The annual midseason Serby Says NFL awards comes your method with professional breakdowns from NFL Community’s inimitable Brian Baldinger:
MVP
Jared Goff (QB, Lions)
Josh Allen hasn’t stopped being Josh Allen (17 complete touchdowns, one interception) with out Stefon Diggs, and Allen has the Payments smelling a fifth consecutive division crown.
And Lamar Jackson is a menace to win his third MVP. However Goff (13 TDs, 4 INTs, 115.3 score) has a league-best 74.1 completion proportion and the highest scoring crew (33.4 ppg).
“It’s unimaginable, I feel, for a protection to cease your offense. … You’ve so many explosive gamers and also you do such a great job of distributing the ball,” Invoice Belichick instructed Goff on the “Let’s Go” podcast.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
Derrick Henry (RB, Ravens)
A match made in smashmouth heaven.
Hasn’t fallen off a cliff at age 30.
“He’s obtained nonetheless top-end pace,” Baldinger mentioned. “When he will get within the open area, guys have a tough time bringing him down or catching him.”
That 87-yard TD run on the primary snap towards the Payments, for instance.
“He outran the entire crew,” Baldinger mentioned.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
Dexter Lawrence (DT, Giants)
“He’s beating everyone upfront,” Baldinger mentioned. “I did a breakdown for the Giants. I discovered 10 performs the place he was completely dominant in — whether or not it’s chasing Russell Wilson to the sideline, or simply collapsing the center of the pocket, or simply making solo tackles. He performs a excessive quantity of performs. The one man that we’ve ever seen like this actually is Aaron Donald. He’s in a class by himself, however he’s a lot greater than Aaron Donald, and doubtless higher towards the run.”
Runner-up: Xavier McKinney (S, Packers): Made historical past with 5 interceptions in his first 5 video games along with his new crew.
Obtained his sixth towards Trevor Lawrence final Sunday.
“He’s an ideal match for Jeff Harley’s system there,” Baldinger mentioned. “He’s the middle fielder of that protection.”
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR
Jayden Daniels (QB, Commanders)
Hail Jayden!
He’s reminding longtime locals of the rookie Robert Griffin III.
Daniels is choosing up the place he left off as Heisman winner at LSU.
Lethal correct twin menace with raging swag.
“He’s simply an elite, elite athlete,” Baldinger mentioned. “I don’t suppose anyone may have thought that he’s going to throw the ball pretty much as good as he’s, after which make pretty much as good of fast selections as he makes — whether or not it’s to run beneath strain, like when Todd Bowles blitzed him each play, or whether or not it’s to search out the open receiver or get out of hurt’s method then discover the open receiver.”
Runners-up: Malik Nabers (WR, Giants): Says Serby. Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, Jaguars): Says Baldinger of his favourite receiver within the draft. “He simply strikes in a different way than everyone else. He simply glides,” Baldinger mentioned. “He’s one thing else, man. He’s actually one thing particular.”
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR
Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Eagles)
Has began each recreation.
No interceptions however no TDs allowed.
Restricted Ja’Marr Chase to 1 catch for 13 yards on two targets. “He’s sticky in protection,” Baldinger mentioned. “He jogs my memory of D.J. Reed with the Jets, however faster than D.J. Sticky like D.J.”
COACH OF YEAR
Sean Payton (Broncos)
A number of candidates, however a 5-3 document with rookie quarterback Bo Nix will get him the nod.
“They don’t have practically the expertise that Inexperienced Bay has, or Detroit has,” Baldinger mentioned.
Dan Quinn (Commanders), Matt LaFleur (Packers), Mike Tomlin (Steelers), Raheem Morris (Falcons), Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) and Dan Campbell (Lions) all belong within the dialog. Andy Reid (7-0 Chiefs) has Patrick Mahomes, so he suffers.
Quinn has modified the tradition, and is 6-2 and in first place with Daniels. LaFleur has managed to win with backup QB Malik Willis and employed the precise defensive coordinator in Jeff Hatley.
Motor Metropolis Dan Campbell is an elite motivator with an elite teaching workers and a persona that has been overwhelmingly embraced.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF YEAR
J.Okay. Dobbins (Chargers)
Has 535 yards on 112 carries with 4 speeding TDs. Exhibiting indicators of carrying down, however let’s give the man a break. “Seems like he did again at Ohio State proper now,” Baldinger mentioned.
Again from torn Achilles in Week 1 final season and devastating knee damage in 2001.
Runner-up: Kirk Cousins (QB, Vikings): After tearing his Achilles in Week 8 final season, he has 14 TDs and 7 INTs, plus $100M assured, along with his new crew.
No one is speaking about Michael Penix Jr. being the eighth choose of the draft.
EXECUTIVE OF YEAR
Adam Peters (Commanders)
Other than drafting Daniels with the second choose, he stuffed a number of holes with bargains equivalent to Dante Fowler Jr., Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler.
And employed Dan Quinn.
OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT OF YEAR
Ben Johnson (Lions)
“He’s very artistic,” Baldinger mentioned. “He’s taken a quarterback that everyone thought was simply type of common, and right here we’ve got him because the MVP of the league, and took a receiver that was a mid-round draft choose in Amon-Ra St. Brown, he’s an elite participant. Any person mentioned David Montgomery needs to be a beginning operating again, and he makes it appear like that. And Jared Goff has by no means performed higher, he’s performed for Sean McVay.”
DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT OF YEAR
Brian Flores (Vikings)
“He does it in a method that plenty of groups actually wrestle with — who’s coming and who’s not coming, and what they’re enjoying behind it,” Baldinger mentioned. “They’ve plenty of positionless gamers that play in plenty of completely different elements of the sector, you’re probably not certain precisely what they’re.”
Honorable point out: Steve Spagnuolo (Chiefs) will get the Andy Reid remedy.
SPECIAL TEAMS ASSISTANT
Danny Smith (Steelers)
“He’s simply filled with vitality day-after-day. All people loves Danny,” Baldinger mentioned. “He simply will get essentially the most out of all his guys.”
Has been with Mike Tomlin since 2013.
His unit has blocked a league-leading 13.33 % of opposing groups’ area aim makes an attempt this season.
Many different worthy candidates. Legendary Mike Westhoff (Broncos) is listed as an assistant head coach.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings)
A pair of pick-sixes, one towards Daniel Jones, one for 63 yards towards Aaron Rodgers. “Folks say you can’t run Flores’ protection with out Van Ginkel,” Baldinger mentioned. “They don’t even give him a place, they only say he’s the playmaker.”
Baldinger had instructed two candidates initially. “Budda Baker [Cardinals] is certainly one of my favourite gamers,” Baldinger mentioned. “That man hits every little thing that strikes. He doesn’t take performs off, doesn’t miss video games. He’s 185 kilos and hits like a ton of bricks. Alex Anzalone in Detroit could be very underrated, center linebacker. He by no means comes off the sector, he performs each play.”
I instructed him I’m choosing Van Ginkel. “Give it to Van Ginkel,” Baldinger mentioned. “To start with, he’s a Wisconsin child, and all these linebackers from Wisconsin are superb gamers. They’ve all been educated.”
MOST OVERRATED
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Jaguars)
Has 11 TDs and 4 INTs.
“He’s simply very, very inconsistent,” Baldinger mentioned. “He simply can’t make the performs if you obtained to have the ability to make performs on this league.”
Exhibiting indicators of life, however that is the first-overall choose of the ill-fated 2021 QB class and the final man standing with the crew that drafted him.
WORST FREE-AGENT SIGNING
Tyron Smith (LT, Jets)
Signed a one-year, $20M deal ($6.5M assured) and has hardly resembled a future first-ballot Corridor of Famer.
BEST FREE-AGENT SIGNING
Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles)
“He’s been every little thing they might have hoped for proper now,” Baldinger mentioned.
A lot to the chagrin of Giants GM Joe Schoen.
“That child Tyrone [Tracy Jr.] is fairly good, man,” Baldinger mentioned. “Look, they made a mistake. They need to have franchised Daniel [Jones] after 2022, and they need to have prolonged Saquon.”
There are 10 groups with profitable information all of which run the ball greater than they throw it.
The Eagles (55 %) lead the league.
BEST GAME
Ravens 41, Bengals 38 (OT), Oct. 6: Joe Burrow (5 TDs) and Lamar Jackson (4 TDs) in a shootout.
WORST GAME
Broncos 10, Jets 9, Sept. 29: Largely as a result of I needed to sit via it.
BEST ENDING
Commanders 18, Bears 15, Oct. 27: Daniels’ game-ending Hail Mary to stun the Bears.
WORST OFFICIATING
Too many to enumerate, however that no-call facemask ultimately zone on Sam Darnold doesn’t go the odor check.
THE ROBERTO DURAN
Anthony Richardson (QB, Colts): For his “No Mas” faucet out towards the Texans.
GRUMPY OLD MAN
Jerry Jones (America’s Scream): Bullying radio hosts is a nasty look.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Invoice Belichick (“ManningCast,” and so on): Loads of coaches on the recent seat, beginning with Mike McCarthy (Cowboys).