Dolphins’ Howard 2nd in AP defensive award
Xavien Howard had one of the best seasons by any Dolphins defender ever.
But he didn’t have the best season of any NFL defender in 2020.
At least that was verdict of AP voters, who named Los Angeles Rams disruptor Aaron Donald the season’s Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in four years.
And it wasn’t particularly close. Howard received just three of 50 votes, despite leading all NFL players with 10 interceptions, tying a franchise record. Donald received 27 votes; Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt had 20.
Donald tallied 13 1⁄2 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback hits. He also forced four fumbles and recovered one.
“From stopping the run to rushing the passer to just trying to dominate, I think I am a rounded player,” Donald said. “I feel I can do everything. No matter the size of the person, as long as you can play at high level and be productive, that is all that matters.”
Howard, who also led the NFL with 20 passes defensed, was named to both the Pro Bowl and the AP All-Pro first team despite being the secondhighest paid cornerback on his own team (Miami’s
Byron Jones makes more). Howard is seeking a raise this offseason to put his salary in line with his production.
However, even his own position coach, Gerald Alexander, acknowledged Saturday night that Donald is an incredible talent.
“U can argue til you’re blue in the face about awards,” Alexander wrote on Twitter. “But I will say there’s things on tape that don’t always touch the stat sheet that 99 does on a consistent basis. It’s rare when he’s not dominating a snap.”
Meanwhile, voters chose the Cleveland Browns’
Kevin Stefanski as Coach of the Year even though Dolphins coach Brian Flores won double-digit games just one year after the organization detonated its roster.
Flores directed the Dolphins to a 10-6 season and only missed the playoffs because of a lopsided
Week 17 loss to the Bills.
Elsewhere, Chargers quarterback quarterback
Justin Herbert, taken a
pick after Dolphins quartrback Tua Tagovailoa,
won AP offensive rookie of the year after throwing 31 touchdown passes, the most ever by a first-year player in league history.
Legendary Dolphins
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linebacker Zach Thomas
again fell heartbreakingly short of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Despite making it to process’ the final round for a second straight year, the five-time first-team All-Pro again did not receive enough votes to get in.
The class of 2021 features seven players and one coach: quarterback Peyton Manning, wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Drew Pearson, defensive
backs Charles Woodson and John Lynch and coach Tom Flores.
THIS AND THAT
Both the Chiefs and
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Buccaneers entered the week with injury questions at receiver. Both ultimately got their playmaker healthy enough to play Sunday. Tampa Bay’s Antonio
Brown (knee) and Kansas City’s Sammy Watkins (calf) were both active and played Sunday.
A few popular prop bet results: The national anthem, a duet performed by Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan, went way over the posted length (1:59).
The Chiefs won the coin toss (it was heads) and deferred to the second half.
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady made two bits of history on one play: He threw his first first-quarter Super Bowl touchdown in 10 all-time appearances. And he threw it to Rob Gronkowski, the 13th time the two have connected for a score in the postseason, most by any pair in the NFL’s 101 seasons.
Baptist Health emergency room RN Dariel Valdes was featured in a pregame CBS segment featuring first-responders from around the country. Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker surprised Valdes with a thank-you Zoom call.
Down judge Sarah
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Thomas on Sunday became the first female to officiate the Super Bowl.