NFL Awards Ballot: In Bijan Robinson We Trust; Brock Purdy MVP Frontrunner?

The Atlanta Falcons go as Bijan Robinson goes. Robinson rumbled for 194 rushing yards in Atlanta’s first win of the season, a 35-14 triumph over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a primetime showing in Week 3. Robinson was buoyed by the return of Michael Penix Jr., who posted 256 passing yards and a touchdown, creating balance in Atlanta’s offense. But it’s Robinson who is the straw that stirs the drink and is the engine of Atlanta’s offense. Since 2023, Robinson tops the league with 6,115 scrimmage yards. He also leads the league this season with 467 scrimmage yards, showing out when the rest of the Falcons’ offense looked lackluster in the first two weeks of the year. Robinson’s explosiveness and ability to run through trash stand out. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry and, according to Next Gen Stats, 4.9 yards after contact per carry — second among running backs with at least 25 carries this season. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski should know how to take advantage of Robinson’s unique skill set. The Cleveland Browns’ offense Stefanski oversaw as head coach finished in the top 12 in rushing in four of his six years at the helm, with Nick Chubb shining out of the backfield. But Robinson could reach heights that Chubb didn’t, if he hasn’t already. Currently, Robinson is fourth in Offensive Player of the Year odds at DraftKings Sportsbook (+1200) behind Kenneth Walker III, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson will need more performances like the one against the Packers to stay in the running with some of the top playmakers in the league. Let’s take a closer look at my picks for the top three of all the major awards heading into Week 4. Offensive Player Of The Year The skinny: The Kansas City Chiefs are getting the best version of Kenneth Walker through three games, who has 442 scrimmage yards and four scores. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, has started that year by recording at least 120 receiving yards in each of the Seattle Seahawks’ first three games as he looks to become the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons in over two decades. Jahmyr Gibbs also deserves a mention here, as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has done a nice job of creating innovative ways to get the dynamic runner in space. Gibbs has forced 29 missed tackles this season. Defensive Player Of The Year The skinny: Greg Rousseau leads the NFL in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (8). He also has three forced fumbles, which is tied with Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean for the league lead. Will Anderson and T.J. Watt are among the league’s top pass rushers again, at least to start the season. Anderson has four sacks (2.5 came in the Houston Texans’ Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts) and T.J. Watt has 3.5 sacks. Dallas Turner also deserves a mention. He leads the league in quarterback pressures (25) and has 3.5 sacks on the year, greatly benefiting from defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-happy scheme. Coach Of The Year The skinny: Few NFL observers expected first-year head coaches in Klint Kubiak and Todd Monken to have their teams atop the division at this point of the season, and both have done it with veteran quarterbacks considered past their prime. Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with nine, and Deshaun Watson has stayed healthy and is playing efficient football in Cleveland for the first time since the trade. Kevin O’Connell, meanwhile, has yet to get Kyler Murray on track. But the Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated team in the NFC North, and their start is too strong to ignore. Offensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Kenyon Sadiq has been a revelation for the Jets. The athletic tight end out of Oregon had his first 100-yard receiving effort as a pro, posting seven catches for 105 receiving yards and a score in a close loss to Detroit. Denzel Boston continues to show explosive playmaking ability. The Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver leads all rookies in receiving yards (195), logging long touchdown grabs in each of the first two weeks of the season. But Jeremiyah Love leads all rookies in scrimmage yards (204) after a solid performance against San Francisco in Week 3, putting up 109 total yards. Defensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Hezekiah Moses leads all rookies in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (4). And he has been one of the reasons the Raiders’ ball-hawking defense is tops in the NFL in takeaways (9). Genesis Smith moved into the top three on the strength of a two-interception effort against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez also deserves some credit, totaling six combined tackles — including three tackles for loss — and an interception in a tough loss to Kansas City. David Bailey should get a mention as well, leading all rookies in sacks with two, giving the New York Jets some solid pass-rushing ability. MVP The skinny: Patrick Mahomes continues to impress less than a year after tearing his ACL. He helped the Chiefs improve to 3-0 with a 246-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 24-10 win over the Dolphins, and he’s now top five in passing yards (812) and passing touchdowns (7). All Jared Goff does is put up impressive numbers. The Lions’ quarterback is second in the league in passer rating (116.1), with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions. But Brock Purdy’s numbers largely stand alone to start the season. He hasn’t been sacked in three games and is the only quarterback with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of at least 100 in each of the first three weeks of the season. Purdy also leads the league in passer rating (133.1) and is tied with Cousins for the league lead in touchdown passes with nine.