NFL MVP stock watch: Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes 1-2
By Dustin Baker
1. Russell Wilson, QB (Seattle Seahawks)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1st
Highest Ranking of Season: 1st
2020 Stats: 2,151 Passing Yards, 26 Passing TDs, 6 INTs, 71.5% Comp, 120.8 Passer Rating
The Seahawks vanquished their almighty division rival 49ers in Week 8 — a team that was also the Super Bowl runner-up for 2019. When a player and team find a way to knock a formidable opponent such as that, the leader of that squad remains an MVP frontrunner.
Ergo, Wilson stays on top. On a day when his chief rival, Patrick Mahomes, flung five touchdowns, Wilson responded with four of his own. Four touchdown passes is a lofty feat, and Wilson thus remains “the guy” who leads the pack.
What’s most impressive about Wilson and the Seahawks is the context for his current stardom. Seattle allows 461 yards per game — last in the NFL. For the longest time, the Seahawks (and Wilson, too) relied on the defense to flap the team’s wings. Now, roles are reversed. The defense is mangy while Russ is pristine.
Next on the schedule for Seattle: the Bills, Rams, and Cardinals. That’s a trio of games that will continue to test Wilson’s mettle, and even more so the efficacy of Pete Carroll’s defense.