Another day, another big award for Jared Allen. The Vikings’ defensive end was named the Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year. Allen terrorized NFL quarterbacks this season, piling up a franchise-record 22 sacks.

Vikings' defensive end Jared Allen earned a defensive player of the year award earlier this week, but it wasn't the official NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. Allen's competition for that honor is stiff.

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was just one vote short of being a unanimous choice for the Associated Press 2011 NFL All-Pro Team. Allen finished the season just a half-sack short of Michael Strahan's NFL record. Lions receiver Calvin Johnson also received 49 of a possible 50 votes.

A panel of sports reporters who cover the NFL named the Vikings lineman the top defensive player in his conference. It caps an epic season for Allen, who became only the third player in league history to record 22 sacks in a year.

All-Pro Jared Allen had a monster day against Chicago, setting a Vikings season record for sacks. One more, and he would have set an NFL record.

Five-and-a-half sacks in two games is no small feat. But if anyone can do it, it's the oft-mulleted maven of machismo, Jared Allen. The Vikings defensive end sits at 17-1/2 sacks and will need two stellar showings to surpass Michael Strahan's 2001 total.

Jared Allen set a Vikings' single season record with 22 sacks last season. He, along with Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh are considered two of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. Are they overrated?

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen says he's going to try to break the NFL all-time sack record again this year, but he also tells the Pioneer Press that personal goals never get in the way of team goals. And that one is obvious: winning the Super Bowl.