A Season in Review

Now that we’ve been given a few weeks to recover from the 2023 NFL season, I figured now would be a great time to reflect on the season we just watched, look at some of the best (and worst) games and performances from the year, and give out some fun awards voted on by your favorite amateur football analyst, me.

A brief recap of the 2023 season

The 2023 NFL season was, dare I say, forgetful.

Maybe its just my cynical point of view as a Bears fan, but other than a few broken records and some impressive rookie performances, this season didn’t feel like it lived up to the standard set in years past.

One of the most anticipated teams this year, the New York Jets, had their hopes shattered 4 plays into the season when quarterback and alternative medicine enthusiast Aaron Rodgers tore his achilles.

Rodgers was the first of 7 quarterbacks this past year to suffer season-ending injuries. Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow, Anthony Richardson, and Justin Herbert are just a few of the others.

Just over half the league saw their backup QBs start a game this year due to their starters getting injured, resulting in more mediocre play than we’d like to see.

However, some of those backups did give us exciting runs during their time on the field. Josh Dobbs, Tommy DeVito, Joe Flacco, and Gardner Minshew are some who overperformed when they got their chance.

Unlike how it felt in years past, it wasn’t as fun to be a fan of many teams this year.

Even towards the end of the year, Eagles fans started to spite their team, which started off the season 10-1. Chargers fans had to watch their stellar quarterback drag around an underperforming supporting cast for yet another year, and I had to watch Bears fans argue that Tyson Bagent deserved the starting job over Justin Fields.

Overall, it felt like only a few teams had something to watch and something to hope for this year.

Chiefs fans, who just watched their team win back-to-back Super Bowls;

Packers fans, who very likely found the successor to Aaron Rodgers and were the youngest team of all time to make the playoffs;

and Texans fans, who witnessed one of the greatest rookie quarterback performances of all time, took home offensive and defensive rookie of the year, and went from the second worst team just a year ago to winning a playoff game.

So in an effort to make the 2023 season just a little more memorable, let’s hand out some awards for all the best and mostly worst football we saw this past year.

The 2023 not-so-honorable NFL award ceremony

Here are the awards that are up for grabs:

• The Josh Allen Award: given to the league’s actual most valuable player.

• Most Improved Team: do I really need to explain this one?

• Best Offense: self-explanatory.

• Best Defense: this one too.

• Game of the Year: the most entertaining game the NFL had to offer in 2023.

• The Nathan Peterman Award: highlights exceptionally terrible quarterback play.

• The Jakobi Meyers Funniest Loss Award: given to the team that, against all odds, found the best way to lose

• Backup Player of the Year: awarded to the player who stepped up, balled out, and maybe even stole a starter’s job

• Bust of the Year: awarded to the most underwhelming rookie and has no other meaning!

With no further ado, let’s hand out the awards.

The Josh Allen Award

Your nominees for the Josh Allen award, given to the actual most valuable player, are:

1. Josh Allen, Quarterback, Buffalo Bills

2. Josh Allen, Outside Linebacker, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yes, there are two players named Josh Allen in the NFL right now. Yes, I know I’m very funny

And the winner is…

Josh Allen, Quarterback, Buffalo Bills!!!

Josh Allen was far and beyond the league’s most valuable player this year. To spare you some time, my explanation of why he’s the most valuable player can be found in one of my previous newsletters here.

Most Improved Team Nominees:

1. Houston Texans

2. Detroit Lions

3. Green Bay Packers

Your winner is…

The Houston Texans!!!

All 3 of these teams found themselves not only in the playoffs this year but also winning a playoff game after missing out on them the year before. And despite the Lions making it further than any of the other nominees, they were the best team the year prior.

The Houston Texans, just a year ago, were a miraculous play away from finishing with the worst record in the league.

Just a year later, they had one of the greatest seasons by a rookie quarterback of all time and look primed for long-term success.

For the next few awards, which are actually focused on team performance, I’ll be referring to this graphic, which shows offensive and defensive performance from the 2023 season.

As always, an explanation of EPA & other NFL performance metrics can be found here.

Best Offense Nominees:

1. Dallas Cowboys

2. Miami Dolphins

3. San Francisco 49ers

Your winner is…

The Dallas Cowboys!!!

Although the Cowboys finished 2nd in offensive EPA this year behind the 49ers, that Dallas offense was something special in 2023.

They led the league in points per game at 30.1, and at one point in the season, they were averaging 41 points per game at home.

Also if anyone wishes to cry about me using those numbers even though some of those points came on defensive scores, please file your tears here.

Best Defense Nominees:

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. Cleveland Browns

3. New York Jets

Your winner is…

The Cleveland Browns!!!

This is the obvious choice. All 3 of these teams finished at the top of the league, but no team was better defensively than the Browns this year.

This year, the Browns became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs after having 4 different quarterbacks start multiple games, and that was thanks to their stellar defense and some help from ex-rival quarterback Joe Flacco.

Game of the Year Nominees:

1. Cowboys 41 - 35 Seahawks (Final)

2. Eagles 37 - 34 Bills (Final/OT)

3. Ravens 37 - 31 Rams (Final/OT)

Your winner is…

Eagles 37 - 34 Bills (Final/OT)

Let me preface by saying all of these matchups were incredible.

The Ravens Rams game ended with a walk-off punt return in overtime, and the Cowboys Seahawks game is my personal favorite of the 3, but when you consider the stakes, the Eagles Bills game was a duel between two of the league’s best programs.

After a hard fought regulation, a 59-yard field goal from Philadelphia sent that game into overtime tied 31-31.

The Bills received the ball first and had a chance to win the game with a touchdown.

After the Eagles defense held them to a field goal, their offense drove them down the field, and Jalen Hurts sealed the game with a 12-yard touchdown run.

The Nathan Peterman Award Nominees

1. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

2. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons

3. Joshua Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals/Minnesota Vikings

For those who don’t know who Nathan Peterman is, he has some of the worst games at the quarterback position in recent history. If you want to see some of his career lowlights you can watch them here.

Your winner of the Nathan Peterman Award is…

Sam Howell!!!

This year, Sam Howell led the league in interceptions thrown that were returned by the defense for a touchdown (4).

He threw three of his pick-6s in back-to-back-to-back weeks, with some of them coming on horrendously bad throws. He also led the league in total turnovers.

No quarterback helped the opposing team more than Sam Howell did this year.

Congrats Sam.

The Jakobi Meyers Funniest Loss Award Nominees

In order to understand this award, you have to know the man it is named after.

Last year, Jakobi Meyers pulled off one of the most incredible game losing plays of all time.

If you have not seen it or do not know what I am talking about, please watch it here before continuing.

It is hands down the best worst play of all time.

Anyway, here are your nominees

1. Denver Broncos 70-20 loss against Miami Dolphins

2. Chicago Bears blow double-digit lead vs Detroit Lions

3. Denver Broncos 35-33 loss against Washington Commanders

Your winner is...

The Denver Broncos 35-33 loss against the Washington Commanders!!!

If you’re unfamiliar with how this game ended prepare to be entertained.

The Denver Broncos were down 35-24 with under two minutes remaining.

An 11-point comeback in less than two minutes is already very unlikely.

The Broncos did the best they could, scoring a field goal and keeping the Commanders from burning any time off the clock on the ensuing possession.

They got the ball back on their own 13-yard line with 48 seconds and an opportunity to mount a game-tying drive.

After 45 seconds, they only made it out to the 50. They would need a Hail Mary to stay alive.

Needing a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie it, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson heaved the ball towards the end zone.

The ball stayed in the air for what felt like ages. It was tipped first at the 5-yard line, deflected again up into the air, and was caught for a touchdown by Broncos wide receiver Brandon Johnson, who had just 10 career catches before this one.

Needing a 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it into overtime, the Broncos failed to convert, and an already underwhelming start to the season just got worse.

Backup Player of the Year Nominees:

1. Gardner Minshew, Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts

2. Joe Flacco, Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

3. Tommy DeVito, Quarterback, New York Giants

Your winner is…

Joe Flacco!!!

As much as I’d love to give this award to fellow Italian and fighting Illini Tommy DeVito, he was relatively underwhelming against any team not named the Commanders or Patriots. I will however award him a gold star for his iconic celebration 🤌.

Gardner Minshew did a good job of keeping a Colts team who lost their rookie starter competitive this year, but fell short when the team needed him most to make a playoff push.

Joe Flacco had easily the most remarkable season of any backup quarterback this year.

The 39-year old quarterback seemed to have lost his place in this league 5 years ago when Lamar Jackson took over his role in Baltimore.

Despite that, he came in this year and led the Browns to the playoffs, who have only made it there 3 times since 1999. He led the league in passing yards per game by a wide margin (323.2 YPG) and won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award over a guy who literally died on the field last year.

Bust of the Year Nominees:

1. Bryce Young, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers

2. Quentin Johnston, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Chargers

Your winner is…

Quentin Johnston!!!

Both Quentin Johnston and Bryce Young were the first players selected in each of their respective positions in the 2023 NFL Draft.

And although Bryce Young led the Panthers to the worst record in the NFL this year, he charted among the best in the league in accurate passes and carries little overall blame for the Panthers’ team struggles.

Quentin Johnston, on the other hand, managed to hurt the Chargers in a multitude of ways despite playing a much less impactful position.

One of the most anticipated rookies this year finished 15th in receiving yards and 19th in receptions among rookies and finished behind players named Jahmyr Gibbs, Tyjae Spears, and Bijan Robinson, who don’t even play the wide receiver position.

Thanks for navigating the NFL’s Darkest Timeline with me. If you enjoyed this read, share it with a human being who you think would appreciate it too.

Until next time,

Michael

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