"It's an argument sure to fall on deaf ears, but it's one worth making nonetheless: Julius Peppers deserves the honor of being named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

Sadly, Peppers is unlikely to be in the conversation when the Associated Press compiles the ballots of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL at the end of the season.

Peppers has done everything but produce the statistics needed to support his case. Nonetheless, no player in the NFL has made a bigger impact on his defense or his team than Peppers, who might be the most influential addition to an NFL defense since Reggie White signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1993.

Doubt it? Consider the way the Bears' defense has reversed its fortunes since falling apart in the wake of the Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts after the 2006 season. The defense was ranked fifth in the NFL that season before ranking 28th, 21st and 17th in three playoff-less seasons since.

Coach Lovie Smith was exposed as a one-trick pony, a guy who could run a version of the cover-2 and no more. Last season, he served as his own defensive coordinator with little impact. The general consensus around the NFL was that the Bears were stubbornly scheme-driven, even when their signature pass defense seemed pass1/8©.

Enter Peppers, who signed a massive free-agent contract that pays him $20 million this season alone. A guy used to making top dollar, Peppers hasn't been ruined by money. Instead, the move from the Carolina Panthers to a bigger market and larger stage seems to have brought out the best in him. Rumors of a player who took downs off and pushed himself only when he was interested has proved to be completely unfounded. And the death of the cover-2 scheme -- and the current generation of Bears in it -- has been completely debunked.

The Bears' defense is flying high once again, ranking fourth in the NFL and dictating to other teams how games will be played."