Washington Football Team: Year-end awards for 2020

Positive moments

Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith

This is the most obvious award of the year. Even if Alex Smith had just come in for one play and kneeled to end the game, he would have deserved this honor. But, he went way beyond that.

After going through 17+ surgeries, almost losing his leg and his life, many doubted that he would even be able to return to having normal day-to-day mobility. Smith had other ideas and had a goal of getting back on the field.

With Dwayne Haskins benched and Kyle Allen injured, Smith got a chance to get back on the field against the Rams, and he looked understandably rusty. It was all uphill from there, as he led Washington to four straight wins and went 5-1 overall on the season, before injuring his calf late in the year.

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Whether he plays another down in the NFL or not, Smith not only proved that anything is possible, but his presence was a big factor in the culture change the team underwent this season.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Antonio Gibson

When Antonio Gibson was drafted by Washington, a number of analysts said that he was a reach in the third round. Not only did Gibson prove the analysts wrong, but he showed that he has the ability to be the lead back for this team in the future.

Despite missing two games, Gibson finished with 795 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns along with 36 receptions for 247 yards. He had the eighth-most touchdowns among running backs and the seventh-most broken tackles. Not bad for someone who was a full-time running back for the first time in his career.

Gibson has big-play potential every time he touched the ball as evidenced by his many highlights, including his infamous run against the Cowboys where he waved at a defender as he crossed the goal line.

It was clear to see how much of an impact Gibson has on the offense in the two games that he missed, as the offense became increasingly one-dimensional.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Chase Young

Although many expected Chase Young to fill out the stat sheet a bit more than he did, he had a phenomenal year and was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He finished with 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered, and a game-changing touchdown which you can watch below via the NFL’s Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1345941348923265027?s=20

The fact that he was typically double or triple covered makes his stat line all the more impressive. Being just 21-years old, the sky is the limit on his potential as he should be a key contributor on this defense for years to come.

The Underdog Award: Taylor Heinicke

It might not be a grocery store clerk to Super Bowl MVP story, a la Kurt Warner, but it’s close. After bouncing around the NFL and the XFL, Heinicke was signed by Washington as a precaution due to COVID-19 protocols, due to his familiarity with Scott Turner’s offense.

After a subpar performance by Haskins against the Panthers, Heinicke got a chance to try to bring the team back. He moved the ball down the field and showed swag and potential that his teammates appreciated.

With Alex Smith’s calf injury not responding, Heinicke was tasked with starting Washington’s first playoff game since 2015. It was only Heinicke’s second NFL start, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell by the way he performed.

He went blow for blow with one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL in Tom Brady. He finished the game with 306 passing yards, 46 rushing yards, and two touchdowns, and proved he deserved a shot in the NFL. He may never have to go back and finish those math finals at Old Dominion University.

Best Off the Field Moment: Ron Rivera finishing his chemotherapy

The fact that Coach Rivera was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer while his team struggled to find an identity early in the season should not be lost on any of the fans. Rivera’s dedication to continue to be at practice and games despite what he was going through was a testament to the culture this team is building. Many players mentioned that when they saw Rivera on the field after his treatments, it took away any excuses they could have.

There was no better off the field moment than when Rivera rang the bell at the hospital to signify the completion of his last round of chemotherapy.

Best Free Agent Pickup: Logan Thomas

Although Washington didn’t bring in many big names in free agency, they did find a lot of key contributors including Kendall Fuller, Ronald Darby, J.D. McKissic, and Wes Schweitzer, just to name a few.

The biggest surprise had to be Logan Thomas. While many thought Washington hadn’t done a good enough job in replacing Jordan Reed, Thomas quietly went on to have a career-year, finishing with 72 receptions, 670 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns, surpassing his career totals in the 2020 season alone.

He finished seventh in receiving yards among tight ends and third in receptions, behind only Darren Waller and Travis Kelce. Coach Rivera and the front office believed that Thomas had the potential but hadn’t been given opportunities, and he proved them right.

Isn’t it nice to finally have someone that can go up and grab those end zone catches? You know what we had all hoped Josh Docston would do.

Biggest Rookie Overperformer: Kam Curl 

After being drafted in the seventh round, not much was expected of Kamren Curl in his rookie year. However, with the injury to Landon Collins, Curl was thrust into the starting lineup and performed admirably. He finished the year as PFF’s highest-graded rookie safety and was a part of PFF’s 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team.

He finished the year with 88 tackles, second on the team, to go along with four passes defended, three interceptions, two sacks, and a touchdown off an interception return. Proving that he can handle the strong safety position could make Landon Collins expendable for the Washington Football Team.

Best Former Undrafted Player: J.D. McKissic

This was close between McKissic and Cam Sims, who also had a career year. However, McKissic was second on the team in receptions (80) and third in receiving yards (589) to go along with three total touchdowns. He provided a 1-2 punch with Antonio Gibson and become one of the key free-agent acquisitions in Rivera’s first year.