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With the regular season already completed, it’s time to give praise to those who have made the biggest impact in the NFL. Before I get started, I’d like to state that these are solely based off my opinion and that these awards are meant to be fun! The setup will be very similar to the regular NFL honors and will feature almost all of the regular NFL honors awards. Now without further ado, the SportsAsToldByAGirl 2015 NFL Regular Season Awards!
2015 Offensive Rookie Of The Year: Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper
Cooper just barely edged out St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley. While Gurley was indeed productive, Cooper was overall the better rookie. Cooper played in every game this season, racking up 72 receptions for 1,070 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. Cooper fit seamlessly into the Raiders offense, becoming Derek Carr’s favorite target and racking up a couple 100-yard games. Cooper’s addition to the Raiders was definitely part of the reason why they won as many games as they did this season.
2015 Offensive Player Of The Year: Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer
Palmer showed that his injury only made him stronger. He led the Cardinals to a regular season record of 13-3 and threw for 4,671 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Palmer held a QB rating of 104.6 and showcased that he knows the Cardinals playbook from front to back. If Palmer can keep his momentum into the postseason, it looks like he could lead the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.
2015 Coach Of The Year: Carolina Panther HC Ron Rivera.
While it may seem obvious, Rivera deserves more credit than he actually gets. Rivera has been able to guide a team that was riddled with injuries and brushed aside as a Super Bowl contender into a team that many were afraid to play and almost had a perfect season. Rivera’s leadership has rubbed off on starting QB, Cam Newton which -has allowed Rivera to sit back and watch the team he molded become what he always knew they could be. As the number one seed in the NFC right now, Rivera’s moves will be watched carefully but if this season showed us anything, it is how brilliant Rivera can be.
The 2015 Defensive Rookie Of The Year: Kansas City Chiefs CB Marcus Peters
While there was a ton of good defensive rookies this year, Peters got the slight edge over them. Peters helped beef up the Chiefs defense and led them to a playoff berth. Peters has played in every game this season, racking up 60 combined tackles, one forced fumble, eight interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Peters’ confidence is what really stands out about him. He knows that he can go out there and makes plays. If he doesn’t let his confidence get to his head, Peters has a long career ahead of him.
The 2015 Defensive Player Of The Year: Carolina Panthers CB Josh Norman
Certainly, JJ Watt had a stellar season, but Norman shut down some of the best receivers this season. Norman was able to shut down DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Dez Bryant and Mike Evans just to name a few. His stats really speak for him though with 56 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Norman was selected for his first Pro Bowl this year and could bring the Panthers even closer to a Super Bowl title. While there could be an argument made for his teammate Luke Kuechly, Norman has really become a superstar in his own right.
2015 Comeback Player Of The Year: Kansas City Chiefs S Eric Berry
If anyone has shown that they deserve this award it is Berry. After battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma for a majority of last season, Berry has shown exactly what a comeback looks like. He had 61 combined tackles and two interceptions and was selected to the Pro Bowl this season. Berry has become a beloved player in everyone’s hearts and became a movement, “Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Berry”. Berry also received a loud and well-deserved homecoming at Arrowhead Stadium and has shown not only how strong of a player he is, but how strong of a person he is. Eric Berry should be everyone’s 2015 Comeback Player Of Year.
2015 Most Valuable Player Award: Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton
While there are certainly a lot of contenders for this award, only one really stands out and that is Cam Newton. Newton has thrown for 3,837 yards for 35 touchdowns to only ten interceptions and rushed for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns. With those stats, Newton has broken multiple records and led the Panthers to an almost perfect season. He led the team to the number one seed in the NFC, a third consecutive NFC South title and was named the NFC Offensive Player Of The Week five times. Newton has shown that he is a much more mature person and quarterback.
