Welcome to the worst part of the year -- the NFL offseason. In the coming months, we can look forward to the NFL Scouting Combine (when football players ), free agency (when older players are ) and the draft (a crapshoot). Do all of those events matter? Sure, and that's why we cover, watch and read about them. Do they matter as much as anything that happens from September-February? Of course not, and that's why we can't wait for Week 1 to finally arrive.It's the worst time of the year. So, before we settle into offseason mode, let's relive the best part of the year: The playoffs. Welcome to the unofficial awards show, where we hand out fake awards to the players who were lucky enough to play football into January (and February). Spoiler alert: Tons of and won. MVP: I know won MVP. I know Brady led the Patriots on . I know he just won his fifth Super Bowl ring. But he wasn't the best player throughout the postseason. Matt Ryan, the quarterback on the wrong side of that historic comeback, was better than Brady -- plain and simple. Take a look at their postseason numbers, because it's not even
Kyle Quincey Women Jersey close: Comp. % YPA TDs INTs Rating Brady 65.5 8.0 7 3 97.7 Ryan 71.4 10.4 9 0 135.3 Brady played poorly in the Patriots' victory over the in the divisional round, played well against the in the AFC title game, played poorly in the first half of
Mikko Koivu Men Jersey Super Bowl LI, and then played the greatest second half in Super Bowl history to lead the Patriots to a win. That's why he won Super Bowl MVP -- even though probably . But you can't ignore his performance against the Texans or that first half against the Falcons -- not when you're a se sing which player was better through the entire postseason -- just like how voters couldn't ignore his bogus four-game suspension . Ryan was better in the playoffs, completing more than 70 percent of his pa ses in all three of the Falcons' games, averaging three touchdowns per game and failing to throw an interception. He was the MVP of the entire postseason, even if he (his fumble and sack in field goal range, to be specific) was a part of the reason why the Falcons blew a 25-point lead in the second half Sunday. With that being said, it's important to note that his fourth-quarter fumble wasn't his fault -- it was 's fault for failing to pick up . If Freeman slows down Hightower, Ryan likely hits for a game-clinching touchdown bomb. If Devonta Freeman does his job, this might be a 75-yard TD to Taylor Gabriel, who torches single coverage. Instead, strip-sack. Huge swing. Tom Peli sero (@TomPeli sero) Instead, Hightower jarred the ball loose, becoming
J.T. Brown Women Jersey . The point is, the Falcons' lo s wasn't entirely on Ryan. It was . Without Ryan, the Falcons wouldn't have jumped out to that lead. They wouldn't have even been in a position to choke away the game. He finished with a 144.1 pa ser rating, by the way. Ryan, who won the regular-season MVP, takes home the unofficial playoff MVP award too. Worst Player: Odell Beckham Jr. This one is all about expectations. Beckham entered the playoffs as one of the game's best receivers who found himself in a dumb controversy leading up to the ' wild-card lo s to the . And then he laid an egg. I refuse to spend anymore time rehashing what happened in that controversy, :Jan. 1: The Giants beat the to finish the regular season 11-5, setting up a showdown with the Packers in Green Bay. Jan. 2: A photo of and it's revealed that they flew down to Miami after the game. Jan. 3-7: Nobody . Jan. 8: Giants lose to the Packers 38-13 and Beckham struggles. Beckham reportedly . He also insists that . Jan. 10: Giants general manager Jerry Reese says . Jan. 30: says . Here's the part I didn't include above: Beckham played horribly in the lo s, catching four pa ses on 11 targets for 28 yards. He was Pro Football Focus' second-lowest graded player on the Giants' offense. PFF a signed him with three dropped pa ses, including what should've been a touchdown. Bieber makes this catch. John Breech (@johnbreech) I'm not saying the boat trip had anything to do with his poor outing. If it wasn't already
Jason Zucker Men Jersey clear, I don't care at all about the trip. I absolutely don't think it was the reason he couldn't catch the ball. But he still sucked in the lo s to the Packers. There's no way around that. And there's no way around the fact that the Giants depend on him to function as their best offensive player, because that's exactly who he is. For one game, he let them down. And that one game was the only opportunity he got. Best Offensive Player: In the Steelers' two playoff wins, running back Le'Veon Bell rushed for 337 yards. He was practically the entire Steelers offense in those two games -- especially in their 18-16 win over Kansas City in the divisional round. Unfortunately, he didn't last long in the AFC title game, and riding out most of the game on the sidelines, which crippled the Steelers' offense. , Bell's backup, rushed for 34 yards on 14 carries in the lo s. Some context on how dominant Bell was: Even if you only used the yards he gained in those first two games, he would still lead the in postseason rushing yards by 142 yards! Yes, I also considered , who hauled in three touchdowns for the Falcons during the playoffs and made what . He's also a worthy choice.Best Defensive Players: Harrison, Clowney, etc. I'm cheating. I spent way too long agonizing over this award, so I'm giving it to more than one player. Since it's a fictional award, I'm gue sing no one will really mind. Let's start with . Somehow, at the age of 38, Harrison registered 2.5 sacks during the Steelers' playoff run. That dude is never going to slow down. is also worthy. In the Texans' win over the , he was credited with only one tackle. But :. says NOPE.Swatted.With the impre sion for good measure. NFL (@NFL) And this:Tipped.Tipped again...PICKED!Oh my, ! NFL (@NFL) In a lo s to the Patriots, Clowney was credited with just two tackles, but he also hit Brady three times and forced two hurries, according to PFF. Nothing ( ) bothers Brady -- not even a 25-point deficit in the Super Bowl -- but Clowney . Other deserving candidates: (2.5 sacks and another unsung hero of the Patriots) (two interceptions) (two interceptions)Best Offensive Performance: White, JulioCheating one more time, sorry. James White should
Eric Staal Men Jersey 've won Super Bowl MVP -- . He set a Super Bowl record with 14 receptions. He racked up 139 yards from scrimmage. He scored three touchdowns -- including the winner. He added a succe sful two-point conversion to his tally. White didn't remember to keep the winning football, . And then there's Julio Jones' performa
