Player Of The Year Candidates: Who Leads?

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Player Of The Year Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

With week 8 coming to an end, we are officially past the halfway point through the season.  It’s safe to say that players have set their standards, and will play essentially as well as they have throughout the first half of the season.  While conversations begin to stir about player of the year candidates, now is as spooky of a time as ever to look at the performance of outstanding players.

*MVP candidates will not be covered

Offensive Player of the Year

Carson Wentz has been on fire all season. Leading the NFL in touchdowns with a 4:1 TD/INT ratio is certainly impressive. The 8-1 Eagles can credit plenty of their success to the second year quarterback. When it comes to MVP talk, keep an eye out for Wentz.

Alex Smith has thrown 1 interception all season. ONE interception. Almost 200 completions without a pick. Smith boasts the highest passer rating of any starting quarterback at 113.9 while having the second most passing touchdowns at 18. So much for “game manager.”

Tom Brady should be no surprise as a candidate. Leading the league in passing yards at the age of 40 shows how stupid consistent Brady is at football. With 16 passing touchdowns and only 2 picks, Brady is looking to pick up his 3rd OPOTY. Did I mention he’s 40 years old? He’s playing against corners half his age, man.

Russell Wilson is having a solid season across the board. Wilson is 3rd in passing yards with 17 passing touchdowns and 6 picks. He’s the dark horse of the bunch, but don’t be surprised if his pace increases.

Defensive Player of the Year

Demarcus Lawerence is second in the NFL with 10.5 sacks. The 25-year-old defensive end is the MVP of the Dallas defense, with an impressive 22% pressure rate.

Calais Campbell’s first season on the Jaguars has been his best yet, despite only having played in 8 games. Campbell drew more pressure than any other defender in the first four weeks. The 6’8″ 300-pound end has absolutely exceeded expectations.

Everson Griffen is currently sitting third in sacks with 10. In Griffen’s best season to date, he’s had at least one sack per game. The explosive end may be the most entertaining player to watch this season.

Joey Bosa has averaged one sack per game started since the beginning of his career. While currently fifth in sacks, Chargers fans should be excited about Bosa’s future. Bosa is statistically the most consistent pass rusher in the NFL since coming into the league.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Kareem Hunt is leading the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie. Hunt is averaging a little over 141 total yards per game. That puts him on pace for well over 2,000 total yards this season. The Chiefs have been striking gold their last two drafts.

Deshaun Watson was certainly on pace to be the OROTY. Watson leads the NFL in touchdowns with 21 total. However, an unfortunate non-contact knee injury has put him out for the season. On the bright side, it seems the young team has found its franchise quarterback.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Marshon Lattimore has more interception return yards than yards given up in man coverage. Allowing no touchdowns and only 19 targets on the year, Lattimore isn’t only on pace for the best rookie cornerback season ever.  He’s on pace for the best cornerback season ever, period.

Carl Lawson has seen mainly a rotational role in the Bengals defense. With only one game started, Lawson has 4.5 sacks. Not bad at all.

Tre’Davious White has 12 passes defended through 8 games. Although consistency may be an issue, the future is bright for the young corner.

My picks:

MVP – Carson Wentz

OPOTY – Alex Smith

DPOTY – Demarcus Lawrence

OROTY – Kareem Hunt

DROTY – Marshon Lattimore