The NFL Honors awards are often highlighted with the MVP selection by AP voters. Some years are straightforward. There isn't a lot of debate or discussion. However, this year had something of a three-way debate. Fans saw Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley left empty. Some are even crying foul. But the correct choice was ultimately made here.
Josh Allen is the NFL's Most Valuable Player. The Bills' player has a lot to be proud of for how the season unfolded. However, the final results of the AP voters open an old debate. Which is better? Stats or attempting to measure overall impact?
Whoever said that numbers don't lie was telling one. Passing yards and touchdowns obviously need to be accumulated. But it's important to factor in context, such as situational breakdowns. Furthermore, the word 'valuable' is in the name of the award. Therefore, it's essential to analyze which player brought the most to his team. Arguably, Saquon got snubbed in this regard the most. However, the NFL MVP is largely seen as a QB award. So much so that even the incredible production by the Eagles' RB wasn't seen as enough.
With this basic assumption in mind, that MVP is realistically only going to be a quarterback, the discussion comes down to Allen v. Jackson. The Baltimore player has the better numbers, but his overall year was not better than the Buffalo signal-caller.
Possible AP voter reasoning
For one, the receiving corps took a hit for Allen. Players like Khalil Shakir and midway Amari Cooper are more than serviceable and good at what they do. However, Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews would be picked by most GMs first in a hypothetical skilled-position draft. Then there's Derrick Henry, the ultimate X-Factor. Again, James Cook is more than serviceable. But King Henry reigns supreme as one of the top options out of the backfield.
Allen led this group and just made the right plays when his team needed it the most during the regular season. Bills Mafia and the AP voters saw many instances of Superman throughout the year. And he showed his complete skill set while managing to avoid the backbreaking killer mistakes.
His ability to take care of business and allow the team to play good complementary football over the season is something that no one else would have been able to match. This recognition should be a deep dive into the overall aspects that a player affects an organization. And while he maybe didn't get as many gains through the air or scores as Jackson, he put his team in a position where that wasn't needed. The AP voters were able to look into who had both the best and most impactful year for their team, a decision that they got right.
Comments