Introducing the 2021 NFL MVP Chase

For the 2021 NFL season, I plan to track leaders in the regular-season MVP race.

It’s going to be unusual. I’m asking just two questions:

1. Did the player’s team win the game?
2. In the game, did the player (if a quarterback) have a passer rating of at least 97.0, OR (if any player) did he have 70 yards from scrimmage?

If the answer is “Yes” to both questions, the player gets an MVP Point for the game. In a 17-game season, the highest possible number of points a player can earn is 17, and only if he’s on an undefeated team and hit either of those standards each game.

Based on research into recent years, I believe the player with the most MVP Points as described above will be named the MVP.

This will be true even though neither of these unspectacular benchmarks (97 passer rating, 70 yards from scrimmage) are ever mentioned by mainstream football commentators.

Why would they? These stat lines are so underwhelming, they’re counter-intuitive. I will explain why they’re important as my MVP Chase begins to mirror the national conversation on who will be the MVP.

There will be 16 victors after Week One, and a lot of quarterbacks and other ball-carrying players, perhaps dozens, will be tied for the “lead.” But as the season progresses, there will definitely be a leaderboard. I’ll update weekly.