2015 Predictions!

With the dawn of another NFL season fast approaching, the boys at NFLinEngland drop their predictions for the award categories and of course their Super Bowl 50 winners.

Aaron: First off... who is your regular season MVP? I'm going with Luck. I'd have love to have gone with Manning but as his career tails off (going by the back end of last season) I think I'm going to have to go with the younger quarterback on this one. Will definitely be between him and Rodgers.

Alex: Luck is a great shout. He’ll be in the MVP discussion for years to come. Now that his four game ban has been overturned I am very tempted to say Tom Brady who will be on a mission to prove a point this season. However, I can’t look past Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Possibly the best QB in the game, I predict him to repeat and secure back-to-back MVPs.

Dan: I can’t look past Andrew Luck for this one. Improving every season, likened to a footballing god by Gore, this could be his season to really place a marker down. With Frank Gore and Andre Johnson coming in, he’s got everything in place to have an outstanding season.

Cyrus: Colts learned a tough lesson in last year’s AFC Championship game against Tom Brady’s Patriots (deflategate aside). I’m backing the Colts to go one better this year, but there are few players in the NFL as crucial to their team as the rapidly improving quarterback Andrew Luck. As well as being one of the best passers in the league, his running game has dramatically improved so it’s hard to see past him becoming MVP in the coming season.

Luck of the Draw... Andrew had three of the four MVP picks.

Aaron: Good stuff! Now I need your offensive player of the year. I'm going to choose Antonio Brown, the wide receiver from Pittsburgh. He caught 129 passes last year (second highest in NFL history) and I'm sure he'll build on that in a stronger Steelers side.

Alex: If this award does not go to Rodgers, I predict Andrew Luck to win the Offensive Player of the Year. An ever-improving talent in a team that has every chance to make the Super Bowl this year, I predict a strong year for Luck who will justify his position as the league’s premier young quarterback. Keep an eye out for Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants and Jamaal Charles from the Chiefs for this award as well.

Dan: If not Luck, you’ve got to be looking at Adrian Peterson, who’s back after missing all of last season following his ban. The last time Peterson had something to prove (2012 after tearing his ACL), he ran for 2097 yards, just 8 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s all time record. 

Cyrus: There can’t be too many better debut seasons in history than the season Odell Beckham Jr enjoyed last year. In his first season, he averaged 108.8 yards received (a Giant’s record, and a NFL rookie record) tied the record for the most consecutive games receiving over 90 yards in a game, and of course, there was THAT catch. The experience of a full season in addition to his raw talent and gigantic hands will see Beckham becoming the league’s best wide receiver in 2015.

Will Madden cover star OBJ kick on this season?

Aaron: Now for your defensive player of the year. Revising ESPN's list of top rated players makes it an easy decision for everyone here - JJ Watt, one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

Alex:  Easy for me. JJ Watt. The most dominating defensive player in a decade. Let’s move on.

Dan: I’m with Alex on this one. A really obvious pick which is a bit boring, but when you’ve got such a physical beast who is so important to his side, it’s impossible to look past JJ. Can anybody stop him? Doubt it.

Cyrus: Easiest decision of the lot, the monster of a defensive end that is JJ Watt. Saying that, Watt managed to score five touchdowns last season, both from defence as well as offence. Colossus.

Turn down for Watt... JJ dominated the defensive picks.

Aaron: How about your rookie of the year? Mine is Marcus Mariota, the recently drafted quarterback who will be playing for the Tenessee Titans. Didn't he hit a 70-odd yard TD pass in preseason? Watch this space.

Alex: I’m a huge Mariota fan and can easily see him winning this award. However, Amari Cooper from the Oakland Raiders is my guy. With another young talent at quarterback in Derek Carr, Cooper’s transition from the leading receiver at Alabama under Nick Saban to the NFL and the Raiders will be seamless. Watch out for Todd Gurley at the Rams when he returns from injury. He was a beast in college.

Dan: Amari Cooper for me. Already the top receiver in the Oakland side, expect him to work well with his young QB counterpart Carr.

Cyrus: After a hugely disappointing year, most 49ers fans weren't feeling too optimistic about the 2015 season. That was before a young Aussie decided to make the bold move of switching from the Rugby League to American football. After some electrifying preseason performances, Jarryd Hayne finds himself in the final 53 man roster for San Francisco, and from what little we have seen of him so far, it's evident that the West Coast may just have found themselves a new star.

Winston and Mariota will look to make a seamless transition from college football.

Aaron: Difficult one this. Comeback player of the year? Bradford of the Eagles has had some awful injuries but I'm backing him for this award if he can finally stay fit. A seriously underrated quarterback.

Alex: I agree, the most difficult decision here. Adrian Peterson, Sam Bradford, Eric Berry, Victor Cruz or Jadeveon Clowney? I’ll take Peterson in a close one over Bradford (who no doubt will pick up an injury or two again this season!)

Dan: Peterson for obvious reasons. Whether you like him or not as a person, there’s no doubting his talent, nor his ability to bounce back under tough circumstances.

Cyrus: After what would have been a tough year in his personal life, I'm backing Adrian Peterson to return with a bang in 2015. Although it's unlikely we will see the same performances that won him the MVP award in 2012, Peterson will expect to re-establish himself amongst the league's elite running backs. Indeed, his form will be pivotal in whether the Vikings can mount a serious challenge to make the playoffs, especially as they play in the NFC North, one of the league's toughest divisions.

Could it be Peterson's year?

Aaron: Coach of the year? Pete Carroll is my choice, his Seahawks side finished preseason strongly and still have some real talent in their ranks.

Alex: Again another tight race! If Geno Smith had stayed fit, Todd Bowles of the Jets would have been my pick. However, I’m taking Rex Ryan from the Buffalo Bills who have a chance to not only usurp the Patriots in their division but with the strength of their defense, have a strong playoff run as well.

Dan: Zimmer. Maintaining his cool during the whole Peterson affair is commendable for starters. In his first season with the Vikings, he drastically improved their defense. With the return of his star running back, the Vikes could or should be in contention for the playoffs. 

Cyrus: Aside from leading the Seahawks to two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, Pete Carroll’s motivational techniques are second to none and he leads a side that seems to love playing for him. On top of that, it takes serious balls to play a fake field goal in the championship game.  When down 16-0. And pull it off.

Carroll took 50% of NFLinEngland's Coach of the Year votes.

Aaron: And finally... Your Super Bowl 50 finalists and winner? For me the Seahawks will learn their lesson from last year's bizarre final decision and pip the Colts to the Vince Lombardi trophy with a little help from Beast Mode.

Alex: Before Jordy Nelson’s injury, I had the Packers to win it all. However, his injury certainly damages their chances but my prediction will be the Packers (gaining revenge on the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game) to meet the Patriots (who beat Luck and the Colts by a field goal in the AFC Championship) in Superbowl 50 with.. Tom Brady adding another ring to his collection! 27-24.

Dan: I’d love to see a matchup between Packers’ leading man Aaron Rodgers and the Colts’ Andrew Luck. With Jordy Nelson out of contention for the entirety of the season with a torn ACL, and Luck being backed up by a less than stellar defense, both sides have their problems. It could come down to a pure shootout, with Rodgers looking to stave off his potential usurper for one more season.

Cyrus: I’m backing a hardened Green Bay Packers to learn from their astonishing collapse in last year’s championship game against the Seahawks and win the Super Bowl. Losing Jordy Nelson to injury will certainly hurt their offense, but last season’s top scorers should have enough to beat the Indianapolis Colts come February and claim their fifth Super Bowl title.

Aaron Rodgers will be looking for his second Super Bowl ring in 2016

Well there you have it folks, a bunch of novices (with the exception of Alex Gordon's freakish sporting knowledge ranging from lacrosse to cross-stitching) have put out their predictions. It's a point per correct answer and we'll revisit this in five months time to see who really knows their stuff.