Season awards: Top coach the one who surprised us most

Judge's Awards

Picking the NFL's Coach of the Year is tough this season. There are a lot of deserving candidates.

The conventional thinking would be to go with Patriots coach Bill Belichick. After all, he has his team on the threshold of a 16-0 regular season, something no team has ever done.

Mike McCarthy has worked wonders with a lightly regarded, young team. (US Presswire)

But didn't we expect them to be good? Didn't most of the football experts pick the Patriots to get to the Super Bowl? Undefeated is special, but admit it, most of you thought New England was a 14-2 team, bare minimum.

That's why my choice for Coach of the Year is Green Bay's Mike McCarthy.

He has taken a team most thought wouldn't even win its division and has it in the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Not only that, but he's also coaching the youngest team in the league.

That's what Coach of the Year means to me: a coach who far exceeds what we expect. Belichick has slightly exceeded expectations. McCarthy killed them.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has made a strong case as well. He dumped his starting quarterback nine days before the season, decided to go with David Garrard, and his team is now scoring at a franchise-record pace. And it's 11-4 with no Pro Bowl picks.

But McCarthy is my choice. That's not meant to disrespect Belichick. I think he's the best coach of all time, but this season's award should go to the second-year coach in Green Bay.

Now for the rest of the season-ending awards:

MVP: Tom Brady, QB, Patriots. He has slowed down some the past month, but he's still having an amazing season. This is an easy choice. Runners-up: Peyton Manning, QB, Colts; Brett Favre, QB, Packers; Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys; Randy Moss, WR, Patriots.

Offensive Player of the Year: Brady. I thought about Moss, but Brady is the guy who makes it go. He sure is fun to watch. Runners-up: Manning, Moss, Favre; Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings.

Defensive Player of the Year: Charles Woodson, CB, Packers. He got robbed of a Pro Bowl berth, but he's been the best corner in the league. Runners-up: Patrick Kerney, DE, Seahawks; Albert Haynesworth, DT, Tennessee; Nick Barnett, LB, Packers; Jared Allen, DE, Chiefs; Bob Sanders, S, Colts; Barrett Ruud, LB, Buccaneers; Mario Williams, DE, Texans.