It's a flurry of awards for St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford this month.
He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for November yesteday, the second month in a row he won the award. Today, he was chosen by fans as the Pepsi Rookie of the Week. He won that award back in week 4 as well.
To make one of my patented awkward transitions...Things fans can vote on for $500: The Pro Bowl. (hat tip to Robert H who made the suggestion on our Facebook page).
A handful of players from the St. Louis Rams have a legitimate case to make the Pro Bowl this year. Let's review some of the most deserving candidates.
Chris Long - Talk about a breakout season, Long is in the midst of a monster year, his third season in the NFL. Though he doesn't lead the team in sacks, his presence has changed the Rams defense. Dominant is the best way I can describe his play.
James Hall - Was he always this good? Hall has 7.5 sacks this season, putting him among the top ten in the league. Yes, he has benefited from playing on the other side of Long, but Hall is more than capable of powering through tackles and getting to the QB on his own.
James Laurinaitis - What else is there to say about this guy? Not even through his second full season, he's already being looked at as one of the best MLBs in the game. Just take a look at what they said about him the other day over at Yahoo! when they put him on the All Underrated Team.
Oshiomogho Atogwe - The interceptions aren't there like they used to be, but the Rams don't take as many chances playing the ball like they used to. Atogwe's defense has been impressive this year.
Jason Smith - Say what, you ask. Well, Smith has allowed just two sacks this season, blocking for a QB who's dangerously effective on rollouts to the right side.
Steven Jackson - SJ39 isn't having the year many expected, but that's mostly to do with the Rams finally being able to pass the ball. Jackson probably doesn't have as good a case as usual, but he deserves a shot just for keeping defenses honest and all those other times he got jobbed out of the Pro Bowl.
Danny Amendola - They need slot receivers in the Pro Bowl too, right?
Sam Bradford - Sure he's a rookie. Sure there are other QBs with better stats, but the guy has the Rams, THE RAMS, in the playoff hunt. That's got to be worth something...oh, and he's also a lock for rookie of the year.
Anybody else?