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.
We also have FFM’s Ross Jacobs’ nominees by team, by division, by conference and his eventual winner to share along with my nominees and winners.
Two notes on the voting:
*MVP (any position, but usually offense)
**Coach of the Year (any coach on the staff, not just the head coach)
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NFC North: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: MVP
DET: QB Jared Goff, DET
MIN: QB Sam Darnold, MIN
GB: RB Josh Jacobs, GB
CHI: QB Caleb Williams, CHI
I will eliminate Caleb, right away...he was the MVP of the team in the sense that...as Caleb went, so went the Bears. Unfortunately, for the Bears, Caleb was more bad than good in 2024.
Josh Jacobs ain’t winning my vote. ‘Upper Midwest James Conner’ did all he could, but the Packers were worse in 2024 than they were in 2023...and the big switch was: going with a heavy run game/Jacobs.
As to Darnold v. Goff...everyone knows that debate was settled in Week 18.
NFC North Winner = QB Jared Goff, DET...goes on to the NFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
DET – Jared Goff
MIN – Justin Jefferson
GB – Xavier McKinney
CHI – TJ Edwards
NFC North – Jared Goff
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NFC North: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
DET: CB Terrion Arnold, DET
MIN: PK Will Reichard, MIN
GB: LB Edgerrin Cooper, GB
CHI: QB Caleb Williams, CHI
Will Reichard had a fine season as the kicker for the Vikings, but he missed a few games and wasn’t as valuable as the others on this list.
Caleb Williams is arguably the least on the list...he caused more losses/harm than wins/good. So, he’s not it. I almost named Rome Odunze, but he really didn’t stand out this season -- you saw the flashes of goodness, but Caleb was the center of the universe as a rookie (good and bad).
Terrion Arnold had a very solid rookie season as the starting CB for the Lions, but Edgerrin Cooper made a huge difference for the Packers...he was their best defensive player down the stretch, as a rookie. So, an easy win for Cooper...and the runner up for this division is probably Evan Williams, Cooper’s teammate...but we can only list one per team. What a great 1-2 punch of rookie defenders for Green Bay.
NFC North Winner = LB Edgerrin Cooper, GB is moving on to the NFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
DET – Terrion Arnold
MIN – Will Reichard
GB – Evan Williams
CHI – Rome Odunze
NFC North – Evan Williams
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NFC North: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
DET: DB Brian Branch, DET
MIN: LB Andrew Van Ginkel, MIN
GB: SAF Xavier McKinney, GB
CHI: CB Jaylon Johnson, CHI
Some great defensive seasons/players here... The least of which, oddly, is Jaylon Johnson. Had his big year in 2023, got paid in 2024, and wasn’t AS good as he was prior. Still, really good but this was not his best year.
Andrew Van Ginkel was a menace...1.5 sacks, 18 TFLs, 2 INTs returned for TDs. A legit candidate to win this.
Between the two safeties, Xavier McKinney had 8 picks and a great season with his new team, but Brian Branch is one of the best defensive players in the league for a 2nd-year in a row...so, I would advance Branch over McKinney.
Branch v. Van Ginkel. Man, both so good...but my memories (fair or unfair) of watching games this season, I always saw Branch doing things, creating problems, making big plays. So, with that said...I’ll lean to Branch.
NFC North Winner = DB Brian Branch, DET is going on to the Final Four
*Ross Jacobs votes:
DET – Kerby Joseph
MIN – Andrew Van Ginkel
GB – Xavier McKinney
CHI – TJ Edwards
NFC North – Kerby Joseph
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NFC North: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
DET: HC Dan Campbell, DET
MIN: HC Kevin O’Connell, MIN
GB: HC Matt LaFleur, GB
CHI: OC/iHC Thomas Brown
Thomas Brown DID adjust the offense and make Caleb plausible for a stretch, really dumbing down the offense...but in the end, you could only dumb it down so much. The Bears lost a ton of games in a row and had a horrible season overall, so no award here.
Matt LaFleur simply wasn’t in the class of Campbell or O’Connell.
And like with the MVP race decided by Week 18, so too the COY award in this division...I have to give it to Dan Campbell. Both guys deserving...but for Detroit to finish as they did with all those massive defensive injuries, unreal.
NFC North Winner = HC Dan Campbell, DET heads to the NFC Final Four
*Ross Jacobs votes:
DET – Dan Campbell
MIN – Kevin O'Connell
GB – Jeff Hafley
CHI – Eric Washington
NFC North – Dan Campbell
