Who Will Be the MVP of the 2012 NFL Season? Here's the Top Four Candidates
Published by Vincent Sangiuliano (Columnist), Edited by Daniel Lewis (Editor-in-Chief) on November 19, 2012 in The Penn Sport Report. Click to read article in The Penn Sport Report.
Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports
The NFL MVP race is always an exciting thing to follow, but usually there is a clear-cut favorite by midseason. Although there some favorites for the title of “Most Valuable Player” this season, it is possible that one of several players could jump in and steal the award from the current favorites.
The MVP award typically becomes a very controversial topic around December. This year could be one of the first years since 2006 in which a quarterback does not win the award.
Overall, it should be very interesting come February when NFL fans will find out the recipient of the award. Here are the competitors thus far for this prestigious award:
The first candidate for the award is the reigning MVP, quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers started off the season slowly, throwing for three touchdowns and two interceptions in the first three games of the season.
Since then, he has thrown for 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions as he heads into week 12. He has been playing at his typical MVP level since his slow start, and sometimes it just looks like there is no stopping him. Rodgers has been very poised as of late and has comparable numbers to last season.
The MVP award typically becomes a very controversial topic around December. This year could be one of the first years since 2006 in which a quarterback does not win the award.
Overall, it should be very interesting come February when NFL fans will find out the recipient of the award. Here are the competitors thus far for this prestigious award:
The first candidate for the award is the reigning MVP, quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers started off the season slowly, throwing for three touchdowns and two interceptions in the first three games of the season.
Since then, he has thrown for 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions as he heads into week 12. He has been playing at his typical MVP level since his slow start, and sometimes it just looks like there is no stopping him. Rodgers has been very poised as of late and has comparable numbers to last season.
A second candidate for MVP is Rodgers’ division mate, running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.
With Peterson returning unusually fast in his recovery from an ACL tear last December, many people, and even Peterson himself, would not have expected such an amazing season thus far.
Vikings coaches were expecting backup Toby Gerhart to carry the team’s ground game in the early weeks and hoping that Peterson would return around this point in the season, but “All Day” has completely exceeded everyone’s expectations. Through ten games, Peterson has 1,128 yards with seven touchdowns and is third in the NFL with 5.8 yards per carry.
There have been a few games this year in which Peterson was shut down by the opposing defense--games in which Minnesota was not able to come out with victories. Peterson is the fuel that keeps the Viking offense going.
He is on pace to rack up a career high in rushing yards, surpassing his 1,760 yards from 2008, and to earn his second highest touchdown total, having found the end zone 18 times in 2008.
Peterson is already a clear candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, but he deserves special consideration for this award if he continues to put the team on his back as he has done throughout much of this season. Indeed, the NFL may see its first running back MVP recipient since 2006.
The next candidate for the award is the Atlanta Falcons’ signal caller, Matt Ryan. The Philadelphia local started the season on fire, posting 12 touchdowns, 1,200 yards, and only two interceptions in the first four games.
Matt Ryan was so successful in the beginning of the season that he almost seemed superhuman at times. Recently, though, his MVP stock has fallen after throwing nine interceptions in the last five games and from narrowly leading the Falcons to victories in several weeks.
With Peterson returning unusually fast in his recovery from an ACL tear last December, many people, and even Peterson himself, would not have expected such an amazing season thus far.
Vikings coaches were expecting backup Toby Gerhart to carry the team’s ground game in the early weeks and hoping that Peterson would return around this point in the season, but “All Day” has completely exceeded everyone’s expectations. Through ten games, Peterson has 1,128 yards with seven touchdowns and is third in the NFL with 5.8 yards per carry.
There have been a few games this year in which Peterson was shut down by the opposing defense--games in which Minnesota was not able to come out with victories. Peterson is the fuel that keeps the Viking offense going.
He is on pace to rack up a career high in rushing yards, surpassing his 1,760 yards from 2008, and to earn his second highest touchdown total, having found the end zone 18 times in 2008.
Peterson is already a clear candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, but he deserves special consideration for this award if he continues to put the team on his back as he has done throughout much of this season. Indeed, the NFL may see its first running back MVP recipient since 2006.
The next candidate for the award is the Atlanta Falcons’ signal caller, Matt Ryan. The Philadelphia local started the season on fire, posting 12 touchdowns, 1,200 yards, and only two interceptions in the first four games.
Matt Ryan was so successful in the beginning of the season that he almost seemed superhuman at times. Recently, though, his MVP stock has fallen after throwing nine interceptions in the last five games and from narrowly leading the Falcons to victories in several weeks.
Dennis Poroy/The Associated Press
November was a poor month for Ryan in that the Falcons were able to win games without any significant production from him. In two of the last three weeks, he has thrown zero touchdowns and five interceptions and the Falcons were able to win in spite of him, albeit by less than six points in each game.
Although no player, especially a MVP candidate, can be judged on only two games, his recent performance will drop his MVP status slightly. Ryan will need to play well during the rest of the season and assume leadership of the Falcons, or the votes that would have gone to Ryan early in the season will instead go to another player.
Without him they will go nowhere, and with him, they are a favorite in almost all of their games. Only time will tell if Ryan can make history and become the first Falcons’ player in history to win the MVP honors.
The final candidate for MVP--as well as Comeback Player of the Year, like Peterson--is Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. At the beginning of the season, the Broncos took a huge risk investing the future of their franchise in a player who had not played in almost two years and came off major neck surgery.
If you asked Broncos G.M. John Elway how that risk turned out thus far, what would he say?
Elway deserves credit for making the gutsy decision to dump Tim Tebow and for being able to persuade Manning to pack his bags for Denver in the offseason.
Manning appears to be the frontrunner for the MVP honor at the moment. The level at which he is playing makes it seem as though he never missed a game last season or never suffered a career-threatening neck injury.
As he prepares for week 12, Manning has thrown for 24 touchdowns, 2,700 yards, and only 6 interceptions. While these numbers fall well short of those from his previous MVP seasons, his overall play continues to exhibit his incredible skills.
Manning is leading a very young Broncos team and has made even the most fanatic Tebow fans happy with his performance.
Peyton is a commander on the field, a huge reason why he is continually considered an MVP candidate. He controls the offense, runs it masterfully, and seems to call the perfect play at every moment.
After more than a decade in the same offense in Indianapolis, he has become very comfortable with the scheme and personnel in Denver in such a short period of time.
Manning is no stranger to the MVP award, and a fifth trophy to his collection would be well deserved.
These four candidates are all worthy of winning the MVP award, but the ballot is hardly limited to these players. New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, Chicago Bears’ cornerback Charles Tillman, and Houston Texans’ defensive end J.J. Watt are all intriguing dark horse candidates.
With plenty of games to be played and the landscape of the 2012 season still taking shape, fans will just have to wait until February to see who garners the high honor of the MVP award.
Although no player, especially a MVP candidate, can be judged on only two games, his recent performance will drop his MVP status slightly. Ryan will need to play well during the rest of the season and assume leadership of the Falcons, or the votes that would have gone to Ryan early in the season will instead go to another player.
Without him they will go nowhere, and with him, they are a favorite in almost all of their games. Only time will tell if Ryan can make history and become the first Falcons’ player in history to win the MVP honors.
The final candidate for MVP--as well as Comeback Player of the Year, like Peterson--is Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. At the beginning of the season, the Broncos took a huge risk investing the future of their franchise in a player who had not played in almost two years and came off major neck surgery.
If you asked Broncos G.M. John Elway how that risk turned out thus far, what would he say?
Elway deserves credit for making the gutsy decision to dump Tim Tebow and for being able to persuade Manning to pack his bags for Denver in the offseason.
Manning appears to be the frontrunner for the MVP honor at the moment. The level at which he is playing makes it seem as though he never missed a game last season or never suffered a career-threatening neck injury.
As he prepares for week 12, Manning has thrown for 24 touchdowns, 2,700 yards, and only 6 interceptions. While these numbers fall well short of those from his previous MVP seasons, his overall play continues to exhibit his incredible skills.
Manning is leading a very young Broncos team and has made even the most fanatic Tebow fans happy with his performance.
Peyton is a commander on the field, a huge reason why he is continually considered an MVP candidate. He controls the offense, runs it masterfully, and seems to call the perfect play at every moment.
After more than a decade in the same offense in Indianapolis, he has become very comfortable with the scheme and personnel in Denver in such a short period of time.
Manning is no stranger to the MVP award, and a fifth trophy to his collection would be well deserved.
These four candidates are all worthy of winning the MVP award, but the ballot is hardly limited to these players. New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, Chicago Bears’ cornerback Charles Tillman, and Houston Texans’ defensive end J.J. Watt are all intriguing dark horse candidates.
With plenty of games to be played and the landscape of the 2012 season still taking shape, fans will just have to wait until February to see who garners the high honor of the MVP award.