The NFL will announce the winners of its annual awards during the NFL Honors show at Symphony Hall in the Phoenix Convention Center on the eve of the Super Bowl. The two-hour event will be hosted by Seth Meyers and you can watch it on NBC starting at 9 p.m. ET.
NFL Honors Awards Show 2015: Rodgers, Watt set to take home hardware
We preview the key contenders for the major awards to be handed out at the “NFL Honors” show on Saturday night.
A number of trophies will be handed out to the top performers in the NFL on Saturday night. Seven of the awards will be presented by the Associated Press: the Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of Year, Defensive Player of Year, Offensive Rookie of Year, Defensive Rookie of Year, Comeback Player of Year and Coach of the Year. All 50 AP voters submitted their ballots before the start of the postseason, meaning any playoff performance -- good or bad -- will not be factored into the voting.
For the first time, the NFL will present a sportsmanship award, which is named in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. The award is determined by a vote of NFL players and recognizes sportsmanship on the field and contributions to the community off the field. Other awards include the Walter Payton Man of Year, Bridgestone Performance Play of Year and Salute to Service Award.
With so many close races surrounding this year’s awards, let’s take a closer look at the key contenders for the major honors.
Most Valuable Player
This year's MVP race is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in recent memory. The battle between the two frontrunners -- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt -- is intriguing on so many different levels. You not only have the classic offense vs. defense debate, but also the fact that Watt's team missed the playoffs while Rodgers' Packers were a couple minutes away from reaching the Super Bowl.
Rodgers had a phenomenal season, ranking second in the NFL in both Total QBR and passer rating. He completed 65.6 percent of his passes with 38 touchdowns, the third-most in the league, and just five interceptions. His 38 passing scores are the most by any player who threw five or fewer interceptions in the same season. Hobbled by a painful calf injury in Week 17, Rodgers had his signature MVP moment when he led the Packers to a win over the Detroit Lions that clinched the NFC North title. Rodgers already owns one MVP award, having won the hardware in the 2011 season.
The Texans’ push for the postseason may have come up just short, but don’t blame Watt, who is undoubtedly the best player at his position and did as much as humanly possible to help his team win. However, Watt faces long odds to win the MVP award, which hasn’t been given to a defensive player since Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Watt ranked second in the league with 20.5 sacks, yet his contributions weren’t limited to the defensive side of the ball. He had a ridiculous five touchdowns, including three receiving scores on offense. Watt became the only player in NFL history with at least three touchdown catches, a fumble return TD and an interception return TD in a single season.
Offensive Player of the Year
Aaron Rodgers is probably the favorite in this race, but he should get some stiff competition from Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray. The league's leading rusher set single-season franchise records in rushing yards (1,845), attempts (392) and 100-yard games (12). Murray had a historic start to the 2014 campaign, becoming the first player ever to rush for at least 100 yards in each of his team's first eight games, before slowing down in the final weeks of the regular season.
Defensive Player of Year
Watt should win this award in a landslide and could easily be a unanimous pick by the voters. Other worthy candidates include Justin Houston (league-leading 22 sacks) and the two best coverage corners in the NFL, Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Odell Beckham Jr. missed the first four games of 2014, but made up for it by posting arguably the most dominant season for a rookie wideout in league history. Beckham set NFL records for the most catches (91) and receiving yards (1,305) in a player’s first 12 career games, and became the third rookie in NFL history with at least 1,300 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. Oh, and he did this.
Beckham is the heavy favorite to walk away with the hardware, but several other rookies had outstanding seasons and would likely get the award in any other year. Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill led all rookies with 1,124 rushing yards and nine scores. Overshadowed by Beckham's historic campaign, Mike Evans was the lone offensive highlight for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with 1,051 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Defensive Rookie of Year
This should be a much closer race than the offensive rookie of the year, with several strong candidates vying for the award. St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was one of the most dominant players at his position, regardless of experience, finishing as the highest-rated defensive tackle in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack (four sacks, 76 tackles) was consistently the best player on the field for the Raiders, and received Pro Football Focus' highest grade among all 4-3 outside linebackers. Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley had a rookie-best 129 tackles while playing 1,019 snaps, the most by any rookie defensive player this season.
How to Watch
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Location: Phoenix Symphony Hall, Phoenix, Arizona
Online Stream: NFL Now
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