The statistical numbers don’t lie, when it comes to Lamar Jackson’s NFL MVP credentials, and Eli Manning sees that.
Eli Manning won two Super Bowl MVP awards during his playing career, so he knows exactly what it means to be the Most Valuable Player. Especially so when it matters most.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his second NFL MVP award last season, but despite having a historically elite season, the odds are against him repeating.
Jackson is having his best season yet, but he’s not the favorite to win the award. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is. Any Bills fan and/or Allen for MVP advocate will tell you that Allen has less supporting cast than Jackson, so he is more deserving.
There is also MVP sentiment that favors Allen simply because he has never won the award before. Beyond the Jackson versus Allen debate, Saquon Barkley is another strong contender.
The Philadelphia Eagles star had the best season by a running back in a generation, becoming just the ninth RB ever to gain 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Had he played in the season finale, his chances of breaking the single-season rushing record were in his favor.
However, the MVP award should go to the best overall player, regardless of position, supporting cast or previous MVP awards won or not won.
Manning got straight to the point.
“Lamar Jackson, especially his last five weeks, how he’s played, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions, pretty impressive what he’s done and I know he’s won them before – but that shouldn’t hurt you,” Manning said in an exclusive with RG. “If you have the best season, if you’ve played the best, he should win MVP. I think it should probably go to Lamar.”
The two-time Super Bowl winner and New York Giants Ring of Honor member is correct that past seasons should not factor into this debate. Manning is correct when he uses the concise phrase “played the best.”
Can the Steelers defense hold off Joe Burrow’s MVP-worthy performance in Week 18, or will they fuel his case for the award?
The NFL MVP race was initially down to two candidates: QBs Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. That changed when Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow led his 4-8 team to four straight victories. Now at 8-8 and on the verge of making the playoffs, Burrow must first face the 10-6 Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.
Cincinnati also needs two other teams to win—the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets—to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, Burrow’s offense looks to make an ‘MVP-sized’ statement against a struggling Steelers defense.
Burrow ranks fourth in MVP odds—according to Draft Kings—trailing Allen, Jackson, and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley despite similar statistical success. This could easily fuel Burrow heading into Pittsburgh for Week 18’s matchup.
The Steelers desperately need a win, having lost three straight to the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs. They are on the brink of letting Baltimore claim the AFC North title.
Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Seattle’s Russell Wilson are early favorites to take home the NFL MVP award. Who, if either, will end up taking home the award?
Through two weeks of the season, NFL fans and analysts are already making their MVP award predictions. While there are quite a few right now, it’ll narrow down to about two or three candidates by midseason. Two of the very popular picks to this point are division rivals — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
For the Cardinals, Murray has been often compared to Wilson. Their similar playing style and stature on the field make them an easy comparison. Coming out of the draft, Murray’s pro comparison was Wilson himself.
Both Murray and Wilson are trying to lead their teams to the top of the gauntlet that is the NFC West. Heading into week 3, three teams are 2-0, with the last place team being the defending NFC Champion 49ers. Should the division crown fall to Murray’s Cardinals, or Wilson’s Seahawks, MVP votes will come rolling in. To this point, the West is the consensus best division in the game.
Comparing Murray and Wilson’s supporting casts:
It’s no secret that the young & rapidly ascending quarterback has won the MVP award the last two seasons in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, While Mahomes won the award seemingly by midseason in his year, Jackson was very much going toe-to-toe with Russell Wilson on a weekly basis at one point. Despite Wilson and Jackson’s similar 2019 campaigns, Wilson did not receive a single MVP vote. The takeaway here — the voters of the Associated Press love the young & new stars.
Big-name players do two things for a football team. They help a team win games and they create media attention. Arizona and Seattle both have their share of these players.
Wilson’s Seahawks are no stranger to household names. Seattle’s offensive supporting cast currently consists of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Chris Carson and Greg Olsen.
Murray’s supporting group is highlighted by DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Kenyan Drake.
Both quarterbacks obviously have their fair share of talent and players that receive plenty of media coverage. Arizona and Seattle each made a blockbuster trade this offseason in DeAndre Hopkins and Jamal Adams. Those moves already made them two of the most talked-about teams in the offseason. That has carried over into the season.
To conclude here, Arizona and Seattle have both been talked about heavily and are receiving the sort of attention a team with an MVP-candidate needs, so that their player may take home the award.
Two Elite Dual-Threat Quarterbacks:
The NFL loves their mobile quarterbacks, with Wilson and Murray being two of the best. To this point, Murray has been better with the rushing attack, with Wilson being the better passer.
The MVP winner needs highlight-reel plays. Being a part of a good football team is not enough. Both quarterbacks have given plenty of those in just two games.
Russell Wilson makes a perfect throw to DK Metcalf for the 54-yard TD! #Seahawks
Here, Russell Wilson drops a perfect 54-yard bomb right over the head of the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore. In terms of highlight-reel plays, that will certainly do.
Through two weeks, Kyler Murray has the following stats:
66.7% completion percentage
516 passing yards
2 passing touchdowns/2 interceptions
158 rushing yards
3 rushing touchdowns
Meanwhile, Russell Wilson’s passing statistics are ridiculous:
82.5% completion percentage
610 passing yards
9 touchdown passes/1 interception
68 rushing yards.
Murray’s passing touchdown numbers will need to improve to compete with Wilson’s on paper. Both teams have had similar games to this point. They each handled a mediocre team(ATL for Wilson, WAS for Murray). Wilson and Murray also each embarrassed an elite defense(NE for Wilson, SF for Murray).
Media Hype & Conclusion:
Both the Cardinals and the Seahawks have had a promising start to the 2020 season. With the way the NFC West is going down, it may be the Arizona-Seattle matchups themselves that have the most impact on the MVP award, as well as division standings.
NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger has selected Murray as his MVP choice in 2020. More and more analysts are beginning to believe in Arizona’s second-year quarterback.
Former NFL Pro Bowl punter and talk show host Pat McAfee also calls Murray the “Next Great QB.”
If Wilson’s current pace continues and Murray continues to improve each game, there may very well by an MVP race in the NFC West.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson becomes the newest NFL MVP after winning the award for his excellent play during the 2019 season.
The Associated Press has named Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson the NFL’s MVP for the 2019 season.
It’s another in a long list of awards Jackson won in his second season, including five Offensive Player of the Week awards, a first-team All-Pro nomination and his first Pro Bowl. But winning the MVP award is the NFL’s top prize that puts him on a rarified list of Hall of Famers and other greats while cementing his legacy as one of the most unique and talented players the league has ever seen.
After a rookie season that saw plenty of fans and pundits criticize Jackson, he put in serious work during the offseason to improve in all areas of his game. For his second season, Jackson quickly inspired awe from fans and peers alike, creating a bunch of highlights in the process. This award completes what has been a magical season for Jackson that leaves a wake of broken records behind him.
The most notable comes from Jackson’s 1,206 rushing yards that shattered Michael Vick’s previous record for single-season rushing yards for a quarterback. When combined with his 3,127 passing yards, Jackson became the first player to ever throw for 3,000-plus yards while rushing for 1,000-plus yards in a single season.
Jackson also led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns in spite of missing all of Week 17 and being held out of the fourth quarter in five different blowout wins this season. Jackson’s improvement as a passer helped lead Baltimore’s offense to a No. 1 ranking in points scored and No. 2 ranking in total yards while setting a franchise-best 14-2 record that netted them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Jackson finished the season with a 66.1% completion rate for 3,127 passing yards, a 6:1 TD:INT ratio and a passer rating of 113.3 while adding 1,206 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on the ground.