Houston— The eve of the Super Bowl is when the NFL is at their finest during the NFL Honors celebration where the league announces award winners, as well as the newest Hall of Fame class headed to Canton in the summer.
This seasons awards show was hosted by Keegan-Michael Key. The NFL awards for excellence were mostly taken by the Atlanta Falcons and the Dallas Cowboys, while the New England Patriots seemed to have been somewhat snubbed.
The winners are as follows:
Fed Ex Air and Ground Players of the Year: QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta; RB Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Dak Prescott, Dallas
Ford Offensive Line of the Year: Dallas
Rooney Sportsmanship Award: RB Frank Gore, Indianapolis
Salute to Service Award: Head Coach Dan Quinn, Atlanta
Castrol Clutch Performer of the Year: QB Derek Carr, Oakland
AP Assistant Coach of the Year: Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Atlanta
AP Coach of the Year: Jason Garrett, Dallas
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: DE Joey Bosa, L.A. Chargers
AP Defensive Player of the Year: LB Khalil Mack, Oakland
AP MVP: QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta
AP Comeback Player of the Year: WR Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
Walter Payton Man of the Year: QB Eli Manning, NY Giants, WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona