Thanks to all for participating in the voting process for the various regular season awards. Here’s how my ballot went.
(Warning to all Steelers fans: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do any damage to your computer screen after reading this. This warning includes Kim Jones of YES, WFAN and the Star-Ledger.) 
Most Valuable Player. Tom Brady, Patriots. No question about it. Some people prefer Randy Moss, but there’s no way Moss breaks Jerry Rice’s touchdown receptions record without the quarterback. This one’s a no-brainer.
Comeback Player. Brett Favre, Packers. To me, this one came down to Favre, Ben Roethlisberger, Randy Moss, Albert Haynesworth and Greg Ellis. I knocked out Moss and Haynesworth because of things that have been said on this board, namely that why should a guy be rewarded from coming back from adversity they created. Ellis had a terrific return after being injured. Roethlisberger suffered greatly by playing last year despite injuries suffered from a motorcyle accident and an appendectomy. If someone voted for him, I have no problem with it. I went with Favre because, at age 38, he had one of the best statistical years of his Hall of Fame career, this after two straight years of ratings in the low 70’s. At a time when it looked like he might be done, he had his best completion percentage (66.5) and threw for 4,155 yards, 28 TDs and 15 INTs and led the Packers to one of the biggest surprise seasons in the NFL this year. Again, I take nothing away from Big Ben, and I understand why people would want to vote for him. But I take Favre.
(For what it's worth, my sense is that there will be many, many vote-getters for this award, since the AP leaves it open-ended as far as criteria.)
Defensive Rookie. Patrick Willis, 49ers. The only bright spot for a team that went nowhere this season. Mike Singletary has trained this man well.
Offensive Rookie. Adrian Peterson. No one else comes close. Peterson struggled down the stretch, but mostly because teams stacked the box against him. (Peterson, in fact, won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in a runaway.)
Defensive Player of the Year. Bob Sanders, S, Colts. Even without Dwight Freeney, the great pass rusher, the Colts’ defense didn’t miss a beat. And that’s due in large part to Sanders, who has become such an impact player the Colts extended his contract before he hit free agency.
Offensive Player of the Year. Brady. His numbers were insane. A league record 50 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 117.2 rating.
Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick. A couple weeks ago, I was leaning toward Mike McCarthy of the Packers. But the more I thought about it, how can you not give it to the first coach in NFL history to go 16-0. Spygate was not a factor in my mind, because it happened in the first quarter of the first game of the season. Belichick coached his tail off, and he did something we might never see again.
Comments (4)
Sigh. Had you picked one of the self-inflicted guys as Comeback Player of the Year, my computer screen would have suffered. Thought for sure you were going with Moss. It's tought to argue against Favre so if you prefer the guy who held up his team annually with the "I may retire, I may not" nonsense over the guy who nearly died a year before making the Pro Bowl and outplaying every other QB not named Brady in only his 4th (that's right Eli and Rivers - take note) year, then I'll have to live with it.
As for the other awards, it's near impossible to make a rational case against any of your selections. The Pats deserve every award they get, AP was a no brainer as is Willis. I guess one could quibble over Sanders when Cromartie, Willis, and DeMarcus Ware are sitting out there. It's tough to win an award based on the intangible aspect you bring to the team like Sanders clearly does. His stats don't make a case.
All in all, a good job out of Glauber the Blogger.
Lou Holtz and Granny was a classic. Have any for Charlie Weis?
Agree with BBiB. Particularly the comment about being happy you didn't select anyone for CBP that had 'self inflicted'.
Although BBiB, one could argue that Big Ben's troubles last year were 'self inflicted' by virtue of the fact that his behavior was irresponsible... but we won't go there. :-)
BNG, ssshhhhh.....
I would not call Favre's decision about retirement "nonsense." However, I would not give him the award. He himself would say "comeback from what? I didn't go anywhere."
Comeback player of the year to me means injury.
Maybe instead of comeback player of the year it should be
Most Improved Player like the NBA does.