There is no doubt about that Saquon Barkley Turned the crime to Philadelphia Eagles.
During Philadelphia’s current seven-game winning streak, Barkley has accounted for nearly 40 percent of the offense, rushing for a league-high 957 yards and six touchdowns during that time period.
Barkley was unstoppable in a 37-20 road win over Los Angeles Rams In Week 12, rushing for a career-high 255 yards. He had two rushing touchdowns of over 70 yards.
“He’s a different type of player,” Rams rookie edge rusher Jared verse He said after the match. “I’ve never seen a running back like that. He can get downhill. He can rebound. And he did both, so we’ve got to be better across the board.”
Barkley leads the league with 1,392 rushing yards, already a career high, and is on pace to surpass the 2,000-yard mark for the season. But even doing that won’t guarantee him an NFL MVP award.
Just last year, Christian McCaffrey He led the league in scrimmage yards (2023) and total touchdowns (21), however 49ers The star finished third in MVP voting. In 2009, Chris Johnson He became the sixth NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards with 2,006, yet Peyton Manning won the MVP award that season. Derrick Henry He totaled 2,027 career yards in 2020 but did not finish among the MVP finalists, instead winning Offensive Player of the Year.
LeSean McCoy defends Saquon Barkley as MVP
The last running back to win the MVP award was Adrian Peterson in 2012. He rushed for 2,097 yards that season.
Midfielders have won the award in the past 11 seasons. Also, during that period, the MVP winner played for a team with a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
For Barkley to overcome QB bias and have a realistic chance at winning the award, he’ll have to do something historic — like break Eric Dickerson’s single-season NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards. It would help if the 9-2 Eagles could get past 10-1 Detroit Lions As the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Barkley has momentum on his side. After his best performance of his career on Sunday, he made a huge jump in his MVP odds, from 75/1 last week to 5/1. Josh Allen The first contestant remains, while Lamar Jackson He is the second.
(Related to: 2024 NFL MVP: Can a non-QB win the MVP award? Here are 5 since 2012 who came close)
Here are the top five players on MVP Watch heading into Week 13.
1. Josh Allen, Bills
Current MVP Odds: +150 (bet $10 to win a total of $25)
The Bills are coming off their bye and have an interesting contest at home this week, facing off against the A.J San Francisco 49ers A team desperate to stay alive in the NFC playoffs.
Allen played just once against the 49ers in his career. During the 2020 season, he completed 80% of his passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-24 win.
2. Lamar Jackson, Crows
Current MVP Odds: +275 (bet $10 to win total of $37.50)
The reigning NFL MVP was on autopilot in his team’s road win Chargers Monday night. Jackson threw for 177 yards and two scores and no interceptions. He also rushed to land.
Derrick Henry did most of the heavy lifting, finishing with 140 yards. This week the Ravens face a big test when they host Barkley and the Eagles.
3. Saquon Barkley, Eagles
Current MVP Odds: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Barkley has been amazing this season, but he also gives credit to his offensive line, which is one of the best in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, Barkley is averaging 2.6 yards before contact, one of the best numbers in the league. This means that he hits holes cleanly and at full speed before reaching the second level of defense.
4. Jared Goff, Black
Current MVP Odds: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
The leader of the league’s most explosive offense, Goff is shaping a one-man, high-safety look this season. According to Next Gen Stats, Goff had league highs in completion percentage (74.5%) and yards (1,809) against high-security single coverage, while ranking second in yards per attempt (9.4).
Thursday, Cal The product challenges a Chicago defense that has used high-safety single coverage at the fifth-highest rate this season (60.5%), allowing the 10th-most yards per attempt (7.8), according to Next Gen Stats.
5. Joe Burrow, Bengals
Current MVP Odds: +3000 (bet $10 to win a total of $310)
Yes, Cincinnati is 4-7 and teetering on the edge of irrelevance. However, Burrow is having one of his best seasons statistically. He is third in the league in passing yards (3,028), tied for first in passing touchdowns (27) and third in the NFL in passer rating (106.9). He has just four interceptions on the year.
If the Bengals can get more consistent play from the defense, Burrow could enter the MVP conversation.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Mahomes, Jalen hurts, Justin Herbert, Derrick Henry, Baker Mayfield
Eric D. Williams has covered the NFL for more than a decade Los Angeles Rams For Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers For ESPN and Seattle Seahawks For the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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