I think it’s safe to say now that everyone just wants this coronavirus thing to be over.
Even more than that … after Memorial Day, we really start feeling that need for football. But this year it’s even more pronounced because we don’t have baseball or the NBA playoffs to tide us over.
All I can say is ugh …
Ok. Let’s distract ourselves for while by pondering who’ll become the NFL’s next regular season MVP.
The Reigning Champion – Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson finished against the dolphins last season with a perfect passer rating. He dropped five touchdowns on 324 yards, going 17 of 20 passing. If you remember, he came into this league as a glorified running back. Everyone questioned the Raven’s decision to take him so high in the draft. Well, he put the work in over the offseason and stepped into the 2019-2020 season as a legitimate passing threat. So much so that he won the NFL MVP as the best player in football.
Lamar Jackson today:
😈 15/17
😈 223 passing yards
😈 65 rushing yards
😈 4 total touchdowns
😈 Perfect passer rating
😈 Run of the year
Electrifying. pic.twitter.com/zC5GvyVf4L
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 10, 2019
He didn’t just turn his game over to passing the ball; he also crushed Michael Vick’s single-season QB rushing record. Well, Las Vegas thinks he has a legit chance at repeating as league MVP. He starts the season at +600 or 6 to 1, the second-biggest favorite on the boards.
The Super Bowl MVP – Patrick Mahomes
At +350 or 7 to 2, Mahomes is the favorite for 2020 MVP. Patrick Mahomes had a fantastic year. Let me restate that, he’s had back-to-back fantastic years. He put up 4,031 yards with 26 touchdowns and just 5 INTs, completing 65.9 percent of his passes with a QB rating of 105.3. Not bad for a third-year guy – basically a second-year guy.
Well, he’s at the top to lead his team and the league. And why not? At just 24 years old, he’s finally an experienced QB, having led his team twice to the playoffs and once … winning it all. Now, he’s fully coming into his own, and if anyone has skills to be a shoo-in for league MVP, it’s Patrick Mahomes.
Looking for Three at 43 – Tom Brady
Tom Brady … or Terrible Tom, as I like to say, is looking for his third MVP. He’s a bit of a longshot at +1600 or 16 to 1. Some might think that he’s way too much of a longshot darkhorse. But I see it this way. Last year his offense was battered. He rarely had reliable targets onfield. When he did, it was one at a time, so defenses were able to double up on coverage.
Now, Tom is on a new team … and he has his sidekick back in Gronk. ON top of this he has multiple other offensive threats to lean on. In fact, the Bucs offense has the early ranking of No. 5 in the NFL. Imagine that. Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Gronk. But they have so many options. Arians can run a two TE set with Gronk and rotating O.J Howard or Cameron Brate, or just use those big bodies to pound the middle of the D and keep rotating them so they stay fresh.
Brady has the tools at his disposal. So, at 43, if he manages to march the Bucs downfield and deep into the playoffs, he may just find himself with another MVP award.
A Cardinal Effort – Kyle Murray
Kyler Murray has a ton of talent. He showed us by putting up 3,722 yards and 20 TDs in his rookie attempt. The only real problem was 12 INTs … and a 5-10-1 record. I don’t think he can get the league MVP because … well, the Cardinals are going to lose. They’re in a division with the Rams, Niners, and Seahawks. But he’s on the boards at +2500. If he somehow led, the Cardinals to the playoffs … even a wildcard shot … well, that would be another thing entirely.
That said, it’s more likely that his division rival, Russell Wilson would win the MVP at +800.
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