Offbeaten Awards: AP’s off-the-wall awards for 2019 season

The Associated Press will hand out its individual NFL awards on the night before the Super Bowl in Miami. Until then, here are some off-the-beaten track honors to consider.

Best game

Week 10, the best Monday night game in years saw Seattle beat San Francisco, 27-24, in overtime in a key NFC West matchup. This one had everything, from huge defensive plays to special teams highlights (and lowlights) to Russell Wilson working some magic on the winning drive. Watching

Pete Carroll’s resilient squad hand the Niners their first defeat was worthy of the prime-time spotlight.

49ers 48, Saints 46, Week 14. Almost as good as the Niners’ loss to Seattle, but lacked the overall balance. Throw in the Niners’ 20-17 last-second defeat at Baltimore, and it was a nail-biting but fun season for their fans.

Runners-up: Worst game

Seems we often find a Jets game to fit this bill. How about New England 33, New York 0 — in prime time. When will the league learn to B-A-N the J-E-T-S from national TV?

Sam Darnold threw four interceptions and lost a fumble. Worse yet, he was caught on the sideline by ESPN and NFL Films cameras saying he’s “seeing ghosts.” Darnold went 11for 32 for 86 yards and the Jets finished with 154 yards.

Boo! Runners-up:

The Patriots had a hand in this one, as well. In Week 2, they demolished the Dolphins 43-0 in the kind of snoozer we expected from Miami all year.

Almost equally lacking entertainment value were the Bengals, who have bungled their way to 1-14. The worst of their litany of losing was a 49-13flop against Baltimore in which Lamar Jackson completed a 49yard pass on his first play and had only one incompletion — on a spike — as Baltimore took control in the first half. He finished 15 of 17 for 223 yards and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. And he did have a play of the year nominee (see below), so maybe it wasn’t such a bad game.

Best celebration

Nick Bosa’s revenge. In the 49ers’ 31-3 rout of Cleveland, the San Francisco defensive end poked fun at Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield after forcing Mayfield into a hurried incompletion. Bosa, the second overall draft pick, got up and pretended to wave a flag and plant it in the turf as the crowd roared. It was a clear shot at Mayfield, who planted an Oklahoma flag in the turf after leading the Sooners to a win over Bosa and Ohio State in 2017. “I think everybody knows what that was for,” Bosa said. “Just wanted to get payback. He had it coming.” Runners-up: Seattle’s “Bye Bye Bye” mimic of NSYNC’s dance moves in a victory over Cleveland. AND their rendition of New Edition’s steps vs. Minnesota.

Best play of the year

The 49ers again, this time at New Orleans in a gamesaving play that will be George Kittle’s legacy — until the tight end pulls it off again.

On fourth-and 2in the final moments, Jimmy Garoppolo’s short pass found Kittle, who galloped up the sideline, making move after move and embracing an opportunity to defiantly jerk his head back and forth as a Saints defender grabbed his face mask.

“Run through people, but have a good time doing it,” Kittle said of the play, which gained 53 yards after the Saints’ penalty and set up a winning field goal.