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NFL 2015 Award Picks: Cam Newton earns top honors

By Brad Rowland

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) celebrates after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) celebrates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) celebrates after sacking Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (not pictured) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Seahawks 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Player of the Year

Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh Steelers

Brown didn’t lead the NFL in receiving yardage (1,834) or receptions (though he tied with Julio Jones for the top spot with 136), but he was easily the best non-quarterback on the offensive side of the ball. The uber-talented Pittsburgh wideout was burdened with multiple games of Landry Jones and the immortal Mike Vick, but he still out-produced Jones in the touchdown department with ten, and he was far more consistent than his Atlanta counterpart.

More than anything, Brown proved that he wasn’t fully dependent on the greatness of Ben Roethlisberger this season, and that his 2014 breakout was nothing approaching a fluke. Despite his relative lack of size, Antonio Brown is now the most prevalent answer to the question of “who is the best wide receiver in the NFL?” and, for my money, he is also the right answer.

Runner-up: Julio Jones, WR Atlanta Falcons

Defensive Player of the Year

Aaron Donald, DT Los Angeles* Rams

It is jarring to see a name other than J.J. Watt in this space and, in fairness, Watt is the runner-up for the award. However, Donald very much earned this recognition, and he may have been the player in the NFL overall this season.

The physical freak “only” posted 11.0 sacks on the season, tying for 8th in the NFL, but a quick glance beyond the box score reveals his dominance. First, Donald is almost entirely an interior player along the defensive line, making his 11 sacks an insane total when compared to his brethren in the league. Second, he is also one of the best run defenders in the league, blowing up offensive lines with regularity and capitalizing on opportunities to bring down opposing ball-carriers in the backfield.

On a play-for-play basis, it would be difficult to argue that Watt was the better player this year, and even if you called this a “draw”, Aaron Donald was incredibly impressive from start to finish.

Runner-up: J.J. Watt, DL Houston Texans

Next: Coach of the Year and MVP

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