Most Valuable Player: Rich Gannon, Raiders quarterback
For starters, Gannon was the driving force behind the league's best offense, as well as the leader of arguably the NFL's best team at the end of the regular season. The 37-year old Gannon put up numbers that add up to one of the statistically finest seasons in the history of the league: 418 completions in 618 attempts, a 97.3 quarterback rating, 67.6 completion percentage, 26 touchdown passes and a record ten games with over 300 passing yards. All of this was done while playing in the best division in football, the AFC West. The runners-up: Steve McNair, Titans quarterback; Chad Pennington, Jets quarterback; Mike Vick, Falcons quarterback.
Coach of the Year: Jeff Fisher, Titans
For much of the year, the Tennessee Titans were regarded as the league's most maddeningly inconsistent team. Now, they're simply regarded as one of the league's best teams, thanks to a masterful coaching job by Jeff Fisher this season. The Titans started off the year by losing four of their first five games, and with injuries to such key players as quarterback Steve McNair and defensive end Jevon Kearse they looked to be dead in the water. Instead, the team rallied around its coach and rolled off nine victories in its last ten games to tie for the best record in the AFC. Runners-up: Jim Fassel, Giants; Andy Reid, Eagles; Herman Edwards, Jets; Bill Callahan, Raiders.
Best Coach for a Bad Team: John Fox, Panthers
Fox managed to lead a team coming off a 1-15 season to a 7-9 mark this year. Fox had little to work with in terms of proven talent, as evidenced by the fact that he employed 36-year old journeyman quarterback Rodney Peete to guide his offense. The Panthers started hot, and even while wins became scarce in the middle of the season Carolina consistently made their opponents work to beat them. At the end of the year, with nothing to play for besides pride, they managed to win four of five, including road wins over Cleveland and New Orleans. Runner-up: Mike Tice, Vikings.
Offensive Player of the Year: Marvin Harrison, Colts wide receiver
While Gannon and Chiefs running back Priest Holmes put up banner years, the most impressive offensive performer of the season was Harrison, the quietly spectacular wideout from Indianapolis. He simply dwarfed his fellow receivers in setting a new NFL record for catches with 143 (next in the league this year: 112). He also easily captured the league lead in yards, with 1722 (next: 1347), and yards per game, with 107.6 (next: 92.9). Runners-up: Gannon, Holmes, Vick and 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens.
Defensive Player of the Year: Derrick Brooks, Bucs linebacker
Tampa Bay owned the best defense of the 2002 regular season by allowing the least yards and points of any team in the NFL. The steady leader of that elite defensive unit was Brooks. He was the only player in the league to finish in the top five in his conference in both tackles (118) and interceptions (5). Brooks also scored four touchdowns this season, three on interception returns and the fourth after a recovered fumble. Runners-up: Simeon Rice, Bucs defensive end; Jason Taylor, Dolphins defensive end; Keith Brooking, Falcons linebacker.
Surprise Team of the Season, NFC: St. Louis Rams
The Rams had been to the Super Bowl two of the last three seasons, and boasted All-Pros at quarterback and running back, so why wouldn't anyone figure they would be in the hunt for the 2002 NFL championship? St. Louis stumbled out of the block and lost their first five games, hitting rock bottom in a home loss to the lowly Dallas Cowboys. Backup quarterback Marc Bulger provided some impressive performances during a mid-season run, but the ineffectiveness of quarterback Kurt Warner and nagging injuries to running back Marshall Faulk doomed the Rams' chances of making a return to the Super Bowl.
Surprise Team of the Season, AFC: New York Jets
Fans in Miami and New England are probably still scratching their heads about how the J-E-T-S jets jets jets won the AFC East. The central reason for the Jets' resurgence after a 2-5 start: the emergence of quarterback Chad Pennington. The second year signal-caller out of Marshall replaced Vinny Testaverde and engineered New York's torrid stretch run. Pennington ended the season as the highest rated passer in the NFL.
Choke Artists of the Season, NFC: New Orleans Saints
All the Saints had to do to make the playoffs was win one of their final three games against a trio of the bottom-feeders of the league: the Vikings, Bengals and Panthers. Inexplicably, the same Saints squad that had defeated the Bucs, 49ers, Packers and Steelers earlier in the year dropped all three of these critical contests, and thereby are sitting at home for the postseason.
Choke Artists of the Season: AFC: Miami Dolphins
Miami needed to win at New England in week 17 to capture the AFC East crown. With 4:59 remaining, the Dolphins led 24-13. Five minutes later, thanks to some porous defense, horrible special teams play and idiotic play calling, the game was tied. The Patriots then went on to win in overtime, which ended up ensuring both teams would miss the postseason. The real reason for the Dolphins missing the playoffs: an abysmal 2-6 record in away games over the course of the season.
Loudest Player: Warren Sapp, Bucs
Why is he still talking? Sure, Sapp is one of the premier defensive players in the league and a member of the NFL's top defense, but until he wins a Super Bowl, or, for that matter, even reaches a Super Bowl, I don't understand where he thinks he has the mandate to run his mouth like he does.
