PFWA Awards – Syndication Server

Raiders P AJ Cole named to PFWA All-NFL Team, DE Maxx Crosby to All-AFC Team

As a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, I have a vote on their season awards. Two players who definitely got my vote for the All NFL and All AFC squads were DE Maxx Crosby and P AJ Cole.

The results are out and Cole made the All-NFL team on special teams while Crosby was named to the All-AFC Team on Defense.

Crosby made the All-AFC Team along with Browns DE Myles Garrett. But Crosby was snubbed for the All NFL team by Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson.

Since the Bengals are also in the AFC, it doesn’t really make much sense that Crosby was named to the All AFC Team, but somehow a different AFC defensive end made the All NFL Team.

Alternatively, if Trey Hendrickson is the best in the NFL, would he not also be considered best in the AFC? Make it make sense.

Either way, congrats to AJ Cole and Maxx Crosby on making their respective All-NFL and All-AFC squads.

Late former Raiders OC Greg Knapp, Leslie Frazier win PFWA ‘Dr Z’ lifetime achievement Awards

Late former Raiders OC Greg Knapp wins PFWA ‘Dr Z’ lifetime achievement Award

To know Greg Knapp was to like him. He was an incredibly personable and well-respected coach in the NFL for 25 years. We were blessed to have him spend three of those years with the Raiders.

Knapp’s final season as an NFL offensive coordinator came with the Raiders in 2012. The East Bay native and Sacramento State alum had previously had a stint as OC in Oakland in 2008-09.

He went on to be a quarterbacks coach in Denver and Atlanta.

His final season was in 2020 with the Falcons because in the 2021 offseason, he was struck by a car while riding his bike in his East Bay neighborhood of San Ramon and was killed. He was just 58 years of age.

Frazier is in his 24th season as a coach in the NFL in 2022 and his sixth with Buffalo as defensive coordinator.

The longtime Vikings DC and then HC has helped raise the Bills’ defense to new heights. Buffalo had the NFL’s number one total defense in yards allowed and the number one scoring defense last season, and in 2020, the Bills’ defense was third in total takeaways.

Frazier’s Buffalo defenses have been ranked in the NFL’s top five in total defense yards in three of the last four seasons.

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Raiders DE Maxx Crosby nominated for PFWA George Halas Award

Maxx Crosby among nominees for PFWA George Halas Award for overcoming adversity

Maxx Crosby has become well-known for his perseverance from struggling with alcoholism to overcoming his addiction and going on the NFL superstardom. And today the Pro Football Writers of America named him among their nominees for the George Halas Award which each year recognizes an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes the most adversity to succeed.

In the offseason after Crosby’s rookie season in 2020, the defensive end had a one-month stay in a treatment facility for alcoholism. He acknowledged he had problems with drinking and partying going back to his high school days. Crosby was named to the Pro Bowl after the 2021 season and was named the game’s defensive MVP. He also was named second-team All-Pro by the AP. Two years to the day after checking into the treatment facility, on March 11, 2022, Crosby signed a four-year, $98.98 million deal with the Raiders.

Others to be nominated for the award include Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Eagles OT Lane Johnson, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, and Washington head coach Ron Rivera.

Voting opened today and the winner will be revealed on May 9.

The PFWA 2021 All-NFL, All-AFC and All-NFC teams

Check out who were considered by football writers around the NFL the best at their positions in the league and in their conferences.

The Pro Football Writers of America have begun announcing their on-field awards for the 2021 NFL season. Writers across the country who cover the 32 NFL teams vote for their all-NFL and all-conference teams.

They announced their All-NFL, All-NFC and All-AFC teams this week.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker was named to the All-NFC team for the second straight season.

Below are the selections at each position for the all-NFL and all-conference teams.

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Kevin Stefanski named PFWA coach of the year

He’s the first Browns coach to win the award since Marty Schottenheimer

Congratulations are in order for Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. The first-year coach was named the NFL’s coach of the year by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

Stefanski won the award in his rookie season as a head coach. He is the first Browns coach to win the award since Marty Schottenheimer captured it back in 1986.

The Browns finished 11-5 and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2002, a year after a disappointing 6-10 finish. Stefanski also guided the team to its first postseason victory since the 1994 season, beating the Steelers in the wild-card round. He managed to do all of that despite no preseason games and several key players missing important games due to injuries and COVID-19.

In full disclosure, I am a PFWA member and voted for Stefanski.