Shutdown Corner's Best in Show: Best play, game, blooper and new Super Bowl picks
When we remember the 2016 NFL season years from now, the Dallas Cowboys will probably dominate the conversation.
One of the NFL’s most popular franchises surged up the standings, and that rise showed in our picks for the highlights of the NFL season. The Cowboys showed up in just about every category we voted on for our “Best in Show” awards, as we picked the best play, game, blooper, story, surprises and disappointments of the NFL’s season.
[CHECK OUT SHUTDOWN CORNER’S PICKS FOR ALL THE NFL’S MAJOR AWARDS INCLUDING MVP AND SHUTDOWN CORNER’S NFL ALL-PRO TEAM FOR THE 2016 SEASON]
Here are the picks from our six writers: Jay Busbee, Eric Edholm, Kevin Kaduk, Shalise Manza Young, Charles Robinson and Frank Schwab.
Dallas Cowboys 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 30, Week 10
This game got five of six votes (Robinson voted for the Chiefs’ win at the Falcons, The Eric Berry Game). It featured two of the NFL’s greatest franchises and two eventual division winners this season. There were four lead changes in the final eight minutes, and three in the last two minutes. Ben Roethlisberger’s fake spike touchdown was upstaged by Ezekiel Elliott’s 32-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left. Instant classic.
(tie) Ezekiel Elliott’s touchdown and Salvation Army kettle jump
The touchdown might not have been the most spectacular of the season, but the celebration was. This play received two votes (Kaduk, Busbee).
(tie) Landon Collins’ ridiculous pick-six against the Rams
Collins’ fantastic return of an interception in London stamped him as a defensive player of the year candidate. This play also got two votes (Manza Young, Robinson).
Others receiving votes: Schwab voted for A.J. Green’s ridiculous catch on a Hail Mary for the Cincinnati Bengals …
… Edholm voted for Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe’s crazy jump pass.
Derek Carr breaks his leg against the Colts
Five of six voters picked Carr’s broken leg in Week 16, when he was sacked by Trent Cole. That changed the Raiders’ fortunes and might have flipped the AFC West championship to Kansas City.
Others receiving votes: Schwab voted for Tony Romo breaking a bone in his back while being sacked by Cliff Avril in the preseason. That set in motion the Cowboys’ crazy season with Dak Prescott at quarterback.
Odell Beckham hits the kicking net, the kicking net hits back
Beckham’s tantrum early in the season, in which he hit the kicking net with his helmet and the kicking net came around and nailed him, is the blooper of the year from four of our six voters.
Others receiving votes: Busbee voted for the Bills’ kickoff return fail in Week 17, when they failed to jump on a live kickoff and the Jets fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown …
… and Robinson picked the Panthers benching Cam Newton for the first series against the Seahawks for not wearing a tie on the trip to Seattle, and Derek Anderson throwing an interception on the first play as Newton watched.
Dallas Cowboys’ surprising season
Five of our six voters’ picks involved the Cowboys’ fantastic season. Whether it was Dak Prescott taking over for Tony Romo, or rookies Prescott and Elliott leading the Cowboys to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Cowboys dominated this category. The other vote was from Busbee, who picked Colin Kaepernick’s national-anthem protest and the conversation that followed.
Brock Osweiler
Four votes went to Osweiler, and the other two went to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, whose production dipped from his 2015 MVP season. Osweiler won after he was benched late in the season despite signing a $72 million free-agent deal with the Houston Texans. Osweiler has a chance to redeem himself in Saturday’s wild-card playoff game, as he’ll start.
Carolina Panthers
A clean sweep in this category: Everyone voted for the Panthers. The Panthers went 15-1, advanced to the Super Bowl, then were upset there by the Broncos last season. The Panthers lost in Week 1 this season to the Broncos on a missed field goal at the end, and nothing went right after that. They fell to 6-10 and last place of the NFC South.
Dak Prescott
Prescott got five of the six votes in this category, with one vote for Kansas City Chiefs rookie receiver Tyreek Hill. Prescott, a late fourth-round pick, started for Tony Romo and had an exceptional season with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.
(tie) Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins
The Cowboys going 13-3 was surprising, but they had competition from the Dolphins. Miami rebounded from a 1-4 start to win nine of 10 and make the playoffs. Those teams got two votes each, and the Raiders and Lions got a vote each.
SCHWAB: Tennessee Titans break out in a big way.
KADUK: Alshon Jeffery will be wrong.
EDHOLM: Sean Payton will leave the New Orleans Saints.
BUSBEE: Tony Romo will lead a new team to the playoffs.
ROBINSON: Jimmy Garoppolo will be traded.
MANZA YOUNG: Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo will lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to an AFC South title.
SCHWAB, MANZA YOUNG, ROBINSON: Patriots over Seahawks
KADUK: Patriots over Falcons
EDHOLM: Chiefs over Falcons
BUSBEE: Falcons over Patriots
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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