Cal Football: Could a Couple Ex-Golden Bears Sweep the NFL's Top Awards?

It was a tough year for Cal football in Berkeley this fall.

Things went far better for a couple of Golden Bears residing in Green Bay and Washington D.C.

While the 2020 Cal team fell far short of expectations, going 1-3 without a bowl bid in this pandemic-dominated season, ex-Bears Aaron Rodgers and Ron Rivera had years worth celebrating.

And if the NFL were to honor them as MVP and Coach of the Year, respectively, Rodgers and Rivera would achieve something never before accomplished as alums of the same school sweeping the awards.

Since Associated Press first began its MVP and Coach of the Year awards in 1957, the winners have never come from the same college.

Rivera, who played his senior season in 1983, and Rodgers, who starred for the Bears in 2003 and ’04, would make history if both were honored for their work this season.

We acknowledge it’s something of a long shot that Cal will sweep both awards, although Rodgers seems the clear favorite to win his third MVP since 2011.

At age 37, the all-time pass efficiency leader threw an NFL-best and career-high 48 touchdowns against just five interceptions. His 4,299 passing yards marked his ninth time cracking four grand, and he did it while leading the Packers to a 13-3 record, best in the NFC.

The season began with talk that perhaps Rodgers was on his way out after Green Bay drafted quarterback Jordan Love of Utah State with the 26th pick.

And while reigning Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes has thrown for more yards, he also has fewer touchdowns (38) and more interceptions (6), as does ageless Tom Brady, with 40 TDs and 12 picks.

Rodgers dominated the NFL statistics, leading in all of these categories, according to USA Today:

– Completion percentage: 70.7

– Touchdown passes: 48

– Touchdown percentage: 9.1

– Interception percentage: 0.95

– Passer rating: 121.5

– QBR: 84.4

– Total touchdowns: 51

– Adjusted yards per attempt: 9.6

– Adjusted net yards per attempt: 8.89

– Pro Football Focus grade: 94.5

– Play-action touchdown passes: 21

– Play-action passer rating: 138.1

– Passer rating when kept clean: 129.7

– Passer rating when attempting under 2.5 seconds: 127.7

– Passer rating when attempting over 2.5 seconds: 114.0

While Rodgers is the heavy frontrunner, Rivera’s bid for a third Coach of the Year award — he won in 2013 and 2015 — faces stiffer competition.

Strong cases can be made for Buffalo’s Sean McDermott and Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski.

McDermott guided the Bills to a 13-3 record — the team’s best record since 1991 — and the AFC East title. Formerly Rivera’s defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, McDermott has Buffalo situated as the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Stefanski may be the favorite for leading the Browns to their first winning season since 2007 and their first postseason bid since ‘02 in his first year as coach. Cleveland won 11 games for the first time since 1994, when its coach was Bill Belichick.

But Rivera’s season was no less remarkable, especially given extraordinary circumstances.

The one-time All-America linebacker, who turns 59 on Thursday, took charge of one of the country’s most dysfunctional sports franchises in a year cluttered by a series of obstacles.

Most serious among them, Rivera was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in August and underwent seven rounds of treatments that lasted into late October. During that time, he often received IVs at halftime that allowed him the stamina to complete games, but he never missed one.

Washington beat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14 on Sunday to clinch the NFC East title, albeit with a 7-9 record. The franchise became the first in the Super Bowl era to start a season 2-7 and still make the postseason.

Washington did it with 36-year-old quarterback Alex Smith, who began the season No. 3 on the depth charge and made a stunning comeback after 17 surgeries on his leg and a life-threatening infection that jeopardized his career.

There were off-the-field issues, too, including owner Dan Snyder finally giving in to years of pressure to remove the team’s longtime nickname. Then the Washington Post published a story outlining a long pattern of toxic workplace atmosphere, including sexual harassment, and follow-up stories that implicated Snyder more directly.

Rivera navigated all that, changing the franchise culture and leading the team to its first playoff bid in five years.

Washington earned the NFC's No. 4 seed and will host Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) in a wild-card game on Saturday night.

In a late-night conversation with Sports Illustrated while driving him from Sunday’s clinching victory, Rivera shared his thoughts on everything he experienced this season.

“Honestly, after the game, I just couldn’t wait to get inside the locker room and go into my locker area, and I closed the door for a few minutes, is what I did,” he said. “I just kind of reflected on all the stuff I had gone through, to be honest with you. Just thinking back to all those things, and just how fortunate I am. I think that’s probably the biggest thing I thought of, was just how fortunate I am.”

Maybe Stefanski or McDermott will win the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. Certainly, both have worthy credentials.

But Ron Rivera would be a great choice, too, and could be part of an unprecedented story by a couple guys from Cal.

COVER PHOTO BY GEOFF BURKE, USA TODAY

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo