Now Announcing the Kansas City Chiefs 2016 Season MVP & Best Player
Since the season is just kicking off, I thought it might be fun to bat around some predictions on who will be our Kansas City Chiefs MVP and who will be our Best Player. They may be one in the same or two different players. You make the call.
I look at an MVP as someone that made the difference in the season and, without them, we wouldn’t have performed at anywhere near the same level. If a backup can step in and perform nearly as well (or better in some cases), then that person wouldn’t be on my MVP list.
For Best Player, I am just looking at who is the standout, from a pure performance perspective, week in and week out for the entire season.
Offensive Backfield Candidates: Jamaal Charles, Alex Smith, Spencer Ware
This group is filled with talent and depth. If someone goes down, we should be able to keep the team rolling. Smith’s backup would be the biggest worry here. Overall I think this group is a strength for us. I don’t see the MVP coming from here, but possibly Charles as Best Player.
Offensive Line Candidates: Eric Fisher, Mitch Morse, Mitchell Schwartz
The offensive line has solidified recently. We continue to build depth and upgrade talent. This is a solid group, but we have shown that we are somehow plug-and-play. Again, I don’t see the MVP or Best Player coming from here.
Defensive Line Candidates: Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard, Allen Bailey, Chris Jones
This group is scary good these days. I like the performance levels of the starters and backups. As a result, I would rule these guys out as MVP candidates, but can clearly see strong candidates for Best Player. In this group, Poe and Bailey standout to me as strong contenders for the Best Player award.
Linebackers Candidates: Derrick Johnson, Justin Houston, Dadi Nicolas
This player group seems to have lots of youth and lots of question marks. Houston’s injury, Hali’s age, no clear contender for the thumper role, and plenty of inexperienced players. I can see where one of these guys could make or break our season based on their play or absence. This would be a group that would generate an MVP and/or Best Player.
Defensive Backfield Candidates: Eric Berry, Marcus Peters, KeiVarae Russell, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson
The defensive backfield is filled with youth. There is also a lot of talent with the vets and upside with the new players. Here is another group where I can see an MVP and/or Best Player candidate. Depending on the performance level of the newer players, losing someone like Berry or Peters could expose a large weakness and cost us a number of games.
Since we are just starting the season and are trying to prognosticate, there is no wrong answer at this point. There is a right one, but we won’t know that until the season is over. On to the picks…
The Most Valuable Player is…
For MVP, I am looking at Derrick Johnson. There are plenty of talented players on the team, but his position group has a number of challenges to overcome. There are injuries/age on the outside, his interior partner position is in a state of flux, and there is a question on depth (lots of upside, but unproven). I think the combination of his talent and veteran leadership in that room will be necessary to secure another playoff birth and go deep into the playoffs. That group will also be necessary to pressure the QB so that our DBs aren’t trying to cover for too long. He is critical for run stuffing and QB pressure at times. Without him, I think that position group will struggle and we may end up costing the team a couple of critical games.
For Best Player, I see Marcus Peters as the winner. After his performance last year, QBs will be looking away from him. As a result, I think his stats will fall, but his contribution will still be clear. He will lock down one side of the field and the best receiver on whatever team we play. Even though QBs will try to stay away, they are going to challenge him at times. When they do, I see him creating turnovers and probably scoring some points. At least 1 game will be won because of his standout play.
What do you think Arrowheads? Who else could it be? Why do you see it that way?
And there’s The Rub!