by Ryan Mercier
Aaron Rodgers is the MVP
Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. Russell Wilson took the early lead, Patrick Mahomes is incredible, but ultimately Rodgers must be given the award.
Anecdotally, Mahomes and Rodgers each have a case. In fact, one of the best comps (if there is one) for the Chiefs’ superstar would certainly be Aaron Rodgers. Athletic, maestro, arm-angle artist, playmaker, and much more describes each QB separately. Both Kansas City and Green Bay are on track to be the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences.
After that, though, the conversation becomes easy. Mahomes has only played well enough to win for weeks now while Rodgers lit it up in the snowscape of Sunday Night Football. Recency bias is a real thing, although bias may not even be present here. Use all the DVOA-PFF-Advanced Metric site du jour stats all day long but don’t forget, sometimes football is simple. Sometimes it’s ok to use standard football stats:
Mahomes: 38 TDs, 6 INTs (Great)
Rodgers: 44 TDs, 5 INTs (Greater)
Case closed.
Two-Quarterback System in Miami?
It would be hard to find a website with a writer more prone to older-school style football and not going for every 4th down or two-point conversion than this one. With that preface, it’s time to get wild in Miami.
Brian Flores yanked his rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa against the Raiders on Saturday after a rather unspectacular performance. Enter Ryan Fitzpatrick, the bearded mountain man born for the spectacular. The latest chapter of Fitzmagic was written when he slung a pass downfield with his face being torn to the left by a defender. Fitzpatrick created a whole new kind of no-look pass which was miraculously completed with 19 seconds remaining in the game.
However, fans of teams across the league know the double-edged sword that is Ryan Fitzpatrick. He can be the only reason his team wins a game or the sole reason they lose with a flurry of inexplicable turnovers.
Tua, while young, is the steady hand. Safe passes, dink-and-dunk, no catastrophic plays. Fitz is the ultimate sparkplug off the bench. Like a 6th Man of the Year in the NBA. Get crazy, Dolphins. Use Tua to play to the strengths of the team, defense and special teams. Play it safe for three quarters. If the Fins are up, leave the kid in. If Miami is down two scores, unleash Fitzmagic.
Picture this: Tua and Fitzpatrick hold up the Lombardi trophy while Brian Flores smiles inside realizing he’s the next Belichick. Aqua confetti flies through the air and flutters to the turf.
It’s crazy. Gimmicks never last in the NFL. But admit it, secretly you like it. You love it. You NEED it.
Final Notes
- The Jaguars have clinched their most miserable season ever. Trevor Lawrence better be the real deal.
- We’re going to be forced to watch the dreadful Chicago Bears play a playoff game, aren’t we?
- Football Gods, don’t do this to Cleveland.
Struggling Actor Sports 