I would give this to Ryan Mathews and Philip Rivers as co-winners. Mathews earned a new reputation as a tough, durable running back. Not only did he rush for more than 1,000 yards, but was the guy offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt leaned on often late in the season.

Meanwhile, Rivers might have been the second-best quarterback in pro football this year, and frankly, a little MVP consideration wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. If I had to give this award to only one player, Rivers would be my choice. Think about how much abuse he took in 2012. And then he responded under a whole new coaching staff, leading his team on a late-season surge to the postseason. That merits some serious hardware, in my book.