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, but usually offense)
**Coach of the Year (any coach on the staff, not just the head coach)
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AFC East: 2023 Season Awards Tournament: MVP
BUF: QB Josh Allen
MIA: WR Tyreek Hill
NE: QB Bailey Zappe
NYJ: RB Breece Hall
We can eliminate Zappe right off the bat. If you are questioning how/why Zappe could even be on the list...may I ask – do you have a better candidate for New England? Zappe won two games in his 6 starts at the end of the season...a heroic effort for how bad this team was, but the Pats were also ‘in’ three of their other games Zappe lost as a starter. This team had life under Zappe, as weak a team as it was.
Breece Hall had an amazing, stunning comeback from his wicked knee injury in 2022. The fact that he is the Jets MVP is surreal in 2023. Hall was great in 2023, but Tyreek and Allen were even better...so Breece is out of the race.
Tyreek v. Josh?
You almost always have to go with the QB in these instances, but Tyreek breaks the rules in many NFL instances. However, for how great Tyreek was in 2023...he kinda faded late, while the Bills raced by the Dolphins at the finish line and won the division. Josh Allen is irreplaceable and is the AFC East’s best player in 2023.
AFC East Winner = QB Josh Allen, Buffalo
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AFC East: 2023 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
BUF: OG O’Cyrus Torrence
MIA: RB De’Von Achane
NE: WR Demario Douglas
NYJ: OC Joe Tippman
I know it may be a mild shock to Torrence as the Bills representative over my beloved Dalton Kincaid, but a guard who started all 17 games and holds down his own is/was more valuable than a sparingly/erratically used TE.
In the battle of OLs on this list, I’ll push Tippman over Torrence...center is such a key position and Tipp had to deal with four different QBs this season and he started all but the first 1-2 games when the Jets slated starting OC got hurt and was gone for the season.
De’Von Achane was much more valuable and impressive than Demario Douglas, so Achane is the skill position player to move on...and then Achane v. Tippman is no real battle because Tippman was fine/useful but Achane actually had defenses preparing game plans against him by mid/late season.
AFC East Winner = RB De’Von Achane, MIA
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AFC East: 2023 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
BUF: CB Taron Johnson
MIA: CB Jalen Ramsey
NE: DT Christian Barmore
NYJ: CB Sauce Gardner
Christian Barmore had a breakout season for NE, but not enough to be the top defender in the conference. He’s not even the best DT in the division...he’s just the best the Pats had to offer off their sorry team this season.
We have three CBs doing battle...Taron Johnson was one of the top two slot corners in 2023. Sauce Gardner, last year’s division/conference/overall winner, was one of the top shutdown CB again...but not as good as he was his rookie season. The best corner in the division, and probably in the game today...even though he only played half a season, is Jalen Ramsey...who set a career best for QB rating allowed against him this season and was a no-fly-zone when he was in, and totally changed the Miami defense upon his arrival.
AFC East Winner = CB Jalen Ramsey, MIA
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AFC East: 2023 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
BUF: O-C Joe Brady
MIA: HC Mike McDaniel
NE: HC Bill Belichick
NYJ: D-C Jeff Ulbrich
This is quite a collection...
I can rule Bill Belichick out...he may win the award for the single worst coach of the year, challenged by Bill O’Brien for the nod.
I can rule Jeff Ulbrich out...the Jets defense was sporadically up-and-down all season. Moments of great but also moments of bad.
I can rule out Mike McDaniel because they wilted against winning teams, collapsed against the Bills twice, and McDaniel brought on Vic Fangio...which failed miserably.
That leaves O-C replacement Joe Brady, who took over the job from the disaster Ken Dorsey and the team’s offense soared and they went (7-2) and raced to the AFC title.
AFC East Winner = O-C Joe Brady, BUF...unbelievably.
The winners in each category move on to the conference finals to determine which of them goes onto the AFC v. NFC finals in each award category for the FFM named winners for 2023 season.
