NFL All-Decade Awards Part 2: Single-Season Awards
NFL All-Decade Awards Part 2: Single-Season Awards
The series continues with single-season decade awards.
Most Valuable Player: 2013 Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
Two years removed from missing the entire season due to a severe neck injury, 37-year-old Peyton Manning tore up the NFL record books by recording the greatest statistical season in the history of the National Football League. His 5,477 passing yards broke the NFL record by a single yard (Drew Brees, 2011) and his 55 touchdown passes shattered the previous mark of 50 (Tom Brady, 2007). Led by Manning, the Denver Broncos averaged a ridiculous 37.9 points per game during the regular season and won the AFC. If not for an all-time stinker in Super Bowl XLVIII, these Broncos would have made a serious claim for the greatest team of all time.
Offensive Player of the Year: 2012 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Finishing just nine yards short of the single-season rushing record, Adrian Peterson spent the 2012 season willing the Minnesota Vikings to the postseason. His rushing totals from the last ten games of the season: 153, 123, 182, 171, 108, 210, 154, 212, 86, 199. His 199-yard Week 17 performance came in a must-win game for the Minnesota Vikings against the division-rival Packers. Even more impressive than his video game numbers? He did this less than a year removed from a torn ACL and MCL. After an injury to starting QB Christian Ponder, Minnesota was knocked out of the first round of the playoffs, but let that not take away from one of the greatest seasons of all time.
Defensive Player of the Year: 2018 Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
It’s not often you see a defensive tackle in the MVP conversation, but after the greatest season by an interior lineman of all time, Donald more than deserved to have his name brought up in those talks. During the 2018 season, Donald recorded 20.5 sacks, becoming the first and only interior lineman to ever reach 20 sacks. Donald led the league in pressures by a significant margin and was also a ridiculously effective run stopper. There were no weaknesses in his game. Teams were forced to send triple-teams his way even with All-Decade candidate Ndamukong Suh right next to him. Donald easily won his second Defensive Player of the Year, already launching him into the stratosphere of the all-timers in just his fifth season. J.J. Watt had a handful of amazing seasons as well, but this 19-game performance by Aaron Donald was too good to leave off the list.
Coach of the Decade: 2015 Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers
I was this close to taking 2012 Bruce Arians after some of the greatest interim work ever, but Rivera’s 15-1 record (9-3 for Arians) and Super Bowl appearance put him over the top. After four seasons with former #1 overall pick Cam Newton, the Panthers had put together two consecutive playoff appearances and were ready to take the next step. Under the guide of Rivera, Newton had an MVP season leading the #1 scoring offense in football. On the defensive side, which is where Rivera’s expertise lies, Carolina was sixth in both points allowed and yards allowed. After pasting the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 49-15 in the NFC Championship Game, the Panthers fell just short in the Super Bowl after running into one of the best modern defenses to date in the “No Fly Zone” Denver Broncos.
Team of the Decade: 2013 Seattle Seahawks
This one wasn’t hard. There were several exceptional teams this decade, but when you beat the most productive offense in NFL History by thirty-five points in the Super Bowl, the top spot is yours. Led by Marshawn Lynch and the legendary “Legion of Boom” defense, the Seattle Seahawks won 13 games and locked up the NFC’s top seed. Seattle’s defensive rankings among this decade’s defenses:
- Fourth in points allowed
- Fourth in passing yards allowed
- Second in opponent passer rating
- Fifth in takeaways
Oh yeah, and Super Bowl XLVIII champs.
-By: Micah Jimoh
Writer/Interviewer