{"id":7267,"date":"2024-10-17T07:49:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T07:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=7267"},"modified":"2024-10-17T08:08:50","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T08:08:50","slug":"2024-nfl-awards-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-awards-races","title":{"rendered":"2024 NFL Awards Races: Can a Rookie Win MVP? Is Sam Darnold Ineligible for Comeback Player?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Heading into Week 7, we are now a third of the way through the 2024 NFL regular season. With 12 weeks to go, we wanted to check in on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\">NFL<\/a> awards races from MVP to the best offensive and defensive player and rookies, the Comeback Player of the Year, and the Coach of the Year award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier this week, we checked in on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nfl-2024-super-bowl-lix-odds-week-7\">current odds for the division races and path to Super Bowl LIX<\/a>. There are a lot of strong favorites already there in the AFC divisions, but these awards are mostly wide open as only Jayden Daniels has better than even odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as we saw last year, things can change drastically in these races, and none of the favorites today may win the awards after Week 18 ends in January. We even have our first major controversy as there is uncertainty as to the eligibility of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/sam-darnold-93844\">Sam Darnold<\/a> for Comeback Player of the Year after new guidelines were released this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s shaping up to be a wild awards season given we are also entertaining Darnold and a rookie quarterback for MVP. Let\u2019s dig into the seven awards and where things currently stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#most-valuable-player-mvp\">Most Valuable Player (MVP)<\/a><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#josh-allen-falters-after-early-mvp-lead\">Josh Allen Falters After Early MVP Lead<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-other-guys\">The \u201cOther\u201d Guys<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#jayden-daniels-can-a-rookie-win-mvp\">Jayden Daniels: Can a Rookie Win MVP?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#the-baltimore-conundrum\">The Baltimore Conundrum<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#why-is-patrick-mahomes-the-odds-on-favorite-for-mvp\">Why Is Patrick Mahomes the Odds-on Favorite for MVP?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#save-the-date-the-mvp-will-be-decided-in-weeks-16-17\">Save the Date: The MVP Will Be Decided in Weeks 16-17<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#offensive-player-of-the-year-opoy\">Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#defensive-player-of-the-year-dpoy\">Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#offensive-rookie-of-the-year-oroy\">Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#defensive-rookie-of-the-year-droy\">Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#comeback-player-of-the-year-cpoy\">Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#coach-of-the-year-coty\">Coach of the Year (COTY)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"most-valuable-player-mvp\"><strong>Most Valuable Player (MVP)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 MVP \u2013 C.J. Stroud (+1200 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current MVP Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patrick Mahomes (+300)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>C.J. Stroud (+550)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lamar Jackson (+550)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Josh Allen (+650)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brock Purdy (+1000)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jayden Daniels (+1300)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jared Goff (+1600)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sam Darnold (+1700)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jordan Love (+1800)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the MVP races in 2021 and 2023, no one is running away with this thanks to a historic season a la Peyton Manning in 2004 and 2013 or Patrick Mahomes in 2018, and it will likely not be decided until Week 17 or Week 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could write 5,000 words on this award alone, because it\u2019s already been a very strange 2024 season where passing numbers started way down, and some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-7\">most consistent performers<\/a> have been a rookie (Jayden Daniels) and Sam Darnold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"660\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-2174045012-3-1024x660.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7189\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Comeback incoming? Sam Darnold (Photo by Stephen Maturen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break this down into a few sections as there are realistically at least five quarterbacks who can win this award (and one running back).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"josh-allen-falters-after-early-mvp-lead\"><strong>Josh Allen Falters After Early MVP Lead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For an example of how weird quarterback statistics have been in 2024, Josh Allen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nfl\/qbr\/\">leads all quarterbacks<\/a> with a 79.3 QBR, which would be the 13th-highest season since 2006. That seems so out of whack when you consider the other numbers for Allen through Week 6:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He\u2019s completing 62.8% of his passes, his lowest since 2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>His passing success rate is 43.3%, his lowest since 2019.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He is averaging 7.4 yards per pass attempt, but he\u2019s only averaging 193.3 passing yards per game (lowest since 2019).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allen\u2019s rushing numbers are also on pace to be his lowest since 2020.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe this is a bigger indictment of the QBR metric than anything, but that 79.3 seems to be really inflating the fact that he\u2019s yet to throw an interception, and we know QBR loves to inflate quarterback runs. Once Allen starts throwing some picks, it will be interesting to see how much that number comes down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Allen has already lost some of his narrative edge for MVP after the Bills decided six games was enough before they had to trade for Amari Cooper to give Allen a better No. 1 receiver on the outside. Relying on Khalil Shakir or a rookie like Keon Coleman just wasn\u2019t cutting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buffalo made that work for three games against bad teams, but after struggling with contenders like the Ravens, Texans, and Jets, the Bills had to make a move. Just keep in mind Cooper is past his prime and struggles with drops, so it isn\u2019t like getting him in 2018 when the Cowboys traded for him. But the trade should help Allen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It just may undercut his MVP argument as the facts show Allen has never averaged 200 passing yards per game in a season where he didn\u2019t have Stefon Diggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-other-guys\"><strong>The \u201cOther\u201d Guys<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not lost on me that the top four MVP contenders (by the odds) are the current division leaders in the AFC. But what about the other quarterbacks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brock Purdy was great last season and had a case before MVP before he imploded on Christmas night against Baltimore with four interceptions. He\u2019s arguably playing better this year as injuries have piled up around his skill players, he\u2019s throwing deeper and getting less YAC, and his defense and special teams have let him down a few times. But Purdy just doesn\u2019t move people because of the Kyle Shanahan effect where people automatically credit him for the quarterback\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That could happen to Jared Goff too this year in Detroit with the way Ben Johnson has been dialing up brilliant plays these last few games for the highest-scoring offense. Goff is viewed as a part of the machine but not the engine powering it with his great line, strong running back duo, Amon-Ra St. Brown, an improved Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta at tight end. But winning the NFC North could be a huge tip in Goff\u2019s cap this year. It just may not garner him enough MVP hype as he\u2019s such a known commodity to NFL media types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sam Darnold is an interesting choice in Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s offense, and they stand to get better when tight end T.J. Hockenson returns. But everyone is just waiting for Darnold to implode after a hot start, and his past does suggest he is not trustworthy to sustain this, which would be a rare breakout season in Year 7 of his career. I fully understand the hesitation to endorse him for MVP, but let\u2019s see how he does after the bye against a Detroit defense that just lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jordan Love is hanging in there in the odds, but it\u2019s going to be hard to make up for that first month where he didn\u2019t play great, he was injured, and the Packers were 2-0 with Malik Willis starting in his place. Willis also had some sick efficiency numbers as Matt LaFleur was able to adjust the offense for his skillset. But Love played very well last week against Arizona, and we saw him play like an MVP for half a season last season. He&#8217;s not out of it, but I think the first month of the season should be held against him if someone is close to him at the end with a full-season performance to go by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"jayden-daniels-can-a-rookie-win-mvp\"><strong>Jayden Daniels: Can a Rookie Win MVP?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The only rookie to ever win MVP was running back Jim Brown for Cleveland back in 1957, the first year the Associated Press gave out the award. Maybe they just didn\u2019t know what they were doing yet, but it would be very difficult for a rookie quarterback to pull this off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-2174062714-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7261\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Can he produce a shocker? Jayden Daniels will need to be at his very best to win it (Photo by Andy Lyons\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2016, rookie Dak Prescott received a single MVP vote for the Cowboys, the only recent rookie quarterback to do so. You\u2019d have to go back to rookie Dan Marino receiving 3 MVP votes in 1983 for the only other example since 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there is at least some precedent for a rookie winning NFL MVP. Before the AP had the official award in 1957, the NFL handed out a Joe F. Carr Trophy as the de-facto MVP award. Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield won it in 1945 as a rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Rams. He also won the championship for Cleveland that year too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is all to say that Jayden Daniels has a tough path ahead of him to the MVP, but you can\u2019t discount his chances. He\u2019s leading an offense that is No. 1 in points per drive with one of the highest numbers we\u2019ve seen in over 30 years for that metric. He\u2019s also doing it to combat having a defense that ranks No. 32 in yards per drive and No. 29 in points per drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniels doesn\u2019t have a stacked offense around him, and he has still been incredible at stringing together scoring drives. He once had a streak of 16 straight scoring drives this season (kneeldowns excluded), the longest known streak in NFL history. Daniels has shown great poise at throwing short and protecting the ball, he\u2019s been very effective with some deep throws, and he can run the ball very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the first four games of his NFL career, Daniels completed 82.1% of his passes, the highest in any 4-game span in NFL history. He has led Washington to at least 20 points in every game, and he is lifting a team that hasn\u2019t won its division since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The odds would be looking quite different here if Daniels pulled off an upset in Baltimore last week. But with chances to shine against the Cowboys and Eagles to overtake this division, you have to think Daniels will have an argument if he keeps up his efficient play while still winning games despite his defense\u2019s shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-baltimore-conundrum\"><strong>The Baltimore Conundrum<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After a slow 0-2 start, the Ravens have been as hot as any team over the last month. The duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is feeding off each other and causing headaches for every defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It presents an interesting MVP conundrum as Jackson\u2019s numbers are currently better than they were last year when he won his second MVP. But would voter fatigue and understanding that he won it by default last year cost him from winning it this year even if he\u2019s more deserving? Also, how does the value of Henry factor into this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Henry leads the NFL with 753 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns. We just went through an MVP race last year where people were putting Christian McCaffrey ahead of his quarterback Brock Purdy despite Purdy having really stellar numbers across the board. Better numbers than Jackson currently has. Yet, we\u2019re not seeing that with Jackson as his MVP odds are +550 compared to +6000 for Henry at FanDuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That seems weird. If the value-added part of the offense has been the arrival of Henry, shouldn\u2019t that something away from Jackson\u2019s value to his team? It sure seems like having the league\u2019s leading rusher has helped Jackson hit even more big plays as his yards per attempt is 8.7 compared to 8.0 last year. The Ravens haven\u2019t had to put the ball in the air much in 3-of-4 games, instead focusing on bigger plays as they lead the NFL in yards per play (6.9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, let\u2019s not forget it was Jackson who fumbled in overtime in Cincinnati, which could have easily lost the game if the Bengals didn\u2019t miss the field goal. Then it was Henry who broke off the huge run to set up the winning field goal. Jackson didn\u2019t even register a dropback on the game-winning drive. It was also Henry who set the tone against Buffalo with an 87-yard touchdown run on the first offensive snap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, Jackson is No. 6 in QBR (69.4) but trending upwards. It will be interesting to see what happens here. If Jackson is one of the top statistical quarterbacks (but not No. 1), and Henry is by far the league leader in yards and touchdowns, should the MVP really go to the quarterback in that case?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But helping the MVP case for both is that Baltimore\u2019s defense has fallen from its No. 1 status in 2023. Right now, the Ravens need the offense to be great to win. That might be the biggest difference between last year\u2019s Ravens and this year\u2019s. But it\u2019s still early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-is-patrick-mahomes-the-odds-on-favorite-for-mvp\"><strong>Why Is Patrick Mahomes the Odds-on Favorite for MVP?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As he was in the preseason and for most of this season\u2019s first six weeks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/patrick-mahomes-63626\">Patrick Mahomes<\/a> is the odds-on MVP favorite. It\u2019s not that dissimilar to 2023 when Mahomes was the MVP favorite going into November despite having what many considered pedestrian statistics for his high standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"779\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/GettyImages-1367718480-1024x779.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7263\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The odds-on favorite, Patrick Mahomes. (Photo by Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, what do we say about this season when Mahomes\u2019 numbers through five games are the worst they\u2019ve ever been? Let\u2019s compare his 5-game starts in 2024, 2023, 2022 (his second MVP win), and 2018 (his first MVP win):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>2018: 1,513 passing yards, 14 TD, 2 INT, 8.6 YPA, 112.7 passer rating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2022: 1,398 passing yards, 15 TD, 2 INT, 7.4 YPA, 110.5 passer rating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2023: 1,287 passing yards, 10 TD, 4 INT, 7.0 YPA, 96.0 passer rating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2024: 1,235 passing yards, 6 TD, 6 INT, 7.7 YPA, 88.9 passer rating<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In the two seasons where Mahomes won MVP, you could see the statistical dominance was already there through five games. The numbers weren\u2019t as good last year when he didn\u2019t win it, and they are even worse this season with the eyesore being his ratio of 6 touchdowns to 6 interceptions as he\u2019s thrown at least one ugly pick in every game. Also, the Chiefs have been very poor in the red zone, so he\u2019s not eating up the short touchdown throws he usually dominates at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From a narrative standpoint, I get it. He\u2019s Mahomes, he\u2019s proven himself for six seasons, and we know he can get on a roll and rip off huge numbers. The Chiefs are also 5-0, the favorite to finish as the No. 1 seed (very important for MVP), and they have played several of their toughest games already. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, if Mahomes gets this done, he\u2019ll be doing it without his top two wide receivers who both have season-ending injuries in Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. He\u2019s relying on a 35-year-old tight end (Travis Kelce), a rookie wideout (Xavier Worthy), and the resurrected bodies of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kareem Hunt as running back Isiah Pacheco is also going to be out for two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s all valid. So is the fact that his interception rate (3.8%) is likely to regress to the mean for someone with a career average of 1.8% in the regular season and 1.2% in the playoffs. This offense is also probably going to do better than converting 38.9% of their red zone drives into touchdowns going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I could never in good faith say a quarterback with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions through Week 6 is going to win MVP. If anyone could turn it around, it\u2019s Mahomes, but this is a very slow start to fix when you\u2019re talking about the MVP award. Other quarterbacks are currently more deserving, but we\u2019ll see what Mahomes comes up with as he still has 12 games to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"save-the-date-the-mvp-will-be-decided-in-weeks-16-17\"><strong>Save the Date: The MVP Will Be Decided in Weeks 16-17<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Putting it all together, I want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-schedule-games-tell-story-season\">highlight the point I\u2019ve been making since May<\/a> when the NFL schedule was released. The MVP award was likely always going to come down to a few games in Weeks 16-17, and so far, that looks to be right on point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a Saturday in Week 16, the Houston Texans will be in Kansas City for the first C.J. Stroud vs. Mahomes matchup. Then on Christmas that Wednesday, the Texans are hosting the Ravens with Jackson and Henry. The Chiefs will also be in action on Christmas against Pittsburgh, so a chance for Mahomes to wax the defense led by T.J. Watt in front of a national audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are all huge AFC games that will be in their own windows, meaning they\u2019ll be among the most-watched games of the season. They\u2019ll have huge importance to the final seeding, including the No. 1 seed, and they\u2019ll probably decide the MVP too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, whoever shines the most out of Stroud, Jackson (or Henry), and Mahomes in those games has a great shot to put the finishing touches on their MVP case. My preseason pick was Stroud, and while he hasn\u2019t been excessively great this season, he\u2019s right up there in the current odds with this group. I also think that Houston offense has great potential if they can get Nico Collins and Joe Mixon healthy at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By Week 16, that should be the case, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m still Team Stroud for MVP. He\u2019s already outdueled Josh Allen. Getting over Mahomes and Jackson in the biggest games of the regular season would lock up his first MVP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But again, it\u2019s a long season with many twists and turns to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offensive-player-of-the-year-opoy\"><strong>Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Offensive Player of the Year \u2013 Ja\u2019Marr Chase (+1200 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current OPOY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Derrick Henry (+140)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saquon Barkley (+550)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Justin Jefferson (+550)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ja\u2019Marr Chase (+1000)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CeeDee Lamb (+2200)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lamar Jackson (+2500)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>My biggest flex on this market is that I told people to avoid Christian McCaffrey (49ers) and Tyreek Hill (Dolphins) this season. That was the battle for OPOY last season, but it was hard to imagine either player exceeding what they did in 2024. Sure enough, neither has a shot as McCaffrey has yet to play a game due to Achilles tendinitis in both legs, and Hill\u2019s offense has imploded with another Tua Tagovailoa concussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My preseason pick of Ja\u2019Marr Chase did not get off to a good start in Week 1, but he\u2019s been hot ever since, and at least his odds are higher now than they were before the season started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was hype early for Saquon Barkley as a yardage and big play machine for the Eagles. But shouldn\u2019t we ding him for dropping a game-sealing pass against the Falcons in Week 2? Shouldn\u2019t we point out he has more games with no touchdowns (3) than games with a touchdown (2)? He was also held to 47 yards on 18 carries last week, and against Tampa Bay, 59 of his 84 rushing yards came on one play as the team was blown out. I just don\u2019t see the consistent impact there, and Jalen Hurts will continue to take a lot of short touchdowns away from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I respect Justin Jefferson\u2019s game a lot, but a 97-yard touchdown against the 49ers is the only reason he has one 100-yard receiving game right now. He likely won\u2019t have another play that long this year, and it\u2019s boosting his yards per catch to a career-high 17.3, but Jefferson actually has his career low in receptions per game (5.2), catch rate (60.5%), and receiving success rate (48.8%). They\u2019re looking for bigger plays for him with Sam Darnold but missing some of the easy ones. I\u2019m not moved by his candidacy so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The deserving favorite here is Derrick Henry (+140), but make note that Lamar Jackson is climbing with +2500 odds. We just went through this quarterback-running back dynamic in Baltimore in the MVP section, but it\u2019s interesting to see Jackson is moving up here too. Could they possibly double up on MVP and OPOY to the same player for the first time since Mahomes in 2018?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t think that will happen just because Henry is likely to lead the league in rushing yards, yards from scrimmage, and total touchdowns. Those are hallmark stats for winning OPOY. Unless Jackson starts stealing every short touchdown run from his back to boost his total touchdowns, this award should go to King Henry as long as he keeps doing what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"defensive-player-of-the-year-dpoy\"><strong>Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Defensive Player of the Year \u2013 Micah Parsons (+550 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current DPOY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>T.J. Watt (+150)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chris Jones (+700)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will Anderson Jr. (+800)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dexter Lawrence (+1200)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fred Warner (+1400)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nick Bosa (+1400)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Welp, no 2024 NFL award race has been crushed more by injury than Defensive Player of the Year. You can burn all of those Micah Parsons tickets, my preseason pick, after he was injured and will be out for a month. Things haven\u2019t been going well for Dallas on defense all year anyway, so he was probably not going to win it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the huge blow came this past Sunday in Dallas when Detroit\u2019s Aidan Hutchinson broke his tibia in an excruciating injury that ends his season. Hutchinson was leading the league in pressures and a favorite to win DPOY before that untimely injury that is really going to hurt the Detroit defense. Such a shame to see that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The huge winner from these high-profile injuries is Pittsburgh\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/a.-football\/player\/t.j.-watt-63803\">T.J. Watt<\/a>, who has had his own share of health problems over the year. But when he\u2019s healthy, he has an uncanny ability to affect the game in a huge way. He forced another pair of fumbles in Vegas last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some felt Watt should have won the award last year when he led the NFL with 19.0 sacks. Myles Garrett won it for the first time in Cleveland instead. This year, Cleveland has been terrible, and this is an award where playing on a playoff team matters a lot, so you can probably count the likes of Garrett and Maxx Crosby (Raiders) out here. The same can be said of Dexter Lawrence, who has been great for the Giants despite their woes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 49ers should finish strong, but Fred Warner and former DPOY Nick Bosa may steal votes away from each other, cancelling each other out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will Anderson Jr. (Texans) is another player who stands to benefit from the injuries to Parsons and Hutchinson. Houston has a strong pass rush, and Anderson just had 3.0 sacks against rookie Drake Maye in New England, raising his season total to 5.5 sacks. Granted, he won\u2019t face many offensive lines as bad as that one. But he has a shot here on a good team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Jones is someone who could offer some value here in a weird year for this award. He\u2019s never won it before, but we know he\u2019s the best defender in Kansas City for several years now, and that defense has been elite since last season started. He always seems to show up in big games too as he\u2019s had 12 of his 18 pressures in prime time against the Ravens and Saints. But the stats may not be there at the end of the year to give it to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watt has a big opportunity here with prime-time games the next two weeks against Aaron Rodgers (Jets) and Daniel Jones (Giants) behind some suspect offensive lines. He could really boost his lead going into midseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"offensive-rookie-of-the-year-oroy\"><strong>Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year \u2013 Caleb Williams (+120 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current OROY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jayden Daniels (-190)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Caleb Williams (+155)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malik Nabers (+1400)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marvin Harrison Jr. (+4000)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The rookie wide receivers were hyped as the cream of the crop in this draft, and they have been great. Malik Nabers looks like the best one so far, but his chances at winning this award took a huge blow when he suffered a concussion against the Cowboys and missed the next two games. He\u2019s also had two crucial drops on fourth down this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounds chalky, but this is a two-way race between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the draft, and it could actually be a stellar race if the Bears keep improving behind Caleb Williams. He threw 4 touchdowns in London against the Jaguars, and that didn\u2019t stop his fans from pointing out that Jayden Daniels had 4 touchdown passes through Week 5. He added two more in Baltimore, and Daniels also has 4 rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People are already turning this into the new NFC quarterback rivalry, something we haven\u2019t really seen in a long time. Maybe not since the days of NFC East bickering between Carson Wentz (Eagles) and Dak Prescott (Cowboys). But this would be great for the league as the NFC could use a legitimate quarterback rivalry, and lord knows the Bears and Commanders could use franchise quarterbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Williams and Daniels will clash in Week 8 too, a game that was just flexed to the late-afternoon window, so people are taking notice. I still believe Daniels is more deserving going into Week 7. He\u2019s scored at least 20 points in every game, his drive engineering has been unreal, and he has fewer weapons and a far worse defense than Wiliams has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But should Daniels slip and Williams keep ascending, this could flip in the coming weeks. It should be fun to watch this race play out. There hasn\u2019t been this much interest in the quarterbacks in Chicago and Washington since Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman were going at it during World War II, and I\u2019m not even joking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"defensive-rookie-of-the-year-droy\"><strong>Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year \u2013 Byron Murphy (+1400 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current DROY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Jared Verse (+230)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laiatu Latu (+500)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quinyon Mitchell (+750)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dallas Turner (+1100)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>T\u2019Vondre Sweat (+1600)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Byron Murphy (+2000)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Byron Murphy wasn\u2019t looking like a bad sleeper pick by me, but injury knocked him out early in Week 3 and he hasn\u2019t played since for Seattle. He\u2019s unlikely to win now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, this defensive rookie class isn\u2019t off to a great start, and that may not come as a surprise given no team drafted a defender until the Colts used the No. 15 pick on Laiatu Latu. He has 1.0 sack and 10 pressures so far, but the Colts have struggled on defense to say the least. Jared Verse, the odds frontrunner on the Rams, also has 1.0 sacks and 10 pressures through Week 6, though the Rams just had their bye week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No one in this class has reached 2.0 sacks yet, though you can see pass rushers dominate the top of the odds leaders. Dallas Turner is someone who plays on a great defense (Vikings), but he\u2019s missed a game, he only plays 27% of the defensive snaps, and he has just 2 pressures and 1.0 sacks this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are nowhere close to deciding this one. You also shouldn\u2019t rule out Eagles corner Quinyon Mitchell, who might present the best value right now with +750 odds. He\u2019s had solid coverage metrics and the Eagles look improved on defense from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But no one is running away with this award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"comeback-player-of-the-year-cpoy\"><strong>Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Comeback Player of the Year \u2013 Aaron Rodgers (+175 at FanDuel)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current CPOY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kirk Cousins (+180)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aaron Rodgers (+350)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>J.K. Dobbins (+350)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joe Burrow (+500)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Damar Hamlin (+1100)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kyler Murray (+1400)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nick Chubb (+1600)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sam Darnold (+2000)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We said it would probably come down to which veteran quarterback returns the best from a torn Achilles between Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. I picked Rodgers, but he\u2019s only gotten his coach fired and had the team trade for Davante Adams this week after he threw Mike Williams under the bus for another game-ending interception. Even if Rodgers turns things around after the Adams trade, he\u2019s dug a hole for himself with a subpar start in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kirk Cousins looks like a solid pick for the favorite as he\u2019s been leading great comebacks on the field, his 509-yard passing game against Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South was arguably the most MVP moment of this season by any quarterback so far. He looks much healthier than he did in Week 1 when it didn\u2019t look like he could move against Pittsburgh. He\u2019s warming up to all his weapons, and they have a nice group of skill players there in Atlanta. He\u2019s also going to keep putting up stats since their defense has no pass rush, and he\u2019s going to be relied on heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>J.K. Dobbins is a pretty great story too in Los Angeles as he\u2019s shined after some very serious injuries in Baltimore. But he doesn\u2019t seem to be gaining as much traction in this race. I\u2019m surprised Joe Burrow isn\u2019t above him right now, but we\u2019ll see if the Bengals\u2019 1-4 start is held against Burrow if he doesn\u2019t finish strong and get this team back in the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The controversial name here is Sam Darnold, who had much higher odds a week ago as an emerging favorite for this award. He was going to win it in the \u201che sucked, now he doesn\u2019t\u201d tradition of past winners like Philip Rivers and Jerome Bettis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in the last week, there <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/uncertainty-lingers-regarding-comeback-player-140420001.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall\">were news reports<\/a> that Darnold is ineligible to win Comeback Player of the Year because of new guidelines this year from the AP. Basically, some people were mad that Joe Flacco won it over Damar Hamlin last year, so they are now stressing new criteria for the award:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, wouldn\u2019t the \u201cother circumstances\u201d for Darnold be that he was demoted to a backup and wasn\u2019t considered good enough to start in this league anymore? That could be a way for him to get by this rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some said sportsbooks shouldn\u2019t be offering odds on a player who is ineligible for the award, but you can still find Darnold, albeit at worse odds, listed on top sportsbooks. If he truly is ineligible, then they better void that bet as I jumped on Darnold for COPY early in September when he got off to this good start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the end, it still may go to Cousins or Rodgers, but Darnold would have an argument if the season kept playing out the way it has. Truthfully, I wish they would just abandon this silly award and replace it with a Most Improved Player award similar to the NBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Darnold would run away with that in 2024. If the Hamlin situation last year created new guidelines, then maybe the 2024 Darnold situation will create a whole new award in the NFL next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"coach-of-the-year-coty\"><strong>Coach of the Year (COTY)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Scott\u2019s Preseason Pick<\/strong>: 2024 Coach of the Year \u2013 Jim Harbaugh (+900 at BetMGM)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Current COTY Odds Leaders (via FanDuel):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Kevin O\u2019Connell, Vikings (+145)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dan Quinn, Commanders (+490)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jim Harbaugh, Chargers (+850)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Raheem Morris, Falcons (+1500)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DeMeco Ryans, Texans (+1500)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mike Tomlin, Steelers (+1500)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The top four names should be battling it out for this award, and I think it\u2019s closer than the current odds suggest. The Vikings are not going to stay undefeated for much longer, but if they survive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nfl-2024-super-bowl-lix-odds-week-7\">that NFC North gauntlet<\/a> with Sam Darnold as their quarterback, then you might have to just give it up to the job Kevin O\u2019Connell has done to blow away expectations this year. But I still think the Lions or Packers will come back to win that division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>O\u2019Connell was the only returning coach among the top four odds leaders. The next three are all in their first year with their team, and my preseason pick of Jim Harbaugh on the Chargers isn\u2019t looking bad. But it would be great had he managed Justin Herbert\u2019s health better instead of rushing him to play injured against Pittsburgh, then getting him at less than 100% against the Chiefs in the game they blew a 10-0 lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harbaugh is also undergoing some health issues as he left the start of Sunday\u2019s game in Denver for an arrhythmia issue, so that\u2019s something to keep in mind. But the Chargers have a solid shot to make the playoffs as a wild card. I\u2019m just not sure if that will sway voters more than a division title, especially if it comes in the NFC North or NFC East from such an unexpected source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Dan Quinn\u2019s case, beating out the Eagles and Cowboys for the NFC East with Washington would be very impressive. However, right now the success of that team is largely built on what his rookie quarterback is doing in coordinator Kliff Kingsbury\u2019s offense. Quinn is the defensive coach, and his defense is struggling again. That could cost him votes if things continue playing out this way as Daniels will get and deserve much of the credit for the team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for Raheem Morris in Atlanta, he has a good shot to win the NFC South with a favorable schedule down the stretch for the Falcons. But similar to Quinn, I\u2019m skeptical of how much credit he should get when his defense has no pass rush, and the team has largely won games on the back of Kirk Cousins leading improbable comebacks. That\u2019s why Cousins is such a favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this regard, Harbaugh is doing a better job than Morris and Quinn in that he\u2019s giving Herbert a defense and running game for a change to help the team win differently than they have before. Quinn and Morris are seeing their defenses struggle and the team getting lifted by the quarterback to this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, I still see it coming down to O\u2019Connell and Harbaugh, but Harbaugh may need to win 11 games and get that top wild card spot to really make up for not beating out the Chiefs for the AFC West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d hold off on buying in O\u2019Connell right now as tougher days will be ahead for the Vikings after this outstanding start. For the record, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer did not win Coach of the Year in 2017 when he had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/teams\/min\/2017.htm\">a 13-3 record with Case Keenum<\/a> having a stellar season. He still lost that one to Sean McVay, the rookie who turned the Rams and Jared Goff around right away. McVay won that vote by a 35-11 margin over Zimmer, who finished second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as with all of these awards, plenty can and will change in these final 12 weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related Articles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/nfl-2024-super-bowl-lix-odds-week-7\">NFL 2024 Super Bowl LIX Odds: Can the NFC North Stop the Kansas City Chiefs Three-Peat?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/scotts-seven-nfl-picks-2024-week-6\">Scott\u2019s Seven NFL Picks: Week 6<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-6\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 6: Rookies Heating Up as Josh Allen Struggled in Houston<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-5\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 5: Are Jayden Daniels and Sam Darnold Really This Great?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-4\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 4: Josh Allen\u2019s MVP Push, the Grand Return of Andy Dalton, and Jayden Daniels\u2019 Amazing Start<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-3\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 3: NFC Is Crushing the AFC So Far<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-week-2\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings Week 2: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen Still on Top<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-quarterback-rankings-mahomes-tier\">2024 NFL Quarterback Rankings: How Patrick Mahomes Became His Own Tier<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-picks-super-bowl-lix-playoff-awards\">2024 NFL Season Picks: Super Bowl LIX, Playoff Teams, and Award Winners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/justin-herbert-more-clutch-nfl-quarterback\">Justin Herbert Is Probably More Clutch Than Your NFL Team\u2019s Quarterback<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/2024-nfl-schedule-games-tell-story-season\">The 2024 NFL Schedule: The Games That Will Tell the Story of the 2024 Season<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heading into Week 7, we are now a third of the way through the 2024 NFL regular season. With 12 weeks to go, we wanted to check in on the NFL awards races from MVP to the best offensive and defensive player and rookies, the Comeback Player of the Year, and the Coach of the &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":6944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[402,325,945,1503,360,439,1546,2356,1484,56,1986,1942,1689,1429,573,1424,406,344,1923,444,2288,350,2371,48,1448,356,400],"class_list":["post-7267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-aidan-hutchinson","tag-brock-purdy","tag-c-j-stroud","tag-caleb-williams","tag-chiefs","tag-chris-jones","tag-coach-of-the-year","tag-derrick-henry","tag-jamarr-chase","tag-jared-verse","tag-jayden-daniels","tag-jim-harbaugh","tag-jordan-love","tag-justin-jefferson","tag-kevin-oconnell","tag-kirk-cousins","tag-lamar-jackson","tag-malik-nabers","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-raheem-morris","tag-ravens","tag-sam-darnold","tag-super-bowl","tag-t-j-watt","tag-texans","tag-vikings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}