Now that the regular season has come to an end and all of the stats have been compiled, it’s time for the annual awards to be handed out. Ten categories of pro football talent will be recognized for standing out from the rest in the 2010 season. Some were very easy decisions while in other categories there were several choices that were equally deserving of acknowledgement. So before the second season begins, here were the best in the 2010 regular season.

Game of the Year

December 19th: Eagles @ Giants

It was Week 15 and the NFC East lead was on the line as both teams came in with a record of 9-4. With 8:17 left in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day to give New York a 31-10 lead. It looked like the Giants had the game well in hand. Seven minutes later and three touchdown drives, the Eagles had tied it up at 31. With just 13 seconds left, the Giants were forced to punt on fourth down. Coach Tom Coughlin instructed punter Matt Dodge to punt away from explosive Philadelphia return man DeSean Jackson. Instead, the ball went straight to Jackson, who fumbled but had time to pick the ball up and make a return. The seas parted and Jackson had a clear path to the endzone for a 65-yard return with no time left. The Eagles won 38-31, leaving fans in disbelief. A walk-off touchdown ended the game, dubbed “The Miracle at the New Meadowlands.”

2. December 5th: Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

This Sunday night game at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 13 was also a battle for the division lead. Both AFC North teams came in at 8-3 and the winner would leave at the top, one game ahead. To no one’s surprise, this game was a defensive battle. Neither team could get the run game going, with only a combined total of 97 yards on the ground. With less than three minutes left, the Ravens led 10-6. The difference coming on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Boldin. Then the Steelers finally broke through when Troy Polamalu sacked Joe Flacco, causing a fumble that was recovered by LaMarr Woodley and run back to the Baltimore 9-yard line. Then, playing with a broken nose and sprained foot, Ben Roethlisberger found Isaac Redman who managed to break two tackles and find his way to the endzone, giving Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead which would be the eventual final score. 

3. November 21st: Indianapolis @ New England

If there’s anything we ever should have learned after the 2006 AFC Championship, it’s that you cannot count out Peyton Manning and the Colts no matter how many points they spot the Patriots. In this case, they were down 31-14 with 10:23 left in the 4th quarter. Manning had looked like a mirror image of his old self when these teams first began to meet in the playoffs. Confused, rattled, and throwing passes that landed right in the arms of New England defenders. Meanwhile, his arch rival Tom Brady had played nearly perfect, going 19 of 25 and connecting on two touchdown passes. Then finally Manning seemed to figure the Patriots’ schemes out, leading the Colts down the field twice and ending both drives with touchdown passes to Blair White. With 4:46 remaining, New England’s lead was just three. Whent the Patriots couldn’t convert, they had to punt the ball to Indy again. At this point, Manning was red hot and marched the Colts down the field one more time. In field goal range, they didn’t have to go for the win, but Manning let a little too much air get under a pass intended for Pierre Garcon and he was picked off for the third time on the day, this time by Patriots safety James Sanders. No miracle comeback, as Manning got a little greedy, but it still made for one of the best games of 2010.

Breakout Player of the Year

**1. Arian Foster - **We probably should’ve seen this one coming right out of the gates, when an unknown Foster ran for 231 yards and 3 TDs on the Indianapolis Colts on opening day. In just his second year in the NFL, and first as a starter, Arian Foster won the NFL’s rushing title with 1,616 yards. Last year, he sat behind Steve Slaton who gave the Texans little results and made them one of the worst running teams in the league. With his talents as a receiver also, he went over 2,200 all-purpose yards and visited the endzone 18 times. 

2. Peyton Hillis - Part of the trade for Brady Quinn, Hillis came from Denver to Cleveland in the off-season to help a run game that was looking mediocre at best after the retirement of Jamal Lewis. Hillis was a relatively obscure player, until he started turning heads in Week 3 with a 144 yard game against Baltimore. He also turned heads for another reason, as he became the first white running back in 25 years to run for 1,000 yards. It’s a fact I don’t dwell on, but also don’t pretend to ignore. It’s clear that Cleveland got the better end of the bargain with Denver in this trade.

3. BenJarvus Green-Ellis - In his third pro season, all with New England, the man known as “The Law Firm” finally got a good share of carries and didn’t make New England regret it. Gaining just over 1,000 yards and rushing for 13 touchdowns, Green-Ellis proved to be a vital part of the Patriots 14-2 season. When you have Tom Brady at quarterback, you generally don’t run the ball very often. But Green-Ellis proved that the pass game isn’t all the opposition has to focus on.

Honorable Mentions: Steve Johnson, Jason Babin, LeSean McCoy, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Hakeem Nicks

**Comeback Player of the Year **

**1. Mike Vick - **Hands down, Vick wins this award. After Kevin Kolb was knocked out in Week 1, Vick stepped in and made an immediate impact. Though injuries kept him out of nearly five complete games, he still electrified the league when most thought his best days were well behind him. He became a much improved passer while showing he can still turn on the afterburners to make a big play with his legs when necessary. The greatest game of his career came in Week 10 when he looked like something right out of the Madden video game, throwing 4 touchdowns and running for 2 more while putting up over 400 yards of total offense. Vick threw just 6 interceptions all season and was the game’s fourth best rated quarterback.

2. Troy Polamalu - After missing 11 games in 2009 due to injury, the Steelers safety came back with a vengeance. On a defense filled with playmakers, they were an even greater defense when they had their leader there to take the field with them. His instincts are excellent at figuring out what the offense is bringing to the table, and his 7 interceptions were proof that he hadn’t lost even the slightest bit of a step.

3. Dwayne Bowe - Kansas City’s deep threat caught an NFL-best 15 touchdown passes this year after coming off a tough 2009. Last year he was only able to play 11 games and put up 589 yards receiving. This year he doubled that amount with 1,162. In five games this season, Bowe scored multiple times and played a huge role in the Chiefs’ improvement from a 4-12 team to AFC West Champs.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Turner, Osi Umenyiora, Brian Urlacher, Jay Cutler

Defensive Rookie of the Year

**1. Ndamukong Suh - **The  No. 2 overall draft pick of the Detroit Lions doesn’t just deserve the Defensive Rookie Award, but some mention of the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award also. Suh lived up to all of the hype and then some, giving hope to a Detroit defensive line that was the laughing stock of the league before he arrived. Racking up 10 sacks and 66 tackles is no easy feat for a rookie. Should Ndamukong have a long healthy career, he’ll be one of the all-time greats when his career is said and done. 

**2. Devin McCourty - **Maybe he did get lucky by getting plugged into Bill Belichick’s system that seems to rarely fail, but take nothing away from McCourty’s amazing rookie season in which he amassed 7 interceptions and 82 total tackles. McCourty looked like anything but a rookie, intercepting some of the game’s best passers in Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Philip Rivers. ** **

3. Joe Haden - The Browns got much needed help in their secondary department with their first round pick of Joe Haden this year. Six interceptions and 18 passes defended, combined with 64 tackles. With the right coach in place next season, Haden could be developed into one of the league’s premier corners based on the glimpse of what he showed in rookie outing. Honorable Mentions: Koa Misi, Eric Berry, Earl Thomas

Offensive Rookie of the Year

**1. Sam Bradford - **This is an easy call. Bradford was thrown in as the starter right off the bat and never batted an eyelash, taking a 1-15 Rams team to a 7-9 record and very nearly a division championship. Throwing for 3,512 yards in his first season as a pro with a huddle full of receivers most of us can’t name. He took his bumps, getting sacked the fifth most of all NFL QBs, but that didn’t stop him from throwing 18 scores to 15 picks. Bradford is already the franchise, and with players like himself, Steven Jackson, James Laurinaitis, and Chris Long to build around, they’ll be competing for the division title in 2011 also.

**2. Mike Williams - **Clearly the best receiver of the rookie class, Williams was on the receiving end of Josh Freeman’s great season at QB for Tampa Bay. Williams came close to cracking the 1,000 yard mark and reeled in 11 touchdown passes on 65 total receptions. He turned out to be a nice surprise for the Bucs, who had nearly no receiving threats after Antonio Bryant left in free agency. Freeman and Williams should give opposing secondaries fits for years to come.

**3. LaGarrette Blount - **I hate to play the “What if?” game, but LaGarrette Blount didn’t get any significant playing time until Week 7 and still broke the 1,000 yard mark. His best game by far came against Seattle, where he ran for 164 yards on just 18 carries. So with that said, I’m just going to say this award could very well be going to Blount had he played the entire season. But there’s no point in wondering. The important thing is the Bucs have found their starter now and with this young group of offensive talent that put together 10 wins in 2010, they should hang around a while to compete for bragging rights in the NFC South.

Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski, Chris Ivory

Most Improved Player of the Year

1. Josh Freeman - When Tampa Bay selected Freeman 17th overall with their first round pick in the ‘09 draft, I was one of the many people that was skeptical of him being the answer they were looking for. The 59.8 season rating and 18 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns didn’t do much to sway that opinion. This year, Freeman did a complete 180. At 22, he plays the quarterback position with the level head of a 10-year veteran. This year, his rating skyrocketed to 95.9, he threw for 25 touchdowns and was intercepted just 6 times. His final two regular season games may have been his most impressive, going 21 of 26 in each of them. That’s an 81% completion percentage in 2 straight games. He also threw for 5 scores in the Week 16 game against Seattle. He’s come a long way in a short time, and next year the Bucs should be doing more than just contending for a playoff spot.

2. Matt Cassel - When Tom Brady went down just 8 minutes into the ‘08 season opener, unknown backup quarterback Matt Cassel had to take over as starter. It didn’t take long for him to make a name for himself as he threw for nearly 3,700 yards, 21 TDs and just 11 interceptions. Pretty impressive for someone that hadn’t started a game since high school. When Brady returned with a clean bill of health last season, that made Cassel expendable for the Pats and he was traded to Kansas City. Last year was less than spectacular, leading many to believe his play was just a product of Bill Belichick’s system. In 2010, Cassel proved that theory dead wrong. With a 93 QB rating and 27 TDs to just 7 picks, Cassel lead the Chiefs to a 10-6 record after a miserable 4-12 mark the year before. An unlikely turn around and even more unlikely division champion the Chiefs became, thanks in big part to their quarterback’s great season.

3. Darren McFadden - In his third season, McFadden finally put an end to the questions of if he was just another first round bust taken by Oakland. In 13 games, he put up 1,157 yards and on the ground and 507 as a receiver. He ended the season with a 5.2 yard per carry average and saw the endzone a total of 10 times. His most impressive game of the season, and as a pro for that matter, came in Week 7 in Denver when he went off for 165 yards on just 16 carries. He ran for three scores that day and caught another, single-handedly scoring 24 of Oakland’s 59 points that day.

Honorable Mentions: Cameron Wake, Brandon Lloyd, Mike Wallace

Coach of the Year

1. Bill Belichick - There are plenty of deserving candidates for this award this year, but none moreso in my opinion than The Hoodie. Maybe he won’t win because people just expect him to win no matter what the circumstances are. Well how about when 22 of your starters are no further than two years into your career? What about when you trade Randy Moss after just four games? Is a league-best 14-2 record still expected of you? If so, those are pretty high and unrealistic expectations.

**2. Mike Smith **- The winner of this award in 2008 comes very close to doing it again this season after leading the Falcons to the best record in the NFC at 13-3. Last year was a disappointment when they missed the playoffs at 9-7 and were without Michael Turner. Smith’s Falcons bounced back stronger than ever this year and have positioned themselves with the most clearcut path to the Super Bowl in the NFC. 

3. Todd Haley - The Kansas City head coach deserves a lot of credit, bringing in brand new coordinators on each side of the ball. Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, who worked together in New England, came together with Haley and helped the Chiefs make one of the league’s best turnarounds. From the bottom of the AFC West last season at 4-12 to division champs this season, the Chiefs are rejuvenated and the fans at Arrowhead have plenty to bang their drums about.

Honorable Mentions: Lovie Smith, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Steve Spagnulo, Raheem Morris, John Harbaugh

**Defensive Player of the Year **

1. Troy Polamalu - In his 2010 comeback, Polamalu made every play count. The leader of the Steelers’ great defense seemingly always knows where the ball is heading. The safety out of USC is simply a game changer. Pittsburgh missed Polamalu last year and his absence was one of the main reasons they missed the playoffs. This year, he got back to driving offensive coordinators crazy and came away with 7 interceptions. The Steelers didn’t lose in 2010 when Polamalu forced a turnover.

2. James Harrison - Polamalu’s partner in crime had a phenomenal season in his own right. Sacking the quarterback 10.5 times and forcing 8 turnovers (6 fumbles and 2 interceptions). It’s almost unfair that the same team gets to have both of these players on their roster, not to mention names like Lawrence Timmons, James Farrior and LaMarr Woodley. The Steelers defense is scary, and that’s why they’re my pick to lift the Lombardi trophy when it’s all said and done. 

3. Clay Matthews - In the first half of the season, this was Matthews’ award to lose. Unfortunately for him, that’s just what he did. Not to take anything away from him, it was a great season for the Green Bay linebacker. Through his first eight games though, he racked up 10.5 sacks. In the last eight weeks, he managed just three. That doesn’t take away from the fact that he had the fourth most in the league in just his second year and now 23.5 in those two years. A great year in all for Matthews, but he burned out a bit too soon to win this award.

Honorable Mentions: Osi Umenyiora, Cameron Wake, Ed Reed, Julius Peppers, DeMarcus Ware, Ndamukong Suh, Tamba Hali

Offensive Player of the Year

**1. Philip Rivers - **Though it wasn’t enough to carry San Diego to the postseason, Rivers did everything in his power to will them there. He finished with a career-best 4,710 yards this season, most of any quarterback. You would think throwing the ball more than ever before in his career would lead to a lower completion percentage, but just the opposite was true as he had another career-best 66 percent. All this while going without Vincent Jackson for most of the season and Antonio Gates missing six games to injury. Basically, Rivers was a one man gang in 2010 and the fact that they went 9-7, missing the playoffs by just a game, is a miracle in itself.

**2. Arian Foster - **A very close second is Foster after being one of the few bright spots for Houston this season. He put up over 2,200 total yards and scored 18 touchdowns. He ran for at least 100 yards in half of the games this year, but unfortunately it produced just as many losses as it did wins as they went 4-4 in those games. With a lot of question marks about the Texans future, one thing is certain: they’ve found their long-term solution at running back.

**3. Tom Brady - **Statistically, I think this has to be called the second best year of his career. 2007 was when he broke the touchdown record, throwing 50 of them and just 8 picks for a season rating of 117. There may be three other seasons where Brady has thrown for more yards, but in 2010, his 36 touchdowns were the second best of his career. 

Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning, Roddy White, Michael Vick, Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe

Most Valuable Player

**1. Tom Brady - **A passer rating of 111, 36 touchdowns, and a career-low 4 interceptions to lead the New England Patriots to the league-best record of 14-2. Brady led the way and did it despite the Patriots parting ways with Randy Moss just four weeks into the season. Brady didn’t have a 1,000 yard receiver this season and his favorite target in the red zone was rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski, who caught 10 of Brady’s 36 scores. Of all of his great games, the Patriots’ leading man may have had his best in Week 13 on Monday Night Football against the visiting Jets. In that particular game, he passed for 326 yards, completed 72 percent of his passes and lit up the scoreboard four times in a 45-3 win. Now, fittingly enough, the Jets will get their chance at revenge in the Divisional Playoffs.

2. Matt Ryan - Brady was so far above the rest of the field, that you can rank the rest any way you want. But Ryan is my runner-up. Taking the Falcons to a 13-3 record while playing good, consistent football all season long is the reason why. He wasn’t flashy, he only had one 300-yard game all year long. It was this game that was his best, a Monday nighter in Week 10 against Baltimore where he completed 32 of 50 for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. For the majority of the rest of the season, it was just good decision making that kept him high on my MVP list all year long. Ryan threw for 3,705 yards, 28 TDs and 9 INTs. Roddy White was his favorite target as usual, reeling in 1,389 of those yards on 115 catches and 10 of the scores, making for the best quarterback/receiver duo this season.

**3. Mike Vick - **After being out of the NFL for all of 2007 and ‘08, then throwing just 13 passes for the Eagles last year, who would’ve ever thought Vick would be in the running for MVP? But in 2010, Vick had the best season yet of his 8-year career. He by far became a better passer, throwing for his first ever 3,000 yard season and significantly improving his previous career best passer rating of 81.6 in 2002 to 100.2 this season. He also cut his interceptions in half from what he had his three last years as a starter in Atlanta. He might not be as threatening of a runner as he was in the beginning of his career, but 676 yards for a quarterback is still very significant. Andy Reid and Eagles’ ownership clearly made a good decision by letting Donovan McNabb go in the offseason. Sure, this was to make room for Kevin Kolb, but hey it still worked out pretty well for them.

**Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning, Jamaal Charles, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Cassel, Drew Brees **