The NFL regular season has ended, and the battle for MVP continues.
This could be another close race with no clear leader. Matthew Stafford and Derek Meyer have the best odds, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
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Playoff results don’t matter because that’s the regular season prize. The winners of the AP NFL awards will be announced on February 5 at the NFL Honors ceremony.
Stafford is having an outstanding season with the Los Angeles Rams, leading the team to a 12-5 record and the No. 5 seed in the NFC. Meyer led the New England Patriots (14-3) to 10 wins and the No. 2 seed in the AFC in his second season.
Stafford leads the NFL with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns. His passer rating of 109.2 was second only to Maye, who had a 113.5 rating. Maye passed for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. Both quarterbacks were intercepted eight times. Maye’s completion rate is higher at 72% to 65%.
Christian McCaffrey also joins the discussion after a stellar all-around season in which he helped the injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers (12-5) overcome the loss of several key players and an extended absence without quarterback Brock Purdy. The Niners even had a chance to be the No. 1 seed entering Week 18, but Seattle’s defense ultimately outscored them 13-3.
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Not since Adrian Peterson in 2012 has a running back won the MVP award.
Micah Parsons deserves consideration. Parsons suffered a torn ACL in Green Bay’s Week 15 loss to Denver. In the games he played, the Packers achieved a record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss; in the games he played, the Packers achieved a record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss. The rest of the team is 0-4, including last week when they rested starters.
The quarterback has won the MVP award for 12 consecutive seasons. Those quarterbacks made nine appearances for No. 1 seeds and three more for No. 2 seeds during that span.
Only three quarterbacks have won MVP on teams that didn’t win a division title. Peyton Manning did it in 2008, Steve McNair was co-MVP in 2003, and Johnny Unitas did it in 1967, when the Colts went 11-1-2 but missed the playoffs.
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Last year, Josh Allen beat out Lamar Jackson for MVP. However, Jackson was named a first-team All-Pro selection. This is the first time since 1987 that a first-team All-Pro player did not win the NFL MVP award, when John Elway won the MVP award and Joe Montana received All-Pro honors.
The MVP award is given to the most valuable player of the season, while the All-Pro award is statistical recognition. The All-Pro roster will be announced this week, and the debate will continue into next month.
Playoff seeds
The Detroit Lions proposed last season that playoff seeding should be based on winning percentage, rather than automatically placing the division champion among the top four.
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NFL owners voted against it in May because most valued the importance of teams winning their own divisions.
“I’m a division purist,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
The league may revisit the idea after a second straight season in which three teams with better records will play on the road during wild-card weekend.
49ers (12-5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6). Rams (12-5) vs. Carolina Panthers (8-9). Houston Texans (12-5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7).
Last year, the team with the better record was 1-2.
The Rams-Panthers matchup will be the ninth time in the postseason that a road team has won at least four more games than its opponent. Teams with better records have a record of just 2-6 in these games.
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Defense needs help
Two of the top four NFL defenses didn’t even make the playoffs.
The Vikings (9-8) are third, giving up 282.6 yards per game. The Browns (5-12) ranked fourth with 283.6 points.
Both teams have quarterback issues. Minnesota lost starter JJ McCarthy for seven games and backup Carson Wentz, who started five games, before needing season-ending surgery on his shoulder over the final 2 1/2 games.
The Browns started veteran Joe Flacco in four games, rookie Dillon Gabriel in six games and rookie Shedeur Sanders in the final seven games.
Houston and Denver finished 1-2. The Broncos earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Texans earned the fifth seed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl