KC Chiefs: Top five MVP candidates heading into week 11
By Gage Stagner
MVP CANDIDATES
Number 2 – ChristianMcCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
Christian McCaffrey has been super-human this year.
Every offseason, the Panthers talk about how they want to cut his workload down, and the past two years they just can’t keep him off the field. He’s second in the league in rushing yards by just two yards, tied for first in non-quarterback touchdowns with 14, leads running backs in yards per game, and third in yards per carry with the second-most attempts.
He’s a freak.
McCaffrey also has almost 400 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns for good measure as one of the best-catching running backs in the league.
The Case For:
He is the Carolina Panthers’ offense.
McCaffrey has played every single snap in four of the ten games this year. His durability and consistency has led the Panthers to a 5-4 record without Cam Newton for the most part. He’s done all this with stacked boxes all year.
Kyle Allen has been respectable in his own right, but each team keys in on McCaffrey each week. It gives you your best shot at winning if you try and slow him down. The only team to really do that thus far is the Buccaneers in week 2, which resulted in a Tampa Bay win. He may be the best player in the NFL.
The Case Against:
The last running back to win an NFL MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012. In fact, there’s only been two running backs to win the award since 2006. It’s a quarterback’s league, now more than ever.
McCaffrey may be the best player in the league, but it’s debatable if he’s the most impactful. Even with all he’s done statistically, Carolina may not make the playoffs and it’s hard to have an MVP on a team with a .500 record.
What he’s doing and on pace for is historic, but he might have to carry even more of a load to drag this team to a 5-2 record for the rest of the way. That won’t be easy, as they have a tough schedule for the home-stretch. The fact that he isn’t a quarterback will inevitably not go in his favor.