polamalubeast
11-03-2014, 04:12 PM
One last look at the Steelers’ last game …
• The NFL’s MVP award might as well stand for Most Valuable Position, as it’s got an excellent chance of going to a quarterback, a so-so chance of going to a running back and virtually no chance of going to anyone else. In the past 20 years the Associated Press has picked its MVP, 14 on the list have been quarterbacks, six running backs.
Wide receivers?
Not one. Ever. And the award began in 1957.
Defensive players?
Only Lawrence Taylor and Alan Page.
So let’s start with this premise when discussing whether or not Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown should be in anyone’s discussion for MVP: Brown has virtually no chance. If Jerry Rice didn’t get an MVP in 1987, when his 22 touchdown catches were double the total of the next-highest receiver, then Brown won’t, either.
That’s unfair to Brown, who only boosted his No. 1 standing in Pro Football Focus‘ wide receiver rankings with 11 catches for 144 yards Sunday and, on a more tangible level, leads all wide receivers in catches, yards and touchdowns. But inherent unfairness can never be omitted from an MVP discussion.
Roethlisberger’s case, clearly, is different.
His 2,720 passing yards are only 11 behind the leader, Andrew Luck. Roethlisberger, Luck and Tom Brady are all two touchdown passes behind leader Peyton Manning’s 24. Roethlisberger’s 68.3 completion percentage is a hair behind leader Drew Brees’ 69.6. Roethlisberger, Brady and Aaron Rodgers each has only three interceptions, lowest by far among the top 10 passers. Toss a blanket over all those, and Roethlisberger is right there in every category.
But dig into the more advanced metrics, which, for example, take into account passes that are on target but dropped, and Roethlisberger’s No. 1 standing is every bit as solid as Brown’s. His overall 21.4 grade from Pro Football Focus is miles ahead of Aaron Rodgers‘ 18.1. And when isolating on passing — Roethlisberger 2.0 hasn’t exactly been doing a lot of running — the gap is wider, 23.1 to Brady’s 17.7.
He’s the best quarterback in the NFL. As I wrote in the Monday game column, that’s well beyond being an opinion at this point. And if you add into that the Steelers’ success of late, the league-record 12 touchdowns in two games, the toughness that’s been displayed and all the other traits you’d want to see from a quarterback, it isn’t close
read more
http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2014/11/03/steelers-pats-ben-mvp-candidate/
• The NFL’s MVP award might as well stand for Most Valuable Position, as it’s got an excellent chance of going to a quarterback, a so-so chance of going to a running back and virtually no chance of going to anyone else. In the past 20 years the Associated Press has picked its MVP, 14 on the list have been quarterbacks, six running backs.
Wide receivers?
Not one. Ever. And the award began in 1957.
Defensive players?
Only Lawrence Taylor and Alan Page.
So let’s start with this premise when discussing whether or not Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown should be in anyone’s discussion for MVP: Brown has virtually no chance. If Jerry Rice didn’t get an MVP in 1987, when his 22 touchdown catches were double the total of the next-highest receiver, then Brown won’t, either.
That’s unfair to Brown, who only boosted his No. 1 standing in Pro Football Focus‘ wide receiver rankings with 11 catches for 144 yards Sunday and, on a more tangible level, leads all wide receivers in catches, yards and touchdowns. But inherent unfairness can never be omitted from an MVP discussion.
Roethlisberger’s case, clearly, is different.
His 2,720 passing yards are only 11 behind the leader, Andrew Luck. Roethlisberger, Luck and Tom Brady are all two touchdown passes behind leader Peyton Manning’s 24. Roethlisberger’s 68.3 completion percentage is a hair behind leader Drew Brees’ 69.6. Roethlisberger, Brady and Aaron Rodgers each has only three interceptions, lowest by far among the top 10 passers. Toss a blanket over all those, and Roethlisberger is right there in every category.
But dig into the more advanced metrics, which, for example, take into account passes that are on target but dropped, and Roethlisberger’s No. 1 standing is every bit as solid as Brown’s. His overall 21.4 grade from Pro Football Focus is miles ahead of Aaron Rodgers‘ 18.1. And when isolating on passing — Roethlisberger 2.0 hasn’t exactly been doing a lot of running — the gap is wider, 23.1 to Brady’s 17.7.
He’s the best quarterback in the NFL. As I wrote in the Monday game column, that’s well beyond being an opinion at this point. And if you add into that the Steelers’ success of late, the league-record 12 touchdowns in two games, the toughness that’s been displayed and all the other traits you’d want to see from a quarterback, it isn’t close
read more
http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2014/11/03/steelers-pats-ben-mvp-candidate/