As the NFL regular season draws to a close, players are not just looking to make the playoffs.
Several players are also vying for the coveted MVP award. The usual (and mostly deserving) names have surfaced: Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, Detroit QB Jared Goff, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
But another player, Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold, also merits consideration. Per DraftKings, the seventh-year journeyman’s MVP odds are behind all the aforementioned players.
Darnold doesn’t have the same successful reputation as the other candidates. But his recent performances have proved that he might have what it takes to overtake the competition.
Here are three reasons why Darnold should be considered for MVP:
1: Vikings would be lost without him
This is the Vikings’ first year operating with Darnold at QB, but it wasn’t intended that way.
In March, the team signed Darnold to a one-year deal in free agency. Then, in the first round (10th overall) of the NFL Draft in April, Minnesota selected J.J. McCarthy, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in August. Without McCarthy, who was expected to eventually be the starter this season, the Vikings have unexpectedly soared to an 11-2 record.
In its preseason power rankings, ESPN slotted the Vikings 23rd and last in the NFC North. Now they are challenging Detroit (12-1) for first in the division and first seed in the NFC.
“If they do that [earn top seed], how is Darnold not a prime candidate for MVP?” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports wrote earlier this week.
2. Darnold’s stats are better than other MVP contenders
Darnold’s season is shaping up to be the best of his career, and his stats are better than several other contenders. He is sixth in the NFL in passing yards (3,299) and third for passing touchdowns (28), and his 108.1 passer rating is third best among starting QBs.
Per oddsmakers, Allen is the favorite for MVP and the Bills (10-3) have already clinched the AFC East. But Allen’s key stats — 23 TD passes, 3,033 passing yards and 64.1 completion percentage — lag behind Darnold’s.
It’s no shock Mahomes is in the running again for MVP, an award he has won twice. But his key stats — 3,189 yards, 20 TD passes and 68.1 completion percentage — also lag behind Darnold’s for the 12-1 Chiefs.
Goff has thrown for 3,265 yards and 25 touchdowns and has a stellar completion percentage (72.4), but he has 10 picks (including five in a win against Houston). Darnold has 10 interceptions, too. But preseason expectations were far higher for the Lions (ranked fourth by ESPN) than the Vikings.
Jackson is also slaying it with 3,290 passing yards, 29 TD passes and only three interceptions, but the Ravens are 8-5. Barkley has a strong MVP case (1,623 rushing yards), but the Eagles (11-2) are arguably more talented the Vikings.
3. Darnold’s recent performances
Darnold’s Week 14 performance against the Atlanta Falcons and former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins should put him at the forefront of the MVP conversation. In a 42-21 win — Minnesota’s sixth straight victory — Darnold completed 22-of-28 passes for 347 yards and five TDs.
In the game. Jordan Addison set a career high of 133 receiving yards on eight receptions and caught three TD passes. Meanwhile, Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson had seven receptions for 132 yards. Addison and Jordan became the team’s first WR duo to have more than 100 receiving yards and more than two touchdowns in a game.
In his past five games, Darnold has completed 109 of 163 passes (67.3%) for 1,399 yards and 11 TDs. Clearly, Darnold, who will be a free agent after the season, has a strong case for MVP.
“Whatever his future ends up being, I know all of us in this building are gonna be happy for him, no matter where that ends up being,” Minnesota offense coordinator Wes Phillips told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
