During Week 12, the NFL is scrutinized for its most significant upset, with Saquon Barkley being named as MVP, Bo Nix facing challenges, and the Niners struggling

More than ten years have passed since a running back was named MVP. Furthermore, it has been nearly two decades since a running back has won MVP in a season in which they were deserving, with all due respect to Adrian Peterson’s 2012 campaign. It seems like it’s Saquon Barkley’s turn; almost every season around this time, a skill position player breaks out for a big game that propels them into the conversation.

The Eagles running back, who was signed to a huge contract by Philadelphia this offseason after the Giants passed him over in contract negotiations so they could sign Devin Singletary, went Thanksgiving ham on the Rams defense on Sunday night, rushing for 255 yards on 26 carries, including two incredible touchdown runs of more than 70 yards in the Eagles’ 37-20 thumping victory.

With their road victory on Sunday night, the Eagles, who haven’t lost since their Week 5 bye, are now only one game behind the 10-1 Detroit Lions in the race for the No. It sparked a genuine conversation about Saquon’s MVP candidacy and was the first seed in the NFC.

The third favorite to win the prize at +650 is Barkley, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Saquon has even worse odds to win MVP at DraftKings Sportsbook, where his odds are an even 5-1. According to the consensus, Barkley is only behind reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and prohibitive favorite Josh Allen for the award.

Now, let’s deal with the obvious problem.

Is Saquon worthy of being considered MVP?

Indeed. Indeed. The best player on a very strong team, he is having an amazing season so far. Since their bye, the 9-2 Eagles have been playing at an incredible level. With 223 carries, 1,392 rushing yards, 6 points per rush, and 126 points per game, Barkley leads the NFL. Since the Giants selected him over several quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft, he has exceeded expectations. Thank you to Dave Gettleman, the only general manager I can think of who selected a running back in the top 10 of two separate teams’ drafts in a row. (To his credit, Barkley and Christian McCaffrey are both fantastic. They are both running backs as well. ().

When you include his skill as a receiver, Barkley is on track for 345 carries, 2,151 rushing yards, and nearly 20 total touchdowns. Along with leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,649 yards), he has 27 receptions for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

To put things in perspective, Adrian Peterson led the NFL in rush yards per game in 2012 with 131 points, running for 2,097 yards (there were only 16 games at the time, of course). He led a mediocre Vikings offense to a wild card berth with 12 touchdowns. The voters were so impressed by the 2K season that they gave him 30 points, compared to Peyton Manning’s 19 points. Ironically, Saquon is now likely harmed by the voting process; however, more on that in a moment. LT finished with 2,323 yards from scrimmage and an incredible 28 touchdowns, again in just 16 games, in his MVP season of 2006, easily defeating Drew Brees.

Barkley was also added to this team, which, in a way, makes it simpler to measure his worth. With Barkley as the main offseason addition to this roster, the Eagles are THRIVING after a disastrous collapse last season.

Barkley’s total yardage over the past two weeks surpasses that of several NFL teams. Well done, Jets and Jaguars, for being less offensively proficient than Saquon Barkley! However, that recent surge in output also makes us wonder.

What is Barkley’s case against?

Barkley was already being considered for MVP prior to his recent two-week outburst. Simply put, we weren’t debating it seriously. There is definitely a “prisoner of the moment” component to this situation; a lot of superficial, reflexive, and knee-jerk analysis will tell you that Barkley ought to be considered.

Once again, Barkley has been fantastic. I have no doubts about his significance to the Eagles or his level of productivity. However, when healthy, he has absurd talent all around him in A and is rushing behind an amazing offensive line. The J. Brown and Smith, Devonta. Barkley only managed 84 yards on 10 carries against Tampa when Smith and Brown were not on the field. His two other “bad” games occurred during the Eagles’ routs of the Cowboys and Giants, when he was benched early because the team didn’t need him.

Both of the Eagles’ seasons prior to Saquon’s arrival were successful; in 2022, Miles Sanders ran 259 times for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, and in 2023, D’Andre Swift ran 229 times for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns. Barkley has already surpassed those stats, so neither of those seasons can be compared to him. However, it demonstrates how easily the Eagles can get good production from a running back with this line, the threat of Jalen Hurts rushing, a strong commitment to the run (they run on more than half of their plays, which is the highest in the league), and good play-calling by Kellen Moore. It just so happens that they have one of the league’s top running backs.

And Saquon’s Week 12 performance took place on Sunday night, which was watched by everyone on the planet. Island games have an impact on how we discuss and evaluate particular performances. In fact, I am the main author of this column. The previous week, he played an island game on Thursday night as well.

Short-term thinking and sports radio shouting about an award that won’t be decided for another almost two months are the ideal combination of two fantastic games for a rising Super Bowl contender in nationally televised windows with fewer than a handful of other strong MVP contenders.

Not even history is on Barkley’s side. With 2,027 rushing yards on 378 carries and 17 rushing touchdowns, Derrick Henry set a new record in 2020. He topped the league in each of the three divisions. With an 11-5 record, the Titans took home the AFC South. He got exactly zero votes for MVP. Even though he was the unanimous choice for Offensive Player of the Year, votes went to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Travis Kelce, and Alvin Kamara. We constantly witness this in all of the awards: due to the position’s significance, quarterbacks receive preferential treatment.

The fact that Barkley’s competitors on the short list are excelling at the exact position should not be overlooked. Josh Allen has excelled this season. After not throwing a pick all season, he has now thrown five in his last four games; however, the Bills are currently on a six-game winning streak, which was capped off by a Week 11 victory over the Chiefs. Lamar Jackson’s lack of action and Allen’s bye this week undoubtedly benefit Saquon. Only Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, who only lost once, are actually in the conversation.

Although Patrick Mahomes hasn’t been his best for much of the season, he has been playing well lately, and the Chiefs are in the running for the first seed and should easily win another AFC West championship.

The Eagles would likely have a similar record if Sanders or Swift were to replace Barkley. If you take any league-average quarterback in place of Mahomes, Allen, or Lamar, the three top AFC teams will have a hard time making the playoffs.

Will he be the real MVP?

Considering how his candidacy will be discussed over the course of the next month, I believe the Barkley number is fair. However, a large portion of the betting number is the sportsbooks’ way of shielding themselves from criticism. Additionally, I wouldn’t wager it. Given the position of the Bills and Allen’s performance, I would bet $100 on him to win MVP. They may end up with the overall No., but they will win the division. If he is selected as the first seed in the AFC, he will be named MVP.

The Eagles’ two games over the next three weeks against the Ravens (an elite run defense) and the Steelers (an elite defense overall) will probably determine Barkley’s future credibility. Barkley will likely be included on most ballots if he dominates those games and leads the Eagles to, at worst, a 1-1 record against fierce AFC defensive opponents. The remaining games could be major explosion spots, including games against the Panthers, Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants.

I should also note, though, that the Eagles defense has been outstanding ever since the byegame. Kliff Kingsbury’s customary late-season offensive swoon is beginning to be adopted by the Commanders, the fourth team, while three of those four teams may offer virtually nothing offensively. In Week 18, Barkley might not even get to play against his former team again if the Eagles are guaranteed a seed and a division title.

After that comes the voting. Giving a running back or wide receiver who has a fantastic season a down-ballot vote and then a first-place pick for Offensive Player of the Year is a much simpler way to “reward” them because the 50 MVP voters now have five choices for MVP rather than just one. There’s a reason why quarterbacks are the only players who receive the award.

Barkley is a fantastic player who has dominated this season and will undoubtedly win some hardware at the end of the year. Simply put, I don’t believe it will win the MVP award.

EVERYWHERE IN THE LEAGUE.

Let’s share some quick observations and queries from Week 12 of the NFL.

I’m asking for Pete Prisco, a small, tan friend. Is Will Levis good? Because he has been playing some pretty good football over the past two weeks, including Sunday’s unexpected win over the Houston Texans, which gave us a full-on Levis-coaster experience. In addition to throwing a couple of touchdowns and getting sacked eight times, he also displayed his amazing arm and threw a backbreaking pick-six. The Titans lack playmakers, despite Calvin Ridley’s impressive performance in recent weeks. The offensive line has also been poor. Levis is a meme generator and provides us with some amusement nearly every week, but mocking him on X/Twitter for trivial reasons likely ignores the real improvement in his skill set since his injury return. The Titans might act feisty in the final moments. If nothing else, having Levis under center will make them entertaining.

A. The J. I’m just asking if Stroud is still doing well. Actually, act as though I didn’t. After an outstanding rookie season, however, this is unquestionably a sophomore slump. It takes place.

Bryce Young isn’t bad? Speaking of players who get better after missing time, Young has improved significantly since the Panthers brought him back into the starting lineup. The talent surrounding him on this Carolina team is a pitiful one. The Panthers almost pulled off a third consecutive victory over the Chiefs at home in a red-shaded stadium, despite him throwing to both rookies and seasoned veterans. By the way, despite losing players to injury on a regular basis, the defense has also gotten better. Furthermore, by “major step,” I don’t mean that he’s advanced to a higher level as a quarterback. He used to be like a toddler who was unable to walk and would frequently fall facefirst into furniture, but now he is stumbling around the living room with some degree of balance. Young legitimate appears more composed, isn’t in a panic, and is making wise choices. In this case, the Panthers must be patient. Especially if they can assist him with a high draft pick, everything is still possible. It’s uplifting.

The Lions are, without a doubt, the best football team. Now for your weekly motivational speech by Dan Campbell.

I want a Lions-Bills Super Bowl for all the people who have endured a lot.

One of three Bucs players to score a touchdown on Sunday, Baker Mayfield threw a ton of shade at Tommy DeVito after sprinting into the end zone for a rushing touchdown. It’s possible that he took on the entire Italian community on Sunday. K. One. Tommy Cutlets during Tampa’s miserable 30-7 thumping of the Giants inside MetLife Stadium.

Although Tampa is currently only 5-6, its schedule is as simple as it gets. In addition to the Raiders, they have two games left against the Panthers, the Saints, and the Cowboys on the schedule. Even if they expect to lose to the Chargers in Week 15, the Buccaneers could easily finish 5-1 in the remaining games. It seems reasonable that they would finish 4-2, which would probably qualify them for the playoffs. You should definitely go touch grass if you don’t like the vibe that Baker has on the field.

It should be noted that these Giants are facing some challenges. Up until the conclusion of the game on Sunday, Malik Nabers was inconsequential. He also informed others about it following the game.

In the eyes of ownership, Barkley’s leadership for a divisional rival and the Giants heading to another losing season with a locker room in disarray may be too much for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen to handle, even if he doesn’t win MVP. Just because it might be, not because I believe it should be. Also, the fan base is disgusting.