By Brandon Simmoms
C.J. Stroud MVP vs. Quarterback Landscape
C.J. Stroud is balling out of control and has the league’s attention right now. The Houston Texans rookie quarterback completed his 2nd straight late game win Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, after leading his team down the field to a game winning field goal. It’s just one of the many moments he has had this season which has seen be thrust into the MVP conversation. Stroud has been exceptional this year, so it shouldn’t be crazy to think he can be mentioned with the league’s best, even as a rookie; except when you remember that he is a rookie QB and he is competing against former MVP’s such as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as well as potential new winners in Tua Tagavoiloa, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow.
When it comes to the MVP for this season, Stroud’s resume speak for itself. He’s 2nd in the league in passing yards and yards per completion, but leads the league in yards per game. He already has set 2 all time records: the most consecutive passes without an interception to start a career and the single game passing yardage total for a rookie. The number 2 overall pick has led this Texans team to 5 wins, the most since 2019, and they currently hold the 7th spot in the playoff race. For a rookie QB, these are amazing numbers but when compared to the other QB’s these stats are spectacular. His production is comparable to the aforementioned QB’s except for wins, in which Mahomes, Jackson and Hurts.
At this point of the season, C.J. Stroud looks to be the hands down selection to win the MVP award based on a number of criteria. The first of those important factors is records. Every sport loves a good record for their MVP. In the NBA, when Russell Westbrook won his MVP with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he broke the record for triple doubles in a season. When running back Adrain Peterson won his MVP, he was the 7th player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season all time. Records just embellish the work that a player is doing for his success and really separates the winners from their nominated competitors. In this case, Stroud’s record has been a large part of the Texans’ success and improvement from last year. Also, as a rookie, Stroud has exceeded all expectations that were set upon him. Regardless of how good they are perceived to be, rookies do not have high expectations placed on them and are given a little more grace than veterans. So when they perform the way Stroud is performing the way Stroud is right now, it’s going to look like they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s going to especially be in this view when the upper tier QB’s have lower yardage and higher turnover numbers. The other QB’s are have won more games, but they have not been in spectacular fashion compared to Stroud, so they might not be reaching high standards set for them and it could affect how voters view them when casting their choice. Right now, Stroud is the only right choice that is being presented.
Should the Giants rebuild?
The New York Giants had a great season last year and this season they don’t. the Giants are 2-8 after a 49-17 loss to the Dalas Cowboys. It was a game in which the announcers were reiterating that the team was in a rebuild, which was a weird statement because the team is also coming a playoff appearance, under their 2nd year head coach – Brian Daboll – and their re-signed franchise quarterback, Daniel Jones. However, it sort of makes sense, considering that Jones tore his ACL last week, in which he is out for the season, and now the teams sits at 2-8.
The problem is the choice of words. They don’t need a rebuild, but rather reboot, just some small tweaks done here and there, particularly on offense. The Giants could really use some help at the wide receiver position, something they have not found success at since parting ways with Odell Beckham, Jr. If anything, besides better protection from the offensive line, that could really set Daniel Jones and this team up for success.
Bengals and Bills going to return to last season’s glory?
The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills were once the teams to bear in the league last season but this year things are different. Both teams are sitting outside of the playoff standings after their losses this past Sunday, ironically, on game winning field goals. Both teams have suffered from their play in different ways. For the Bengals, there have been a number of problems. Bengals QB Joe Burrow has had a nagging calf injury at the top of the season, so it may have affected his play. Combine with the issues they had defensively Cincy gets a 1-3 start for their season before turning it around on a 4 game win streak. Still, that streak did not negate the fact that they are 30th in rushing defense and yards per completion, which makes them just as vulnerable in the passing game. The Buffalo Bills problem is they play down to their competition. At 5-5, 3 of their losses have come from teams currently sitting below the .500 mark.
The Bengals and Bills have found themselves in a deep predicament for their postseason chances. Cincy and have games against the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. If Burrow trends toward being fully healthy, but it will be tough if they if this team can not stop the run, run the ball or protect the quarterback, which are things that led to their loss on Sunday. Same thing for the Bills. While they are sitting im 2nd place in the AFC East, they have a tougher schedule ahead of them. They have fired the offensive coordinator but if Josh Allen continues throwing interceptions then their playoff chances are going to be slim. These two teams are talented but their postseason hopes are staring down the barrel of a shotgun right now.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray on his return. Last year, Murray’s season was cut short due to an ACL injury and he made finally made his 2023 debut this past Sunday, which resulted in a 25-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. It wasn’t a big stat line for Murray, who threw for 249 yards and 0 touchdowns, but it was encouraging to see him out there moving around after a serious injury.
Shut out to the NFL for overdoing a suspension. Tuesday, the league suspended Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman for 3 games for the 7th violation of rules pertaining to player’s health and safety violations. Many fans are outraged as well as former Texans defensive end J.J. Wat, who pointed out how this is just the 7th violation in Perryman’s 8 year career. Fans were also quick to point out the hypocrisy of suspending Perryman and not doing anything about Texans QB C.J. Stroud taking a helmet-to- helmet by a Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman in the same game.
Week 11 is going to start and end with a bang. Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals will clash with their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are coming off losses and will be trying to take each other’s heads off to gain some ground in the playoff race. It all ends Monday when the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl. Both teams have been criticized for not playing up to the high level they had last season but they still remain atop of their respective conferences. No question this is going to be a battle as these two teams could reunite in the Super Bowl this season. But until then…I’ll holla.