Tag: defensive player of the year

Does T.J. Watt deserve to be a Defensive Player of the Year finalist?

T.J. Watt had a solid 2024 season, but his late struggles raise questions about his finalist spot for Defensive Player of the Year.

While 2024 was a historic year for the newest Steeler in the 100-sack club, T.J. Watt, his performance to end the season raises questions about the legitimacy of his inclusion in the D.P.O.Y. race.

The NFL announced that Watt was one of five players in the running to win the 2024 D.P.O.Y. award, along with Philadelphia Eagles LB Zack Baun, Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, and the reigning 2023 D.P.O.Y. award-winning DE Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.

One could argue that each of these finalists provided a case as to why they deserve the award in 2024—except for Watt.

Surtain was the best cornerback of 2024, Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, Garrett came in second with 14 sacks and led the league with 22 TFLs, and Baun became the first linebacker to record over 150 tackles and 5 or more forced fumbles in a single season.

Watt, on the other hand, failed to record an assist, a tackle, or a sack in the final 127 snaps of the 2024 season.

Watt is still one of the greatest defenders the NFL currently has to offer, but it is no secret that 2024 was far from his year.

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Two former Saints in the running for Defensive Player of the Year

Zack Baun is getting Luke Kuechly comparisons. Trey Hendrickson led the league in sacks. The Saints let two DPOY finalists walk out the door in free agency:

Zack Baun and Trey Hendrickson making first-team All Pro was a great reminder of the talent the New Orleans Saints let walk out of the building. As if that wasn’t enough, both men are also finalists for Defensive Player of the Year.

In a season, where there wasn’t a defensive player, or players, who clearly stood over the rest of the pack, this award seems up in the air.

Baun winning the award feels like a long shot due to his position. He was great in his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles, but Luke Kuechly was the last linebacker to win this award over a decade ago.

Ironically, Baun’s 2024 is very similar to Kuechly’s DPOY season in 2013. Kuechly also endorsed Baun as the player he’d pick to win the award this year on the Rich Eisen Show.

Hendrickson registered 17.5 sacks for the second season. This year it was good enough to lead the NFL in sacks. He also registered 19 tackles for a loss. Hendrickson earned his first first-team All Pro, and his stats give him a good chance of being Defensive Player of the Year for the first time as well.

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Two former Wisconsin Badgers named finalists for NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Two former Wisconsin Badgers finalists for NFL Defensive Player of the Year

Former Wisconsin Badgers Zack Baun (Philadelphia Eagles) and T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers) were named finalists for the AP Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday.

The inclusions are no surprise after the two were named first (Baun) and second-team All-Pro (Watt). The two are finalists for the award, along with Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain.

Related: Recapping Wisconsin football’s winter transfer portal movement

Watt is a perennial contender for the league-wide honor. The Wisconsin legend won it in 2021, finished second in 2020 and 2023, and was third in 2019. The seven-time Pro Bowl participant has four All-Pro first-team honors, plus this year’s second-team nod.

Watt finished the 2024 campaign with 61 tackles, 27 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss, 11 1/2 sacks, six forced fumbles and four pass deflections. Those numbers, while impressive, failed to increase over the last month of the season. Watt tallied just two total tackles and one for loss over the final three weeks. He then failed to crack the stat sheet during the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Baun, on the other hand, is one of the best stories from the 2024 NFL season. The former Wisconsin pass-rusher (2016-19) struggled to find a role with the New Orleans Saints after he was a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He signed a small one-year contract with the Eagles last offseason, figuring to add depth to the linebacker room and special teams unit.

Instead, Baun broke out with 151 tackles (sixth-highest in the NFL), 11 for loss, five quarterback hits, 3 1/2 sacks, one interception, four pass deflections and five forced fumbles. He led an Eagles defense to a No. 2 finish in scoring defense (17.8 points per game) and No. 1 in total defense (278.4 yards per game).

Baun’s play is a big reason the Eagles are set to host the NFC championship game on Sunday.

The 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 6. Patrick Surtain (45 tackles, four interceptions) is the current favorite to win the award.

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All of the awards Broncos CB Pat Surtain won in 2024

Broncos CB Pat Surtain has already had a decorated 2024 season, and a Defensive Player of the Year award might be on deck next.

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain added to his trophy room this week when the Pro Football Writers of America and 101 Awards named him Defensive Player of the Year and AFC Defensive Player of the year, respectively.

These are the latest honors in a season full up accolades for Surtain. The 24-year-old cornerback was also named an AP first-team All-Pro, a PFWA All-NFL cornerback, a 2024 Pro Bowler and the Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas Team MVP this season.

Surtain now has two All-Pro nods on his resume, making him the third cornerback in franchise history to earn multiple first-team All-Pro selections. He’s also the third defensive player in franchise history to earn first-team All-Pro selections multiple times within his first four years in the NFL.

Here is the full list of awards Surtain has won so far this season.

Pat Surtain 2024 Awards

AP All-Pro (first team)
PFWA Defensive Player of the Year
101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year
PFWA All-NFL Team
Pro Bowl (starter)
Demaryius Thomas Team MVP
AFC Defensive Player of the Month (November)
AFC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 5)

Surtain now has three Pro Bowl nods in his career. He is the fifth cornerback in team history to earn Pro Bowl selections in three consecutive seasons, and he’s the second cornerback to earn multiple Pro Bowl selections in his first four seasons (joining Willie Brown).

NFL NextGen Stats have provided great stats that demonstrate how dominant Surtain’s season was. Among cornerbacks with at least 375 coverage snaps, Surtain allowed the fewest receiving yards (306) and the second-lowest passer rating when targeted (59.1).

His 306 yards allowed were the fewest by a cornerback with at least 500 coverage stats since NextGen Stats started tracking that metric in 2016.

Going up against some of the NFL’s most talented receivers this season, Surtain allowed a total of 17 combined receptions for 166 yards in 243 coverage snaps against DK Metcalf, George Pickens, Mike Evans, Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers, Rashad Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Jerry Jeudy, Michael Pittman, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Brock Bowers, according to NextGen Stats.

Surtain is now one of five finalists for the AP‘s Defensive Player of the Year award. If he wins that award, Surtain will become the second player in franchise history to take home the honor, joining Randy Gradishar (1978).

Only six cornerbacks have ever won the AP DPOY award, with Stephon Gilmore being the most recent CB recipient in 2019. PS2 could join them as the seventh CB to win DPOY when AP awards are announced during NFL Honors on Feb. 6.

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Kerby Joseph not among finalists for Defensive Player of the Year

Kerby Joseph not among finalists for Defensive Player of the Year

Kerby Joseph led the NFL with nine interceptions this season. While that did get him the nod for First-Team All-Pro at safety, he was snubbed from the Pro Bowl roster in favor of Packers safety Xavier McKinney.

Joseph now has another snub. He was not named one of the five finalists for AP Defensive Player of the Year. The NFL announced the award candidates Thursday.

The five finalists for the award are:

  • Eagles LB Zack Baun
  • Browns DE Myles Garrett
  • Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson
  • Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II
  • Steelers OLB T.J. Watt

All five finalists certainly had great seasons and had their own case for being on this list. So did Joseph with his nine interceptions. Ultimately, the AP didn’t feel his case was strong enough, at least compared to the five finalists that were selected.

Raiders 2024 year-end awards: Top newcomer, best position group, most disappointing addition, more

The 2024 NFL season is behind us. So, let’s take a look back and hand out some awards. Some of which will be good ones. Some…not so much.

The 2024 NFL season is behind us. So, let’s take a look back and hand out some awards. Some of which will be good ones. Some…not so much.

This was an easy choice. Bowers is not just the Raiders top rookie, he is arguably the top rookie in the NFL. He is a long shot for Offensive Rookie of theYear due to the existence of Jayden Daniels, but there is a case to be made that he should win it due to the historic numbers he put up this seasons including rookie TE receiving yards record (1194), rookie receptions record (112), and Raiders franchise single-season receptions record.

He was added for nothing and without a lot of fanfare. The round seven rookie was waived by the Colts in their final roster cuts and claimed by the Raiders. He started seven games for the Raiders down the stretch and looks like he could be a solid foundational piece on this defensive line considering he has three years left on his rookie deal.

Butler set out this season to show he could be an every-down player and he did that. He stepped up with the loss of Christian Wilkins and was the Raiders’ best interior defender, finishing with five sacks and career-bests in tacckles (65), tackles for loss (8) and QB hits (10).

Jakorian Bennett was the midseason winner of this award, but he went down with injury and missed the latter half of the season. He too is probably worthy, but Butler held up all season long and is thus deserving of the award in the end.

Being that Chaisson had never had NFL success before this season, one could argue he’s not “coming back” from anything. But being that there aren’t any other candidates for this award, we’re going to stretch that a bit. He was a former first round pick, so at one time he was highly regarded. He just never lived up to it with the Jaguars. The former LSU star edge rusher had as many sacks this season (five) as he did his first four seasons combined.

Gardner Minshew is a close runner-up here. But after seeing the improved numbers across the board under Luke Getsy’s replacement Scott Turner, it was clear Getsy was a big part of the problem. Not a big surprise, honestly. He was coming off a terrible season with the Bears and wasn’t the Raiders first choice for the job. And somehow he was still a great disappointment.

They lost their top player Christian Wilkins five games into the season. And yet somehow still managed to step up and carry the load. The combo of Adam Butler, John Jenkins, and Jonah Laulu gave the Raiders some solid work both in run defense and pass rush. With some good late season flashes from Zach Carter as well. Should they bring back Butler, teaming him up with Wilkins and Laulu could give the Raiders a very formidable front.

You could also go with “Only good game” as the title of this award. That win in Baltimore looks more and more like a fluke the farther down the line we get from it. Their other wins were against two of the worst teams in the NFL (Jaguars and Browns), one who had Deshaun Watson starting and the other two with backup QBs (Jaguars and Saints).

Somewhat interesting their worst game came the week after their best one. Though there were many contenders for the worst game. But looking back, the one that stands out is the one that started the collapse.

It was their home opening loss to the Panthers in which they never led and Andy Dalton led offense to put up 33 points in the first 47 minutes. After the game, Antonio Pierce had his infamous reactionary press conference in which he called out unnamed players for making “business decisions.”

Shortly thereafter, Davante Adams came down with a sudden and mysterious ankle injury. Then demanded a trade and eventually was sent to the Jets. That’s also when Michael Mayer left the team and didn’t return for more than a month. The team was in shambles the rest of the way.

They would “win” the next game against the Browns, but anyone who watched it saw Deshaun Watson hand that game to the Raiders on a silver platter. Then they went on a ten-game losing streak.

Some of the lowlights from that streak include the Rams game where the Raiders turned the ball over four times, the first Chiefs game where the running backs averaged less than a yard per carry, the Steelers game where Pittsburgh rattled off 26 unanswered, the Broncos who had a 100-yard pick six and put up 34 unanswered, and the Bengals game when the Raiders gave up scores on the first five drives — four of which went for touchdowns — and allowed a season-high 41 points.

And that was just the first five games of their ten-game losing streak. They failed to reach even 20 points in any of the five games after the bye week while turning the ball over nine times.

He finished third in the league in gross punt average (50.8) and garnered a few All Pro votes.

Yes, the best rookie has also been their best offensive player and their lone First Team All Pro. Jakobi Meyers had his best season, but he wasn’t nearly on the level of Bowers who the Raiders offense ran through.

He won AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the team’s come-from-behind win in Baltimore in Week two. He battled ankle injury for several weeks, then injured the same ankle later in the season, sending Crosby to injured reserve. He was still named to the Pro Bowl and no other Raiders defender is approaching his talents.

Pat Surtain is an easy choice for Defensive Player of the Year

“t’s an easy case to make,” Sean Payton said of Pat Surtain’s DPOY candidacy. “He’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain is considered the betting favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, potentially putting him on the verge of NFL history.

Only five cornerbacks have ever won DPOY, and Surtain has a strong case to join them.

“It’s always difficult because there are so many great candidates,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said last Friday. “Number One, I was a voter for these awards once. Somebody reached out — I don’t know if you had to be — I don’t know how it worked, but the year I was out [of coaching] and I spent a lot of time… When it’s close, it’s a little shinier for the team that’s winning.

“When you look at the receivers he’s defended and the impact he’s had for us, and how we’ve played defensively and all those other things, it’s an easy case to make. Sometimes it’s a more difficult case to make, but certainly he’s deserving of that type of award. He’s that good.”

Surtain, 24, ranks first in yards allowed (306) and just about every other major coverage stat among qualified cornerbacks this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

It would be a big upset if Surtain does not win the award this season. DPOY will be announced during “NFL Honors” before the Super Bowl in February.

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T.J. Watt may lose out on 2024 DPOY as new betting odds emerge

T.J. Watt’s dominance may not be enough to secure D.P.O.Y. as Patrick Surtain emerges as a top contender. Can Week 18 shift the narrative?

Frustrating as it may be, fans of the Black and Gold might witness another of T.J. Watt’s standout seasons end without Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

Arguably, Watt was snubbed twice before—back in 2020 and 2023—in favor of Rams DT Aaron Donald and Browns EDGE Myles Garrett, respectively.

Although Watt has struggled in recent weeks, he was still considered the favorite to win the award. However, a new frontrunner has emerged over the former 2022 D.P.O.Y.: Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II according to BetMGM.

Surtain has held the following superstar wide receivers to zero yards when targeted: Tyreek Hill, Terry McLaurin, Ja’Marr Chase, and Odell Beckham Jr.

Watt’s 11.5 sacks and league-leading 5 forced fumbles may not be enough to hold off the younger cornerback from claiming the 2024 D.P.O.Y. award.  Watt’s odds, according to Bovada, have fallen to the second-best +190, while Surtain’s odds are -230.

Will Surtain deliver another heartbreaking NFL Honors ceremony for Steelers fans, or will Watt reclaim his shot at the crown with an elite Week 18 performance?

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Nik Bonitto snubbed for weekly award despite matching J.J. Watt’s impressive stat

Nik Bonitto is the NFL’s first player since J.J. Watt (2014) with double-digit sacks and multiple TDs in a season. Watt won DPOY in 2014.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was not named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his impressive performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The NFL instead gave that honor to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley after he totaled five tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in Week 15.

Bonitto was snubbed after recording five tackles (including one behind the line of scrimmage), one quarterback hit, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a half-sack and a 50-yard fumble-six.

Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the season, tied for third overall and just one sack away from Trey Hendrickson’s league-leading 12.5 sacks.

Before his fumble-six against the Colts, Bonitto had a 71-yard pick-six against the Cleveland Browns in Denver’s previous game, making him the first player in NFL history to post 50-plus-yard defensive touchdowns in consecutive games.

Bonitto is also the first player to record double-digit sacks and multiple touchdowns since J.J. Watt accomplished that feat in 2014. Watt ended that season with 20.5 sacks and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Bonitto would probably need to lead the league in sacks to have a shot of winning DPOY this season. The 25-year-old pass rusher has three games remaining to build on his career-high 11.5 sacks in 2024.

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PFF argues Cam Heyward deserves more 2024 DPOY recognition

35 year old DT Cam Heyward’s case for DPOY in 2024 gains traction, thanks to his incredible production in 2024.

Not only is DT Cam Heyward seemingly unable to age, but he is also putting together one of his best seasons to date at 35 years old. In what can only be described as a similar situation to Benjamin Button, Pro Football Focus has taken notice of Heyward’s dominance in 2024.

The ever-polarizing PFF has typically been unkind to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but no one can deny Heyward’s phenomenal start to the season. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus argued that Heyward’s case for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 isn’t so far-fetched.

Locker stated that Heyward’s consideration for the award is based on his production for his age and his ability to excel against both the pass and the run: “In fact, Heyward is one of two NFL defenders to have a 90.0-plus pass-rushing and 80.0-plus run-defense grade, joining Lions safety Brian Branch.”

If Heyward can continue his excellence through the final four games of the Steelers’ season, should he be considered over Watt for the award? While prestigious, one can assume Heyward would prefer a different trophy in 2024: a Lombardi.

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