With Jared Goff having the season of his life, Detroit Lions fans are fully backing their talisman for the NFL MVP race this year. So, it was no wonder that analyst Richard Sherman got booed when he supported Joe Burrow instead.
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Speaking after the scintillating matchup between the Lions and the Packers, Richard Sherman at Ford Field took a bold route by backing Burrow. The analyst argued that the Bengals quarterback deserves the MVP due to his statistical superiority. Sherman even noted that Burrow is the only QB so far to have hit 30 TDs this season, one more than Lamar Jackson, the reigning league MVP.
The moment Sherman mentioned the stat, he was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd. However, the former Seahawks cornerback remained unfazed, even taunting the crowd by letting them know that no amount of boos could change the stats.
“Statistically, look, Joe Burrow should be the MVP. His team has just let him down. He’s got 30 touchdowns, five interceptions… (Boos erupt)… You can say what you want. You can boo what you want. The numbers are the numbers.”
“Joe Burrow should be MVP.”@RSherman_25 speaking his mind pic.twitter.com/a091QijzPo
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 6, 2024
Just like the fans at Ford Field, even netizens took Sherman’s words with a pinch of salt. Lions fans, in particular, continued their virtual booing, pointing out that a key metric for MVP is the success a player’s value brings to the team. For most, Joe’s stats meant little when his team was 4-8.
Au contraire, Detroit fans argued that Jared Goff, despite slightly inferior stats [25 TDs] than Joe, deserves the MVP for the unprecedented success he has brought to the Lions.
MVP is player that is the most vital to his team’s success. In order to qualify, the team has to have some sort of success. The bengals suck, so burrow is disqualified from the conversation
— dan (@dan970970) December 6, 2024
Joe Burrow has *90* more attempts than Josh Allen. That’s the equivalent of *3 full games* more worth of passes.
Why? Because he and his team are 4-8. They’re 1-5 at home and 1-3 in their division. He has inflated stats because they’re always losing and he’s always passing.
— Buffalo J (@buffalojbj) December 6, 2024
Eagles fans, meanwhile, found this conversation as an opening to promote Saquon Barkley, who is arguably on course to have the best-ever season for an NFL Running Back. They argued that if the benchmark is stats, then shouldn’t Barkley be the favorite?
If it’s about stats it should go to the RB who’s going to break the rushing record
— Saa (@clash_with_saa) December 6, 2024
Bengals fans, on the other hand, ensured their talisman was protected. They did so with a self-diss by noting that Joe’s 30 TDs with their shambolic O-line is worth its weight in gold. He thus deserves it all.
He’s #1 in every stat with this o line I don’t care what his record is give him MVP
— Joe Burrow’s Burner (@JoeBurrowBurner) December 6, 2024
As important as success is as a metric, not backing Joe Burrow, the Offensive Player of November, in the MVP race would be foolish. However, in the long term, it’s hard to see how the QB can sustain his favorite status. Especially in a season where most playoff teams are led by QBs having the best seasons of their careers.
