CLEVELAND — I think this is the year for Myles Garrett to win the award he's always wanted: NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Cleveland Browns All-Pro defensive end has been in an annual battle for the award with T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I just have a feeling Myles wins this year. Here's why. Remember that highlight game Garrett had when the Browns beat the Indianapolis Colts? Do you remember the "Superman" play when he leaped over the line of scrimmage and ate up an Indy field goal attempt? Remember the strip sack of Gardner Minshew in the end zone? Voters remember highlight plays and vote for that guy.
Now, I know Garrett's sack total went quiet late in the year when he played with a sore shoulder. But he's Myles Garrett and he was part of a great defense. I think he wins.
The case for Kevin
I'm a Kevin Stefanski guy. I love him. I'm proud of him. I'm glad he's our coach. Should he be the NFL Coach of the Year? YES! The Browns won 11 games by playing five different quarterbacks. Stefanski adjusted their offense when the Browns running game lost its legs after Nick Chubb's knee was bent sideways in Pittsburgh. He changed the Browns offense five different times -- and still won.
I know Dan Campbell was great in Detroit and went for it on 4th and 100 yards to go for a first down.
And I know DeMeco Ryans in his first year took the Texans to the playoffs and will probably win the coach of the year, but give me Stefanski seven days a week.
Saluting Joe Flacco
Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills will win the Comeback Player of the Year. I totally get it. It's not how he played for the Bills, or even how much he played. It's just that he played. It's just that he lived after basically dying on the field in Cincinnati the year before.
But Joe Flacco was a great Cleveland story. He threw the Browns into the postseason. The Browns don't make the playoffs without Flacco arriving from his home in New Jersey. I hope he's back with the Browns. And if not here, I hope it's with another team. We all owe Joe Flacco a big thank you! He took us on a magical ride.
Finally
Jim Schwartz as the NFL's Assistant Coach of the Year? Absolutely He took a bunch of high draft picks on the Browns defense and made them play like... first-round draft picks. Since coming back into the league in 1999, the Browns have never played defense the way they did in the Jim Schwartz system. The Browns defense was the best the league, and that's because of Jim Schwartz.
More of JIMMY'S TAKE:
More Browns coverage:
- Cleveland Browns with four finalists for 2023 AP Awards: See who made the list
- Cleveland Browns looking at 'additional sites' in Northeast Ohio for new stadium
- 'Next season you get the title': United Airlines ad featuring actor Kyle Chandler urges Cleveland Browns fans to book flights for Super Bowl LIX