NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1 Viewer)

[The_Man]

Seems like Aaron Rodgers has the NFL MVP Award locked up, even with the great season Brees is having. But who is the NFL Defensive Player of the Year?

Jared Allen, MIN - 14.5 sacks, 51 tackles, 4 passes defended, 1 INT, 4 Forced Fumbles

Von Miller, DEN - 10.5 sacks, 57 tackles, 4 PD, 0 INT, 2 FF

Terrell Suggs, BAL - 10 sacks, 53 tackles, 5 PD, 2 INT, 3 FF

DeMarcus Ware, DAL - 15 sacks, 42 tackles, 2 PD, 0 INT, 2 FF

Patrick Willis, SF - 2 sacks, 93 tackles, 12 PD, 1 INT, 4 FF

Charles Woodson, GB - 0 sacks, 55 tackles, 13, PD, 6 INT, 1 FF

If it's not one of these guys, who is it?

It seems that unless one guy is having a record-setting season for sacks or INTs, this award tends to go to the best player on the best defense in the NFL. I'd narrow it down to Suggs and Willis and would go with Suggs for now. Willis has been great, but hasn't made the kind of game-changing plays that Suggs has -- 3 sacks vs. the 49ers, and the great redzone INT he made vs. Pittsburgh when he jumped the bubble screen from his pass-rushing stance come to mind. What I like about Suggs is that he isn't just a pass rush specialist - in Baltimore's 3-4, he is very strong against the run and will also drop back into pass coverage sometimes.

 

[sho nuff]

I wouldn't put Woodson in that group right now.

The defense as a whole has not been good and while the 6 INTs are nice...he has been weak in coverage for a bit this season and not getting there on the blitz.

Id say Allen or Suggs IMO.

 

[The_Man]

Two guys separated themselves from the pack this week. Jared Allen with 3 sacks now has 18 for the year. Suggs also had 3 sacks and 3 Forced Fumbles.

Ware had no sacks and committed a huge offsides penalty with the game on the line, negating the Giants' fumbled shotgun snap. Wilis didn't play.

To me, being the top player on one of the top defenses in the NFL means more than getting lots of sacks for the #18 defense on a 2-win team. But if Allen breaks the all-time sack record (which is now a possibility) it's hard not to give him the award.

 

[Godsbrother]

Suggs is a beast. He gets my vote.

 

[PaperBagHead]

For now it's Suggs IMO, but this could change on a slight breeze.

Unless Allen's sacks approach the 20 mark, he's going to get passed over for playing on such a bad team on such a bad defense.

Imagine if Suggs won though? That would be 3 DPOYs playing on that defense. Epic.

It begs the question: Which defense was better: the Ravens of the aughts or the Bears of 80s?

 

[Godsbrother]

It begs the question: Which defense was better: the Ravens of the aughts or the Bears of 80s?

Easy. The Steelers of the 70s.

 

[Resident A]

Suggs.

Jason Pierre-Paul deserves consideration as well as the others listed in the poll.

 

[dmb359]

I voted for Jared Allen (I'm probably partial since unfortunately I am a Vikings fan). To do what he's doing on a ####ty team is impressive, and now at 18 sacks, with 3 games to go...I hope he keeps up the pace, and then I think he deserves it. If he doesn't, then I'm guessing Suggs, since a D player on a good team is more likely to get it (if stats are similar)