Predicting 2015 NFL Season Award Winners After Week 13

There are four weeks remaining in the 2015 NFL season, and each team still has four games remaining on its schedule.

While the onus on the players and coaches to make the playoffs, we thought we would take a closer look at who we feel are the current front-runners for the eight individual awards given out by the Associated Press at the end of the season.

As you may recall, we took an early look at who we felt might be the best candidates for these honors back in mid-October. It’s safe to say that we have had to amend some of our picks, but as we stated then, there was a long way to go and we weren’t giving out the awards at that time.

And that’s the case once again as the league heads down the home stretch. There’s still a lot of football left to play.

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

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Over the last few weeks, the New England Patriots have gone from near-invincible to vulnerable. A 10-0 start has given way to a two-game losing streak.

But that doesn’t mean we think any less of the recent play of quarterback Tom Brady.

The prolific signal-caller leads the NFL in passing yards (3,912) and touchdown tosses (31). Brady is completing 63.7 percent of his passes and has turned over the ball just eight times (six interceptions), despite being sacked 29 times in 12 games.

Although his supporting cast has dwindled on a seemingly weekly basis, Brady has still managed to throw at least two touchdown passes in all but one game this season. In his 16th NFL season, the savvy quarterback continues to play exceptional football.

Defensive Player of the Year: DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

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He’s been in the league just under five seasons. But Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has already established quite a legacy in a brief time, and he’s still got a lot of football left in him.

Yes, the Texans are coming off a rough afternoon in Buffalo to the tune of a 30-21 loss. Watt has four tackles and did not have a sack in the game, while Houston allowed 390 total yards in the loss.

But let’s not forget the season the five-year pro has had following a slow start. Watt leads the league with 13.5 sacks and ranks second on his team with 59 tackles. Add in five passes defended and a forced fumble, and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year is once again in the running for the same honor.

Of course, Watt is going to face a stiff challenge from others, such as linebacker Thomas Davis and cornerback Josh Norman of the Carolina Panthers. It should be an interesting finish for all.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Remember back in Week 1 when some were questioning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for selecting Jameis Winston with the first overall pick?

The wave of skepticism came after fellow rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans rolled to a 42-14 win at Tampa, thanks to four first-half touchdown passes from Mariota.

So did the Bucs grab the wrong guy?

Well, while Mariota is having a terrific year for the rebuilding Titans, Winston has been an impressive work in progress, and his progress has been the key.

In his last eight games, the former Florida State star has thrown 11 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. Winston has also run for four scores and hasn’t lost a fumble. During the team’s 1-3 start, the young signal-caller threw for six scores and ran for a touchdown but also committed eight turnovers, including seven interceptions.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: CB Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs

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It’s been quite a run for the Kansas City Chiefs and quite a year for rookie cornerback Marcus Peters. Andy Reid’s team has won six straight games, and Peters leads the team with five interceptions, even though he didn’t play his best this past weekend.

“I made some silly mistakes,” said Peters to Adam Teicher of ESPN following the team’s 34-20 win over the Raiders last Sunday. “That’s the big thing I really need to work on. It got me in trouble in college. My emotions get too high and then things kind of turn in the wrong direction.

“I was just too fired up,” added the rookie cornerback. “I don’t know how to put it into words how glad I am to be from Oakland, California, and to play in front of my hometown.”

Besides leading the team with five picks, Peters has also totaled a team-high 18 passes defended and ranks third on the team with 50 tackles.

You can’t ignore the play of New York Jets defensive end Leonard Williams, who is certainly making an impression as well. But Peters has helped the Chiefs turn into a ball-hawking defense, something this unit never would have been mistaken for a year ago.

Comeback Player of the Year: QB Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals

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As usual, there are a number of players who would qualify for this honor. And there are stories such as Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry’s return to the field after battling and defeating cancer.

But Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer still gets the nod here for now. Knocked out of action twice last season and limited to six games in 2014, the veteran signal-caller has his team on the verge of a division title and perhaps more this year.

Palmer has doubled his number of games played from a year ago and has thrown for 3,693 yards and 29 scores this season with only nine interceptions. His presence has been huge, and the numbers bear it out. Arizona leads the NFL in scoring with 382 points, and the offense has produced 41 touchdowns.

A year ago, with Palmer and backup quarterbacks Drew Stanton, Ryan Lindley and Logan Thomas all pressed into duty, the team managed only 310 points and 27 offensive touchdowns.

The Cardinals are currently riding a six-game winning streak, and they're two wins away from setting a new franchise record for victories in a season. It is little wonder Palmer is in the MVP discussion as well.

Assistant Coach of the Year: DC Wade Phillips, Denver Broncos

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Think about where the Denver Broncos would be today without their defense.

With veteran quarterback Peyton Manning struggling, injured and eventually sidelined; an ineffective ground attack; and an offensive line that spent much of the early season just trying to find some sort of continuity, Gary Kubiak’s attack was a mess.

But for the vast majority of the season, Wade Phillips' defense has answered the bell in a big way. The Broncos are giving up just 17.5 points per game (second-best in the NFL) and have allowed just 19 offensive touchdowns in a dozen outings. Denver has totaled a league-high 41 sacks and Broncos defenders have returned five of the team’s 23 takeaways for touchdowns.

Last season, Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles took home the hardware in this category. Will Phillips make it two straight years for the defense?

Coach of the Year: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers

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There is only one NFL team without a loss right now.

The Carolina Panthers are a sparkling 12-0, and with one more victory, they will set a franchise record for wins in a season.

Back in 2013, in his third season at the helm of the team, Ron Rivera helped his club overcome a 1-3 start to finish 12-4 and win the NFC South. On Sunday, with the Atlanta Falcons’ loss at Tampa, the Panthers not only wrapped up a third straight division title but also posted a 41-38 victory at New Orleans.

Of course, a season ago, Carolina was off to a 3-8-1 start and in the midst of a six-game losing streak before the team rallied to win its final four contests and the NFC South once again. The Panthers’ current 16-game regular-season winning streak is one of the longest in NFL history.

Meanwhile, Rivera is a strong candidate to win NFL Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three years.

Most Valuable Player: QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

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A few weeks ago, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton had never thrown five touchdown passes in a game in his brief NFL career.

Now, the exuberant and confident signal-caller has done it twice in his last three games. As his team continues to win in various ways, Newton has upped his game and is clearly the emotional leader of a team that has played well on both sides of the ball.

The Panthers offense is really starting to hit its stride, and given their consistently stifling defense, they have been a tough out this year.

As for Newton, he’s now thrown for 2,797 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 476 yards and seven scores and leads the NFL in creative end-zone dance moves.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com.