This year the MVP voting was decided by four first-place votes, giving the award to first-time winner Josh Allen. But did the committee get it right? I don’t think so! Lamar Jackson ended up with better all-around numbers than Allen, yet he was the runner-up, taking away his chance to become a three-time MVP. Don’t get me wrong, Allen had a phenomenal season, but the numbers don’t lie.
The NFL voting committee needs to figure out if the award goes to the best player or if it goes to the most valuable to the team to have success. In both cases, you could make the case for Jackson this season.
Lamar Jackson By the Numbers
Jackson became the first player in history to have more passing yards, more passing touchdowns, fewer interceptions, a higher completion percentage, more rushing yards, and a higher rushing average than the MVP. Read that again! Now tell me, why (sounds like a Backstreet Boy song) does Josh Allen deserve the MVP this season? Really why? Is it because the committee is getting voter fatigue for voting for the most electric player in the NFL?
Jackson had career-highs in passing yards (4,172) and passing touchdowns (41). He also had the fewest interceptions thrown since his rookie season, in which everyone knows he was very limited in passing the ball. This means he had better numbers than both of his previous MVP seasons. Please make this make sense to me! Jackson also made First-Team All-Pro, beating out Allen. Seriously, what the f***? The Ravens were one game behind the Bills in the standings, so it’s not like they were far that much better as a team.
Reasons Why Jackson Was Snubbed
A big reason for Jackson getting snubbed on the MVP Award was the addition of Derrick Henry. Henry had a phenomenal season in his first year with the Baltimore Ravens. Many considered him a top-5 MVP candidate himself. This shouldn’t take away from what Jackson did. If anything, the focus on Jackson’s dual-threat ability opened up more opportunities than Henry has ever had in his time with the Tennessee Titans. This “Shaq and Kobe” type duo made defenses have to make decisions on which one they would try to shut down from game to game, and neither was having it.
As I mentioned earlier, I truly believe it came down to voter fatigue. Jackson’s video-game-like numbers were astonishing, and now that he is efficient in the passing game, who is going to take the title away from him? This reminds me of the 90s with Michael Jordan. MJ could have and should have won the MVP almost every season he played, but it seemed that voters tried to spread the wealth away from his “Airness.”
Final Thoughts
This could possibly be the biggest snub in MVP history! Not only did Lamar Jackson deserve the MVP, but the numbers don’t lie. Fans were so obsessed with the hook and ladder in the snow from Josh Allen and Amari Cooper, which could have been the most overrated play of all time. Watch a Lions game; there is a hook and ladder every other week! I’m sorry it’s not in prime time and not in the snow. For someone who was doubted coming into the league as a quarterback, Jackson will receive his third MVP sooner rather than later. I can guarantee that!
