The annual midseason Serby Says NFL awards comes your way with expert breakdowns from NFL Network’s inimitable Brian Baldinger:
MVP
Jared Goff (QB, Lions)
Josh Allen hasn’t stopped being Josh Allen (17 total touchdowns, one interception) without Stefon Diggs, and Allen has the Bills smelling a fifth consecutive division crown.
And Lamar Jackson is a threat to win his third MVP. But Goff (13 TDs, four INTs, 115.3 rating) has a league-best 74.1 completion percentage and the top scoring team (33.4 ppg).
“It’s impossible, I think, for a defense to stop your offense. … You have so many explosive players and you do such a good job of distributing the ball,” Bill Belichick told Goff on the “Let’s Go” podcast.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
Derrick Henry (RB, Ravens)
A match made in smashmouth heaven.
Hasn’t fallen off a cliff at age 30.
“He’s got still top-end speed,” Baldinger said. “When he gets in the open field, guys have a hard time bringing him down or catching him.”
That 87-yard TD run on the first snap against the Bills, for example.
“He outran the whole team,” Baldinger said.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR
Dexter Lawrence (DT, Giants)
“He’s beating everybody upfront,” Baldinger said. “I did a breakdown for the Giants. I found 10 plays where he was absolutely dominant in — whether it’s chasing Russell Wilson to the sideline, or just collapsing the middle of the pocket, or just making solo tackles. He plays a high volume of plays. The only guy that we’ve ever seen like this really is Aaron Donald. He’s in a category by himself, but he’s so much bigger than Aaron Donald, and probably better against the run.”
Runner-up: Xavier McKinney (S, Packers): Made history with five interceptions in his first five games with his new team.
Got his sixth against Trevor Lawrence last Sunday.
“He’s a perfect fit for Jeff Harley’s system there,” Baldinger said. “He’s the center fielder of that defense.”
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR
Jayden Daniels (QB, Commanders)
Hail Jayden!
He’s reminding longtime locals of the rookie Robert Griffin III.
Daniels is picking up where he left off as Heisman winner at LSU.
Deadly accurate dual threat with raging swag.
“He’s just an elite, elite athlete,” Baldinger said. “I don’t think anybody could have thought that he’s going to throw the ball as good as he is, and then make as good of quick decisions as he makes — whether it’s to run under pressure, like when Todd Bowles blitzed him every play, or whether it’s to find the open receiver or get out of harm’s way then find the open receiver.”
Runners-up: Malik Nabers (WR, Giants): Says Serby. Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, Jaguars): Says Baldinger of his favorite receiver in the draft. “He just moves differently than everybody else. He just glides,” Baldinger said. “He’s something else, man. He’s really something special.”
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR
Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Eagles)
Has started every game.
No interceptions but no TDs allowed.
Limited Ja’Marr Chase to one catch for 13 yards on two targets. “He’s sticky in coverage,” Baldinger said. “He reminds me of D.J. Reed with the Jets, but quicker than D.J. Sticky like D.J.”
COACH OF YEAR
Sean Payton (Broncos)
Several candidates, but a 5-3 record with rookie quarterback Bo Nix gets him the nod.
“They don’t have nearly the talent that Green Bay has, or Detroit has,” Baldinger said.
Dan Quinn (Commanders), Matt LaFleur (Packers), Mike Tomlin (Steelers), Raheem Morris (Falcons), Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) and Dan Campbell (Lions) all belong in the conversation. Andy Reid (7-0 Chiefs) has Patrick Mahomes, so he suffers.
Quinn has changed the culture, and is 6-2 and in first place with Daniels. LaFleur has managed to win with backup QB Malik Willis and hired the right defensive coordinator in Jeff Hatley.
Motor City Dan Campbell is an elite motivator with an elite coaching staff and a personality that has been overwhelmingly embraced.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF YEAR
J.K. Dobbins (Chargers)
Has 535 yards on 112 carries with four rushing TDs. Showing signs of wearing down, but let’s give the guy a break. “Looks like he did back at Ohio State right now,” Baldinger said.
Back from torn Achilles in Week 1 last season and devastating knee injury in 2001.
Runner-up: Kirk Cousins (QB, Vikings): After tearing his Achilles in Week 8 last season, he has 14 TDs and seven INTs, plus $100M guaranteed, with his new team.
Nobody is talking about Michael Penix Jr. being the eighth pick of the draft.
EXECUTIVE OF YEAR
Adam Peters (Commanders)
Aside from drafting Daniels with the second pick, he filled multiple holes with bargains such as Dante Fowler Jr., Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler.
And hired Dan Quinn.
OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT OF YEAR
Ben Johnson (Lions)
“He’s very creative,” Baldinger said. “He’s taken a quarterback that everybody thought was just kind of average, and here we have him as the MVP of the league, and took a receiver that was a mid-round draft pick in Amon-Ra St. Brown, he’s an elite player. Somebody said David Montgomery should be a starting running back, and he makes it look like that. And Jared Goff has never played better, he’s played for Sean McVay.”
DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT OF YEAR
Brian Flores (Vikings)
“He does it in a way that a lot of teams really struggle with — who’s coming and who’s not coming, and what they’re playing behind it,” Baldinger said. “They have a lot of positionless players that play in a lot of different parts of the field, you’re not really sure exactly what they are.”
Honorable mention: Steve Spagnuolo (Chiefs) gets the Andy Reid treatment.
SPECIAL TEAMS ASSISTANT
Danny Smith (Steelers)
“He’s just full of energy every day. Everybody loves Danny,” Baldinger said. “He just gets the most out of all his guys.”
Has been with Mike Tomlin since 2013.
His unit has blocked a league-leading 13.33 percent of opposing teams’ field goal attempts this season.
Many other worthy candidates. Legendary Mike Westhoff (Broncos) is listed as an assistant head coach.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER
Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings)
A pair of pick-sixes, one against Daniel Jones, one for 63 yards against Aaron Rodgers. “People say that you can’t run Flores’ defense without Van Ginkel,” Baldinger said. “They don’t even give him a position, they just say he’s the playmaker.”
Baldinger had suggested two candidates initially. “Budda Baker [Cardinals] is one of my favorite players,” Baldinger said. “That guy hits everything that moves. He doesn’t take plays off, doesn’t miss games. He’s 185 pounds and hits like a ton of bricks. Alex Anzalone in Detroit is very underrated, middle linebacker. He never comes off the field, he plays every play.”
I told him I’m picking Van Ginkel. “Give it to Van Ginkel,” Baldinger said. “First of all, he’s a Wisconsin kid, and all these linebackers from Wisconsin are amazing players. They’ve all been trained.”
MOST OVERRATED
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Jaguars)
Has 11 TDs and four INTs.
“He’s just very, very inconsistent,” Baldinger said. “He just can’t make the plays when you got to be able to make plays in this league.”
Showing signs of life, but this is the first-overall pick of the ill-fated 2021 QB class and the last man standing with the team that drafted him.
WORST FREE-AGENT SIGNING
Tyron Smith (LT, Jets)
Signed a one-year, $20M deal ($6.5M guaranteed) and has hardly resembled a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
BEST FREE-AGENT SIGNING
Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles)
“He’s been everything they could have hoped for right now,” Baldinger said.
Much to the chagrin of Giants GM Joe Schoen.
“That kid Tyrone [Tracy Jr.] is pretty good, man,” Baldinger said. “Look, they made a mistake. They should have franchised Daniel [Jones] after 2022, and they should have extended Saquon.”
There are 10 teams with winning records all of which run the ball more than they throw it.
The Eagles (55 percent) lead the league.
BEST GAME
Ravens 41, Bengals 38 (OT), Oct. 6: Joe Burrow (five TDs) and Lamar Jackson (four TDs) in a shootout.
WORST GAME
Broncos 10, Jets 9, Sept. 29: Mostly because I had to sit through it.
BEST ENDING
Commanders 18, Bears 15, Oct. 27: Daniels’ game-ending Hail Mary to stun the Bears.
WORST OFFICIATING
Too many to enumerate, but that no-call facemask in the end zone on Sam Darnold doesn’t pass the smell test.
THE ROBERTO DURAN
Anthony Richardson (QB, Colts): For his “No Mas” tap out against the Texans.
GRUMPY OLD MAN
Jerry Jones (America’s Scream): Bullying radio hosts is a bad look.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Bill Belichick (“ManningCast,” etc): Plenty of coaches on the hot seat, starting with Mike McCarthy (Cowboys).