Halfway through the season, the NFL MVP race is on

As the NFL passes the halfway mark on the season, the excitement is at a fever pitch.  This campaign has been marked by high powered offenses, making big plays and putting up statistics that have never been seen before.  As the NFL starts the push towards the playoffs and beyond, the MVP race is also beginning to take shape. The theme of this season seems to be the dominance of offensive football and the MVP candidates seem to reflect that:

Patrick Mahomes

In his first full season as the starter for the Kansas City Chiefs, Mahomes has had a campaign for the ages. Mahomes has thrown for close to 3,000 yards and 29 touchdowns and is on pace to challenge for the record for both if his season continues on this pace.

This was a team that was lead by an MVP-like season from Alex Smith last season, it is pretty breathtaking to see what Mahomes has done with largely the same roster. He plays as a combination of Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick, with his Rodgers like pocket awareness to keep a play going combined with Vick’s freakish arm strength.

The former first-round pick has combined a cannon arm with astute reading of the field and made Kansas City the team to beat in the AFC. A 40-43 loss to the New England Patriots is the only blemish on their record in 2018, and even then Mahomes threw for 352 yards and four touchdowns.

While the Chiefs offense is loaded with play-makers in the form of Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins, it is Mahomes’ accuracy and awareness that has allowed this offense to flourish this season.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees has had an illustrious career so far winning a Super Bowl, passing for over 5,000 yards on  five separate occasions and most recently moving ahead of Peyton Manning to top the all-time passing yards charts, but this might be the best he’s ever played.

Incredibly, the former San Diego Charger has never won an MVP award, which feels unjust considering the elite level he plays at year-on-year. The 39-year-old has had a completion percentage of 76.3% on the year with only one interception and boasts a passer rating of 120.6. All of this while again, being 39-years-old.

Brees looks completely in control of this offense with young, exciting weapons in the great pass catching running back Alvin Kamara and one of the best young receivers in football, Michael Thomas. Brees has been terrific this season for New Orleans and it would be fitting for a league with such a strong youth movement, especially at quarterback, to have the old man flourish and win the MVP this year.

Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley had an MVP caliber season last year and has continued to be the same force this term.  Gurley leads the league with 868 rushing yards, but it’s his ability as dual threat runner and pass catcher that makes him truly exceptional.

The Rams running back has added 37 catches for 362 yards to go along with his outstanding output on the ground. Gurley’s 16 touchdowns on the season lead all non-quarterbacks and at time of writing the former first-round selection has outscored the entirety of the Buffalo Bills through eight weeks.

Gurley has averaged 4.8 yards a carry but more impressively than that, he has averaged a first down producing run on nearly 27% of his carries.  While one may argue that Jared Goff has just as much responsibility for the Rams terrific start to the season, the dual threat of Gurley opens up opportunities for the Rams wide receivers to get single coverage, while also providing Goff a safety blanket.

In this year of historic offenses, its no wonder that all three of the leading MVP candidates this year are on the offensive side of football.

With all three players leading their teams to records of only one loss each, not only will their respective teams go far in the playoffs this season, but the conference championship games or Super Bowl might determine which player truly deserves the accolade.

Honourable mentions: Aaron Donald, Adam Thielen, Cam Newton, Khalil Mack.

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