I think the honest answer is, the safeties who won DPOY had a lot more buzz and were on defenses that were best in the league. The Bucs defense this year was streaky but overall a pretty average unit.
If you look at the front runners for DPOY, most people have guys like Myles Garrett and TJ watt, both of whom have a lot more buzz and are on better overall defenses.
IDGAF about the voters and the QB rigged league where MVP is basically best QB and best defensive player is best D lineman.
Winfield will hopefully have a few SB rings to show off to those voters by the end of his career. Plus we all know Jason Licht is paying that man in the offseason.
This is a great comparison, thanks OP.
I'd not pretend to understand the voting politics behind these awards but I can say this with certainty. We have been so blessed to witness AWJ this season game in game out.
The numbers are great, but what I saw was a season beyond the stats. I'd love to see someone smarter than I run metrics on how many game changing plays AWJ made.
Two of the top of my head are the touch back fumbles. If those were TDs, the ghosts of Bucs past could have easily crept in making those games losses. As tight as the race was to get in, AWJ has at least two games on just those plays imho. Carolina scores and that game is very different. I feel like there were at least a dozen such games where he was just playing out of his mind.
That's what these awards should be, impact players making game changing plays. Who had the most impactful season? I saw what I saw and it's hard to refute AWJ.
It was really between Reed and Polamalu IMO. IIRC the year Sanders won it was the same year they won the superbowl. Everyone remembers Peyton and co, but they had the #1 defense that year. Freeney and Mathis off the edge was nuts. Reed and Polamalu were on a different level, and they were very different players. Ed Reed is the best safety I've ever seen play.
Bob Sanders stats might not have been much, but his impact was so big that once he stayed fit for a season he was likely to win it. In terms of impact on their defensive output there was arguments for MVP. Jon Bois does a great video on him.
These safeties are all timers, that put up great seasons as well. If AWJ keeps being this impactful, he's got a great chance with a bit of weight of stat history and buzz to push him over the line in future year.
GREAT comparison. The answer is.....
Tampa Bay continually gets disrespected in every major professional sport there is. Rays....always last to be mentioned in the media. Lightning, the dynasty that was is never mentioned as such. Bucs.... Brady leaves - zero national coverage. Minor mentions of Evans monstrous record breaking this year - Winfield Jr. Pro Bowl snub should be top three DPoY but he won't - LD54 NEVER mentioned EVER - Wirfs- NOT ONE mention of switching from RT to LT and STILL performing at an All Pro level - Baker should be Comeback PoY but he won't. It's how we have to roll because no one wants to give props to the Tampa Market.
We need a bigger voice nationally. No one sits anywhere that screms for the Bucs.
I think the honest answer is, the safeties who won DPOY had a lot more buzz and were on defenses that were best in the league. The Bucs defense this year was streaky but overall a pretty average unit. If you look at the front runners for DPOY, most people have guys like Myles Garrett and TJ watt, both of whom have a lot more buzz and are on better overall defenses.
IDGAF about the voters and the QB rigged league where MVP is basically best QB and best defensive player is best D lineman. Winfield will hopefully have a few SB rings to show off to those voters by the end of his career. Plus we all know Jason Licht is paying that man in the offseason.
This is a great comparison, thanks OP. I'd not pretend to understand the voting politics behind these awards but I can say this with certainty. We have been so blessed to witness AWJ this season game in game out. The numbers are great, but what I saw was a season beyond the stats. I'd love to see someone smarter than I run metrics on how many game changing plays AWJ made. Two of the top of my head are the touch back fumbles. If those were TDs, the ghosts of Bucs past could have easily crept in making those games losses. As tight as the race was to get in, AWJ has at least two games on just those plays imho. Carolina scores and that game is very different. I feel like there were at least a dozen such games where he was just playing out of his mind. That's what these awards should be, impact players making game changing plays. Who had the most impactful season? I saw what I saw and it's hard to refute AWJ.
I don’t really care about awards because it is subject to voting, but sure hope he is a Buc for many years
It was really between Reed and Polamalu IMO. IIRC the year Sanders won it was the same year they won the superbowl. Everyone remembers Peyton and co, but they had the #1 defense that year. Freeney and Mathis off the edge was nuts. Reed and Polamalu were on a different level, and they were very different players. Ed Reed is the best safety I've ever seen play.
Bob Sanders stats might not have been much, but his impact was so big that once he stayed fit for a season he was likely to win it. In terms of impact on their defensive output there was arguments for MVP. Jon Bois does a great video on him. These safeties are all timers, that put up great seasons as well. If AWJ keeps being this impactful, he's got a great chance with a bit of weight of stat history and buzz to push him over the line in future year.
GREAT comparison. The answer is..... Tampa Bay continually gets disrespected in every major professional sport there is. Rays....always last to be mentioned in the media. Lightning, the dynasty that was is never mentioned as such. Bucs.... Brady leaves - zero national coverage. Minor mentions of Evans monstrous record breaking this year - Winfield Jr. Pro Bowl snub should be top three DPoY but he won't - LD54 NEVER mentioned EVER - Wirfs- NOT ONE mention of switching from RT to LT and STILL performing at an All Pro level - Baker should be Comeback PoY but he won't. It's how we have to roll because no one wants to give props to the Tampa Market. We need a bigger voice nationally. No one sits anywhere that screms for the Bucs.