Alan Truex: With quarterbacks slumping, Todd Gurley takes a run at MVP
This NFL season has been the most disappointing in years. TV ratings down double digits, fans turned off by rules that became incomprehensible and by players taking their social protests to the field and snubbing the national anthem that many of us hold dear.
No truly dynamic teams and not many stars to be excited about, once we lost Carson Wentz, Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson. As for Zeke Elliott, he did his best running, apparently, on a beach in Mexico.
I’m not sure there’s a Most Valuable Player to be found. The issue became murky once Wentz left the scene, with three weeks remaining in the season. The leading contender then became Tom Brady, who has won the MVP trophy twice and is widely regarded as the Greatest of All Time.
Unfortunately, the New England Patriots quarterback has been intercepted in five consecutive games. Age could be making inroads on Brady at 40. He’s not as nimble in the pocket, having accumulated 31 sacks this season.
Another former MVP and future Hall of Famer, Drew Brees, is also showing a little wear, at 38. He’s fine indoors but has trouble connecting downfield in windy conditions.
He’s still completing 71 percent of his passes but is working mostly underneath the coverages, going screen-crazy with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Brees even drew the dreaded designation of “great game manager” from Phil Simms.
The New Orleans Saints are 11-4 and leading the NFC South, and no one questions Brees as a leader. But the game manager tag is sticking, and that surely will prevent him from being MVP.
Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, last year’s MVP, is very average this year, throwing 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Cam Newton, 2015 MVP, is not much better, at 21-13. Seattle’s Russell Wilson was all the rage a month ago but has tapered off in his past three games, averaging 6.1 yards per pass and throwing three picks.
The MVP is usually a quarterback who’s having a great season for a great team. But this year it’s hard to find either a great quarterback or a great team.
Jon Gruden, former Super Bowl-winning coach who now makes his calls on Monday Night Football, said, “I think Wentz should still be MVP.”
Gruden pointed out the extreme drop-off from Wentz to his respected backup, Nick Foles, who struggled to overcome the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. The value of Wentz is confirmed by the degree that he’s missed. But the MVP has never been won by someone on Injured Reserve.
So this is one of those rare years when MVP discussion has moved to other positions. A non-quarterback has not been MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012.
The hot choice a couple of weeks ago was Antonio Brown of the 12-3 Pittsburgh Steelers. He had amassed 100 receptions, 9 TDs and 110 yards per game. But then he suffered a torn calf muscle that that ended his MVP candidacy and probably his season.
So the talk turned to running backs. Specifically Todd Gurley of the 11-4 Los Angeles Rams. Gurley is putting up manly numbers: 1,305 yards rushing, 785 yards receiving, 19 touchdowns scored.
He’s averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and his 12.3 yards per reception is unheard-of for a back catching most of the passes behind the scrimmage line. The one negative on Gurley is his five fumbles, though they all occurred early in the season and may be forgotten when the voters cast their ballots.
The Rams are the highest-scoring team in the league, an achievement that usually casts a quarterback as MVP. Their QB, Jared Goff, has a dynamic arm and impressive numbers, a 28/7 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions and an average of 8.0 yards per pass.
But Goff’s achievements are credited more to his coach, Sean McVea. Cannon aside, Goff seems to be the ultimate robotic quarterback. McVea through his headset calls the plays at the line of scrimmage. We don’t see much improvisation from Goff.
Which leads us back to – who else? – Tom Brady.
His uncharacteristic interception binge is at least partly attributable to an ever-changing cast of receivers. His favorite catcher, Julian Edelman, has missed the entire season, and his No. 2 wide receiver, Chris Hogan, continues to miss time with a shoulder injury.
Brady does not have the same rapport with newcomers Brandin Cooks, Kenny Britt and Philip Dorsett. Sometimes they’re not where he expects them to be. Interceptions result.
There’s also the matter of a strained Achilles tendon in Brady’s left leg. That was affecting his follow-through, perhaps causing deep throws to sail or die. The injury report shows he’s over the problem now, though you never can be too sure about Bill Belichick’s disclosures.
Voters of MVPs in all sports grapple with what the term means. “Most Valuable” does not mean best. It suggests there’s value besides the individual stats. A true MVP improves the performance of his teammates. If Antonio Brown is double-teamed, other receivers, such as the terrific rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster, will be more open.
Many fans complain that MVP has transformed into Most Valuable Quarterback. But nobody disputes that the most important position on the team is quarterback. Gruden makes a valid point that the loss of a Wentz, who made so many magical escapes from dead ends, is devastating. Take AB away from the Steelers, and they’re still a very powerful team.
For years I suspected Brady was a puppet of the greatest coach of all time. But I was surprised several years ago by NFL film from a game in which the Patriots took possession on their 35 yard-line with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter, trailing by 4.
Without stopping for a breath, Brady reeled off to his coach the next five plays he had in mind. Belichick nodded and said, “OK, Tom, do it.” There was no other advice. And of course, Brady did exactly what he said he’d do, ran the five designated plays, each one setting up the next. The last was a touchdown pass to win the game with five seconds remaining.
That’s the sort of thing Brady still does. And that’s why he’s the real MVP. Even though Gurley probably will win that most cherished award and is clearly the superior athlete and is posting more spectacular stats. Much of what Brady does cannot be measured. But you know it’s there.