Following a surprisingly strong season, three Buffalo Bills were named to the Pro Bowl, one of which was also named to an All-Pro team. While those players were honored league-wide, today we look at those who deserve more recognition for their success or shortcomings in the Bills 2019 team awards.
Offensive MVP: Josh Allen
John Brown is the sexy pick for Offensive MVP, but I truly believe Josh Allen holds that title. While his decision-making was questionable at times, he looked like a franchise QB this season. His 20:9 TD:INT ratio left something to be desired, but he proved his worth as a two-way QB, totaling nine touchdowns on the ground and nearly as many rushing yards per game as Frank Gore.
Defensive MVP: Tre’Davious White
White not only led the Bills in passes defended in 2019, but he also led the league in interceptions. The third-year standout made his case as a top-three cornerback in the league, as he was named to both the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro First-Team. Add in two forced fumbles and a sack, and it’s clear that Tre’ was the best Bill on defense.
Special Teams MVP: Reid Ferguson
You’re only going to hear about a long snapper in a bad context. That’s why it’s a good thing you may not have heard Ferguson’s name all season. Of his 143 long snaps, not a single one went awry. Can’t get better than that.
Rookie of the Year: Devin Singletary
It took until Week 9 for Motor Singletary to see premier back touch numbers, but once he became a regular part of the offense he proved his worth. Singletary worked as a strong, tough-to-tackle first-down back but showed flashes of every-down back potential. He ranked fifth in the league for rushing yards per attempt, and, had he played at his Weeks 9-17 pace, he would’ve finished with 1,200 yards on the season. A 1,200-yard season would’ve been seventh-best in the NFL last season.
Surprise Rookie: Dawson Knox
Not much was expected from Knox, a third-rounder that the Bills paid two fourth rounders to trade up for. After a strong preseason, however, the former Rebel was almost immediately the top tight end on the depth chart. His strength, reminiscent of Rob Gronkowski’s, provided some Top-10-worthy plays, yet he flew under the radar on his way to the third most targets among all Bills.
Most Improved: Shaq Lawson
This is the breakout year Buffalo was waiting for from Shaq. He went from rotational end to a bonafide pass-rushing star.
Surprise Player of the Year: Jordan Phillips
While his 9.5 sacks were just the 20th most in the league, Phillips recorded the most sacks by a Bills’ DT since Marcel Dareus in 2014 and tripled his career total in just one season. Add in that he was cut by the Dolphins just a season ago, and you get a breakout season that no one saw coming.
Best FA Signing: John Brown
Brown had a career year in his first season with Buffalo, setting highs in both yards and receptions. He tied Cole Beasley for most touchdowns on the season but was far-and-away the most productive receiver. While he had a few untimely drops, Brown was the offensive spark Buffalo was missing last season and put on a show, recording the team’s first 1,000-yard season since 2015.
Biggest Disappointment: Robert Foster
Following a strong finish to the 2018 season that included 511 yards over the final seven games, Foster was expected to be a reliable target for Buffalo this year. Even after the additions of Cole Beasley and John Brown, Foster was touted as a strong third-option in a revamped receiving corps. However, he caught just three passes all season.
Best Mid-Season Turnaround: Stephen Haushka
Hauschka was kicking incredibly poorly through the first half of the season. He was 8/13 through Week 10, kicking an abysmal 61.5%. That span included four games without a successful field goal try. Hauschka turned it around in Week 11 in Miami, going 3/3 on FGs and 4/4 on PATs. From that game forward he was 18/19 (94.7%), missing only a 50-yarder.
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