Who will win the 2015 NFL MVP? We rub our crystal balls and make 2015 NFL Predictions, this time eying the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts for top honors. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Check out more of the brothers in Seesaw Sports Debate on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
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TODD:
At some point, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to get their proper due nationally. At some point, Jamaal Charles is going to stay completely healthy for a full year. At some point, Charles is going to be unleashed on the football universe like a neutron bomb. At some point all these points are going to come to a point. That point is now.
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Jamaal Charles is my pick to win 2015 NFL MVP.
I know it’s hard (read: idiotic) to not pick a quarterback to win league MVP. Seven of the past eight winners have played quarterback. This year, according to the gambling odds, a quarterback is likely to win it again. The top two favorites are Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck. The likes of Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson (among other QBs) aren’t far behind.
Charles isn’t exactly an unknown in this regard. He’s one of a handful of non-QB favorites to take home the hardware. I just like him better than all the others.
The Texas product has been in the NFL for seven years. Although he’s played nearly every game in six of those seven years, it always feels like he is nicked or dinged or banged up. Charles is a smallish dude, which leads to this hesitancy. But he also runs hard, plays hard and is generally involved in every single thing the Chiefs do on offense. So his absence, no matter how brief, is felt two-fold.
These details just back up my pick. KC will have to have a good year for Charles to be in consideration at the end, but I think that will happen. The defense is very solid, and the offensive attack finally has a deep threat in Jeremy Maclin.
I’m not exactly sure what type of stat line it will take for a running back to be named MVP. Adrian Peterson needed 2,000 rushing yards to win it. I don’t think Charles gets there or needs to get there though. In 2012 and 2013, he topped 300 touches (carries plus receptions). The numbers were down a bit last season, but with a rebound, Charles can top 2,000 all-purpose yards for sure.
Aug 16, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles in a preseason NFL football game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
DAN:
I commend you for picking a non quarterback as your 2015 NFL MVP. It’s so difficult for any other position to have that kind of impact on their team in today’s NFL, hence seven out of the last eight winners being quarterbacks. I’d love to follow your lead and select a non-quarterback myself, but I honestly don’t see it.
Besides Jamaal Charles, I believe Adrian Peterson is also in a position to impact his team on an MVP level. Yet I don’t think he quite gets there, because of age and a more balanced offense in Minnesota. Jimmy Graham with the Seahawks could also make such an impact, but with Russell Wilson at the helm, I don’t see Graham getting serious consideration.
My pick for 2015 NFL MVP is both trendy and accurate. I believe Andrew Luck wins the award this season. He carried his football team deep into the playoffs last year, and I expect a similar uptick to follow. This award is based on regular season performance, however, and Luck is positioned for such glory.
Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton are now Andrew Luck’s primary targets at receiver. Frank Gore will be manning the backfield at running back, and Dwayne Allen is back at tight end, after scoring eight touchdowns over only thirteen games last season. Luck has a bevy of talent to elevate to pro bowl levels this season.
Beyond simply a strong supporting cast, the Colts schedule is highly favorable because of their weak division, allowing Luck to put up huge numbers against sub par defenses. Only three of Indianapolis’ opponents all season, Buffalo and Denver and Miami, ranked inside the top ten in passing yards allowed last year. Add in the Jets, with the addition of Darrelle Revis, and that makes four games where Andrew Luck might be tested. The rest are fodder for his offensive dominance.
It may hurt Luck that his team is a near lock to win their division, but it shouldn’t. He’s going to be padding his stats all year, while racking up an easy eleven plus victories. After weeks one and two, against Buffalo and New York, his Colts will be scoring up a storm. It will take an even bigger performance by another player to top what Luck has in store for 2015.
Dan Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also Lead Editor, Staff Writer, and Featured Vlogger at BuzzChomp, and a New York Jets Analyst for Pro Football Spot. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Instagram.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer for NFL Spinzone. He’s also a Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp, a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, and an Analyst for Tipster Labs, among others. Follow him on Twitter.
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