Jalen Hurts last Sunday again showed us that he has got that ‘clutch gene’. The Eagles once more came back from behind to clinch the playoff spot. The OT drive gave them a victory over the Bills, who despite leading the matchup for the most part couldn’t close out the game, paving the way for the Bird’s comeback.
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Jalen Hurts OT leadership has increased his odds of clinching the elusive title of the NFL MVP this season. This year has certainly produced some good names to the top but the recent MVP leaderboard pours cold water on the expectations of fans.
While the usually talked names occupy the top spots with great odds to win the MVP, what surprised the fans was the exclusion of certain names who have performed exceptionally this season. There was no trace of some of the top names this season including WR Tyreek Hill, QBs CJ Stroud, and Brock Purdy.
The current odds place the Eagles shot caller at the top of the list. Hurts signed a record-breaking contract with the Eagles in the off-season and increased his odds to +150 with another comeback victory. 2-time NFL and SB MVP and a perennial in this conversation- Patrick Mahomes sits behind with +350. With both at +600 odds, Lamar and Prescott occupy the 3rd spot and Tua who was the frontrunner in the early half of the season makes up the top five with now slightly increased +800 as per the Action Network.
Notable Omissions Leave Fans Disappointed
While fans were not surprised to see Hurts at the top of the leaderboard, they didn’t like the names of Purdy, his 49ers teammate McCaffrey, C, J Stroud, and Tyreek Hill excluded from the conversation. Purdy despite 3 losses has performed admirably well- throwing for 2871 yards with 19 TDs and just 6 picks. McCaffrey, who has over 1000 rushing and receiving yards with 16 TDs has been a reliable target for Purdy this season.
The Cheetah who is behind his QB in the MVP race refuses to slow down and has been the best player on their offense. In just 11 matches, he has covered the ground for 1324 yards with 10 TDs. Texan Rookie Stroud is already playing like a league veteran. Stroud, who passed for over 400 yards against the Bucs has already crossed the 3000 yards mark with 19 TDs and just 5 interceptions. He is a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.
Fans expressed their disappointment and displeasure after seeing these names being left out. They gave their reactions on social media ranged from congratulatory to dismissive of the list, to disappointment at seeing their favorite players excluded.
Fans really wanted to see the Cheetah on the list as one said”QB Award. So dumb. CMC and Hill need to be in on this.” Another fan chimed in and said-” Tyreek Hill? CMC? T.J Watt? Stroud? None of these QBs are playing better than these guys right now.” Another called for Hill’s inclusion and said-“If Hill gets 2k I think he should win. Just my opinion.”
Another said-” Purdy is leading all QBs in top stats.” One fan did not think Tua deserved to be on the list as they said, ” Get Tua off here please .”
The season is halfway over. With just 6 games left, the race is tightening. With the Eagles already in the playoffs, Hurts is inching toward the finishing line. Philadelphia hosts the high-flying 49ers next week. Hurts would have a chance to further those odds. Purdy and CMC have another chance to prove why they should be included in the NFL MVP conversation.
