The NFL will hold their annual NFL Honors show which is where they hand out awards to the best players in the league. The show will be hosted by Seth Meyers and held at Symphony Hall at the Phoenix Convention Center. It is set to air nationally on January 31, 2015 at 9 PM ET on NBC. Fans are encouraged to tune in at 8 PM ET to the NFL Network for red carpet coverage. The highlight of the event will be the announcement of the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The awards that will be given out include:
AP Most Valuable Player, AP Offensive Player of the Year, AP Defensive Player of the Year, AP Coach of the Year, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, AP Comeback Player of the Year, NFL Sportsmanship Award, NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year, Walter Payton Man of the Year, Don Shula NFL HS Coach of the Year, FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year, Greatness on the Road, Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year and the Salute to Service Award.
As with any awards event, there will be a good amount of talk about who should and shouldn’t win a particular award. The hottest debate is the MVP award. Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Watt are the favorites to win the award. A strong argument can be made for either player. Watt registered 20.5 sacks last season. He also had three receiving touchdowns. The argument against Watt will be that his team didn’t make the playoffs and the fact that he is a defensive player. The last time a defensive player won the MVP award was 1986 when Lawrence Taylor led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl championship.
Aaron Rodgers had one of the more efficient seasons by a quarterback in recent years. He threw for 4,381 yards 38 touchdowns and only five interceptions. The MVP award has typically been a quarterback award. A quarterback won the NFL MVP award 11 times since the year 2000. It’s always easier for a quarterback to have a major influence on the game because he touches the ball on every play.
The other debate will be regarding the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Odell Beckham electrified the NFL as he posted one of the best rookie seasons by a wide receiver ever. His one handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys was one of the best catches in history. The offensive line doesn’t get much attention but Zach Martin has solidified the offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys and should be considered for the award also. Then you have the quarterbacks. Teddy Bridgewater and David Carr both came on strong as the season went on. They will warrant consideration also.
The defensive rookie of the year award presents three favorites: C.J. Mosely of the Baltimore Ravens, Khalil Mack of the Oakland Raiders and Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams. Mosely racked up a large amount of tackles. He was a force both against the run and the pass. Mack was quietly one of the best players on the Oakland Raiders. Donald was able to constantly get penetration into the backfield of opposing offenses.
Many people will be tuned in to see the unveiling of the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The list of finalists include: Bill Polian, Charles Haley, Don Coryell, Jimmy Johnson, John Lynch, Junior Seau, Kevin Greene, Kurt Warner, Marvin Harrison, Mick Tingelhof, Ron Wolfe, Morten Anderson, Terrell Davis, Tim Brown, Tony Dungee and Will Shields.
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