Houston Texans: Can J.J. Watt win league MVP?

Houston Texans’ defensive super hero J.J. Watt had a season for the ages in 2014. Last year, Watt’s statistics included 20.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles, one safety, and one interception. If those stats weren’t gaudy enough, Watt also recorded five all-purpose touchdowns which included three offensive scores and a memorable 80-yard pick six against Buffalo.

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Despite Watt’s herculean efforts, he finished second in MVP voting to Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The last time a defensive player won NFL MVP was in 1986 when legendary New York Giants’ linebacker Lawrence Taylor destroyed the opposition with 20.5 sacks of his own. Given that today’s NFL is an offense friendly league, does Watt stand a chance of breaking the nearly 30 year drought of a defensive player winning MVP?

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To help answer this question, we must first examine the player who beat out Watt for the award, Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers tallied 4,381 passing yards with 38 touchdown tosses and only five interceptions. In addition, Rodgers also led his team to a 12-4 record in the regular season and the NFC North division title. For his efforts, Rodgers logged 31 MVP votes compared to Watt’s 13 according to Chris Wessling of NFL.com.

Interestingly enough, Rodgers did not set new career highs in any of the major categories last season which include completion percentage, passing yards, touchdown passes, or quarterback rating. In his previous MVP season of 2011, Rodgers passed for 262 more yards, seven more touchdowns, and compiled a higher completion percentage (68.3%) than he did this past season. In 2011, Rodgers’ passer rating (122.5) was also greater than it was this past season (112.2).

Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) looks to throw in the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

By no means am I suggesting that Rodgers had a sub par season or that he did not deserve to win MVP in 2014. I am making the case that even if Rodgers, or any other quarterback for that matter, does not post historical numbers, they will still get the benefit of the doubt. Even though we have seen Rodgers post better numbers in his career than he did last year, Rodgers still managed to receive more than double the amount of MVP votes than a defender who enjoyed one of the greatest statistical seasons in football history.

In my opinion, mere statistics don’t even do Watt’s 2014 season any justice. Considering how the rules of today’s NFL are strictly geared in favor of the offense, I would argue that Watt’s 20.5 sacks in 2014 were even more impressive than Taylor’s 20.5 sacks back in 1986. Defensive penalties such as illegal contact, horse collar tackles, pass interference, and personal fouls for roughing the passer and hits on defenseless receivers were either not as prevalent, or simply non existent in Taylor’s era. As a result, there were many more restrictions on how Watt could impact the game as opposed to Taylor.

Nov 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger (7) throws in the pocket is hit by Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) in the third quarter at NRG Stadium. Mettenberger was injured on the play. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

So long as a name brand quarterback (Peyton Manning, Brees, Rodgers) passes for over 4,000+ yards, throws for 35+ touchdowns, and limits his turnovers, he will win MVP regardless of what kind of havoc J.J. Watt creates on defense. If there was ever a season for the NFL to name its first defensive MVP since 1986, it was Watt in 2014. Since Watt’s unreal efforts were not enough to win most valuable player, I don’t think we will see a defensive MVP again for at least a few decades.

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