Tag: MVP

Steelers QB Russell Wilson forces former MVP to eat his words

Russell Wilson proves critics wrong as the Steelers surge to a 10-3 record, solidifying his role in their impressive season.

Sorry, Cam Newton, you were wrong about the Pittsburgh Steelers and Russell Wilson. The former 2015 NFL MVP has transitioned to life after football through analysis on ESPN and his podcast, 4th and 1 with Cam Newton. However, his assertion that the Steelers are pretenders rather than contenders has been thoroughly disproved, as the Black and Gold improved to 10-3 on the season following a Week 14 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

His coldest take of the 2024 NFL season? The belief that the Pittsburgh Steelers were carrying QB Russell Wilson through this incredible start.

Where does one begin to assess how wrong this analysis was? Not only has Wilson achieved the fifth-most wins by a quarterback in his first 13 seasons, but if he hadn’t missed the first six games of 2024, he would be on pace for 4,336 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and an impressive 103.9 passer rating.

It’s safe to say Newton might have been a little envious of Wilson’s career resurgence in 2024, but ‘Mr. Unlimited’ and his remarkable start speak for themselves. Wilson will aim to extend his hot streak against the Eagles in Week 15 on December 15th, at 4:25 PM EST.

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Bills QB Josh Allen solidified his MVP case with 6 TD performance in 44-42 loss to Rams

Bills QB Josh Allen solidified his MVP case with 6 TD performance in 44-42 loss to Rams

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has won two MVP awards, and at one point this season, he appeared destined to win two straight, but Josh Allen has made his case this vote may end up being a runaway.

Playing in front of a national television audience, Allen accounted for 424 total yards and six touchdowns as Buffalo fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 44-42, at SoFi Stadium.

In the thrilling loss, Allen became the first player in NFL history with three pass touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Allen was 22 of 37 passing, for 342 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. Allen had 82 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on the ground, finishing with a 117.2 passer rating.

Jackson will be there in the end, as he’s on pace for career highs in passing yards (4,302) and passing touchdowns (38), and he’s only thrown three interceptions through 13 games played. Jackson also has rushed for 678 yards and, at one point, was on pace for 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

Bills QB Josh Allen solidified his MVP case with 6 TD performance in 44-42 loss to Rams

Bills QB Josh Allen solidified his MVP case with 6 TD performance in 44-42 loss to Rams

Saquon Barkley has made a great argument, but the Eagles running back will probably need to rush for over 2,200+ yards and break Eric Dickerson’s NFL rushing record to have any shot at winning MVP after Josh Allen’s performance on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Playing in front of a national television audience, Allen accounted for 424 total yards and six touchdowns as Buffalo fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 44-42, at SoFi Stadium.

In the thrilling loss, Allen became the first player in NFL history with three pass touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Allen was 22 of 37 passing, for 342 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. Allen had 82 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on the ground while finishing with a 117.2 passer rating.

Former MVP believes Russell Wilson is being carried by Steelers

Cam Newton claims Russell Wilson is being carried by the Pittsburgh Steelers, criticizing their wins and their overall contender status.

It appears former MVP Cam Newton isn’t the biggest fan of Steelers QB Russell Wilson. Over the few three weeks, Newton has consistently criticized the Pittsburgh Steelers and labeled the team as closer to pretenders than contenders.

While appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Newton claimed a few weeks ago that the Steelers’ victories over the Raiders, Jets, and Giants didn’t prove enough. His attitude shifted slightly after Pittsburgh’s victories over the Commanders and Ravens, but he recently reverted to his Black and Gold-hating ways.

On a recent episode of his sports talk show, 4th and 1 with Cam Newton, the former MVP started off with a bold statement: “Russell Wilson is being carried by the Pittsburgh Steelers.” Newton continued to criticize Pittsburgh, stating, “They played the Jets, the Giants, a still-on-the-bubble Washington Commanders team, and they played the Ravens. By the way, Chris Boswell kicked all the points.”

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Wilson has the opportunity to silence doubters, including Newton, when he attempts to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a tough road victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 1 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

With eight weeks in the books for the 2024 NFL season, PFF has released its midseason awards, with the Baltimore Ravens taking home both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was named PFF’s midseason Most Valuable Player. It would be hard to argue against the two-time MVP quarterback being the frontrunner for this season’s award. Jackson has the best passing season of his career while maintaining his unique and electrifying rushing ability.

“Jackson has once again raised his game and could be barreling toward his third MVP award,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in passing grade, turnover-worthy play rate, and yards per attempt while leading players in carries of 10 or more yards. Jackson’s 87.8 passing grade is the second-best in the NFL behind Joe Burrow. His dual-threat abilities are a cheat code for a team that is leading the NFL in total offense and offensive grade.”

Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Jackson’s punishing partner in the backfield, was named PFF’s Offensive Player of the Year. The 30-year-old veteran quickly squashed any fears of signing an aging running back. Henry has helped to take Baltimore’s already potent offense to another level this season with his big-play ability.

“Henry has been everything the Ravens could have possibly imagined when they signed him in the offseason,” Wasserman wrote. “He leads the NFL in rushing by nearly 200 yards. His 91.5 rushing grade paces the league as well, and the only player in the league with more explosive runs is, of course, his quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Henry and Jackson have formed one of the most formidable backfield duos the league has ever seen.”

Steelers’ legendary QB gives his opinion on the team MVP in 2024 

Former Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger stated on Tuesday that he believes Pittsburgh’s current MVP is Special Teams Coach Danny Smith.

After winning two Super Bowls with two different head coaches, Steelers’ legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger is a solid judge of quality coaching ability. On this week’s episode of his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former Steelers’ QB stated that one man, and one man alone, is Pittsburgh’s MVP this season—Special Teams Coach Danny Smith. 

Smith’s unit has presented a masterclass in special teams coverage, from blocked field goals to excellent punt returns. Smith was visibly upset over a botched call against an impressive special teams effort made by FS Minkah Fitzpatrick on Week 7’s Sunday Night Football, but his demeanor quickly shifted to excitement later that night as the team successfully blocked a field goal in their win over the New York Jets. 

Roethlisberger is mostly taking this opportunity to give the Steelers’ coach his flowers, but Smith’s special teams unit has truly been a spectacle for fans this season.  

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J.J. Watt makes his case for Jayden Daniels as MVP

JJ Watt makes his case for Jayden Daniels.

Legendary former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt has seen enough. He believes Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is a legit MVP candidate.

“People don’t want to give a rookie MVP,” Watt said this week on the “Pat McAfee Show.”

“I think they think the Rookie of the Year award, that’s his recognition, his MVP, no matter how good he plays. You kind of have to prove it over time to earn an MVP award, which I 100% and completely disagree with. Who knows how this is going to play out over the course of the rest of the year? We’re only seven weeks in. But if he continues to play at a rate that nobody in the history of the league has ever done, and he continues to elevate this team to where they go on and possibly win this division, possibly win some playoff games. I mean, that would be the definition of a most valuable player. He was drafted, he came in, and he turned an entire organization around in one year. That’s the most valuable player.”

Watt provided more information for his argument.

Watt makes some compelling arguments. The MVP isn’t meant to be awarded to the player with the best stats but the player who is most valuable to their team. Yes, there is a long way to go, but through seven weeks, what player has transformed a franchise like Daniels has done with the Commanders?

Yes, he’s had plenty of help, but Washington is a legit playoff contender because of Daniels. Without Daniels? Not so much.

Daniels injured his rib in last Sunday’s win over the Panthers and did not return. His mother later said he was fine, but head coach Dan Quinn said Daniels was “week to week” and he was “hopeful” he could play on Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears.

Bills’ Josh Allen is the favorite to win 2024 NFL MVP after three weeks

Bills’ Josh Allen is the favorite to win 2024 NFL MVP after three weeks

Through three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has never looked better. As of Tuesday morning, the seventh-year signal-caller has surpassed Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs as the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP award.

After a slow start in the first half of Week 1’s comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals, Allen has played dominant, mistake-free football while spreading the ball all over the field to his teammates. The latest was his effort against the Jacksonville Jaguars on ‘Monday Night Football’ in which he threw four first-half touchdowns and posted the highest total QBR (98.3) for a QB since the 2021 season.

His play has him sitting atop the league’s very best:

A couple of statistics highlight just how excellent he has been. First off, Allen’s EPA per dropback is currently .62, which is far ahead of everyone else in the league and is the highest by any NFL QB through three weeks of the season since 2016. Secondly, Allen’s 92.6 total QBR is the very best the metric has seen through three weeks since it was introduced in 2006.

So far in 2024, Allen has thrown seven touchdowns to zero interceptions while completing 75.0% of his passes. On the ground, he has added two scores and run for nine first downs.

We got glimpses of what the pairing of Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady could accomplish in the back half of last year, but what they’re doing to start the season is more than impressive.

It seems it’s all coming together for Allen in his seventh year. He has a running game, he has a good offensive line, and he has a play-caller in Brady who is making the game simple for his quarterback. It has never all clicked like this at once for Allen except for maybe the two playoff games in 2021. But even then, the running game wasn’t a major threat to defenses.

We will have to see if Allen and company can keep it up for the rest of the season. Just last year, after the Bills blowout the Miami Dolphins to move to 3-1, Allen found himself as the MVP favorite. But, this year feels different. With Brady calling the shots, the offense seems less one-dimensional on more sustainable.

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Caitlin Clark deservedly earned 3rd-place MVP votes to cap standout rookie season

MVP votes as a rookie.

Now that the WNBA regular season is over, awards have been decided and Caitlin Clark’s phenomenal rookie campaign is being cemented in history. Not only was she named the unanimous AP Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-WNBA player, Clark also received MVP votes.

Though A’ja Wilson won the award unanimously, Clark put together a good enough campaign to finish fourth in voting, and she even received a few votes for third place.

In fact, Clark’s six third-place votes were second most to Breanna Stewart, and she led all players with 26 fourth-place votes. With an additional 22 fifth-place votes, Clark tallied 130 points to finish fourth in voting, just ahead of the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas.

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Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Stewart finished second and third in voting, respectively.

Clark’s top-five finish isn’t too surprising after her historic first year helped catapult the Indiana Fever from 13 wins last season to 20 wins and a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Clark played all 40 games and led the Fever with 19.2 points per game and a league-best 8.4 assists. Her Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell also received third- and fifth-place MVP votes.

Indiana opens the playoffs Sunday against Thomas and the Sun.

FOX Sports’ Emmanuel Acho: ‘This feels like a Josh Allen MVP year’

FOX Sports’ Emmanuel Acho: ‘This feels like a Josh Allen MVP year’

After seeing Josh Allen throw for two touchdowns, run for two touchdowns, and bring his team back from a 14-point deficit in Week 1’s 34-28 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Emmanuel Acho of Fox Sports said that it “feels like a Josh Allen MVP year.” 

Acho, a current NFL MVP voter, was left in awe at the performance of the Bills’ QB1.

“To me, Josh Allen wasn’t just the most impressive player on the field… he was the most impressive player in the National Football League [in Week 1] … when you think about the most valuable player in football, it’s not just ‘what do you do for yourself’, but ‘what do you do for everybody around you,’” Acho said.

Acho’s main reason for bringing Allen into the MVP conversation so early in the year is because of the way he elevates the play of his teammates, mentioning the fact that Allen elevated the game of Mack Hollins, Keon Coleman, and James Cook in the win.

“This feels like one of those Josh Allen elevation years,” Acho said about Allen lifting those around him.

We have seen this in the past, with Allen elevating the performance of guys like John Brown, Cole Beasley, Stefon Diggs, and Gabe Davis. Not to mention former teammates such as Robert Foster and Isaiah McKenzie, who Allen helped become serviceable players while on the Bills and then they couldn’t find stable production after leaving.

Acho is onto something. And he is most likely late to the party. The Bills have been witnessing Allen elevate his teammates dating back to the upset over the Minnesota Vikings in his rookie year.

The chips seem to be aligning for Allen in his seventh season: Diggs is gone which means the narrative for many now is that Allen will put the offense on his back (which he has already been doing), Joe Brady looks to be a stable play-caller who trusts Allen and gives him plenty of say in the offense, and this year the Bills have arguably the most depth at the skill positions in Allen’s tenure.

Allen got off to a hot start in Week 1 and it got a lot of people buzzing, but if he can go on the road to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and put on a show during a win, then the MVP talks will be undeniable.

Here is the full clip of Acho praising Allen:

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