Staff
The NFL season is heading towards its climax, but before we get to the Super Bowl, we will also get to find out which player is going to scoop up the coveted NFL MVP award. The selection is hotly debated each year, and this year is no exception, with fans arguing over the favorite with almost as much determination as they devote to their NFL betting and their 2020 Super Bowl squares template.
The selection panel has already chosen the winner, though we won’t get to find out the name until the day before the Super Bowl, on Saturday February 1. However, there are some clear leading candidates for the award that recognizes the best regular season performances.
Lamar Jackson
By common consent, Lamar Jackson is the front runner in the race after a superb season at the Baltimore Ravens. Few of his rivals could work out how to get the better of him this season. It didn’t matter what tactics his opponents tried – they couldn’t stop him. Whether he was up against man coverage or a zone defense, he still put up the numbers, and even the New England Patriots, with the best defense in the regular season, couldn’t find out a way to stop him.
There were also a number of pure MVP moments during the season, such as his breaking the record for rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback. He also surpassed Vinny Testaverde’s Ravens franchise record, and became the first to achieve both 1,000 rushing yards and 3,000 passing yards in one season. Just two years ago, he was drafted 32nd overall, and has now arguably put up the greatest show in NFL history by a quarterback.
Russell Wilson
If the MVP award is to go to the player who carried his team the most effectively, then Russell Wilson would be the clear front runner. The Seattle Seahawks were not rated highly by most pundits, due mainly to their weak defense, while their offense was hampered by a series of injuries. Wilson couldn’t call on a top-quality offensive line, or elite performers at tight end, and yet he somehow managed to conjure up a string of fourth-quarter fightbacks and five game-deciding drives.
At a time when the franchise is still in transition from a defensive powerhouse to an offensive giant, Wilson gave them an unexpected bonus, steering them to the playoffs with an epic performance.
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes was last season’s MVP and he went into this year as the favorite to keep his title. He missed two rounds of the regular season with a dislocated knee, but he was back to his best on his return, guiding the Kansas City Chiefs to a six-win streak to see out the campaign and clinch the AFC West title with games to spare. In fact, his first post-injury game saw him throw three touchdowns and register 446 passing yards, and his stellar form has helped to guide the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
Deshaun Watson
Along with Jackson and Mahomes, Deshaun Watson is one of a trio of young quarterbacks who have grabbed the headlines this season. Watson helped the Houston Texans get through a tough division to reach the playoffs, and throughout, Watson showed both his physical toughness and his ability to rise to the big occasion. The highlights of his regular season included a phenomenal performance to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots with the eyes of a nation on him, an impressive comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts, and a courageous game-winning pass against the Oakland Raiders. Throughout the season, Watson’s determination and skill repeatedly lifted his team to success.
Michael Thomas
Could Michael Thomas become the first wide receiver to pick up the MVP award? With 149 receptions, he broke the record set by Marvin Harrison that had stood for 17 seasons, while the 1,725 yards receiving that he finished the season with is the seventh-highest total in the history of the NFL. Throughout, he was the main weapon for the New Orleans Saints, and he continued to perform even when star quarterback Drew Brees was absent. His superlative performance makes him a leading candidate for both the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Whatever happens in the Super Bowl, the 2019-20 NFL season will be remembered as the year in which the old guard finally gave way to a new breed of superstar quarterbacks in Jackson, Mahomes and Watson, while the likes of Wilson and Thomas would also be deserved winners of the MVP award after career-high performances that helped take their teams to the playoffs.
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