After 18 weeks of hard running and countless touchdowns, the NFL regular season is officially over. We at Tossyard have decided to hand out some accolades to the best performers in the regular season.
MVP – Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)
Rodgers was the best quarterback in the NFL unquestionably this season. Maybe not as excellent as he was in 2021, but he was still brilliant in so many ways. Rodgers is still capable of making the most difficult throws, the ones that only a few quarterbacks can produce. Rodgers can throw unbelievable passes on the move or squeeze passes into the tiniest of spaces. He is a highlight reel unto himself. He’s capable of making great decisions as well as delivering accurate throws consistently.
Rodgers has developed an ability to avoid negative plays. His 0.8 percent interception rate was top among starters. His 5.4 percent sack rate ranked 11th. And he fumbled once. There’s not much else that needs to be said. He was the best quarterback on the best offense, and the Packers went 13-2 in games that he started.
Defensive Player of the year – TJ Watt (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Watt led the NFL in:
- Sacks (22.5)
- QB hits (40)
- Tackles for loss (21)
Watt’s six batted passes were the third highest in the league and his five forced fumbles were tied for fifth. Myles Garett may have been a worthy competitor for this award but he got hurt. Donald put up ridiculous numbers despite playing defensive tackle and would be a worthy choice. Watt is not always the first guy creating pressure, but he uses his athleticism to consistently finish and produce negative plays. That’s why he gets the pick here.
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Offensive Rookie of the Year – Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals)
Another record-breaker here. His 1,455 receiving yards were the most by a rookie in NFL history. And Chase already had the record with 1,429 yards before the 17th game. He also set a franchise record for the most receiving yards in a season. Chase’s 17.96 yards-per-reception average was second only to Deebo Samuel. Six catches of 50-plus yards ranked first in the league. Averaging 2.51 yards per route run, which ranked sixth in the NFL. With the Bengals’ playoff hopes on the line, Chase delivered a seven-catch, 125-yard performance against the Ravens.
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys)
Finally, we have Micah Parsons who also had an excellent season. Parsons had 13 sacks which was the sixth-best in the league and 29 QB hits (fifth). What makes those numbers even more ridiculous is that he had just 286 pass-rushing opportunities. There were 119 players who rushed the passer on more snaps than Parsons. Despite that, he still ranked among the best in sacks and QB hits. Truly elite-level production on a weekly basis. He’s an explosive athlete and one of the best on the defensive side of the ball.
