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 South: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: MVP
HOU: RB Joe Mixon, HOU
IND: RB Jonathan Taylor, IND
JAX: WR Brian Thomas, JAX
TEN: RB Tony Pollard, TEN
An odd collection of MVP candidates that don’t really jump out at you, at first glance. Mixon-Taylor-Pollard all have the same claim -- the main RB taking big workloads on teams with a bad O-Line and/or QB.
Brian Thomas was great, but I can’t give it to him over the workhorse RBs...so, it’s the three RBs battling for the award.
It can’t be Tony Pollard...but what he accomplished behind that horrid O-Line...he deserves some kind of a special award.
Joe Mixon was white-hot early season and then fizzled late...fell right back to his usual high carries, low ypc performance he had at Cincy. Jon Taylor started lower but was on fire late.
All the RBs could make a claim here, but I’ll give it to Taylor.
AFC South Winner = RB Jonathan Taylor, IND...who is moving on to the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
HOU – Will Anderson
IND – Jonathan Taylor
JAX – Brian Thomas
TEN – Tony Pollard
AFC South – Jonathan Taylor
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AFC South: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
HOU: CB Kamari Lassiter, HOU
IND: DE Laiatu Latu, IND
JAX: WR Brian Thomas, JAX
TEN: DT T’Vondre Sweat, TEN
I rule out Latu first...a big disappointment vs. my expectations. He was 5th among all rookies in sacks (with 5) but he should’ve been a 10+ sack guy, in my mind. Good riddance, D-C Gus Bradley.
Sweat is out next...fine season but the other two remaining options were so good, Sweat can’t compete with them.
It was a fine rookie campaign for Lassiter, but we all know Brian Thomas ‘ruled’ and is the best rookie here.
AFC South Winner = WR Brian Thomas, JAX...is moving on to the AFC Final Four
*Ross Jacobs votes:
HOU – Kamari Lassiter
IND – Matt Goncalves
JAX – Brian Thomas
TEN – T'Vondre Sweat
AFC South – Brian Thomas
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AFC South: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
HOU: CB Derek Stingley, HOU
IND: DT DeForest Buckner, IND
JAX: LB Travon Walker, JAX
TEN: LB Harold Landry, TEN
I looked at this list and I immediately thought -- I can discount Buckner, Walker, Landry...in an instant...which left me with Stingley as the winner by default. And he had his best season, so he’s definitely a contender...but compared to the weaker options here, he’s a clear winner.
AFC South Winner = CB Derek Stingley, HOU is moving on to the AFC Final Four.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
HOU – Will Anderson
IND – DeForest Buckner
JAX – Josh Hines-Allen
TEN – Harold Landry
AFC South – Will Anderson
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AFC South: 2024 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
HOU: OC DeMeco Ryans, HOU
IND: HC Shane Steichen, IND
JAX: none
TEN: D-C Dennard Wilson
Wow...the AFC South was awful. This whole awards process for this division has been ‘bleh’. Shane Steichen doesn’t deserve anything but a firing...but he almost got that jalopy of a team to the wild card in the end, so some credit there.
Dennard Wilson had a really nice defense that got systematically hammered with injuries about Week 5 on, and they fell from top 3-5 defense to not top 3-5.
By default, the award goes to the coach of the thing that was the best unit in the division...the Texans defense. And I give Ryans more credit for that than the D-C.
AFC South Winner = OC DeMeco Ryans, HOU...moves on to the AFC Final Four for a second year in a row.
*Ross Jacobs votes:
HOU – Matt Burke
IND – Jim Bob Cooter
JAX – Chad Hall
TEN – Bill Callahan
AFC South – Matt Burke