STAMFORD CT – With the strong play of Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs on their new teams, there is a lot of talk around the water cooler about the resurgence of running backs. They matter again! There is even momentum for Saquon getting the #MVP. I’m here to tell you that it’s mostly hot air. Things haven’t really changed. Josh Allen should win the MVP.
It’s the Teams, Dummy
There is a reason that these three back are all succeeding and leading the league in rushing. They went to good teams with plenty of solid pieces in place. Why do you think the Giants, Titans, and Raiders let those great backs go? It’s because they sucked with those players on their teams. Those teams had bad QBs and terrible defenses. Even the best RBs can’t overcome those deficiencies.
It was never that RBs didn’t matter. It was that you could often find a decent one on the clearance rack. You can’t say the same thing about a corner or a tackle, for example, premium positions that require big draft capital or money. In the cap era, GMs often go bargain hunting at RB to accommodate big contracts at other positions. The Giants have been getting solid production from 5th round pick Tyrone Tracy, and the Titans brought in Tony Pollard for a reasonable $7.25 million per year. Sure, both teams would be better if they held on to their guys, but they have bigger problems than RB. Again, both teams were not good with their stud RBs, as they could not have done anything about their teams’ horrendous QB play and bad defenses.
If You Love Saquon, Set Him Free
It’s funny how the same people who thought the Giants shouldn’t have drafted Saquon are the same people arguing that they should have re-signed him. But it’s the same argument. They had to let him go for the same reason they should never have drafted him.
You should only pay up for a top tier RB if you think he puts you over the top. The Giants weren’t in that position and had holes galore, so they had to let him go. It might be painful watching him go into the HOF as an Eagle, but it had to be done.
Who is the MVP?
Does Saquon have a chance to be the first RB to win the MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012? He leads the league with 1,499 yards rushing, with a whopping 6.1 yards per carry, another 267 receiving, and 13 total TDs.
The Eagles are 10-2 and on an 8-game winning streak. Barkley has brought the offense back to life after struggling down the stretch last year. He deserves consideration.
However, the Eagles improved their secondary with two great-looking picks in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean. They had one of the worst pass defenses in the league in 2023. Their defense currently leads the league with the fewest yards against, and only the Chargers and Lions have given up fewer points. The improvement on D is a big reason the team has been much improved from last year. Saquon has worked so well because the Eagles are a developed team that has drafted well. The Giants are not that.
Josh Allen is still the betting favorite and it’s his trophy to lose. His passing stats should be graded on a bit of a curve considering he has at least a few games in some rough weather. The flip back TD from Amari Cooper in the snow was one of the plays of the year. Though someone needs to explain to me why that counts as a receiving TD for Allen.
The Bills are the best team in the AFC, in spite of the refs’ efforts to keep the Chiefs at the top of the standings. Allen is doing it without an elite wide receiver and only decent weapons on offense.
I think the best way to vote for MVP is to imagine starting the season over knowing what we know now. If all the players were put into a free agent pool and there was a draft, who would you take first? To me that’s Josh Allen. In the modern NFL, the QB is too important.
That’s it for me. Come back tomorrow for a guy who considers himself too important, Angry Ward.
