Jonathan Taylor continues his utter dominance as he battles with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the Offensive Player of the Year award
Two of the top players in the league are battling it out for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
With the NFL season halfway done, our team at A to Z Sports decided to vote on who should win each of the major NFL awards. Over the next week, we’ll release one article per day, covering each award. This article will cover the NFL’s first-ever Offensive Player of the Year award.
A panel of four writers was selected for each award, and we attempted to exclude the primary beat reporters for the top-five favorites by betting odds in each category. That way, we’ll minimize bias in the voting as much as possible.
And speaking of voting, we copied the NFL’s MVP point system, where first-place votes result in 10 points, second-place votes receive five points, third-place votes get three points, fourth-place votes are worth two points, and fifth-place votes are worth one point. Obviously, the player with the most points wins the award.
For the Offensive Player of the Year award, our panel includes Kyle Crabbs, Rob Gregson, Mike Payton, and Evan Winter.
A to Z Sports midseason Offensive Player of the Year voting
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
“Jonathan Taylor’s the straw that stirs the drink in Indy. Yes, he’s got a great supporting cast around him. Yes, they’ve got new life from the quarterback in Daniel Jones. Yes, the schedule hasn’t been the toughest. But we know what Taylor is capable of, and he’s maximizing every ounce of juice out of his run opportunities this season. He’s going to have a chance to be the exclamation point on a lot of victories this season. ” – Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports NFL anaylst
“There is also a home run element to Taylor’s game that has returned after a brief hiatus the past couple of seasons. He looks faster than ever, and he’s one crease away from hitting his head on the goalpost every time he touches the ball.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh
Final voting results
- Jonathan Taylor: 40 points (4)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 15 points
- Bijan Robinson: 12 points
Offensive Player of the Year winner: Jonathan Taylor
“Taylor has been the engine that makes one of the top offenses in the NFL go this season for the Colts. He’s currently on pace to finish with nearly 29 total touchdowns and almost 2,000 rushing yards. If he stays on this pace, I don’t see a way he doesn’t add at least an Offensive Player of the Year award to his resume. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is his biggest current competition, and he’s been incredible. Personally, I don’t think he has been as vital to the Seahawks’ offensive success as Taylor has to the Colts.” – Destin Adams A to Z Sports Indianapolis
Cleveland Browns News
If someone wants the Defensive Player of the Year award they are going to have to take it from Myles Garrett, so good luck
Its going to be tough for anyone to take the Defensive Player of the Year award from Myles Garrett, but never say never.
