Who will be the NFL’s MVP? Top rookie? And ... who will win the Super Bowl?
Mark Craig of the Star Tribune has the projected postseason winners as the league prepares to kick off its 105th season on Thursday.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 5, 2024 at 12:11AM
Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles: Picking Patrick Mahomes to win a third one is too boring. And we all know this is really MVQ (Most Valuable Quarterback), so let’s double down on Hurts, the pick here last year, now that he has Saquon Barkley on his side.
Defensive Player of the Year
Micah Parsons, LB, Cowboys: Picking Parsons is boring because he’s the most talented defender on the planet, but who cares? Let’s double down on last year’s pick for one reason that might irk Vikings fans: Hate him or hate him some more, Mike Zimmer can still c-o-a-c-h.
Offensive Player of the Year
Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins: He had 1,481 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns through 12 games last year before getting hurt and losing this award to Christian McCaffrey. Don’t count the Cheetah out. Even if he did turn 30 in March.
Coach of the Year
Andy Reid, Chiefs: I’ll keep writing this until one of the best coaches in NFL history hopefully breaks from the pack of one-time NFL Coach of the Year winners like Matt Nagy and Jason Garrett: Poor overlooked and taken-for-granted Andy. In the past 11 seasons, he’s gone 132-51 (.721) with 16 playoff wins. He’s been to the last five AFC title games, won four of them, gone on to win three Super Bowls and … still has not won NFL Coach of the Year with a Chiefs team that was 76-100 (.432) with no playoff wins in the 11 seasons before it hired Reid a day after he was fired in Philly.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs: No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams has all the weapons at his disposal to win this award. But, sorry, just not going full buy-in on Williams. Worthy has the ultimate weapon (Mahomes) and the best coach (Reid) helping him.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Terrion Arnold, CB, Lions: The 24th overall pick from Alabama should feast off of Detroit’s pass rush.
Comeback Player of the Year
Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals: I’ll see your Kirk Cousins, your Sam Darnold and your old man Rodgers and raise you one Joe Burrow, who’s back after missing seven games with a torn ligament in his right wrist.
Most Pleasant Surprises
Four new playoff faces: The NFL will have at least four new playoff teams for the 35th straight season. Congratulations Seattle, Atlanta, Cincinnati and the LA Chargers. Condolences Green Bay, the Rams, Buffalo and Cleveland.
Biggest Disappointment
Deshaun Watson and the Browns: Old friend Kevin Stefanski won NFL Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons while using four quarterbacks to get the Browns into the playoffs a year ago. Any native Northeast Ohioan worth his weight in heartbreaks will tell you that can mean only one thing: The Browns will miss the playoffs this season with Watson healthy and the rest of the AFC North reaching the playoffs.
Playoff Predictions
Wild-card games
AFC
No. 2 Texans over No. 7 Steelers
No. 3 Ravens over No. 6 Chargers
No. 5 Bengals over No. 4 Dolphins
NFC
No. 2 Eagles over No. 7 Seahawks
No. 3 Lions over No. 6 Buccaneers
No. 5 Zimmers, er, Cowboys over No. 4 Cousinses, er, Falcons
Divisional games
AFC
No. 3 Ravens over No. 2 Texans
No. 5 Bengals over No. 1 Chiefs
NFC
No. 3 Lions over No. 2 Eagles
No. 1 49ers over No. 5 Cowboys
Conference championships
AFC
No. 3 Ravens over No. 5 Bengals
NFC
No. 3 Lions over No. 1 49ers
Super Bowl LIX
Lions over Ravens
The Vikings improve to 2-0, stunning the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers for the second year in a row, but they lost star receiver Justin Jefferson to a quad injury.
