Who Won the 2017 NFL MVP?
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Did Tom Brady take home the 2017 NFL MVP honors? We break down the case for and against the New England Patriots quarterback.
Tom Brady
It was a close race this year for the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player, but in the end, there could only be one winner. That winner was none other than New England Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady had an amazing season, leading his team to the Super Bowl for the seventh time. Not only did he win the MVP award, but he also won the Super Bowl, making him the only player in NFL history to win five Super Bowls.
Regular Season Stats
In his seventeenth season, Brady finished the 2017 regular season with 4,577 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions for a 102.8 passer rating, earning him his ninth Pro Bowl selection. He also led the league in passing yards for the second time in his career.
Post-Season Stats
In his 18th NFL season, Brady set the league record for most career postseason passing yards (7,944), most career touchdown passes (56), and most consecutive playoff starts by a quarterback (27). He also set the NFL single-season record for most passing yards gained in a single postseason, with 1,941 yards.
Aaron Rodgers
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the 2017 NFL MVP on Saturday night. This is the second time that Rodgers has won the award, as he also took home the honor in 2011.
Regular Season Stats
In his 15th NFL season, Rodgers led the league in touchdown percentage (6.8), yards per attempt (8.2) and passer rating (104.2). He was second in passing yards (4,428), completion percentage (63.6) and touchdown passes (40).
Post-Season Stats
In the 2017 post-season, Rodgers completed 56 of 90 passes (62.2%) for 966 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also rushed 19 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns. In the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons, he was held to 287 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in regulation, but he led the Packers on a hail mary drive to send the game into overtime and then threw a touchdown pass in overtime to upset the Falcons. In the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers was named MVP after completing 28 of 43 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Packers won 34-31.
Russell Wilson
Regular Season Stats
Wilson completed 248 of his 373 passing attempts, for a completion percentage of 66.1%. He racked up 3,983 yards and 34 touchdowns through the air, and had just 11 interceptions. He also ran the ball for 586 yards and three touchdowns.
Post-Season Stats
After an amazing regular season,Russell Wilson’s post-season stats were not as great. Nevertheless, he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Here are his stats for the 2017 post-season:
GP: 3
Comp: 61
Att: 102
Pct: 59.8
Yds: 553
TD: 3
Int: 2
Matt Ryan
The National Football League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award goes to the player who is considered the most important to his team. The MVP is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. This year, the award goes to Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.
Regular Season Stats
In his tenth NFL season, Matt Ryan put together one of the best statistical seasons by a quarterback in NFL history, leading the Falcons to a 11-5 record and a NFC Wild Card berth. He completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He also added rush TDs.
Post-Season Stats
In the 2017 post-season, Matt Ryan threw for a total of 1,740 yards, which is the 4th most in NFL history for a single post-season. He also completed 117 out of 182 attempts (a 64.8% completion rate), threw for 11 touchdowns, and had just 7 interceptions.
Ezekiel Elliott
The Dallas Cowboys running back had an incredible rookie season, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. Elliott was a big reason why the Cowboys had the best record in the NFC, and he was rewarded for his efforts with the NFL MVP award.
Regular Season Stats
Ezekiel Elliott had one of the best rookie seasons for a running back in NFL history. He rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns while leading the Dallas Cowboys to the best record in the NFC.
Elliott’s performance earned him the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and he was a big reason why the Cowboys were one of the best teams in the league.
Elliott’s statistics dipped a bit in his second season, but he still rushed for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. He also helped the Cowboys reach the playoffs once again.
In his third season, Elliott had another strong year, rushing for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 77 passes for 567 yards and three touchdowns. Elliott’s production helped the Cowboys reach the playoffs for the third straight season.
Elliott has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since he entered the league, and he is a big reason why the Cowboys have been one of the most successful teams in recent years.
Post-Season Stats
Ezekiel Elliott had 352 rushing attempts for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season. In the post-season, he had 137 rushing attempts for 685 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 20 receptions for 152 yards in the post-season.
Conclusion
The 2017 NFL MVP was none other than Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. Brady had a spectacular season, leading the Patriots to yet another Super Bowl victory. He threw for a total of 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns, both of which were career-highs. It is no surprise that Brady took home the award, as he is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time.
