Tag: offensive player of the year

Best NFL midseason value bets, including Tyreek Hill for MVP

A little midseason bargain betting.

Week 9 is in the books, which means we’re officially past the halfway mark of the new-ish 17-week NFL season.

That’s enough a sample size of games to have a good idea on which players have the best chances to win different awards, but it leaves just enough time for all of that to change.

If you’re a bettor inclined to throw more money at the favorites and their shorter odds, that’s completely understandable given what they’ve shown already this year. This post isn’t for you.

This is all about the players with longer odds that could potentially make a greater case down the stretch of the season. Let’s get into who those players are.

Odds are from BetMGM

NFL Offensive Player of the Year favorites, sleepers and long shots: Why each player will and won’t win

Jonathan Taylor might win it…if a WR doesn’t have a historically great year again.

There’s a very real possibility a quarterback wins this award. I have to add that caveat before we get into the favorites, sleepers and long shots for 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, because only one quarterback is listed below.

The reason for that is because quarterbacks don’t have top-five odds to be considered favorites, but they aren’t exactly sleepers either. Many of them top the list of MVP favorites. But it is noteworthy that prior to the drought of the last three years, QBs had won OPOY in eight of the previous 12 years. So as much as we think about this award as reserved for running backs and wide receivers, that’s not necessarily true.

If it does go to a running back or wide out, though, these are some of the names to look for in 2022. Odds are courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.

NFL Honors: A look at every award winner from the 2020 season

A look at every single award winner named during the NFL Honors, celebrating the best and the brightest from the 2020 season.

The 10th Annual NFL Honors awards show was held Saturday night on CBS. Below is a look at every AP, NFL and Sponsor award winner.

AP AWARDS

AP Most Valuable Player delivered by Pizza Hut
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

AP Coach of the Year presented by Bose
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

AP Comeback Player of the Year presented by Visa
Alex Smith, Washington Football Team

AP Offensive Player of the Year
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

AP Defensive Player of the Year
Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year presented by Microsoft Surface
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Defensive Rookie of the Year presented by Microsoft Surface
Chase Young, Washington Football Team

AP Assistant Coach of the Year
Brian Daboll, Buffalo Bills

NFL award winners on next page . . .

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Chiefs campaigning for TE Travis Kelce to win Offensive Player of the Year

A new video on social media voiced by QB Patrick Mahomes explains why Kelce should be the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

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Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is earning a lot of recognition for his performance during the 2020 NFL season.

His record-setting year helped him get voted in unanimously as a First-Team All-Pro player. Kelce’s teammates and the Chiefs franchise are mounting a campaign for him to earn recognition for a different award, though. The same 50 media members who voted him as an All-Pro will cast their ballots later for the NFL Honors awards. Everyone in Kansas City is hoping that they’ll vote for Kelce as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

The team released a video on social media channels voiced by quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Thursday, championing Kelce as this season’s Offensive Player of the Year. Check it out:

“This season has been far from ordinary,” Mahomes says in the video. “But then again, when has ordinary become the expected. Ordinary isn’t supposed to look like 100-catch seasons or rewriting the league’s record books. Ordinary doesn’t even come close to setting franchise records or hitting 1,000 yards receiving for five consecutive years. I’m no expert, but this is far from ordinary.”

Kelce would be the first tight end to receive the Offensive Player of the Year award in its history, dating back to its inception in 1972. He’d be the first non-quarterback or running back to win the award since Jerry Rice took home the award back in 1987. It’d be an incredible and long-overdue feat for Kelce to represent his fellow tight ends by earning recognition as Offensive Player of the Year.

If the All-Pro vote is any indication, Kelce should have a lot of proponents among the 50 media members set to vote on the Offensive Player of the Year Award. There are still a few weeks left before we find out who will take home that award and others. All NFL Honors awards are announced during the week leading up to Super Bowl LV. Right now, the writing is on the wall, Kelce’s extraordinary season means he should be the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year for 2020.

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Bruce Arians on Alvin Kamara: ‘I coached Marshall Faulk, and this guy’s scarier’

It did not take long for Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians to build a healthy level of respect for New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara.

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It didn’t take long for opposing NFL coaches to develop a healthy respect for Alvin Kamara. The New Orleans Saints running back has shredded every defense he’s come across, leaving everyone from Pete Carroll to Bruce Arians flabbergasted with what he’s done against their best defenders.

When previewing Week 9’s rematch with Kamara (who gained 67 yards of offense against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, scoring two touchdowns), Arians offered the highest praise Kamara has received yet, saying: “I coached Marshall Faulk, and this guy’s scarier.”

Faulk, of course, is a New Orleans native who played for the Indianapolis Colts when Arians was working as their quarterbacks coach. Faulk’s Hall of Fame-worthy abilities were on clear display in Indianapolis, though he wouldn’t really come into his own until being traded to the St. Louis Rams (where he won three consecutive Offensive Player of the Year awards, as well as Most Valuable Player in 2000).

Kamara still has a ways to go before he’ll join Faulk’s company, but he’s on the right track. He is the only player in the NFL to eclipse 1,000 all-purpose yards (with 1,031 in just seven games) this year.

But those numbers and projected on-pace stats aren’t what has Arians worried. The weekly highlight reels Kamara has been creating, sometimes against Arians’ own squad, are heavy on his mind. Maybe his defense can come up with a better strategy to contain Kamara on Sunday night.

But with New Orleans’ top three wide receivers likely to return to action, Tampa Bay might have even more concerns than stopping the next Marshall Faulk.

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Alvin Kamara is the NFL’s scrimmage yards king through Week 7

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara leads the NFL in scrimmage yards and is building his case for 2020 Offensive Player of the Year.

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Let’s hope everyone else is content playing for second place, because it doesn’t look like anyone will catch New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. The Offensive Player of the Year candidate leads the NFL with 824 yards from scrimmage through seven weeks, and he’s played just in six games after resting during the Saints’ bye.

Defenses haven’t had answers for Kamara, whether he’s attacking them through the air (gaining 460 receiving yards on 46 receptions) or on the ground (picking up 364 rushing yards off of just 75 carries). He’s averaging more than 137 scrimmage yards per game, the highest number of his career. It puts him on pace for 2,197 total yards of offense if he can keep it up through 16 games.

And he just might come close, if he can remain healthy. Kamara has the NFL’s longest active streak with five games of 100-plus scrimmage yards. He’s bobbing and weaving as well as ever, forcing as many missed tackles as a receiver (10) in six games this year as he totaled in 14 matchups last season.

Oh, and he’s tied with eight other players for the league lead in total touchdowns scored (7). If he maintains that pace, it will tie his personal best (18). He’s a monster.

Here’s the top five NFL players in yards gained from scrimmage this year:

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Saints have a case for back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year winners

A year after New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas won Offensive Player of the Year, teammate RB Alvin Kamara could follow in his footsteps.

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Do you know who leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage?

That would be New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara, with 557 combined yards of offense (the runner-up: Green Bay Packers stud Aaron Jones, with 509 yards). That’s an average of 139.3 scrimmage yards per game, which puts him on pace for 2,228 yards over a 16-game season. For context, Carolina Panthers keystone Christian McCaffrey led the league with 2,392 scrimmage yards in 2019.

And what about the NFL’s leader in touchdown runs and catches?

Again: Alvin Kamara, with seven scores in his first four games (Jones and Minnesota Vikings runner Dalvin Cook are tied for next-best, with six touchdowns each). Kamara is on pace to score 28 times in 2020, which would shatter his own personal best (18) and tie the great Shaun Alexander for the second-most in NFL history behind the legendary LaDainian Tomlinson, who logged 31 combined touchdowns back in 2006.

Kamara has started the 2020 season with a series of bangs, running wild against every defense he’s faced. He’s seen more touches than the next three teammates combined (his backup, Latavius Murray, and wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Tre’Quan Smith) and done a lot to shoulder the load with all-star receiver Michael Thomas sidelined by an injury.

It’s certainly impressive, and it sets Kamara up as an early favorite to win the NFL’s award for Offensive Player of the Year. That’s the same recognition that Thomas himself earned in 2019 after breaking the league record for receptions in a single season. He had 149 catches last year and also led the NFL in receiving yards (1,725).

Sure, Kamara could trail off a bit. Defenses could start guarding him better, the Saints could start distributing the ball more evenly, or he could suffer an injury setback of his own (let’s hope not). Other players around the league could also start outplaying him. But there isn’t anyone performing better than him right now, or for much of the last month. And if he keeps it up, he should be considered for the same award Thomas won last year.

For the curious, no teammates have won Offensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons since 1989, when the San Francisco 49ers had a three-peat between wide receiver Jerry Rice (in 1987), running back Roger Craig (in 1988), and quarterback Steve Young (in 1989). Thomas and Kamara entering that kind of company would be historic.

But what about MVP? The NFL’s award for its Most Valuable Player has been limited to quarterbacks since 2012, when Adrian Peterson (Kamara’s one-time teammate) won it after running for 2,097 rushing yards and totaling 2,314 yards from scrimmage. And Peterson joined Alexander, Tomlinson, and Rams legend Marshall Faulk as the only non-quarterbacks to win MVP over the last 20 years, so Kamara would be a long shot in even a best-case scenario. But we’re not going to write him off just yet.

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Twitter reacts to Michael Thomas winning Offensive Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas won the 2019 Offensive Player of the Year award, earning praise from teammates and mentors.

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas won the NFL’s 2019 award for Offensive Player of the Year, but it was a near thing. He earned 19 votes, just ahead of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (17) and Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (12), with Seattle Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson and Kansas City Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes rounding out the group (1 each).

But that’s hardly the important takeaway. Thomas reeled in as many congratulations on social media as passes he caught last season (149, an all-time NFL record), ranging from former teammates to his peers, rivals, and mentors. Here’s the best reactions to the two-time first-team All-Pro’s latest big recognition:

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Michael Thomas named NFL’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas was named the NFL’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year, and was presented by Drew Brees.

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New Orleans Saints superstar Michael Thomas became just the second wide receiver in NFL history to be named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Rice (who did it twice, in 1987 and 1993). Thomas was presented with the award at the NFL Honors ceremony in Miami, and was introduced by none other than his quarterback, Drew Brees (who won this recognition in 2008 and 2011).

Thomas broke the NFL’s all-time single season record for receptions (149), while also leading the league in receiving yards (1,725). He caught 9 touchdown passes in 16 games, ultimately playing 942 of 1,063 snaps on offense — the most of any Saints player besides the offensive linemen. He posted the second-best catch rate of his career (80.5%) and appears to already be on a Hall of Fame-bound trajectory. It’s going to be fascinating to see where his Saints career goes next.

Here are how all of the 2019 NFL Honors awards shook out:

  • Offensive Player of the Year: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas
  • Defensive Player of the Year: New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, while the
  • Comeback Player of the Year: Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year: Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray
  • Defensive Rookie of the Year: San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa

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2019 NFL Honors Ceremony: Awards list, time, TV channel and how to stream online

The Baltimore Ravens are likely to win a handful of awards and here’s how you can watch the NFL honors ceremony to see them do it.

The NFL Honors ceremony is upon us and the Baltimore Ravens are in line for quite a few awards for their work this season. At the top of the list is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has a shot at the 2019 NFL MVP race and Offensive Player of the Year awards.

Here’s how you can watch the 2019 NFL Honors ceremony to see if Jackson and a whole host of other Ravens players and staff win any awards.

How to watch 2019 NFL Honors ceremony:

Sunday, Feb. 1, 8:00 p.m. ET

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, FL

NFL Honors host:

Steve Harvey

NFL Streams:

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Television channels:

FOX

NFL awards:

AP Most Valuable Player
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
AP Coach of the Year
AP Comeback Player of the Year
AP Offensive Player of the Year
AP Defensive Player of the Year
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play of the Year
FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year
Salute To Service Award
Courtyard Unstoppable Performance of the Year
Deacon Jones Award
Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award
Don Shula High School Coach of the Year
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
Game Changer Award
Anything But Ordinary Player of the Year
Bud Light Celly of the Year
Daily Fantasy Player of the Year

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