NFL Honors 2012: Examining the Awards We Still Aren't Exactly Sure About

On Saturday night, Super Bowl XLVI eve, the NFL is "treating" fans to its first-ever awards show, called NFL Honors. 

If every other form of entertainment has an award show, why shouldn't the NFL, right? 

A multitude of trophies will be handed out, and although we technically don't know who's going to win any of them, a few are essentially already wrapped up. 

For example, how does Jim Harbaugh not win the Coach of the Year? Cam Newton's got to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year, right?

Let's take a look at the few awards that don't have sure-fire winners, with two or three extremely worthy candidates—you know, those awards we aren't exactly sure about at this moment. 

Note: These are all AP Awards.

MVP 

I'll touch on this one, briefly. There's an outside chance New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees or New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wins the award, but after his 15-1 regular season with 45 touchdowns and six interceptions and all the hype that surrounded him, Aaron Rodgers will come away with the MVP hardware. 

Don't sleep on Brees and Rodgers as co-MVPs, either. Remember, Steve McNair and Peyton Manning shared the award in 2003. 

Hey, you never know. 

Prediction: Aaron Rodgers

Comeback Player of the Year 

This award comes down to two players who turned in remarkable yet incredibly different "comeback" performances in 2011. 

First is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. He was coming off a respectable but not necessarily noteworthy 2010 in which he threw for 2,370 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 11 games. 

His club went 6-10, and rumors circulated that his time would be up in the Bay Area. 

With new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Smith pieced together his best season as a professional, throwing for 3,144 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions en route to the 49ers' 13-3, NFC West-winning campaign of 2011. 

He's been through a lot since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2005 draft, and this is his best chance to win the Comeback Player of the Year award. 

The journey for Plaxico Burress has been drastically different. After a long stay in prison and two full years away from football, Plax returned with the Jets and was a reliable source of production for New York in 2011. He caught 45 passes for 612 yards with eight touchdowns. 

However, the Jets came apart at the seams, and despite lofty preseason goals, they finished the year 8-8 and failed to make the playoffs. 

Will the voters go for the persevering quarterback who finally achieved sustained success made the postseason, or the former star who made an inspirational return to the NFL?

Prediction: Plaxico Burress

Defensive Player of the Year 

I have three viable candidates for this award: Baltimore Ravens defensive end/outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith. 

OK, DeMarcus Ware should probably be considered, too. 

Let's run down the stat lines of these terrorizing defenders. 

• Suggs racked up 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles on a Ravens defense that, once again, was one of the best units in football. 
• Allen's Vikings were awful in 2011, going 3-13, but he finished the season with an astounding 22 sacks. Only half a sack away from Michael Strahan's record. That close. 
• Justin Smith totaled 7.5 sacks with three forced fumbles in the 49ers' charge to the NFC title game. 

I love Smith's candidacy the most. He was a continual force across the San Fran defensive line and opened many holes for Aldon Smith, who's the likely Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Smith's versatility and productivity make him my pick. 

I understand the thought with Suggs, and wouldn't be shocked if he won the award. Fourteen sacks is no easy task, and he was on a dominant defense and a successful team. 

Allen's a physical freak, and quite the eccentric guy, but I don't care how many sacks you had, if you're team is that bad, you don't deserve any award. 

Prediction: Terrell Suggs 

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