Eight weeks and one game through the 2019 NFL season is enough time to think that I know everything when it comes to the outcome of the remainder of this year. While many teams are beginning to prove their mettle, like the 49ers and Colts (post-Andrew Luck), some individual players get lost in the shuffle due to the overall performance of their time. While a player’s overall impact is partially measured by team success, win-loss records aren’t the primary factor in these awards. More importantly, these players have shown that they are the best in their respective positions throughout the league’s first eight weeks. Along with the traditional yearly awards that are given out before the Super Bowl, such as MVP and Rookie of the Year, I will also be including what my version of NFL’s All-Pro Teams will look like.
Most Valuable Player:
Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Season Stats: 68.4% completion percentage, 2,127 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, one interception, 115.5 passer rating (8 games)
Russell Wilson finds himself in a dogfight with other do-it-all quarterbacks for the 2019 NFL MVP award. Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes will all have opportunities to claim this title for themselves, but all of the other quarterbacks are surrounded by better offenses and, besides Watson, coaching. Meanwhile, Wilson has overcome the questionable playcalling of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer en route to posting a 17:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio through the first half of the season. Outside of a rough performance against a Ravens’ defense that was energized from the addition of cornerback Marcus Peters, who was the recipient of Wilson’s one interception, the Seahawks quarterback has posted a passer rating over 100 in every contest so far. If Wilson can challenge the undefeated 49ers for an NFC West crown, or even make the playoffs at all despite the lack of help he has been receiving from Schottenheimer, his offensive line, and this defense’s secondary, the case against Wilson’s MVP candidacy will be hard to argue.
Offensive Player of the Year:
Christian McCaffery, RB, Carolina Panthers
Season Stats: 141 carries, 735 yards, 5.2 YPC, 10 total touchdowns, 39 receptions, 343 yards, 154 all-purpose YPG (7 games)
Christian McCaffery has been on an absolute tear throughout the first eight games of the NFL season. With quarterback Cam Newton out, McCaffery has broken through every rushing defense except for the Buccaneers (twice). Taking out McCaffery’s 38 carries for 68 yards in his two matchups against their well-prepared rival, the Stanford product has 103 carries for 667 yards at a staggering 6.5 yards-per-carry. That’s without mentioning McCaffery’s contributions to Carolina’s success in the passing game. While the absence of Newton has hurt the Panthers’ ability to get the ball to their only offensive focal point through the air, backup Kyle Allen has been able to find his running back enough to be on pace for nearly 700 yards. Adding the two receiving touchdowns the third-year back’s eight rushing scores on the year leaves him with the second-most touchdowns from a non-quarterback this year behind Aaron Jones.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Stephon Gilmore, CB, New England Patriots
Season Stats: 21 tackles, 3 interceptions, 9 pass breakups, 46.3% catch rate allowed, 0 touchdowns allowed, 37.3 passer rating against (8 games)
While the Patriots have not seen a premier passing threat yet this season, they might not have to worry about it. While it remains to be seen if this defensive unit can remain as dominant against tougher matchups on offense, the dominance that this secondary has displayed throughout New England’s undefeated start to the season. Stephon Gilmore has been the catalyst for this improved defense, scoring more touchdowns (one) than he’s allowed. Showing signs of his current shutdown tendencies throughout the playoffs and the Super Bowl last year, Gilmore has put it all together as he puts a claim on the title of “Best Cornerback in the NFL.” While the quarterbacks that Gilmore has played against haven’t been having the best seasons even against other defensive units, Gilmore has consistently contributed to shutting down opposing quarterbacks and forcing them into bad decisions to the tune of 19 team interceptions. Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett both deserve to garner some attention for their award as the season wraps up, but the young edge rushers will have to take a step back for this year if Gilmore is able to stop the likes of Deandre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, and Tyreek Hill over the last half of the year.
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders
Season Stats: 124 carries, 620 rushing yards, 5.0 YPC, 4 rushing touchdowns, 11 catches, 102 receiving yards (7 games)
At the halfway point of the 2019 season, it’s hard to determine whether Kyler Murray or Josh Jacobs is more deserving of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for their success despite being heavily relied on by their first-year coaches. While Murray has been improving every week in Kliff Kingsbury’s system and carrying a team that has missed David Johnson in recent weeks, Jacobs has been at the center of Jon Gruden’s revival of the Raiders’ offense. Derek Carr can rely on the Alabama product to churn out about 100 all-purpose yards per game between the passing and running games. At a rate of exactly five yards per carry throughout Oakland’s first seven games, Jacobs has been able to churn out more than 4.4 yards per run in every game since the season opener against Denver. Gruden would be wise to allow Jacobs to be the key to success in the head coach’s second tenure to Oakland, as Carr has looked much more efficient without having to deal with the pressure of leading an entire offense on his shoulders.
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Nick Bosa, Edge, San Fransisco 49ers
Season Stats: 21 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble (8 games)
This might be the easiest decision of all the regular season-accolades that I plan to give out. Nick Bosa’s tear through the first eight games of his NFL career has put him in the conversation of NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Ohio State product has been every bit as productive as his older brother, Joey Bosa, has been for a worse Chargers’ defense, and has taken a leadership role in a suddenly dominant defense. In a unit that includes Kwon Alexander, Dee Ford, and De’Forest Buckner, the rookie edge rusher might already be the best player in San Fransisco’s front seven. Bosa collected three of his seven sacks and his first career interception during his Week 8 against the Panthers and has given everyone a glimpse of the dominance that the Bosa brothers will bring to the league for the next decade.
Comeback Player(s) of the Year:
Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings AND
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Season Stats:
Cook: 156 carries, 823 rushing yards, 5.3 YPC, 9 rushing touchdowns, 29 catches, 293 receiving yards (8 games)
Kupp: 58 catches, 792 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns (8 games)
It was hard to pick between the two, and since my opinion has national bearing whatsoever, I won’t. Dalvin Cook and Cooper Kupp have been among the top-2 offensive players on their team in the immediate season after tearing their ACL’s with a serious argument for the title of the best player on their respective teams throughout certain points of the season.
Cook was especially crucial to the Vikings’ success early in the season while Kirk Cousins was frustrating his receivers with his poor decision-making. While Cousins has stepped up his play in recent weeks after Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen pubicly announced their discontent with Cousins’ struggles, Cook has continued his statistical onslaught. Outside of two games in which the Bears and Eagles were able to slow the Florida State product down, Cook has totaled more than 120 all-purpose yards in every game, surpassing the 100-yard rushing milestone five times through eight games. Cook has been able to put himself on pace for over 1,600 rushing yards despite some struggles from his offensive line.
Kupp, meanwhile, has established himself as the top receiver in the Rams’ crowded receiving corps that also features Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods. Cooks has dealt with a pair of concussions within the past month, paving the way for Kupp to pick up some extra targets from Jared Goff. The reliance on the passing game has been much more critical as a whole to Los Angeles’ success in 2019 due to Todd Gurley’s load management and quad injury. On top of that, the loss of Roger Saffold and the injury to Joseph Noteboom on the offensive line have put a lot of pressure on both Goff and Gurley. The Eastern Washington product has used the offense’s limits to his advantage, collecting nearly 800 yards through eight games, including a 4-game streak of 100-plus receiving yards in Weeks 2 through 5. If Kupp can continue to deliver in the face of more attention sent his way during Cooks’ absence, he should be able to keep up in contention with Cook for this award.
Coach of the Year:
Kyle Shanahan, San Fransisco 49ers
Season Stats: 8-0 record, 29.4 offensive-PPG (3rd in NFL), 390.2 offensive-YPG (6th in NFL), 171.1 rushing-YPG (2nd in NFL), 12.8 PPG allowed (2nd in NFL), 241.0 YPG allowed (2nd in NFL), 138.1 pass-YPG allowed (1st in NFL), +4 turnover differential
Things looked bleak for Shanahan in his first year as a head coach in San Fransisco. Injuries took a toll on an improving team and benched their quarterback for nearly the entire season as the 49ers limped their way to 4-12. Everything happens for a reason, though, as that 4-12 record netted San Fransico the opportunity to pick up Nick Bosa with the second overall pick in the 2019 draft. The defense’s improvement can be attributed more-so to Bosa, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and the reshuffled roster, but Shanahan has made this offense just as lethal behind a healthy Jimmy Garappolo. Garappolo has been more than worth the second-round pick that New England took in exchange for Tom Brady’s former backup. However, the real value of this offense comes from the emergence of the rushing attack with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, who have found major real estate with the help of Shanahan’s blocking scheme. An 8-0 record through nine weeks of the NFL season and a second-best 171.1 rushing yards per game, Mike Shanahan’s son is proving to be just as spectacular of a coach for San Fransisco as Papa Shanahan proved in Denver.
Executive of the Year:
John Lynch, General Manager, San Fransisco 49ers
Notable 2019 Acquisitions: Edge Nick Bosa (draft), WR Deebo Samuel (draft), Edge Dee Ford (trade), Mitch Wishnowsky (draft)
Part of Kyle Shanahan’s success could be linked to his familiarity with his general manager, John Lynch, who played for Mike Shanahan for four seasons during his career. While it is unclear to the public how close the two work in a professional setting, the past between the Shanahans and Lynch has seemed to help produce a unit that Shanahan has been able to take full advantage of. While the acquisition of Jimmy Garappolo doesn’t necessarily count towards the 49ers’ most recent offseason, Lynch did an admirable job of surrounding his previously-injured quarterback with talent that fits their coach’s scheme. After losing Garappolo and dealing with a mediocre roster throughout the entirety of the 2018 season, Lynch acquired Tevin Coleman in free agency, who has been a revelation in the backfield with Matt Breida. Coleman has 429 total yards and six touchdowns through six games despite having to miss two weeks of the season due to a high ankle sprain. Rookie receiver Deebo Samuel has a future in San Fransisco, regardless of how many targets new acquisition Emmanuel Sanders takes from his projections this year. If the 49ers continue to contend seriously, the third-round pick that the team parted with to get Sanders, who has already established some rapport with his new QB, will seem like the bargain of the year.
Defensively, the turnaround is even more impressive. After allowing the fifth-most points in the league during the 2018 season, San Fransisco ranks third in the league and would have a claim on the league’s premier defense if not for New England’s historic pace. The rapid improvement from this defense under Robert Saleh mainly due to the reinvigorated front seven. After adding first-rounders Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, and Soloman Thomas to their line throughout recent years, Lynch decided that it was time to round out the defense with the acquisitions of Kwon Alexander through free agency, Dee Ford through trade, and Nick Bosa through the draft. With second-year linebacker Fred Warner taking the place of Alexander after his torn labrum on Thursday night against the Cardinals, this defense will remain in a better spot due to yet another one of their general manager’s draft selections. Meanwhile, yet another second-year player in Emmanuel Mosely has filled the role of the starting cornerback across from a resurging Richard Sherman.
NFL All-Pro First Team:
QB: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
RB: Christian McCaffery, Carolina Panthers
RB/WR: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
WR: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Slot WR: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
TE: Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons
T: Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
G: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
C: Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
G: Brandon Brooks, Philadelphia Eagles
T: Ryan Ramcyzk, New Orleans Saints
DL: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
DT: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
DL: Nick Bosa, San Fransisco 49ers
LB: Jamie Collins, New England Patriots
ILB: Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
LB: Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings
CB: Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots
CB: Richard Sherman, San Fransisco 49ers
Slot CB: Jonathan Jones, New England Patriots
SS: Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
FS: Devin McCourty, New England Patriots
K: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
P: Brett Kern, Tennessee Titans
Returner: Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago Bears
Special Teams Specialist: T.J. Jones, New York Giants
NFL All-Pro Second Team:
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
RB: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
RB/WR: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
WR: Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
WR: Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TE: George Kittle, San Fransisco 49ers
LT: Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis Colts
LG: Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens
C: Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders
RG: Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
RT: La’el Collins, Dallas Cowboys
DL: Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
DT: Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Eagles
DL: Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Benardrick McKinney, Houston Texans
ILB: Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots
LB: Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears
CB: Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers
CB: Quinton Dunbar, Washington Theismanns
SS: Jamal Adams, New York Jets
FS: Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints
QUEUESPORTS 
Leave a comment