB Saquon Barkley (+500)
  3. Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (+600)
  4. Bengals QB Joe Burrow, 49ers DE Nick Bosa and Colts QB Carson Wentz (+800)
  5. Julio Jones (+1200)

Frankly, it’d take a lot for Duvernay-Tardif to come away with the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2021. He is at a significant disadvantage by not playing what is considered a “skill” position. The fact that he won’t be scoring any points and isn’t constantly in the limelight will be problematic.

Duvernay-Tardif also isn’t guaranteed a starting job in Kansas City, while all the other players listed ahead of him are secure in their jobs. That said, Duvernay-Tardif is highly motivated to prove himself and earn a starting role after spending a year away from the team.

“The last time I put a helmet on before today was at the Super Bowl in Miami and we won it,” said Duvernay-Tardif, following mandatory minicamp practices. “So there are great memories from playing football with these guys and I want to build that chemistry back and hopefully get a starting job in order to contribute to the team this year.”

The odds appear to be stacked against Duvernay-Tardif here, but stranger things have happened in the world of football. If he can earn a starting job during training camp, he’ll have already persevered when faced with significant adversity.

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Cowboys QB Dak Prescott given best odds to win Comeback Player of Year

The Dallas signal-caller received high praise from Alex Smith, the former Washington QB who won in 2020 after his own return from injury.

Cowboys fans are primed for a big-time comeback from quarterback Dak Prescott. So is at least one of the major sportsbooks in the betting world.

FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Dallas signal-caller as the leading candidate to take home the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award for 2021, with +200 odds. Prescott was on an early pace to break the league’s season passing yards record in 2020 when he went down in Week 5 with a total dislocation and compound fracture of his right ankle.

A healthy Prescott took part in the Cowboys’ OTAs and minicamp and is expected by the team to be a full participant in training camp next month.

If Prescott does go on to land the honor, he’ll follow in the footsteps of former Washington quarterback Alex Smith, 2020’s winner. Smith underwent an epic rehabilitation of his own tibia and fibula fractures- as well as a life-threatening infection- to return to the field after a two-year absence on October 11.

It was the same day Prescott suffered his injury.

Prescott has acknowledged that having watched Smith’s recovery helped him navigate his own rehab and prepare him both physically and mentally for a return to action.

Smith, who retired in April after 16 seasons as a pro, says he sees in Prescott the qualities necessary to not just come back, but come back better than before.

“Dak is, I think, one of the most unique athletes in the NFL — and I really think that from, like, a freakish perspective,” Smith told Jori Epstein of USA TODAY Sports recently over Zoom. “He is such a strong, powerful, such a good athlete. So I really expect him to come back and be rolling. Then you add that on to his fortitude and mental perspective? I think he’s going to have a huge, huge year.”

The oddsmakers at FanDuel agree. Carolina RB Christian McCaffrey, Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow, and New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley- all coming off injury-plagued seasons- are tied for second-best odds at +700.

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Why you should place bet for Chargers’ Derwin James to win Comeback Player of the Year

Place your money on the All-Pro safety.

‘Tis the season for early betting for the upcoming NFL season.

For the Chargers, quarterback Justin Herbert has decent odds to win Most Valuable Player and head coach Brandon Staley is viewed as a favorite to win Coach of the Year.

However, there’s an individual award that should intrigue sports bettors, as safety Derwin James has the fourth-best odds to win Comeback Player of the Year at +2000, per BetMGM.

That means if you place a $100 bet and James wins the award, you pocket $2000.

James currently sits behind QB Dak Prescott (+180), RB Saquon Barkley (+500), RB Christian McCaffrey (+600), QB Joe Burrow (+800), EDGE Nick Bosa (+800) and QB Carson Wentz (+800).

After missing the past two seasons with knee injuries, James is fully healthy and has looked great in the early stages of preparation for the 2021 season.

It only took his rookie season to establish himself as one of the league’s best safeties and defensive players as a whole, in which he recorded 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and 13 passes defended en route to being selected first team All-Pro.

Like Brandon Staley said at his media presser this past week, when James is out on the field, the team’s chances of winning increase by a whole bunch. That just goes to show how much of a difference-maker James is, and his versatile skillset in the new defense should only benefit him more.

The do-it-all defender has range to cover at deep safety, his speed allows him to cover a slot receiver and his size and physicality allows him to cover the best tight ends and move up to the line of scrimmage as a box safety and make an impact against the run or as a blitzer.

Given how coveted James is as a player and how highly anticipated his return is, if he can stay healthy and return to form and produce like he did in Year 1 which ultimately leads to a trip to the playoffs, he will be a hot candidate to win the prestigious award.

The bottom line is that if you’re a bettor, this is one you should place now rather than later into the season when those odds will increase.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Could Odell Beckham Jr. win the Comeback Player of the Year award?

While unlikely given the competition, could Odell Beckham Jr. win the Comeback Player of the Year award?

The Cleveland Browns have had an exciting offseason after a very exciting 2020 season that ended with a trip to the playoffs. All of the new additions to the defense, both in free agency and the NFL draft, has fans bursting at the seams with joy after the offense had to carry a heavy load last year.

It isn’t just the new additions that has Browns fans, and the national media, excited about the team. The Browns also are expecting a number of players back from injury and after opting out of 2020 due to COVID-19.

Drew Forbes and Andrew Billings are the biggest names coming back from an opt-out season. Forbes is expected to compete for a backup role on the offensive line which has surprising depth. Billings, on the other hand, is expected to help fill the holes left by the departures of Larry Ogunjobi (free agent, signed with the Bengals) and Sheldon Richardson (cut, still unsigned) in the middle of the defensive line.

The big-name coming back from injury is Odell Beckham Jr. While Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams should be helpful parts of the defense, the return of Beckham is expected to take a good offense to new heights. The Browns offense was struggling early in the season due to a new system and limited offseason and practices in season. It took off despite Beckham going down with an ACL tear in Week 7 against Cincinnati.

Beckham is among those listed as candidates for the Comeback Player of the Year award by Draft Kings. While the Browns wide receiver isn’t high on the list, if the Browns have the kind of season most are expecting he could take home the award.

Currently, Dak Prescott is the odds-on favorite for the award followed by Saquon Barkley, Joe Burrow, Christian McCaffrey, and Nick Bosa. Beckham’s odds currently sit +2500 far below Prescott’s +175.

Given a couple of big-name quarterbacks also coming back from injury and the number of storylines that would surround a successful Browns season, it will take a Herculean effort by Beckham to take home the award. For now, it is just exciting to know Baker Mayfield and company will have a big weapon back to work with.

WATCH: Long list of NFL greats congratulate Alex Smith on Comeback Player of the Year award

Guys like Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Eddie George, and Urban Meyer all joined together to congratulate Alex Smith on his CPOY award.

Though we all knew it was coming since he stepped foot on the field again for the first time against the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season, Saturday night was extremely special when Washington quarterback Alex Smith was officially named the Comeback Player of the Year.

After undergoing 17 surgeries on his leg and fighting his way to re-learn how to walk, run, and play football, the fact that Smith was able to take over as Washington’s starting QB and lead them to a 5-1 record and subsequent playoff birth is nothing short of miraculous.

To help honor this achievement, the NFL put together a video fraught with NFL legends that wanted to give their congratulations to Smith. With guys like Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Vernon Davis, Rod Woodson, Urban Meyer, Dak Prescott, Eddie George, Eric Weddle, and more all giving their heartfelt words, we got to see Smith’s reaction as he watched everyone tell him what an inspiration he was over the past couple of years.

Alex Smith voted as NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year

It may have been the biggest lock of the century, but Washington’s Alex Smith has been officially named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

It comes as no surprise, but Washington’s quarterback Alex Smith has officially been named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year for the 2020 season.

After battling back from a gruesome leg injury in 2018 that briefly threatened his life and required a total of 17 surgeries to repair, Smith came back to not only make the roster in Washington, but play football at a high level. After the team’s own quarterback carousel churned, leaving Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen by the wayside, Smith’s name was called to step up, and he went 5-1 as a starter, helping to turn Washington’s season around and give them their first playoff berth since 2015.

In the end, Smith was unable to play in the wild-card game because of a complication with an injury in that right leg, but the groundwork for him to win this award was already well-paved. In fact, there is a growing belief that the NFL could end up renaming the CPOY award as the ‘Alex Smith Comeback Player of the Year Award’ after the amazing feat that he accomplished this year. We believe it should happen, anyway.

Going forward, Smith is faced with the decision to keep playing or retire going into the 2021 season. One would think that he has accomplished all that he would want to after overcoming this injury, but his comments this offseason sound like someone who wants to run it back at least one more time.

While we wait for his decision, we can marvel at his accomplishments and celebrate the man for the inspiration he is. Congratulations, Alex. We are all incredibly proud of you, and so happy to have you here in D.C.

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