Quarter Mile Report

Four weeks into the NFL season means it's an appropriate time for fans and media outlets to speculate about the bigger picture.

Division winners are crowned, playoff teams are locked in and the Super Bowl matchup might as well be set in stone. The quarter mark of the season also permits for award-winners to be named.

I am not definitively claiming these players as award-winners by seasons end; that would just be stupid. This is just my take on whose names ought to be in the conversation. Those who have announced their candidacy for these honors during the first month of the season.

Most Valuable Player:

Head Coach Mike McCoy has revived Rivers career in San Diego

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers

Obviously there is no legitimate argument on who shouldn't be No.1 on this list, so the fight right now is for the No. 2 spot. I give the early edge to Brady because of his cast of characters, or lack-there of. Nobody in the league is doing more with less quite like Brady. Brees and Charles are the main catalysts for their respective undefeated teams, so their spot on this list was never in question.

Phillip Rivers earns on spot on this list, but I don't know for how long. Rivers has revived his career out in San Diego and has the Chargers playing competitive football. Being in the same division as the Broncos and Chiefs only hurts his case, but Rivers is on pace to put up the best individual statistics of his career.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Talib has been a shutdown corner during the first four weeks of the season.

Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs

Aqib Talib, New England Patriots

J.J. Watt, Houston Texans

Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks

Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints

J.J. Watt is the best player on the league's second-ranked defensive unit. As the reigning award winner, his spot on this list was guaranteed. Also making a strong statement is a third year cornerback in Seattle. Richard Sherman is arguably the best cover-corner in the game on the league's most imposing defense. Cameron Jordan is leading the way for the revamped defense in New Orleans, and is playing the best football of his short, three-year career. Justin Houston and Aqib Talib, however, are my two front-runners. Houston leads the NFL in sacks and is helping to turn the Kansas City pass rush into one of the most feared units in the league. Talib, on the other hand, is tied for the league lead in interceptions, four, and is quietly playing the best football of his career on the league's fifth best scoring defense.

Offensive Rookie of the Year:

Giovanni Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals

Bernard is ready to carry the load in Cincy.

My man-crush on Gio Bernard has snuck through in a lot of my previous posts, but never is it more evident than this. DeAndre Hopkins is on pace for 1,000 yards for the Texans and E.J. Maunel and Geno Smith are having decent years as rookie quarterbacks. A lot could change in the coming weeks. But right now, Bernard is the best offensive rookie in the league. While his yards-per-carry (YPC) average is 4.6, Bernard has taken half of his 32 carries for five yards or more. No other running back in the league can make that claim. The more touches the Bengals hand to this kid, the more production he'll see. The team wants to keep Bernard fresh throughout the season, but I don't know how much longer they can ignore his playmaking ability once the ball is in his hands.

Defensive Rookie of the Year:

The rookie lineback from Oregon has made plays all over the field for the Bills.

Kiko Alonso, Buffalo Bills

Honorable mentions go to Tyrann Mathieu and Barkevious Mingo. Many other rookies are having a great year defensively, but I can't mention everyone. Besides, Alonso is having one hell of a statistical season. The Bills defensive unit as a whole is inconsistent, but Alonso has racked up 32 tackles, four interceptions, a sack and one forced fumble. He is quickly becoming the emotional and physical leader of a defense that boasts Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus. Living in Baltimore, I'm forced to watch the Ravens play on a weekly basis. And in their Week 4 loss to the Bills, Alonso looked like the best player on the field for a majority of the game. He was constantly around the ball and registered two of his four interceptions, the second sealing the win, against the reigning Super Bowl MVP. We'll see if the kid can keep it up, but for right how, he is off to a great start in his rookie campaign.

Coach of the Year:

Andy Reid and Sean Payton have their respective teams at 4-0. Whoever keeps it up will take home this award.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

Pete Carroll, John Fox and Jim Schwartz are also on the watch list, but Payton and Reid are the heads of the class right now. The nation watched as the Saints struggled without their commander-in-chief on the sidelines last season. Payton's return to New Orleans has once again transformed the Saints into a Super Bowl Contender. As for Andy Reid, he was cast out of Philadelphia and has found new life in Kansas City. It's hard to believe that the Chiefs won two games with eight pro-bowlers on the roster last year, but it happened. Through Reid, however, there has been restored discipline to the Kansas City organization and has his team is playing phenomenal football early. This will be a close race throughout the season, but Payton and Reid have the upper hand right now.

My Five Games to Watch in Week 5 

New Orleans (4-0) at Chicago (3-1) – Tough road test for Who Dat nation going to the Windy City, facing a Bears squad coming of its first loss of the season.

New England (4-0) at Cincinnati (2-2) – This would be a big first loss to hand the Pats if the Bengals were to win and remain a frontrunner of its own division.

Seattle (4-0) at Indianapolis (3-1) – Matchup between two premier quarterbacks from the class of 2012.

Kansas City (4-0) at Tennessee (3-1) – Chiefs look to remain perfect with another road game, this time to the surprising, butLocker-less, Titans.

Houston (2-2) at San Francisco (2-2) – Someone's gotta drop to below 500.

Honorable Mention: Detroit (3-1) at Green Bay (1-2): The Packers need a win to close the gap in the NFC North while the Lions look to capture their first win in Lambeau since '91.