A Case For RW To Be MVP

[mykc14]

Lamar Jackson has had an outstanding season and is becoming the runaway candidate for MVP and I know this argument will not amount to anything but here goes.

Baltimore Ravens: 12 Pro-Bowlers
Seattle Seahawks: 2 Pro-Bowlers

I know Pro-Bowl voting is not an exact science but the fact that RW has us at 11-3 with only 1 other guy that the 'experts' deem worthy of this recognition speaks volumes. Jackson is having a better season statistically (and will no doubt wind up winning the MVP) but RW is doing it with less!! At the end of the day give Jackson the MVP all I want is the SB!!!

[c_hawkbob]

https://www.foxsports.com/watch/the-her ... 9281987735

[RiverDog]

Lamar Jackson has had an outstanding season and is becoming the runaway candidate for MVP and I know this argument will not amount to anything but here goes.

Baltimore Ravens: 12 Pro-Bowlers
Seattle Seahawks: 2 Pro-Bowlers

I know Pro-Bowl voting is not an exact science but the fact that RW has us at 11-3 with only 1 other guy that the 'experts' deem worthy of this recognition speaks volumes. Jackson is having a better season statistically (and will no doubt wind up winning the MVP) but RW is doing it with less!! At the end of the day give Jackson the MVP all I want is the SB!!!

Actually I think that's a fair argument. The definition, or at least my definition, of MVP is that his presence has meant the single biggest difference in terms of wins and losses to his team than any other player has to theirs. The rather pedestrian supporting cast Russell has been dealt yet being able to attain both individual statistics as well as team accomplishments is a great point that shouldn't be lost on any of the voters.

Playing Devil's advocate, the counter argument in favor of Lamar Jackson is that he's elevated the play of those around him.

[RiverDog]

Here's an interesting article lamenting a number of Seahawk snubs. I'm not into the hand wringing over an east coast bias or the "everybody hates us" mantra that many of my fellow 12's like to spout, but there are some interesting paradoxes within this article. Here's a few that caught my eye:

There were more former Seahawks who made the Pro Bowl this season than current Seahawks who received that honor, continuing what remains the single most inexplicable trend in the most successful decade in Seahawks history.

Pete Carroll has not been named Coach of the Year, an award that Bruce Arians has won twice.

John Schneider has not been named Executive of the Year, an award that has regularly been given out to guys who’ve been canned within a few years of receiving the award.

No Chris Carson, who has as many 100-yard rushing games the past two seasons as Ezekiel Elliot.

(Frank) Clark’s selection might be the most puzzling because he was more productive last season in Seattle than he has been this year in Kansas City, yet this was the year he got the recognition. And if reputation is what explains that, well how did Duane Brown go from making the Pro Bowl three straight years with Houston from 2012 through 2014 to being merely an alternate after getting to Seattle?

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/736959/o ... hegsAWyMCs

[Hawktawk]

I love me some Russ but let’s be rational . Lamar is doing some things nobody’s done when you look at everything he does. #1 scoring offense in large measure cause qb runs for 90, throws for 150-300 with 2 to 5 tds every week. It helps a D, an O whatever when you can rush for 200 and lead the league in scoring . If Russ had been able to continue his performance the first 9 games it would be different but then he had 4 games in a row with a pick and got shut out of the end zone vs the Rams with an average QBR of 84. Last Sunday he was back to great Russ which we will need but I think unless Lamar has a collapse, bad loss etc he’s got it and he’s earned it.

[Rambo2014]

Seriously????

Get a grip, lucky to have 2

[RiverDog]

I love me some Russ but let’s be rational . Lamar is doing some things nobody’s done when you look at everything he does. #1 scoring offense in large measure cause qb runs for 90, throws for 150-300 with 2 to 5 tds every week. It helps a D, an O whatever when you can rush for 200 and lead the league in scoring . If Russ had been able to continue his performance the first 9 games it would be different but then he had 4 games in a row with a pick and got shut out of the end zone vs the Rams with an average QBR of 84. Last Sunday he was back to great Russ which we will need but I think unless Lamar has a collapse, bad loss etc he’s got it and he’s earned it.

I don't have a problem with Lamar Jackson getting the MVP. The Ravens have had a helluva regular season to this point, can lock up HFA this weekend, Jackson's obviously been the X factor in their success, and oh, yea, they/he beat Russell in his own backyard. I'm agreeing with Mykc only as it pertains to his argument having some merit. IMO Jackson is the hands down MVP.

What's mystifying, though, is some of the apparent contradictions in the Pro Bowl balloting. Frank Clark doesn't make it last year yet this season he has worse production with the Chiefs and he breaks through with a PB selection? It sure gives the grassy knoll faction of the 12's brotherhood some ammunition to peddle their "everybody's out to get us" mantra.

They ought to abolish the Pro Bowl. It's not competitive and no one gives a rat's arse about it. They really stepped in it this year by naming Michael Vick as one of the honorary captains of the legends team. Not exactly the way you want to celebrate your 100th anniversary season by creating yet another controversy.

[c_hawkbob]

I disagree that Lamar has this great distance between himself and Russ as far as deserving the MVP award, but I have no problem with him getting it either. I remain convinced however that if Russ were to replace Lamar the Ravens would see zero drop off in productivity from the QB position.

[mykc14]

I disagree that Lamar has this great distance between himself and Russ as far as deserving the MVP award, but I have no problem with him getting it either. I remain convinced however that if Russ were to replace Lamar the Ravens would see zero drop off in productivity from the QB position.

I tend to agree with this. There is no doubt that RW has done more with less, as can be seen by the pro-bowl nods for their respective teams. With that being said Jackson is having an outstanding season (sort of like Mahomes last year, but in a different offense) and I have no problem with him being the MVP, but RW has certainly had an MVP caliber season too.

[RiverDog]

I disagree that Lamar has this great distance between himself and Russ as far as deserving the MVP award, but I have no problem with him getting it either. I remain convinced however that if Russ were to replace Lamar the Ravens would see zero drop off in productivity from the QB position.

I tend to agree with this. There is no doubt that RW has done more with less, as can be seen by the pro-bowl nods for their respective teams. With that being said Jackson is having an outstanding season (sort of like Mahomes last year, but in a different offense) and I have no problem with him being the MVP, but RW has certainly had an MVP caliber season too.

I don't have any strong disagreements with either of those statements, but if you line up the two players and their teams, it's pretty clear that Jackson is the most deserving:

Of the two teams, the Ravens have had the better season. They have the best record in the NFL, including a win over us on the road, and can clinch HFA this weekend. We're in a dogfight in a much stronger division, but it must be pointed out that the Ravens swept the NFC West. Both teams had 10-6 records last season.

With two regular season games left, Jackson has set a record for the most rushing yards gained by a quarterback. He is the 8th leading rusher in the league (Russell is 51st).

Jackson's passing efficiency has been very, very good ranking 1st in QBR and 3rd in passer rating (Russell ranks 5th in both). Russell has a slight edge in completion percentage, 67.4 to 66.2. Russell does have a significant advantage in passing yards/game, 265-207. TD:INT ratio is essentially a wash, with Jackson at 33:6, Russell at 28:5.

Both individual statistics and team performance clearly favors Jackson, so I'll say it again: He's the hands down MVP. That's absolutely no disrespect to Russell. He's had a fantastic season, arguably the best season of any other player in team history. In 4 out of 5 years, he wins that MVP award.

Aw, it's all a bunch of fluff anyway. I don't give a rip about individual awards. I'd much rather see Russell win the SB MVP than the league MVP as it would mean that we will have won the Lombardi.

[Hawktawk]

I know both Russ and Lamar would rather have a Lombardi. That said I have to adress C Bobs comments about what would happen if Russ were inserted into the Ravens offense. It's fun to debate because its unprovable. But as a fan and shade tree analyst here's my take. In Jackson's second season Greg Roman has gone all in on an offense featuring tons of designed runs by Jackson. No way Russ could handle that workload, hes quick and elusive but he isn't nearly as fast or elusive. And as good as he is at escaping trouble Lamar is better. They won in Seattle because he was gashing seattle with his legs converting one DOA play after another while RW was throwing a pick 6. Hes why they won. If Russ went in there and they designed an offense around his game he might be quite successful but right now the Ravens offense is a cyborg, scary.

[RiverDog]

I was just glancing over the receiving stats. Jackson has one receiver in the top 50, his tight end Mark Andrews at #38. Tyler Lockett is 19th in total receiving yards, Metcalf is ranked #33. Jackson also doesn't have a running back in the top 10 in rushing yards, with Mark Ingram checking in at #11. Chris Carson is the 4th leading rusher. Yet despite not having any other producers, the Ravens have the #1 scoring offense in the league, #2 in total yards.

It truly is a one man show, and as much as I like Russell, he's not going to replace the productivity that Jackson gives the Ravens, at least not at this stage of his career and not in the Baltimore offense as currently configured. But to be fair, neither could first ballot HOF'ers Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, or Tom Brady. It's an offense built around a young, running quarterback, not 30 something year old QB's.

[obiken]

If your going on Most Valuable it would be RW hands down. IF your going on stats and a totally unstoppable entity, then I would have to go with LJ. If this was an Oscar I would have to give it RW who like Richard Burton, who never got one, deserved one. The sad truth is I think barring injury, its LJ in a walk.

[RiverDog]

If your going on Most Valuable it would be RW hands down. IF your going on stats and a totally unstoppable entity, then I would have to go with LJ. If this was an Oscar I would have to give it RW who like Richard Burton, who never got one, deserved one. The sad truth is I think barring injury, its LJ in a walk.

At this point, it's damn near a done deal as they could sit Jackson and he'd still win the MVP. If the Ravens win this Sunday, we'll see a lot of RG3 next week in their regular season finale.

Overall Russell probably deserves it more than Jackson as he is a ground breaking QB and has been doing it for a longer period of time, but that's not what the award is about.

[I-5]

There were more former Seahawks who made the Pro Bowl this season than current Seahawks who received that honor, continuing what remains the single most inexplicable trend in the most successful decade in Seahawks history.

Pete Carroll has not been named Coach of the Year, an award that Bruce Arians has won twice.

John Schneider has not been named Executive of the Year, an award that has regularly been given out to guys who’ve been canned within a few years of receiving the award.

No Chris Carson, who has as many 100-yard rushing games the past two seasons as Ezekiel Elliot.

(Frank) Clark’s selection might be the most puzzling because he was more productive last season in Seattle than he has been this year in Kansas City, yet this was the year he got the recognition. And if reputation is what explains that, well how did Duane Brown go from making the Pro Bowl three straight years with Houston from 2012 through 2014 to being merely an alternate after getting to Seattle?

That Pete Carroll has never won COTY is such a joke. He's going to win a another SB in Seattle before he's done. If he does that, I think he'll be in the HOF.

[RiverDog]

That Pete Carroll has never won COTY is such a joke. He's going to win a another SB in Seattle before he's done. If he does that, I think he'll be in the HOF.

Especially when you consider who all has won that award. In addition to Arians winning it twice, Jason Garrett has one and has won just two playoff games, has never made it to a conference championship game let alone a SB, and is on the verge of getting fired. The recently fired Ron Rivera has won two, and Andy Reid has won it 3 times. Marvin Lewis won it one year with a 10-6 record. Pete matched that last season in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The 2018 winner, Matt Nagy was one and done in the playoffs. As a matter of fact, you have to go all the way back to 2010 when Belichick won his 3rd to find a COY that has a Lombardi to his credit. This season, the likely winner is Kyle Shanahan.

Pete has made the playoffs in 9 out of his 10 years with us, has been to the SB twice, winning it once. If he wins another Lombardi, I think he's a shoe in. It's a pretty fair resume as it stands now.