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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AFC East: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: MVP
BUF: QB Josh Allen, BUF
MIA: QB Tua Tagovailoa, MIA/Tyreek Hill, MIA
NYJ: QB Aaron Rodgers, NYJ
NE: CB Christian Gonzalez, NE
Obviously, this is a ‘no contest’...a win for Josh Allen.
Just an extra note: Tua earned an MVP consideration, not Tyreek or Achane, because we got to see how bad this team/offense was without Tua available. On the other hand, maybe it’s just Miami had no plan for backup QB, so it looked worse than it should have...and it’s a scouting optical illusion. I now regret nominating Tua, because this thought hit me just now as I typed, after I did the nominees...but no Miami player is going to win anyway...but let me go change it to their best player -- Tyreek Hill.
Christian Gonzalez is the first defensive player I gave the nod to for any team, so far, for team MVP...he might be the runner up here.
AFC East Winner = QB Josh Allen, BUF...goes onto the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
BUF – Josh Allen
MIA – Tua Tagovailoa
NYJ – Aaron Rodgers
NE – Christian Gonzalez
AFC East – Josh Allen
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AFC East: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
BUF: RB Ray Davis, BUF
MIA: DE Chop Robinson, MIA
NYJ: OT Olu Fashanu, NYJ
NE: QB Drake Maye, NE
I would rule out Ray Davis first...he was just a 3rd-string backup RB, but when he was needed for more work, when he got a game without Cook -- he was really good. Better than I expected he would be. Keon Coleman is maybe a better player, but Davis had more of an impact role as the season went on...whereas Coleman disappeared. It’s debatable...but neither will win this anyway.
Fashanu played a lot of games but didn’t have a great rookie season.
Drake Maye or Chop Robinson? Both had really nice rookie seasons. Chop came through when I thought he was a useless pass rusher, and he kinda is that...but he’s good at it. But I have to give it to Drake Maye, because he was good AND played the most important position.
AFC East Winner = QB Drake Maye, NE...moving on to the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
BUF – Keon Coleman
MIA – Chop Robinson
NYJ – Olumuyiwa Fashanu
NE – Drake Maye
AFC East – Drake Maye
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AFC East: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
BUF: CB Christian Benford, BUF
MIA: CB Jalen Ramsey, MIA
NYJ: CB Sauce Gardner, NYJ
NE: CB Christian Gonzalez, NE
I didn’t plan it this way, but we have four corners as the four nominees.
The least of which, for me, in 2024 is between Ramsey (who is starting to fade) and Benford (who was good, but not ‘wow’).
Sauce supposedly had a bad year, but his cover metrics were really good...not his best year, but he’s still one of the elites. However, Christian Gonzalez is also one of the elites and had the best cover season and metrics...so, he wins it for me.
AFC East Winner = CB Christian Gonzalez, NE is going to the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
BUF – Christian Benford
MIA – Jalen Ramsey
NYJ – Jamien Sherwood
NE – Christian Gonzalez
AFC East – Jalen Ramsey
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AFC East: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
BUF: O-C Joe Brady, BUF
MIA: HC Mike McDaniel, MIA
NYJ: O-C Nate Hackett, NYJ
NE: none
Wow...no wonder Buffalo continues to dominate this division...the coaching sucks here.
Why Nate Hackett? Think about it...he deserves a special award for somehow being one of the worst coaches in the NFL, but he is the one who stayed in his job all year. They tried to take him out in the preseason...and he survived. The team fell apart this season and coaches got fired and shuffled around, and yet Hackett just stayed in his spot. A herculean effort to draw yet another paycheck from the NFL. If I stopped and thought about how much money Hackett has received the past 3 years, I would likely need a week off for my mental health.
Mike McDaniel tried to hold his team together in crisis and almost did...but then they fell short at the end. McDaniel will be fired during/after next season.
By default, I have to give it to Joe Brady...because there is no one else to give it to.
AFC East Winner = O-C Joe Brady, BUF...moving on to the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
BUF – Joe Brady
MIA – Mike McDaniel
NYJ – Mike Rutenberg
NE – Alex Van Pelt
AFC East – Joe Brady
