2022 Season Awards Tournament: MVP, ROY, DPOY, COY (NFC South)
Each year, I go division by division and nominate who I believe is each team's candidate for the major NFL awards and then we discuss/declare who the division's major award winner is for the season…and that player goes onto the divisional Final Four with a chance to go to the Super Bowl/Finals for a chance to be declared my seasonal award winner.
We go division-by-division each day, then to the Final Four for each conference, then the finals to name our winner the day the NFL announces their winners. *And my choices are usually different up and down the line in each category, so enjoy a different take on the NFL awards.
*MVP (any position)
*Coach of the Year (any coach on the staff, not just the head coach)
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2022 Season Awards Tournament: MVP
NFC South
TB: QB Tom Brady
CAR: RB D'Onta Foreman
NO: QB Andy Dalton
ATL: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
Andy Dalton was important to his team hanging in the division race, but he wasn't great…and the Saints blew it down the stretch.
The Falcons were so much better when Cordarrelle was a focal point…but the Falcons rarely made him the focal point.
D'Onta Foreman could've been the MVP here, as he helped lead the way for Carolina -- when Foreman was featured, and got going, the Panthers were almost division winners -- but this is another instance where the head coach didn't fully utilize their best player too often, and it cost them.
Tom Brady was everything for TB. He had a bad year by his standards, but he had an awful/injured O-Line situation to deal with -- but that's why he's the MVP here…he did everything…he put the team on his shoulders and won enough games to capture the division title.
NFC South Winner = QB Tom Brady, TB goes on to the NFC Final Four.
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2022 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
NFC South
TB: RB Rachaad White
CAR: OL Ikem Ekwonu
NO: CB Alontae Taylor
ATL: RB Tyler Allgeier
Ikem Ekwonu got a little better as the season went on, but he still wasn't great.
The two rookie RBs in this division are fantastic, but Tampa Bay wouldn't give into Rachaad White, so an opportunity lost…and not a ROY. Tyler Allgeier ran for 1,000+ yards this season, but not much in the TD department…a lot of work/touches in the 2nd-half and he's promising as we go -- but not ROY worthy.
Alontae Taylor had a terrific season inserted into the defensive starting lineup due to injury to others and was a low-key shutdown corner. Terrific cover metrics despite all the analysts crowing to move him to safety.
NFC South Winner = Alontae Taylor, NO goes on to the NFC Final Four.
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2022 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
NFC South
TB: CB Carlton Davis
CAR: CB Jaycee Horn
NO: CB Alontae Taylor
ATL: CB A.J. Terrell
We got four CBs going for the crown from this division. All four had a nice season/were their team's best cover corner, in my opinion. How to pick the best one?
Well, we'll eliminate A.J. Terrell first…he had the worst cover metrics of the four (but still had a solid season). He gave up the most TDs of this group.
Davis-Horn-Taylor all had great metrics, but I will then go with Carlton Davis…for the simple reason that he saw way more targets than the other corners -- but still had the great metrics/cover stats. All three guys were worthy.
NFC South Winner = Carlton Davis, TB goes on to the NFC Final Four.
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2022 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
NFC South
TB: HC Todd Bowles
CAR: iHC Steve Wilks
NO: HC Dennis Allen
ATL: HC Arthur Smith
I began the TB candidacy with 'none' because it may have been the single worst coaching job, on both sides of the ball, in the NFL in 2022 -- but I give Todd Bowles credit for firing Byron Leftwich and thus ridding himself of a giant dud and Bruce Arians project…which aggravated Arians, which gives Bowles a 'thumbs up' from me.
Dennis Allen also had a negative effect, overall, on his team with inexplicable usage of personnel and blown games late, but he did bench Jameis Winston…so kudos for that.
Arthur Smith is my least favorite coach in the NFL, so I'm not voting for him…and there is no reason to anyway.
Winner by default, Steve Wilks, who is also a terrible modern day era head coach prospect -- but he got Carolina to hang in to race in this awful division until Week 17, before they blew their opportunity. I cannot believe that I'm about to type the following…
NFC South Winner = Steve Wilks, CAR goes on to the NFC Final Four
