Welcome in to the 2019 NFL MVP Watch, where I will be taking a look around the landscape of the MVP race in the NFL this season. This is pretty much the same thing as my Heisman Watch, sooooo…like, do I want to spend a lot of time on an intro?
Shit, I guess I will for the uninitiated – each week, I will count down the five most MVP-worthy performances of the week and offer up my reasoning for each ranking. You finish first, you get five points. Second is four, so on and so forth. I will keep the season point totals going at the bottom of the article and at the end of the season, whoever has the most points gets the 2019 SoBros Network NFL MVP “honors.”
2019 NFL MVP WATCH: WEEK 11
5. Josh Jacobs, Raiders RB – I’m going to stay consistent with my take that Jacobs deserves some love beyond ‘Rookie of the Year.’ This Raiders team is physical and Jacobs is the perfect representation of that. His 112 yards were good for third in the league this week, but his 923 yards on the season has quietly put him up to 4th in rushing on the season.
4. Drew Brees, Saints QB – Well, the Bucs defense sure did provide Brees with the opportunity to get things back into a rhythm. He had his highest rated game of the season (122.4), going 28/35 for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
3. Michael Thomas, Saints WR – If there’s any wide receiver that belongs in the MVP discussion, it’s Thomas. The dude is a stalwart in the Saints offense, as reliable as they come. He’s leading the league in receiving yards with 1,141 (the first guy to cross the 1,000-yard threshold this season). 58 of his 94 receptions have gone for first downs. The dude is an outright beast – tallying 114 yards and a touchdown in the Saints 34-17 win over Tampa Bay. It was Thomas’ fourth 100+-yard game in a row.
2. Dak Prescott, Cowboys QB – Prescott had a whale of a game in the Cowboys’ 35-27 win over the Detroit Lions. I feel like every week I’m saying that Prescott is perennially underrated, but now, it feels like people are starting to take notice. Prescott is playing at a level that will force the Cowboys to pay up in the offseason. This week, Prescott went 29/46 for 444 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now leading the league in passing yards with 3,221, and is second in touchdowns with 21.
1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens QB – Sunday’s statement win over the Houston Texans may have solidified Jackson’s status as the frontrunner for the 2019 NFL MVP award. I mean…the dude is just spectacular. 17/24 for 222 yards, FOUR touchdowns, and a 139.2 passer rating that led the NFL this week. Plus, he had 86 rushing yards. Jackson is on pace for 40 total touchdowns this season, and the Ravens are on a hot streak that makes me think they’re the best team in the league.
UPDATED NFL MVP WATCH POINTS STANDINGS
27. Nick Chubb, Chase Edmonds, Sammy Watkins – 1
21. Drew Brees, Sam Darnold, Ezekiel Elliott, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Leonard Fournette, Jimmy Garoppolo, – 2
15. Shaq Barrett, Mike Evans, Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, Marlon Mack, Michael Thomas – 3
10. J.C. Jackson, Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones, Daniel Jones, Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford – 4
9. Deshaun Watson – 5
8. Dalvin Cook – 6
7. Kirk Cousins – 7
5. Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers – 10
4. Patrick Mahomes – 12
3. Christian McCaffrey – 16
2. Russell Wilson – 20
1. Lamar Jackson – 22
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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