Dealing out the prizes: The 49ers end of season awards

The 49ers 2013 season was all about a group of players overcoming adversity and displaying great resiliency to once again go deep into the play-offs, but it wasn't without its share of great individual efforts.

Of course, the official team awards were handed out before the play-offs, with wide receiver Anquan Boldin collecting the Bill Walsh MVP award.

Here I give my own run down of the players I believe are most deserving of praise following another fine season for San Francisco.

Offensive Player of the Year - Anquan Boldin: What better place to start than with the man who clinched the team MVP award for a superb debut year in the Bay Area.

It remains unclear whether Boldin - who arrived in San Francisco in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for the paltry price of a sixth-round pick - will extend his deal with the Niners or be allowed to test free agency.

However, what is plain for all to see is the role that Boldin played in sparking an offense that was depleted by injuries for much of year.

Boldin made 85 receptions for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season, before gaining 227 yards on 16 receptions in the postseason and making a spectacular grab for a TD from Colin Kaepernick's jump pass in the NFC Championship game defeat at the Seattle Seahawks.

Defensive Player of the Year - NaVorro Bowman: I contemplated giving this award, as ESPN did, to Ahmad Brooks, who admittedly enjoyed a stellar year at the outside linebacker spot.

Yet it is difficult to look past Bowman, the inside backer who surpassed partner in crime Patrick Willis with his performances this campaign.

Willis - along with Frank Gore - remains the heart and soul of the 49ers, but it was Bowman who delivered in the key moments in 2013, and that is why he is thoroughly deserving of both this award and another - more prestigious - honour, which I will get to in a moment.

Special Teams Player of the Year - Phil Dawson: Another player the 49ers must re-sign in the off-season, Phil Dawson had a near-perfect year.

Almost every aspect of the 49ers' Special Teams, kick and punt returning aside, was superb in the 2013 season, with Dawson proving to be a significant upgrade on predecessor David Akers.

The former Cleveland Browns kicker made 32 of 36 field goals in the regular season, did not miss an extra point and kicked game-winning threes against Seattle in week 14, Arizona in week 17 and Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs.

Rookie of the Year - Eric Reid: Okay, so rookie free safety Eric Reid did not have much competition for this award.

Tight end Vance McDonald, receiver Quinton Patton and linebacker Corey Lemoiner were the only other rookies to see significant action away from special teams and, although the latter duo displayed signs of promise, none of that group came close to matching the season first-round pick Reid enjoyed.

Reid, who was named as a Consensus All-American with LSU in 2012, made two interceptions in his first two games.

Concussions against Seattle and the Carolina Panthers threatened to derail his rookie year, but Reid did not miss a start and displayed remarkable intelligence, poise and awareness in his debut campaign, which he finished with 77 tackles and four interceptions.

Game of the Year - Atlanta Falcons 24 San Francisco 49ers 34: There are a few games worthy of honorable mentions for this award, the season-opening and wildcard wins over Green Bay were thrilling affairs, as was the 19-17 week 14 triumph over Seattle.

The 23-10 NFC Divisional playoff win at Carolina was arguably one of the Niners' best performances of the season, but it is the final game at Candlestick Park, which ended with Bowman's game-sealing 89-yard interception return for a touchdown just moments after the linebacker had allowed the Falcons to recover an onside kick, that gets the vote.

There have been many magnificent games at Candlestick, but this truly was a dramatic and emotional finale worthy of the famous old stadium.

MVP - NaVorro Bowman: Rarely has a player been more deserving of the title of team MVP.

I have no qualms with the 49ers' official selection of Anquan Boldin as the team's best player, but the prize seems more befitting of Bowman for a season that established the former Penn State man as one of the outstanding linebackers in the NFL.

Finishing the regular season with 145 tackles, five sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions, Bowman was the undoubted star of the Niners' defence. However, it was the play he made in the season-ending loss at Seattle that epitomised his performance in the 2013 campaign.

Bowman stripped the ball from Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse close to the goal-line with 8:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, gaining possession only for the referees to rule that Seattle had recovered the fumble.

It was an incorrect call as Bowman did actually hold on to the ball, despite suffering a torn ACL and MCL in the collision.

Still, although the decision proved to be a horrendous injustice in a losing cause, it was a play encapsulated his magnificent year.

Bowman's terrific campaign was perfectly summed up after the loss to Seattle by Willis, who tipped his teammate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Willis said: "If he doesn’t get Defensive Player of the Year, I don’t know what they go by."