The crack staff solicited some 11th-hour feedback from ESPN NFL analyst Marcus Spears, following a heated debate at the start of the Serby Says Midseason Awards over whether the league MVP should continue to be the exclusive domain of the quarterback.
Ultimately, by a razor-thin margin, it was decided that Tyreek Hill saying he was joking about being an adult film star when his playing days were over should not be held against him.
Tyreek Hill (WR, Dolphins): My initial pick was Tua Tagovailoa. Quarterbacks have won this award for 10 consecutive years. Spears talked me out of it. Anyone whose nickname is Swagu, I listen to. Plus, Hill has 1,014 receiving yards en route to his preseason vow of a record-setting 2,000.
A wide receiver has never won this award — not Jerry Rice, not Calvin Johnson, not Justin Jefferson last season.
“But the beauty for us is, it’s midpoint,” Spears said. “He could have 2,200 yards receiving. When you start talking about Most Valuable Player, I think [No.] 1 is before the game starts: Does that defense have to have a plan exclusively for him, right? And you would say it’s a lot of teams in the league. The problem with Tyreek is 1, He’s playing in a very innovative offense; 2, his speed, which you can’t quantify; and then 3, his catch and explosiveness ability. So you don’t have to necessarily run Tyreek on ‘go’ routes. I think his ability to just get the ball and go to work changes the dynamic of him compared to everybody else at the position, and quite frankly everybody else in the league. He’s the scariest person with the ball in his hand in the NFL, outside of probably Lamar [Jackson].”
Christian McCaffrey was in the discussion even though Adrian Peterson was the last running back to win the award in 2012. The offseason jiu-jitsu worked wonders keeping Tua on his feet. He leads the NFL in passing yards (2,416) and passer rating (108.8), and is tied for the league lead with 18 touchdown passes. Patrick Mahomes is always a threat, and don’t sleep on Jackson. Spears prefers Josh Allen because of his dual-threat abilities.
“Tua is gonna be a little bit hampered by the system. I think it’s almost like a San Francisco quarterback situation. But if Tyreek ends up catching for 2,200, they’re gonna give it to the quarterback that threw it to him,” Spears said with a laugh. “You think about the quarterbacks that won this award, they’ve had dynamic plays with their legs. I think Tua has to throw for 500-700 more yards than those guys because he won’t have the rushing TDs that they’ll have at the end of the season.”
Christian McCaffrey (RB, 49ers): He has 13 combined TDs.
“The touchdowns are phenomenal. I was in the league when LaDainian [Tomlinson] was scoring touchdowns at a clip that was unreal,” Spears said. “McCaffrey and Tyreek probably have the two [MVP] arguments as skill players in the league over anybody.”
A quick shoutout to WR Puka Nacua (Rams) for excelling with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) missing the first month.
T.J. Watt (LB, Steelers): A close decision over Browns DE Myles Garrett.
“T.J. has more impact plays at the end of games that correlated into wins,” Spears said. Watt has 9.5 sacks, just behind Danielle Hunter (10). Garrett has 8.5 and an eye-popping hurdle to block a field goal.
C.J. Stroud (QB, Texans): He had 177 consecutive passing attempts without an interception to start his career. Not bad for an Ohio State quarterback, right?
“The Texans [3-4] got more wins now than anybody expected them to have, and I think he’s the reason,” Spears said. “But his poise, the ability to place the ball, he’s a true pocket passer as well. And then too the leadership part of it as well. He’s damn near what he was in college.”
Panthers first-overall pick Bryce Young (Alabama) is not. At least not yet.
Jalen Carter (DT, Eagles): A close decision over Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon.
“They got rid of [Javon] Hargrave, and he’s playing better than Hargrave right now,” Spears said. “The pressure rate is crazy from the interior. I just think a dominant three-technique in his rookie year when we know how impactful these guys are when you start talking about the Aaron Donalds and the Jeffery Simmons and the interior guys that are really like game-altering guys. … I think he’s in that conversation right now. He’s just a physical specimen, but his athleticism goes so under the radar. His feet are great, he’s fast, he’s quick-twitchy. I think Jalen Carter will be in the conversation next year with the Chris Joneses and the Dexter Lawrences and the Aaron Donalds, Jeffery Simmons of the world.”
Spears also loves Witherspoon — who had a 97-yard pick-six and two sacks against Daniel Jones: “I love the flexibility that he gives you, either playing outside or playing the slot,” Spears said. “His willingness to come up and tackle as well. The quarterback ratings are very low when they target him.”
Dan Campbell (Lions): Wins a battle with the Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel. Spears played as a rookie with Campbell in Dallas in 2005.
“He’s the same dude he is now,” Spears said. “He cares about it so much. And not only cares about the game, when he was there he cared about his teammates. He was a guy that could go to any locker and sit next to any teammate and have a conversation and leave with a high level of respect. We’ve been there for ‘Countdown,’ and those players revere him. They want to run through for a wall for him. I know that’s cliche, [but] it’s the truth, because they feel like he’s with them.”
Damar Hamlin (S, Bills): No one else should be in this conversation.
“You can mark that in for the real award at the end of the year right now,” Spears said. “I just started thinking about his mom and having to run down from the stands to see if her son was gonna die or not. I think the mental part, for him to just come back and practice football, let alone play in a game, made him Comeback Player of the Year.”
Jim Schwartz (Browns): Garrett and CB Denzel Ward lead an elite defense. “This defense has been much maligned,” Spears said. “Nobody ever felt like they were living up to the expectation of what they had.”
Schwartz has changed the mindset. “And then schematically, his willingness to pressure quarterbacks, they bring extra blitz, they move Myles around and let him kind of roam and go find matchups that he can win consistently,” Spears said.
Ben Johnson (Lions): A rising star who has guided Jared Goff to a career-best 68.3 completion percentage. “I think he’s gonna be a head coach next year,” Spears said. He means Johnson, not Goff. Consider Bobby Slowik (Texans) as runner-up, with Todd Monken (Ravens) making a move.
Brad Holmes (Lions): Howie Roseman (Eagles) or John Lynch (49ers) are the knee-jerk reactions, but this guy has restored the roar executing a vision with Campbell. Check out his past two drafts. The Lions are for real as they stalk their first Super Bowl championship.
Travis Kelce (TE, Chiefs): Never mind Tom and Gisele. This one has a chance to be up there with Joe D. and Marilyn.
Jason Kelce and the Eagles.
Joe Namath (Jets): He offered to send a limo to drive Zach Wilson out of town, along with everyone else.
Nathaniel Hackett (Jets): He won the Hackett Bowl against Sean Payton.
Craig Reynolds (RB, Lions): Flattened Carlton Davis III to spring Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 23-yard TD against the Buccaneers in Week 6.
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Amazon Prime): Shirtless.
Khalil Mack (LB, Chargers): Recorded six sacks against the Raiders.
Aaron Rodgers (QB, Jets): With echoes of 1999 ringing in Jets fans ears, Rodgers tore his Achilles on opening night, four plays into his Jets career.
Ja’Marr Chase (WR, Bengals): After 24-3 loss to Browns: “I called their ass ‘elves’ and we just lost to some elves.”
Bill Belichick (Patriots): After losing 38-3 to the Cowboys and 34-0 to the Saints back-to-back.
Matt Gay (K, Colts): Booted three 53-yard field goals plus a 55-yarder in Week 3 at Baltimore.
Jets, Week 6, 20-14 over Eagles. Cardinals, Week 3, 28-16 over the Cowboys. Browns, Week 6, 19-17 over the 49ers, with P.J. Walker at QB … among others. Crazy league.
Darrell Baker Jr. (CB, Colts): Flagged for pass interference on uncatchable ball to Amari Cooper that negated E.J. Speed’s strip-sack of Walker that would have ended the game at 38-33, Colts. Instead, Browns later scored to win, 39-38.
Jets 22, Bills 16 (OT, Week 1): Xavier Gipson walks it off after Rodgers could barely walk it off.
Jets 13, Giants 10 (OT, Week 8): The Post’s Brian Costello says he sent his press pass to Canton.