Defining "value" is always an elusive issue when speaking of postseason awards, but here are my choices for the NFL's top awards for the 2001 season:

	Kurt Warner has his second MVP in three years, but Dan Patrick says Marshall Faulk should have won his second straight.

MVP
For the second time in his career, St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner was named Most Valuable Player. Warner edged out teammate Marshall Faulk by just four votes. Personally, I was all for taking the easy way out by naming Warner and Faulk co-MVPs.

But if I had to choose one, I would go with Faulk.

In my opinion, Faulk is the most dangerous player in the game. He accounted for 21 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards this season.

Faulk has the ability to dominate a game -- he creates a mismatch every time he handles the ball.

Certainly there was no shortage of MVP candidates this season: Brett Favre in Green Bay, Tom Brady in New England, Kordell Stewart and Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh and Brian Urlacher in Chicago all had impressive credentials. With so many ways of defining "value," you can really make a case for any and all of these guys.

But in my opinion -- and this goes for all MVP honors -- the defining criteria is a guy who has impact on the overall success of his team. He has got to be in a position to lead his team to a championship. With the best record in the NFL, Warner and Faulk are poised to do just that with the Rams.

So, ultimately, I would have liked to see another co-MVP quarterback/running back tandem, as we saw in 1996 with Favre and Barry Sanders. A QB/RB duo from the same team has never shared the award, but now would have been as good a time as any to set a precedent.

Defensive Player of the Year
The Chicago Bears' approach this season seemed to mirror that of last year's Super Bowl champion Ravens: a ball control offense and great defense. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, who was fifth in the MVP voting, certainly made his presence known with 117 tackles and three sacks this season.

Urlacher's toughness, speed and tenacity set the tone for the Bears' defense. While other pieces had to be put in place to enable Chicago to make its run this season -- such as rookies Anthony Thomas and David Terrell -- Urlacher is as responsible as anyone for the Bears' turnaround.

Defensive Rookie of the Year
Though it was certainly a team effort, Kendrell Bell seemed to be the name that emerged from the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense as the most dominating player. Bell finished the season with an impressive 82 tackles and nine sacks.

Offensive Rookie of the Year
For a team to rely on their defense like the Bears do, they need a ball-control offense to keep that defense off the field and fresh. With four 100-yard rushing games and no fumbles, Anthony Thomas provided just that for Chicago. The A-Train rushed for a Bears rookie-high 1,183 yards even after missing two games due to a hamstring injury.

Coach of the Year
Starting the season with low expectations and high hurdles, the New England Patriots had their share of woes to overcome. But against all odds, Bill Belichick led the Pats to the top of AFC East.

It was a bleak beginning for New England. Belichick lost quarterback coach Dick Rehbein to a heart attack, his best running back (Robert Edwards) to injury and wide receiver Terry Glenn to discipline issues. Then, franchise quarterback Drew Bledsoe fell to injury. Belichick looked to second-year unknown Tom Brady, who became one of the NFL's biggest surprise stories.

Belichick can also be credited for turning free-agent running back Antowain Smith into a 1,000-yard rusher. Despite the many obstacles, the Patriots not only won the AFC East but also earned a first-round playoff bye.