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KC Chiefs: Top five MVP candidates heading into week 12

Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

MVP Candidates

Number 1 – Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

The narrative guy this year is Lamar Jackson. It was Mahomes last year and he ran away with the trophy. There is not a game that goes by in which Jackson doesn’t have a jaw-dropping play. He’s the only one on last week’s list in which I had to change his highlight play. That is the perfect microcosm to his season. The Ravens are 8-2 and have their sights set on the one seed in the AFC.

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The Case For:

Jackson dismantled the Texans in week 11. He held serve in the MVP race and has showed anything can happen on a given Ravens offensive play. If you consider that the Ravens now have a clear shot at the top spot in the AFC, that is the perfect recipe for a MVP candidate.

He has two more night games ahead on his schedule and a huge game against the 49ers in week 13. He has taken the top spot by just a hair ahead of Wilson and there’s a lot of action left for either to separate themselves.

The Case Against:

It’s hard to come up with a case against Jackson. He’s Action Jackson. He still hasn’t really been tested in a late game situation in which he needs to prove himself, so that’s what I’d put in this section. All of his MVP moments are highlight plays and not game-winning drives.

Other than the Kansas City game, he hasn’t had that opportunity against a good team. He should get it in the next few weeks and that may be the deciding factor on if Jackson takes home the trophy or not.

MVP Moment:

Week 8 vs. Patriots – 17/23, 163 yards passing, 1 passing touchdown,16 rushes for 61 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, win.

“Did he just do that?” Play:

39-yard run against the Texans in week 11.

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Conclusion

There’s still a lot of football to be played. Mahomes has to still be mentioned, Rodgers seems to have another level, Wilson is having the best year of his career, McCaffrey has to carry his team to the playoffs, and Lamar Jackson has full-blown broken out.

If the season ended today, however, Lamar Jackson would the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the 2019 season. Who saw that coming prior to the season?