There is still a third left in this 2024 campaign, but it is legitimate to wonder if Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is not in the process of forging a candidacy worthy of this recognition. If he succeeds, he could succeed Adrian Peterson, who completely dominated the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, by ending the quarterback streak.
During this season crowned with the Most Valuable Player title, Peterson delivered truly astonishing statistics with 2,097 rushing yards (average of 131.1 per game) and 12 touchdowns as well as 217 air yards accompanied by another visit to the paid area. That earned him 61% of the votes ahead of Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos.
Without being superior at the moment, Barkley, dumped by the miserable New York Giants, presents offensive performances strikingly similar to those of Peterson with the Eagles. So far, in 11 games, Barkley has been able to amass an NFL-high 1,392 rushing yards (126.6 average per game) and ten touchdowns along with 257 passing yards and two additional touchdowns.
Most recently, his incredible 255-yard performance in the battle against the Los Angeles Rams certainly reaffirmed the fact that it is legitimate to consider him as a candidate for the title of most valuable player.
If he can maintain his current pace, Barkley could finish the campaign with 2,152 rushing yards. Such a harvest would place him in the very closed circle of carriers with 2,000 yards in one year (only eight) and inevitably among the best individual seasons in NFL history.
It should be noted that reaching this incredible plateau does not always come with the title of Most Valuable Player. Of the eight who have achieved this, only OJ Simpson (1973), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998) and Adrian Peterson (2012) have received this prestigious honor.
Key to collective success
Obviously, if Barkley is considered the third best pick by the oddsmakers right now, it’s because his performance is helping the Eagles win their matchup week after week. In the last seven games, Philadelphia has not lost a single game, which allows it to reach the top of the East of the National Association with an enviable record of nine triumphs and two small losses.
After a somewhat shaky start to the season, where they had two wins and as many defeats, the Eagles moved into fifth gear following a close victory against the Cleveland Browns (20 to 16). In their success, Barkley surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark seven times and scored all of his ten touchdowns.
This means that if a formation allows Barkley to cross the goal line, there is a very good chance that it will be doomed to defeat! In reality, it should be noted that it is the fact of letting Barkley and his teammates impose themselves in the battle for time of possession that proves fatal rather than his visits to the paying zone.
In fact, Barkley’s contribution has even brought the Eagles into the top contenders for the Super Bowl title this year. So, Barkley who dominates in the backfield, quarterback Jalen Hurts who does well to lead the attack and the defense which is very solid (fewer yards allowed on average in the NFL), the recipe is tasty and doomed to success, regardless of the identity of the opponent.
It will be interesting to see how far Philadelphia’s representatives will be able to go with this roster. There only seems to be the Detroit Lions at their height in the National.
A host of good applications
Obviously, to get to the top of this race for the Most Valuable Player title, Barkley can’t afford to slow down. Those called to vote for this honor always look first to the quarterbacks. And in 2024, unlike 2023, there is no shortage of candidates for this position.
The current favorite is none other than Josh Allen, a true pillar of the success of the Buffalo Bills (9-2). The imposing pivot squarely put on his shoulders this team which had to play a transition campaign and he led them into the conversation to win the Super Bowl. With 2,543 yards and 18 touchdowns, to go with 316 yards and five majors with his legs, Allen is legitimately the man to beat for this honor.
Having already won this title twice in 2019 and 2023, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is on track to deliver the most productive season of his career. Jackson leads the NFL with 3,053 air yards and 27 catches in the end zone. He also amassed 599 yards and three touchdowns thanks to his electrifying speed. Long criticized for his shortcomings as a passer, Jackson silenced his detractors this year while the Ravens had a good year (8-4 record).
To finish the top 4 favorites, we have to go with the quarterback of the Detroit Lions (10-1), Jared Goff. Having the chance to play in a formidable offense, Goff proved to be a remarkable leader. No, he doesn’t need to carry his club like Allen does game after game, but Goff is a key part of Michigan’s reps’ success.
With 72.9% of his attempted passes being completed, the Lions number 16 makes his team threatening on all fronts. He has 2,761 passing yards and 20 touchdowns.
We should also not forget Patrick Mahomes II of the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) who is coming back to life after a very complicated start to the season for him on a personal level.
