With the NFL season winding down, the race to crown the MVP begins to heat up. Who should take home the award this year?
In a game filled with uncertainty, the NFL continues to surprise. Under those circumstances, the journey to crown the most valuable player in the league is filled with a couple perennial standouts and one surprise. Granted, voting should take place after the Super Bowl, but the league likes the pomp and circumstance of that pre-big game hype. As a result, a couple of these frontrunners could still be playing into February.
Lamar Jackson, Ravens QB
The new Lamar Jackson. Those thousand-yard rushing seasons feel like a thing of the past. This version of Lamar Jackson just looks like he approaches the game differently. Instead of single-handedly delivering wins for the Ravens, the team added a number-one wideout. In Zay Flowers, Jackson enjoys one of the better route runners in the NFL. Johnson’s ability to gain separation with quick feet and precise routes, allows Jackson to hang in the pocket longer. Jackson’s 2.7 seconds of pocket time eclipses any previous high during his career. Combine that with Gus Edwards scoring eleven rushing touchdowns to provide balance, and this choice looks crystal clear. Most importantly, all of this success occurs without his favorite target Mark Andrews. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken crafted an offense based on not only using vertical shots but lateral passing that forces defenses to cover the entire field.
Christian McCaffrey, Niners RB
Not only is McCaffrey the most complete running back in the NFL, he is the best non-quarterback in the league. When the Ninners traded for him last year, few imagined that he’d had this level of impact. First, McCaffrey gives San Francisco a runner with the speed to win on the perimeter, also the toughness to take on defenders between the players. Saying McCaffrey possess a nose for the enz zone is akin to Toucan Sam having a nose for breakfast cereal. Fictional birds aside, twenty touchdowns in fourteen game is otherworldly. Leading the league with 1292 yards is one thing. However, ranking eighth among all receivers with seven receiving touchdowns is another. The Niners offense is predicated upon two people, McCaffrey is one of them.
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Tyreek Hill, Dolphins WR
The best wide receiver in the NFL, period. Hill’s ability to not only catch in stride but accelerate away from defenders makes him elite. Still, no one could predict the dramatic impact on the field for the Dolphins in 2023. Hill started off the season by shredding the Chargers for eleven catches and 215 yards. What jumps out is Hill’s ability to defeat multiple approaches to defending him. Regardless of bracketing, bump-and-run, or off coverage, somehow, that speed and explosion find an alley. As of the writing, Hill is battling injury, but he will continue to push through after missing last week’s game. If Hill can feast on the stingy Dallas defense, voters will possess a headache when trying to select. Denying a wideout with twelve touchdowns and fifteen hundred yards will be a task.
Brock Purdy, Niners QB
If you’re Cam Newton, you may want to stop reading. Under no definition or metric is Purdy a game manager. Game managers do not complete just under 70 percent of their passes with a 9.9 yards/attempt clip. Purdy makes plays for the Niners. Despite playing alongside top-tier competition, Purdy still needs to make proper reads and throw the ball. The Niners, from coaches to players trust Purdy to make all of the requisite throws to keep the offense moving down the field. Purdy leads the NFL in most attempts that travel at least twenty, thirty, and forty yards in the air. Additionally, Purdy’s footwork to allow those receivers time to get downfield cannot be understated. Before you label him a game manager, look at the film and realize the depth of your level of wrong.
Dak Prescott, Cowboys QB
For years, the jokes and snide comments followed Dak Prescott. Somehow, some way, the ghost of Tony Romo’s inability to thrive in the clutch lived within the Most enigmatic passer in the NFL. Yet, Prescott uses this season to serve up middle finger and middle finger to critics. Now, that does not absolve him for past failures. Yet, after shredding the Eagles twice and Jets defenses, you cannot deny the improvement. Of all the stats that the Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense rank in the top ten, they lead in a crucial one. 51.4 percent of the Cowboys’ offensive drives ends up in points. That is to say that more than half the time when Dallas possesses the ball, they will score. For that alone, Prescott belongs on this list.