“And the award for Most Valuable Player goes to [insert quarterback here].”
That’s what NFL fans have been hearing for the past 10 years. The league might as well start calling the MVP award the Most Valuable Quarterback award. We have to go back to 2012 to see the last non-QB winner of the award in running back Adrian Peterson.
That year, the long-time Minnesota Vikings RB nearly broke Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 single-season rushing yards record from 1984 but fell eight yards short despite putting up 199 yards in the season finale. He also led his team to a 10-6 record and a playoff berth, all after recovering from tearing his ACL and MCL the previous year.
This season might be the best chance in a while the league has had a chance to break this streak, all thanks to a “cheetah” turned loose. Let’s examine how the Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver Tyreek “Cheetah” Hill could be MVP.
The current favorite according to ESPN BET is Brock Purdy, who put up a nearly perfect Pro Football Focus quarterback rating in the San Francisco 49ers’ demolition job of the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend.
Hill currently sits at the 7th most likely to win MVP, right behind his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Hill’s case to shock the world and dethrone the quarterbacks will require him maintaining his current production. If he does maintain his pace, he will break the record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,964), a record held by Calvin Johnson since 2012.
Hill has separated himself from the pack with 1,481 yards this year, which is 299 more than second-placed CeeDee Lamb. Putting that into historical context, Hill averages 123 yards a game, which would rank 4th all time for a single season. He’s also second in the league in catches and targets, both behind Keenan Allen.
If someone said, “The yards don’t mean much without touchdowns,” they would be absolutely right. That’s not a problem for Cheetah, because he not only leads all receivers in touchdowns with 12, but he’s also tied for second for the league lead in touchdowns, only behind his teammate Raheem Mostert.
Speaking of the ‘Phins, if you have watched them play this year, there should be one word that comes to mind when looking at Hill playing: impact. After all, the MVP differentiates himself by changing the game with his presence.
Teams scheme their defense around trying to contain Hill, but his impact can’t be denied. Double him and he might not get the ball, but that gives the also-excellent Jaylen Waddle a one-on-one matchup.
Bracket him or zone him, and his football IQ will lead him to a spot where Tagovailoa can look his way. Leave him in man coverage, and he’ll get open with his crisp route-running ability. And you cannot under any circumstances leave him in single coverage, because your defensive back will be choking on the dust Hill leaves behind as he sprints to the endzone.
Those big plays are where Hill has really separated himself. He has the most 20-plus-yard catches, with 24, and nine catches going over 40 yards. The next closest is Mike Evans with six. He also has 604 yards after catch, which quantifies just much of a threat his blazing speed is.
If there was a year to break the streak of QBs winning the award, it’s this one. One can argue that Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts or even Purdy have led their squads into impressive seasons, but no quarterback has really set himself apart from the rest.
Hill on the other hand is putting together arguably the best season by a receiver ever through 13 weeks, and the stats back up his importance to Dolphins juggernaut of an offense. Most things in life are cans and not musts, but especially if he breaks Megatron’s record, Hill must win the MVP.
