Defensive Player of the Year
So I am taking the safe and obvious way out on this one. The DPOY to me has to be Patrick Willis.
Willis has put himself at the top of the middle linebackers list in the NFL, and he has passed both Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher in my eyes.
Willis is not only a tackling machine, but he is the vocal and emotional leader of a young, up and coming defense.
He is not necessarily surrounded by stars like Fitzgerald is on offense, but he is good enough that he makes everyone around him better.
There are some great defensive players in this division:
Adrian Wilson
Nate Clement
Karlos Dansby
Patrick Kerney
Lofa Tatupu
But, Willis would be a hard player to beat in any division, not just the NFC West.
NFC West MVP
Another selection that will no doubt bring out the homer calls.
Kurt Warner is the key not only to the Cardinals season, but to me he is the key to the entire division.
I truly believe that the Cardinals have the ability to win the division and make it back to the playoffs.
Yet, their entire season hinges on Warner. If he is good and continues to produce like last season, then the Cardinals can expect to win another division title.
If he is off, that opens it up to the 49ers and Seahawks to swoop in and pick up the division. Sorry Rams fans I think you are still a year or two away.
Others for consideration:
Matt Hasselbeck
Frank Gore
Patrick Willis
Larry Fitzgerald
Coach of the Year
Another homer pick...
No, I like Jim Mora Jr. for this. He walks into a better situation than Mike Holmgren left in.
A healthy Matt Hasselbeck, an improved defense, and a chip on the shoulder makes this a great opportunity to get the Seahawks back to the playoffs.
Mora will add some toughness and intensity to the defense, while allowing Hasselbeck to continue to run the Seahawks offense.
The addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh will allow the Seahawks to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.
Others in order:
Mike Singletary: Getting the 49ers to 7-9 and keeping them in contention for the playoffs as the season winds down.
Ken Whisenhunt: Another division title and an improved running game and defense are not enough for the Cardinals coach.
Steve Spagnuolo: Provided a direction and leadership for the Rams. Kept the team competitive, but only winning four games will not get you the pick as NFC West Coach of the year.
Division Results
Arizona Cardinals 11-5 Division Champs
Seattle Seahawks 10-6 Wild Card
San Francisco 49ers 7-9
St. Louis Rams 4-12
Sending two teams to the playoffs and showing that there is great football being played on the West Coast is where I see this season ending.
The Cardinals and Seahawks are the class of the division to me.
The 49ers are knocking on the door.
The Rams, hopefully are headed in the right direction.
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