Third Quarter NFL MVP

With 12 games down and 4 left to go, I would like to present the Award for the 3rd Quarter NFL MVP. Some things have changed, some have remained the same. We have seen teams and players stay the course. At the same time, there have been teams and players that have fallen slowly fallen off the course during the grueling 16 game season. This is the time where teams are either clinching their division or fighting for playoff contention. Now, I would like to present those players that have been the brightest stars in the 3rd Quarter of the Season.

Cam Newton:

Completions: 218

Attempts: 374

Percentage: 58.3%

Passing Yards: 2,797

Touchdowns: 25

Interceptions: 10

QB Rating: 93.2

Cam Newton has been turning things up another notch towards the final stretches of the Season. While his numbers as a passer might not be as polished and refined as some of his peers, Cam Newton has improved by his own standards with a QB Rating of 93.2. Newton is making himself known as a leader in other ways besides passing, such as scrambling and his sheer will to be the best that he can be. Cam's intangibles as a leader are the things that are really carrying this team to the highest heights possible as they remain undefeated (12-0). Along the way, Carolina has slaughtered the likes of the Titans, Redskins, Cowboys, and division rival New Orleans. Newton continues to keep his play steady while being the general of an undefeated team. Carolina also holds a victory over the Packers led by fellow MVP Candidate Aaron Rodgers. Cam continues to be a hero for his team.




Tom Brady:

Completions: 323

Attempts: 507

Percentage: 63.7%

Passing Yards: 3,912

Touchdowns: 31

Interceptions: 6

QB Rating: 102.8

Tom Brady continues to keep his production strong in spite of a recent two-game losing streak at the hands of the Broncos and the Eagles. Brady has maintained a very firm and consistent pace throughout the season. New England continues to be the toast of the AFC, especially within their division. The Patriots continue to outclass the rest of their division. Brady continues to climb the ladder of NFL History as he just surpassed Dan Marino on the Career Touchdowns List. Tom's numbers have been shaky as his QB Rating has fluctuated between the 90s and 70s in these last four games.

Andy Dalton:

Completions: 252

Attempts: 381

Percentage: 66.1%

Passing Yards: 3,191

Touchdowns: 25

Interceptions: 6

QB Rating: 107.4

Andy Dalton continues to be the silent choice in the MVP Race. After a two-game losing streak, the Bengals rebounded with two straight victories over the St. Louis Rams and division rival Cleveland Browns in dominating fashion. In the loss against the Texans, Dalton experienced his lowest QB Rating of 61. Meanwhile, Andy enjoyed his best QB Rating of 146.8 in the game against Cleveland. The Bengals are still the cream of the crop for the AFC North at 10-2. Out of the top MVP Candidates so far, Dalton has the best QB Rating (107.4) with a completion percentage of 66.1%. The Red Rifle continues to be a very sharp shooter.



Aaron Rodgers:

Completions: 260

Attempts: 426

Percentage: 61%

Passing Yards: 2,957

Touchdowns: 26

Interceptions: 5

QB Rating: 97.3

Aaron Rodgers continues to maintain his case among the MVP Race. Despite his team's roller coaster ride lately, Rodgers continues to produce at an elite and efficient rate as a QB. Aaron is stuck in the middle when it comes to his case as MVP. On one end, he has better numbers than Cam Newton, who is gaining more coverage for MVP. On the other end, Green Bay is four games behind the undefeated Carolina. The Packers are 8-4, and are holding on to their division lead by a thread with the Minnesota Vikings at a very close second with 8-5. Rodgers has gone from being my choice for 1st Quarter MVP (first 4 games) to slowly falling in the ranks. At least he is still in the conversation, so that helps. 


My 3rd Quarter NFL MVP goes to: 

Cam Newton:

When it comes to being a difference maker for the success of his team, Cam Newton is the MVP for these last four games. His pure leadership mentality has elevated this team even when he has had games that were not his best. It also helps that Newton is a double threat as a QB. Cam also leads the NFL in most rushing yards for a Quarterback. The Defense is great, but there is no telling where the Offense would be or where the team would be without Cam's presence. He has been a sensation all across the NFL not only for his popularity, but for what he means to this team as well. While looking for ways to help his team improve, Cam has found many ways to improve his game and these last four games have been proof. 

Second Quarter NFL MVP

We are now finished with the second quarter of the NFL Season (8 games). This is better known as the first half of the Season. Now, it is time to look at the players who have produced the best season within this timespan.

Tom Brady:

Completions: 225

Attempts: 328

Percentage: 68.6%

Passing Yards: 2,709

Touchdowns: 22

Interceptions: 2

QB Rating: 113.5

Tom Brady continues his rampage in the NFL  as he currently ranks first in QB Rating at 113.5, while ranking fourth in completions (225), third in passing yards (2,709), and first in touchdowns (22). Through this first half, Brady has only thrown two interceptions. This run is remarkable as Tom continues to make both the Defense and Roger Goodell pay. Brady is on a mission to terminate his opponents pass by pass as he leads the Patriots to an 8-0 start. In 16 Seasons, Brady is hardly slowing down at all. Tom already has two MVP's to his Resume, and he would have no problem adding a third.

Aaron Rodgers:

Completions: 163

Attempts: 252

Percentage: 64.7%

Passing Yards: 1,937

Touchdowns: 19

Interceptions: 3

QB Rating: 108.2

Aaron Rodgers continues to play at MVP form as the Green Bay Packers still reign over the NFC North. He is still producing at top form but has had a bit of a fall off in the past two games with losses against the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. The way that the Broncos dominated the Packers gave a slight blow to Aaron's stock as MVP. At 6-2, Green Bay is still very lethal.

Andy Dalton:

Completions: 174

Attempts: 258

Percentage: 67.4%

Passing Yards: 2,226

Touchdowns: 18

Interceptions: 4

QB Rating: 111.0

"The Red Rifle" Andy Dalton continues to fire away leading Cincinnati to a perfect 8-0 record, making them one of the small handful of undefeated teams that still exist. Andy continues to float around the MVP conversation which helps his stock grow exponentially. In the midst of his peers like Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and others, Dalton shines the brightest.

Cam Newton:

Completions: 132

Attempts: 246

Percentage: 53.7%

Passing Yards: 1,820

Touchdowns: 14

Interceptions: 9

QB Rating: 81.4

With the way that Carolina is taking a hold of their division, Cam Newton shares a great deal of the responsibility for their success. Cam has emerged as an MVP Candidate compared to where he was at the start of the season. Newton is playing the finest football of his career at this point as he is silencing his critics with great field generalship. Cam may not have the most aesthetically pleasing numbers compared to his contemporaries, but he gets the job done. Newton has improved his football IQ and instincts as a QB.

My 2nd Quarter MVP goes to:

Tom Brady:

The race is still ultimately between him and Aaron Rodgers, but Brady has pulled ahead by keeping his team undefeated. 

The Cincinnati Surprise

The Cincinnati Bengals have been making waves through the first five games of this season. This week, they defeated the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks in Overtime. The Seahawks gave up a 17-point deficit as the Bengals continue to dominate with their Offensive Firepower. The “Red Rifle” Andy Dalton shot Seattle’s deficit down as he went 30-44 for 331 yards and 2 Touchdowns. When the Bengals trailed 24-7, Dalton threw for a TD and ran for another to cut the lead down on a 69-yard drive with no timeouts. Tight End Tyler Eifert led the team with 8 receptions for 90 yards and 2 TD’s while star WR A.J. Green had 6 receptions for 78 yards.

The win not only keeps Cincinnati undefeated, but it is also the second biggest comeback in franchise history. The Bengals have not been 5-0 since 1988 when MVP Boomer Esiason led them to Super Bowl XXIII. Dalton continues to make his case as an MVP candidate while WR A.J. Green continues to make himself known as one of the top receivers in the league.

Meanwhile, Seattle is in serious pain at 2-3. QB Russell Wilson has been taking a pounding this season as he was sacked four times in this game alone. For the season, he has been sacked 22 times at this point.

The Bengals have recently become a playoff contender again, but their biggest test is to claim a postseason victory. They have been turning heads and look for ways to continue.

So far, Dalton is 108-160 for 1,518 yards (1st in NFL) and 11 Touchdowns with a QB Rating of 115.6. You could very well say that he is one of the Top 5 QBs in the AFC with his production. Andy is bringing a sense of hope and signs of promise to the Bengals as they are the favorites over the likes of perennial AFC North Juggernauts the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Dalton is on pace to produce a Career-High Season with 35 Touchdowns, 4,858 Passing Yards, a 67.5 percent completion rate, and a career-low six interceptions.

I am not jumping the gun on Dalton just yet, but things are looking up. We just need to see what he has in store for us in January.

First Quarter NFL MVP

We are now finished with the first four games of the NFL Season, which makes that the 1st Quarter. Now, it is time to look at the players who have had the most outstanding seasons within that timespan.

Tom Brady:

Completions: 96

Attempts: 133

Percentage: 72.2%

Passing Yards: 1,112

Touchdowns: 9

Interceptions: 0

QB Rating: 119.6

Tom Brady has the New England Patriots riding high as usual, leading the AFC East at 3-0. Tom has been absolutely brilliant in these first 4 games of the season, completing 72% of his passes for more than 1,000 yards, 9 TD's and 0 INT's. If the suspension was still approved, Brady would have fallen behind obviously along with his team. If anything, that has fueled his competitive fire to do what he has done for his whole 15-year career, silence the critics. The Patriots have enjoyed a Bye Week, but they look to continue their momentum. After all, there are still 12-13 more games in the season but for now, Tom has played at MVP level in the early stages.

Aaron Rodgers:

Completions: 89

Attempts: 123

Percentage: 72.4%

Passing Yards: 995

Touchdowns: 11

Interceptions: 0

QB Rating: 125.9

Perennial MVP Candidate Aaron Rodgers continues to lead his team while destroying defenses with his combination of passing and mobility. Rodgers is one of the ultimate double threats at Quarterback. The Packers continue to throw deep passes even without go-to WR Jordy Nelson. Still, nothing has slowed Aaron down from raising the game of his other receivers. Three of Green Bay's first four games were won in convincing fashion. Aaron's QB Rating is another indication of how dangerously precise he really is.

Julio Jones:

Receptions: 38

Receiving Yards: 478

Average YPC: 12.6

Touchdowns: 4

Julio Jones has certainly been the MVP for the Atlanta Falcons with his dominance over the secondary. His physical presence creates nightmares for opposing Defensive Backs while standing at 6'3" 220 lbs. Julio leads the NFL in Receptions (38) along with Receiving Yards (478) as well as yards per game (119.5). He ranks 2nd in Touchdown receptions with 4. The Falcons are currently tied with the Panthers for first place in the NFC South with a record of 4-0. Without question, Jones has taken the mantle of the Best WR this season with Cowboys stud Wideout Dez Bryant out for most of the season and Calvin "Megatron" Johnson suffering on a Lions team that is 0-4. Those are the three key receivers in the current NFL Landscape, but Julio is having a breakout season. Along with fellow WR Roddy White, the Falcons Wide Receiving Combo has made Matt Ryan look more valuable as a QB.

Andy Dalton:

Completions: 78

Attempts: 116

Percentage: 67.2%

Passing Yards: 1,187

Touchdowns: 9

Interceptions: 1

QB Rating: 123.0

The "Red Rifle" Andy Dalton has been a straight shooter as he has led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 4-0 record to lead the AFC North. Dalton has been vital in his team's success, as he ranks among the top 3 in Passing Yards (1,187). Dalton is nominated as a candidate for 1st Quarter MVP because of how his production has translated into his team's success along with the other players nominated such as Brady, Rodgers, and Jones. The Bengals are 4-0 for the first time since 2005, as they average 30.2 points. Led by Dalton, Cincinnati ranks second in total yards as they pile the points on the opponents. The Bengals are currently at the top of the class of an otherwise struggling AFC North Division, and The Red Rifle is the prime cause offensively.

 The 1st Quarter MVP Award goes to:

Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers has the Green Bay Packers standing tall at the top of the NFC North at 4-0 and leads the NFL in TD Passes (11) and QB Rating (125.9). The race is still tight, especially between him and Tom Brady. As for now, Aaron wins the award because of his efficiency and versatility.