NFL Award Predictions: Most Valuable Player

     Finally, we have arrived to the most important of NFL awards to be handed out on February 2nd; the Most Valuable Player Award. Out of the many players to be analyzed, there are just three who we believe might take home the NFL's most prestigious award. Those final three players are Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, and J.J. Watt. Be sure to comment, subscribe, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thenflreport! Also, subscribe to us on YouTube, where we create monthly highlight videos for some of the most exciting NFL players!

Adrian Peterson

QB Peyton Manning: One point in favor of Peyton Manning's MVP campaign has been his impact on the team he plays for. Indianapolis went from 10-6 to 2-14 during the year in which Manning was missing with a neck injury. Then, as he moved to Denver, the Broncos easily made the playoffs as the number one seed. Manning's ability to win makes him extremely valuable, but his statistics are not necessarily as mind boggling as Watt's or Peterson's.

DE J.J. Watt: Watt appears to be the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, but unfortunately, it is extremely uncommon for a defensive player to win MVP. In fact, the last defensive player to win MVP was Lawrence Taylor in 1986. J.J. Watt would be a much more legitimate contender if he had snapped Michael Strahan's single season sack record. Sadly, Watt was unable to gain the two sacks necessary to break Strahan's record; however, Watt managed to rack up 81 tackles over the course of a single season, an extraordinary number considering Watt's role as a defensive end. That being said, Watt was also able to easily bat down passes, a skill that helped the Houston Texans defense disrupt opposing team's passing games. As I mentioned earlier, Watt is unlikely to win MVP due to his inability to break Strahan's record; therefore, the NFL will have to wait for another defensive MVP.

RB Adrian Peterson: Adrian Peterson proved over the course of 2012 that the running game is still alive and capable of making a dramatic impact on a particular team. In 2011, the Minnesota Vikings were 3-13, with little to no defense, and a star running back recovering from a very serious ACL injury. Adrian Peterson single-handedly led this team into the playoffs, where the highlight of his season took place in Week 17, where Peterson rushed for 199 yards against the Green Bay Packers, clinching a spot in the postseason. Although he was unable to break the single season rushing record, Peterson became the 7th running back to be a part of the 2,000 rushing yards club. Peterson's statistics, along with his importance to the Minnesota Vikings organization, ought to earn him the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

Most Valuable Player Prediction: Adrian Peterson

NFL Award Predictions: Defensive Player of the Year

     Unfortunately, many defensive players are overlooked when it comes to Most Valuable Player; however, the Defensive Player of the Year Award honors those defensive players like J.J. Watt who made a difference on the other side of the football. The two players apart from Watt who we believe have a legitimate chance at winning this award are Aldon Smith and Geno Atkins.

J.J. Watt

DT Geno Atkins: Geno Atkins, a third year defensive tackle out of Georgia, has proven himself to be one of the best defenders in the league, even though he did not start off his pro career with a lot of buzz surrounding his future. Atkins sacked the quarterback 12.5 time in 2012, ranking first among all defensive tackles,  as well as earning him a spot on the NFL All-Pro team. Along with his incredible sack total, Atkins forced four fumbles, with 53 tackles. Double teams came often, but Atkins still managed to get the better of the offensive linemen. Unfortunately, it is not a common occurrence for defensive tackles to win this award, so it is unlikely for Atkins to take home Defensive Player of the Year.

LB Aldon Smith: With just two games left in the season, Aldon Smith had a legitimate shot at breaking Michael Strahan's sack record. All though Smith was unable to record a single sack in his final three games of the season, the San Francisco linebacker helped lead the 49ers defense into the Super Bowl. Smith and Watt are the two main contenders for this award, but unfortunately, Aldon Smith is not as well-rounded of a defender as J.J. Watt.

DE J.J. Watt: Not only did J.J. Watt challenge Michael Strahan's sack record in 2012, J.J. introduced the idea of swatting balls down if it  is clear the sack is not there. J.J. Watt blocked a mind boggling 16 passes, causing quarterbacks to second guess the direction of their passes. In both the running game and the passing game, offensive coordinators avoided Watt's side of the field, for not only could he stop the run, as well as apply heavy pressure on the quarterback, but Watt would block the majority of the passes thrown his way. J.J. Watt improved the Texans defense drastically, and his extroidanry abilities deserve him the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Defensive Player of the Year Prediction: J.J. Watt