Don't look now but we have the most compelling, competitive
and diversified MVP race in years on our hands. It seems as though every year
the award goes to a quarterback who we've known was going to win it for weeks.
In fact it's been six years since a non-QB has earned the honors (2006
Tomlinson) and it's been seven since the award was up for grabs in any way.
This year there are players at up to four positions who you can make a
realistic case for. So if I were given an MVP ballot that for some reason had
seven slots and possible ties on it, this is how I would fill it out.
7. Brandon Marshall: Yes, that Brandon Marshall. After
toiling in mediocrity for two years in Miami, the mercurial receiving re-joined
old pal Jay Cutler and immediately started putting up career numbers. Marshall
is on pace for roughly 124 catches, 1700 yards and 12 touchdowns. However,
Marshall’s impact cannot be measured entirely by statistics. He’s brought an
element to Chicago’s offense they’ve lacked in recent years. In the past four
years, Chicago has attempted to make playoff runs with a top receiving tandem
of Johnny Knox and Devin Hester. While speedy, the duo isn’t exactly
intimidating. Because of Marshall’s impact, the Chicago offense ranks in the
top half of the league for only the second time in the past 11 seasons. The
only other season was the Super Bowl season of 2006. That offense, however, was
a run based attack led by Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. For the first time in
recent memory, Chicago’s opponents will have to respect its passing game in the
playoffs and that’s almost entirely because of Marshall.
6. Matt Ryan: Matty Ice looked to be the obvious choice for
MVP for nearly half the season. Then, the Falcons started putting up
underwhelming performances and other quarterback’s play started to pick up. A
few weeks later, it’s difficult to see Ryan winning MVP just as it’s difficult
to see the Falcons winning a playoff game. Ryan has already tied his career
high in interceptions but also has, by far, his career high in completion
percentage (67.7%). Ryan has almost no shot at MVP but he is , for sure, having
a career year.
5: J.J. Watt/Aldon Smith: There’s been some chatter that for
the first time in 26 years, a defensive player has a shot at MVP. J.J. Watt has
been a nightmare for quarterbacks and linemen all year coming off the edge.
He’s now accumulated 17 sacks and what must be 2000 deflected passes
(unofficial total). However, if we’re going to give Watt MVP consideration,
Aldon Smith deserves some too. Smith, also in his second season, has
established himself as one of the league’s premier pass rushers. With 19 sacks
and three games yet to play, Smith is challenging Strahan’s sack record of
22.5. I don’t believe either of these guys will receive many MVP votes but if
it were up to me, they’d split the defensive player of the year award.
4. Adrian Peterson: AP is no longer just the greatest running
back in the world; he’s a possible cyborg who defies common medical knowledge.
On Dec. 24, 2011 Peterson tore his MCL and ACL. He made it through training
camp and the preseason and on Sept. 9, 2012, he suited up and ran for 84 yards
in a regular season game. As the season went on, Vikings QB Christian Ponder
struggled more and more and Peterson began to regain his strength. After
running for less than 100 yards in five of the first six games, Peterson has
run for triple digits in each of the last seven games. He’s now up to 1600
yards on six yards per carry on the season. He’s even average more yards per
attempt rushing (6.0) than Ponder is throwing (5.98). This season ranks with
Ladanian Tomlinson in 2006 and Jamal Lewis in 2003 as the best rushing seasons
of the past 15 years. However, the Vikes are struggling at 7-6 and have lost
five of six. This comes in spite of Peterson’s increase in productivity. This
just illustrates, perfectly, the changed (not changing) landscape of the game.
Even a historic performance by a running back might not be able to carry a
mediocre team to a playoff level.
3. Robert Griffin III: Boy, I bet those Rams wish they could
hit the reset button on that trade last year. RG III has already become one of
the best players in the NFL. When you combine his rushing and passing stats,
Griffin has 3654 yards, 24 touchdowns, 6 turnovers, 66.4 completion percentage
and 8.28 yards per attempt. It’s like Cam Newton’s “historic” rookie season
last year except with about one-third of the turnovers and more rushing yards.
If he leads the Redskins to the playoffs, Mr. Griffin will get some serious MVP
consideration. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll appear on lists like this for years to
come.
2. Aaron Rodgers: While people were fixated on Golden Gate
and some early disappointments, Aaron Rodgers was quietly putting up another
MVP-level season. The eighth year QB is on pace for roughly 4000 yards, 35
touchdowns and less than 10 picks, all with a 67% completion rate. Meanwhile,
he’s leading the Packers to their second straight division title and fourth
consecutive playoff appearance. Rodgers has barely had a mis-step in his entire
career and this year is no exception. Last year won’t be the last MVP of his
career.
1. Peyton Manning/Tom Brady: Age has been no factor for
these two yet again. These two have a combined six MVP’s and one of them will
likely make that seven this year. At the age of 36, Manning has re-established
himself as one of the league’s elite. The four-time MVP has led the Broncos to
their first 10-win season since 2005 while putting up incredible numbers. He
already has 3812 yards, 30 touchdowns to 10 picks and a 68.3% completion rate. The
Broncos haven’t lost since Oct. 7 and Manning has been unstoppable since then.
Brady has the
Patriots in position to grab a first-round bye for the third year in a row. At
this point Brady has 29 touchdowns and four (yeah, four) picks with over 3800
yards and a 64.4% completion rate. This year’s battle for MVP stands for
something much greater than just a one-year award. Manning and Brady are locked
in a battle for the title of the greatest quarterback in NFL history. I’ll
expand on this in a later piece but suffice it to say no one has had the kind
of prolonged success these two have had. The length of their reign over the AFC
is astounding. Brady could be headed for Super Bowl victories 11 years apart
while Manning could win MVP’s with a nine year difference. It almost seems
inevitable that the two will face off in this year’s AFC Championship Game but
it’s doubtful that will totally and completely quell the debate of who is
better. This year should be the third ever split MVP. Brady would earn his
third honor in six years and Manning would extend his own record with a fifth
MVP. The unlikeliness of this happening leads to one of the most compelling
storylines of the season; which legend walks away with this year’s award?
Stay Hungry My Friends
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