I don't see a defensive player playing on a team who most likely isn't even going to the post season, even one with the impact of a J. J. Watt, is going to be named NFL MVP.

I can think of a couple of QBs who could be named MVP's of the teams they play against. One of them has a set of "triple sticks" behind his name. lol

J. J. Watt...

Your thoughts, if any?

Did you ever think Clayton Kershaw would win MVP? Now pitcher plays every 5th day. Defensive players play every single game.

Do you know who was last pitcher to win MVP in baseball? Bob Gibson, STL Cards, 1968. So point is that granted it doesn't happen everyday, but it can surely happen if numbers are there to support the decision.  

Homo Romo can be a contender.. Not denying. He has had a hell of a season. But J.J. Watt has 5 Defensive TDs just in 2014.. That's a record in itself.

-- Modified on 12/28/2014 2:32:00 PM

there's no way Dallas would have won 12 games or made the playoffs without him. On the other hand, the Texans didn't make the playoffs with Watt, and wouldn't have made them without him. Watt does, however, deserve the Defensive Player of the Year.

I'm not even sure if they give out such an award, but the NFL probably does.

Mr. Watt has been kicking ass lately, so perhaps he should be a contender.

I am not disputing he is a great player who had a great season, but besides the disadvantage of being a defensive player, there is also the matter of, "if he is so valuable, why didn't his team even make the playoffs" It would be like the Heisman trophy winner coming from a team that didn't win enough games to become bowl eligible.

LIke it or not, football is a team sport and for someone to truly be considered valuable, it really helps to play on a winner. Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Tom Brady et al are all going to be playing January football while Watt is sitting at home. MVP is just not going to happen this year for him, nor should it IMO

MVP in large part means "how far did we get, and how important were you to us getting there?"

There just is no comparison when comparing the QB, lead running back or leading receiver on a Super Bowl contender and a defensive player on a team that doesn't make the playoffs.

As for Defensive Player of the Year? Yes, they should just award that award to him right now. He will and should win that award in a landslide.

it automatically eliminates a lot of players from contention. A team can lose for variety of reasons. Lets say P. Manning has a stellar season but the defense sucks and they end up not getting in the playoffs. Would that automatically disqualify him?  

I think we can do a little better and think outside the box and vote someone else from time to time... I will give you another example. In 2014, in MLB, Giancarlo Stanton received 2nd most votes. So if it were not for Kershaw and his stellar season, which was second to none, Stanton would have received MVP award. And his team didn't even have a winning record, let alone playoff berth.  

As far as precedence, Lawrence Taylor did get the title in 1986. In all fairness to your side of the argument Giants did make it to playoffs that year. So that point is well noted.

-- Modified on 12/29/2014 12:29:00 PM

Aaron Rodgers will most likely win the MVP. He's had a phenomenal season and the Packers earned the #2 seed in the NFC.  

Romo and Murray are hurt by the presence of each other. While on its face, both players are deserving of MVP votes, at the end of the day they will split votes . It happens a lot when deserving teammates are both MVP worthy. They often take votes from each other.

Per my team, Ben, Bell and Brown all had phenomenal seasons and could garner MVP consideration. But voters will be torn on who was "more MVP worthy" and responsible for the Steeler success. Thus they'd split votes and each will fall woefully short.  

As per Watt winning it, as GA said, it is extremely difficult for defensive players winning an MVP. The NFL has morphed into an scoring league and offensive players usually have gaudy stats that are impossible to ignore. Though Watt had about as good a season as a defensive player can have. If the Texans had won their division and were playing in the post season, he'd garner serious consideration.  


-- Modified on 12/29/2014 2:34:06 AM

Several pitchers have been named MVP since Gibson:

Verlander - 2011
Eckersely - 1992
Clemens - 1986
Fingers - 1981
Blue - 1971

I personally am against a pitcher being named MVP for two simple facts - they have a separate award dedicated to just them...and they do not play every day

My apologies.. My stat is only true for NL teams...

You are entitled to your opinion sir, but as you can see BWAA doesn't care for that piece of data.

He carried the Cowboys the 1st 7 weeks of the Season without him they aren't in the playoffs

excluding 2014 season. without him they would have been 5-11 every year.