The annual NFL Honors took place Saturday night and only one Pittsburgh Steelers player won an award.
The 2016 Courtyard “Greatness on the Road” award winner for 2016 was running back Le’Veon Bell for his franchise record-setting 236 yards rushing and three touchdown performance in a 27-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills. This now makes two years in a row that a Steelers player has won that award as wide receiver Antonio Brown captured it last year for his 13 receptions and 187 yards in the 2015 regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns.
While Bell did win the “Greatness on the Road” award Saturday night, he was beaten out for two others he was nominated for.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson beat Bell out for the “AP Comeback Player of the Year” award while Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott won the “FedEx Ground Player of the Year” award. Bell, by the way, received just one vote for the comeback player award.
In related news, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans won the “Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year” Saturday night and while his one-handed catch against the Atlanta Falcons during the regular season was certainly impressive, it’s hard to believe that it was considered a better play than Brown’s Immaculate Extension touchdown that took place in the closing seconds of the Steelers Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Another award given Saturday night also caused a little bit of a stir when it comes to some Steelers fans as well as a few players as a result of Falcons head coach Dan Quinn beating out Pittsburgh tackle Alejandro Villanueva for the “NFL’s Salute to Service Award.” Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams voiced his displeasure with the outcome of that award Saturday night on Twitter.
