By Lucas Kochevar
The next time NFL football is played, the game will actually matter. The longest offseason in sports has ended with the preseason wrapping up. The teams are cutting players, which sucks, but it is the closest step to kicking off the 2023 NFL season. There's a ton of intrigue around the league regarding the exciting quarterbacks, talented defenses and big play receivers. The last true domino to drop is where Jonathan Taylor will land. It's looking like he'll be traded, but he's still in Indianapolis. There's two teams that I think make the most sense is Chicago and Miami. Chicago has a stable of okay running backs, but Taylor would be a clear upgrade. They aren't paying anyone big money so they could extend him too. The Dolphins also could turn their offense up a notch with this addition. We'll see what team gambles on him once he comes off the PUP list in Indianapolis. In this last LK League notes before the season starts, I want to touch on some last minute predictions with the awards and the Super Bowl. MVP: Jalen Hurts QB, Eagles The MVP for me will be the guy who received runner-up last season. Hurts was excellent last season in leading Philadelphia to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, he lost the MVP race after an injury sidelined him the last month of the season. I think this season will be some sort of revenge tour to claim the MVP he lost. Last season he was a touchdown machine, mainly through the ground. I think he'll make a significant jump in passing touchdowns this season and that'll put him over the other quarterbacks that could be in the running here like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. Hurts is also going into his second season with star receiver A.J. Brown and their chemistry should be sharp. The MVP may only go to one player, but it takes a village to win the award and the Eagles have one of the best villages in the league for Hurts to lead. Barring another injury, I really like Hurts to take home this award. Offensive Player of the Year: Tyreek Hill WR, Dolphins Tyreek Hill was close to joining the 2K yards club last season, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's injury complicated that for him and he was 300 yards short. This season, I think Hill will have a big season and help the Dolphins clinch a playoff spot. I was questionable about how Hill would look without Mahomes throwing him the ball, but he still had a huge year. Hill's speed is game-breaking and his ability to turn nothing into something is second to none. Hill should knock on the door of Calvin Johnson's record this season. Justin Jefferson and Cooper Kupp won the award before so it would shock me if the voter gave them the nod, therefore, Hill should get the award. Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt LB, Steelers The defensive player of the year award went through a repetitive, but fair, stretch when Aaron Donald was the name penciled in year after year. This season, I think we get a familiar name again, this time it's T.J. Watt. Similar to Hurts, injuries slowed him down last season and his presence was missed severely. Watt is a sack artist and should push for season record, similar to how he did in his first DPOY campaign. On top of his individual success, I think the Steelers defense will be very good and as the leader of that, Watt will get big time credit. The Steelers are 1-10 without Watt on the field and that tells the story of Watt's impact on the field. Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin S, Bills This feels like a fairly easy lay-up pick when it comes this award. Typically, it's given out to a player that suffered a tough injury and had a good season. Hamlin returning to the field in any capacity is a miracle and it should be celebrated. He literally died on the field and has managed to comeback and play in whatever capacity he can. It's truly a remarkable story and it'll, once again, be a big deal when this time comes for him to accept the award. There's not much more explanation needed for this. Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bijan Robinson RB, Falcons The offensive rookie of the year typically goes to a quarterback and there are plenty of worthy candidates, but I'm going to choose the best overall offensive player that isn't an offensive lineman. Robinson was an absolute star in college and that warranted a top ten selection for the former Longhorn running back. I love his fit in Atlanta and it should be a big year for him. The Falcons were the best rushing team in the league last season and Arthur Smith knows how to get a running back involved. If the Falcons manage to win their division and Robinson is the star for the offense, Robinson should walk to the award. He's the odds-on-favorite for a reason and I'm excited to see how he looks in the pros. Defensive Player of the Year: Devon Witherspoon CB, Illinois The Seahawks have a knack for finding talent at cornerback and I think they found another stud with Witherspoon at the fifth pick. Transitioning to the NFL as a corner is perhaps the hardest adjustment and it's rare for rookies to be playmakers. I think Witherspoon can really pop out of the gate. Sauce Gardner showed us how a rookie corner can be an All-Pro and although I don't think Witherspoon can be at that level, I think he can be elite enough to win this award. He also pops as a corner with his physicality and tackling. If Witherspoon can be a leader among this very talented defense, pencil in the former Illinois star for this award. Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell, Lions This feels like another obvious pick if the Lions make the playoffs. The Lions have always been our lovable losers and they have big expectations. If they manage to win the division for the first time since 1993. Last time the Lions won the division, it was called the NFC Central. The Lions getting to this point has largely been behind the overhaul in culture with Campbell. I talked a lot about the Lions in last weeks LK League Notes, but I want to reiterate that the Lions should be a playoff team this season behind Campbell's leadership. Super Bowl Prediction: Buffalo Bills 31, Philadelphia Eagles 23 Look away, Eagles fans. Rejoice, Buffalo fans. The Bills have suffered from sky high expectations the past couple of seasons and I don't want to say they aren't high this season, but they feel tempered. The Jets are the team everyone is talking about in the division and I think that takes a little bit of weight off the Bills shoulders. They dealt with a ton of adversity over last season, but I think they'll come back to a sense of normalcy and have a solid season. The Eagles will also walk through the NFC with no serious teams to challenge them. Buffalo will need their defense to take a leap from what it was last season and I think they do that with the return of Von Miller and emergence of defensive end Gregory Rousseau. I'm very excited for this season and I can't wait to share all my thoughts with you guys!
1 Comment
CheckMate King Two This White Rook
9/1/2023 07:40:27 am
Hey LKSports… Watchout for those Eagles… Bills have too any obstacles and good teams out there…
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Lucas KochevarI love sports and I'm a local fan of the Falcons, Hawks, and Braves. You can find my quick thoughts and more on my twitter @lucaswkochevar |