The 2016 season has been a funny one. The Oakland Raiders are a playoff team, but the Carolina Panthers aren’t. The Dallas Cowboys are riding two rookies to the playoffs, and the NFC West might be the worst division in football. While many would argue for Tom Brady, and Derek Carr has certainly made his case, there’s no established favorite for MVP. Here’s why Aaron Rodgers, a stranger to the underdog role, might end up the MVP.
Aaron Rodgers for League MVP
At one point this season, the Green Bay Packers were 4-6, and all seemed lost. They had just lost 42-24 to the Washington Redskins, and were stuck behind the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. Then, they woke up.
They won four in a row, beating the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and Chicago Bears. Aaron Rodgers threw seven touchdowns over the course of four weeks, and absolutely willed the Packers to victory.
Meanwhile the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings collapsed. The Vikings were eviscerated by the Indianapolis Colts and the Detroit Lions lost an ugly game against the New York Giants.
Playoff Push
The Green Bay Packers play the Vikings next week and the Lions in Week 17. The Packers are 8-6, the Vikings are 7-7, and the Lions are 9-5. If the Packers win out, they will be NFC North Champions. The Lions have a tough road, as they have to travel to play the Dallas Cowboys next week as well. With that in mind, and Minnesota’s collapse, the Green Bay Packers have to be considered the favorite to win the division. Coming back from a 4-6 record to make the playoffs has to be considered impressive.
Stats
Aaron Rodgers is no slouch statistically either. Even without a run game, the former first-round pick has thrown for 3,844 yards and is almost a lock to break 4,000 yards for the sixth time in his career. Despite the fact that he hasn’t had the support of a run game, Rodgers has only thrown seven interceptions after 14 games.
Additionally, his 32 touchdown passes through 14 games are also pretty impressive, and were the most in the league before the Packers played the Bears. With a middle of the pack defense and the league’s 22nd-ranked rush offense, Rodgers has been putting up solid numbers as he’s led his team back to the playoff conversation.
Who Else?
Tom Brady
Tom Brady would be the obvious choice, but the slow start and rough finish hold him back. He missed the first four games of the season, but he made up for lost time. However, he did miss those games, and with a complete season and a late season run, Rodgers has to be the more favorable option.
Derek Carr
Derek Carr was the trendy favorite, but a pinky injury seriously hampered his season. His stats have been very good, but not great. His numbers haven’t blown anyone away, but with a defense that couldn’t stop a leaky faucet, he had been winning games in the clutch. After an ugly performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, Carr’s MVP hype was immediately put on the back-burner.
Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott is basically a lock to be the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’s going to run away with the rushing title, and his Dallas Cowboys have already locked up a playoff spot. However, Elliott’s numbers aren’t MVP-worthy. They’re good, but not great. Three men have rushed for 2,000 yards in a season since 2000, and only Adrian Peterson has brought home the MVP award.
Elliott could win the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award, but the MVP is reserved for someone that really changed the face of the NFL. Darren McFadden and DeMarco Murray were also able to have success behind that offensive line, and Elliott is only on pace for around 1,700 yards. Very impressive, but not league changing.
If Aaron Rodgers can keep the playoff hopes of the Green Bay Packers alive, while putting up great numbers, he’s the obvious choice for the award. This would be the third MVP trophy for Rodgers, joining the likes of fellow Packer, Brett Favre, and future first ballot hall of famer, Peyton Manning as the only players in league history with at least three AP MVPs.
