Why Titans WR A.J. Brown should win Offensive R.O.Y.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown had a rookie season for the ages. He hauled in 52 receptions for just over one thousand yards, along with eight receiving touchdowns. Brown also added three rushes for 60 yards and a rushing touchdown. He helped bring stability to an inconsistent Titans receiving corps and, in my opinion, should win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The way AJ Brown closed out the season, I think he stole Offensive Rookie of the Year away from Josh Jacobs.

52 catches1051 rec yards8 receiving TD’s20.2 yards per catch

Big part of the Titans going to the playoffs.

Stellar season for the big guy. pic.twitter.com/FuW4F93UD8

— CrockTIME (@eric_crocker) December 30, 2019

According to Las Vegas betting odds, the top five players in contention for the award are Josh Jacobs, Kyler Murray, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, and Miles Sanders in that order. Brown has much better odds than the two players behind him, so I will argue why he should win over Murray and Jacobs.

Kyler Murray put up some impressive numbers this season. He threw for a little over 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions. However, I do not think he should have better odds than Brown to win R.O.Y. The Arizona Cardinals were downright terrible this year, going just 5-10-1.

The only reason I think he is in serious contention for the award is because of the impressive last three games for the Cardinals. They won two of those games, but Murray only threw over 220 yards in one of those games. Dak Prescott was the last quarterback to win the award. He threw four more touchdowns than Murray that year and had eight fewer interceptions. Murray has good numbers for a rookie, but not R.O.Y numbers.

Josh Jacobs currently has the best odds for the award. He had a very impressive start to the season, rushing for over 700 yards and 10 total touchdowns through the first nine weeks of the season. However, he struggled in the final five games he played. In weeks 10-15 he only rushed for more than 100 yards twice and totaled only two touchdowns. He had a nagging shoulder injury down the stretch, which likely led to his poor finish to the season.

If Jacobs had continued his impressive start throughout the season, he probably would’ve locked down Rookie of the Year. But I think his poor finish should hurt his chances to win the award.

One advantage Brown has is that his team is in the playoffs, and he played a major role in the Titans getting there. It’s possible that without Brown’s consistent productivity, Tennessee would be watching the playoffs from home for the second consecutive year.

I believe A.J. Brown had a more consistent season than the two players ahead of him and should be the franchise’s first Offensive Rookie of the Year since Eddie George in 1996.

PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports