We
all have our own opinions when it comes to everything in life, and sports are
no different. Often, we as fans decide early on which players we believe should
win or even be in consideration of certain awards. Consciously or
unconsciously, biased or unbiased, we usually do this based on our love for
certain players or teams, regardless of how they may measure up to other
players around the league. When it comes to this year’s NFL MVP, as I alluded
to in my previous article, there are some obvious choices for this season:
Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jared Goff, and the only current
non-quarterback choice, Derrick Henry. However, after these last couple of
weeks, it has come to my attention that, just like a lot of times in life, we
can all agree that oversights happen. We fail to realize certain things or
appreciate them due to the enormous, concurrent day-to-day events. I want to
use this platform to discuss some more players who should unquestionably be
recognized for the impressive seasons they’ve had so far.
JALEN HURTS
Jalen Hurts has seemed to go under the radar thus far in the 2024
NFL season. Why is that? I’m not 100% sure, but I’ll tell you one thing: he has
the Philadelphia Phanatic wanting to ditch his threads to become an Eagle
himself. Philly has now started a season with an 8-2 record or better for the
past three seasons, and Jalen Hurts is a very big reason why. When you look at
Jalen’s numbers this year, they’re not really eye-popping, but he is winning
games, and in the sports world, winning is the most meaningful statistic there
is. Hurts may be ranked 16th in passing (2,197 yards), 20th in average passing
yards (219.7 ypg), and tied 16th in passing scores (12 TDs). However, he does
rank in the top 10 in QB rating (101.8 - 7th), QBR (62.0 – 9th), and completion
percentage (69.2% - T-5th), along with being top 5 in total touchdowns this
season (23 TDs, T-4th), having 12 through the air plus 11 on the ground. When
it comes to winning games, Hurts boast a career record of 44-26-1 with 42
regular season wins (3rd; only Allen and Mahomes have more regular season wins
since 2021). This season, Jalen became the first QB in NFL history to both
throw a TD and rush for a TD with a 100+ passer rating in four straight games
(surpassing Jim Hart 1968, Jeff Hostetler 1993, and Lamar Jackson 2020). Hurts
has also now broken his own record (was tied with Cam Newton) by rushing for
10+ TDs in four consecutive seasons.
KYLER MURRAY
The Arizona Cardinals started this season off 1-3, then suddenly,
something started to click, and they have been rolling on all cylinders since.
Arizona has been on fire recently, winning five of their last seven games, four
in a row, while only allowing 14.25 points per game defensively. Clearly, that
has nothing to do with Kyler’s stats, but I just wanted to paint a picture of
how good the Cards have been as a team. It is the ultimate team sport, isn’t
it? That said, for Kyler to have the season he is having, he needs strong
O-line play. Well, believe me, he is getting just that, as the Cardinals
heavyweights up front have only ceded 8 total sacks over their last 7 games now
(4 sacks allowed in the last 5 games). In week 8, Kyler completed 26/36 (72%)
for 307 yards in a fourth-quarter comeback win in Miami, followed by a route
over the Bears where the Cards put up 29 points on a very good Chicago defense
without Murray having to do much. Then Murray came back in a huge way, setting
an all-time Arizona Cardinals record by completing 17 straight passes, going
22-for-24 for 266 yards, sprinkling in 21 on the ground, and scoring 3
touchdowns himself. Murray has 16 TDs this season (12 pass, 4 rush), owns the
3rd best QBR (74.9), 9th best passer rating (100.8), while currently tied with
Hurts in completion percentage (5th - 69.2%). Much like Hurts and Lamar, Kyler
is also an incredible runner when he needs to use his legs and is 4th in
rushing yards from the QB position (371 yds). Now, I am obviously not saying
that Kyler should be the favorite or is going to win, I’m merely proposing that
we make sure we keep our eyes on him as he is propelling this Arizona team (3rd
in NFC) to new heights.
JOE BURROW
This one is tough because Joe is such an incredibly talented
quarterback in this league. Without a doubt, he has been one of the top 5
quarterbacks since he was drafted by the Bengals and has already appeared in a
Super Bowl (lost to the Rams 23-20). Burrow is having his best season as a pro,
which is truly the toughest part of their current situation as a team. The
Bengals are now 4-7 after their last loss on Sunday Night to the Los Angeles
Chargers, which came in heartbreaking fashion. They are far from making the
playoffs, yet Joe Burrow has been on fire amid all the woes that Cincinnati has
been through this year. Joe leads all quarterbacks in passing touchdowns (27)
and total scores (28), passing yards (3,028), and QBR (76.1). Joe also ranks
2nd in yards per game (275.3) while placing 3rd in passer rating (106.9). There
is absolutely no question if the Bengals were in the mix for the playoffs this
season, he would, or at least should, be the number one favorite to bring home
the 2024 MVP of the regular season. Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is any
way that will wind up being the case. "Any given Sunday" has always
been the famous saying in the NFL when it comes to winning games. However,
unless the Bengals run the table over their next seven games, it will be highly
unlikely for Cincy to make the postseason, or for Burrow to get rewarded for
his season-long achievements.
SAQUON BARKLEY
Saquon Barkley has been on an unbelievable tear in his first
season as a Philadelphia Eagle. Boy did the Giants screw up by not bringing him
back. Since Barkley’s arrival in Philly, he has been nothing short of amazing.
He’s already rushed for 1,137 yards (2nd) while averaging a league-best 113.7
yards per game. Barkley is averaging 5.8 yards per carry (2nd), has scored 10
total touchdowns (T-3rd), and has amassed over 1,300 scrimmage yards (1,347
yds) while still having seven more weeks remaining. This was a no-brainer for
the Eagles to sign Saquon. He had been one of their top rivals for years and showed
them that he had plenty left in the tank, even though some were quick to shoot
down his ability to stay healthy. It was never about his abilities as a player,
how could it be? This man is one of the most versatile athletes in all
professional sports, let alone football. You give him the ball, he can make
cuts that will break the defender’s ankles, he can run around you, hit a spin
move with ease, catch the ball out of the backfield, and you can line him up
out wide or in the slot. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they allowed him to
throw a pass or two; he’d probably throw a TD too. One thing I thought I’d
never see is a player hurdling a defender while having their back to him. Just
to clarify in case you read that wrong: not only did Barkley hurdle a
defenseman (not crazy to do, seen this before), but he got spun around while
eluding a few players and somehow managed to hurdle a defender that was coming
from behind him, attempting to bring him down. I remember when I was younger, a
man once said while speaking about Marshall Faulk that it was like he had eyes
in the back of his head with his ability to avoid tacklers that were trying to
bring him down from behind. Watching that backward hurdle from Saquon Barkley
against the Jacksonville Jaguars certainly reminded me of Marshall. If the
Eagles continue this hot streak, Saquon reaches 2,000 or more yards, and Philly
locks down the 1st or 2nd seed in the NFC, I then, would strongly recommend
that Barkley be taken into serious consideration for this year’s MVP!
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