NFL Houston Texans

J.J. Watt Should Be No. 1 Candidate To Win NFL’s MVP

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By @AnthonyBeers

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Getty Images

In 1986, New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor won the NFL MVP award unanimously. He also won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year with 20.5 sacks. The Giants went 14-2 and won the Super Bowl. Everyone knows Taylor battled off-the-field drug issues throughout his career and life. But his will to dominate on the field made him a definite winner of the MVP and DPY regardless of his personal issues.

That was the last time a defensive player in the NFL won the MVP. 28 years later, in a league dominated by offense, comes the resilient J.J. Watt. As the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL, Watt has shown that he is worth every penny. Watt is constantly disrupting plays as the NFL’s most efficient pass rusher and run stopper. He’s so dangerous that he’s often capable of turning turnovers into defensive scores.

Not to mention Watt’s contributions in goal-line situations as a tight end have been nothing short of spectacular. Watt has come down with two touchdowns on the receiving end. His ability to win jump balls is incredible considering he’s a defensive player. He contributes on all aspects and is extremely valuable to the Texans’ identity as a football team.

Watt and Taylor could not be more different as far as their personalities. Watt’s the clean-cut workhorse. Taylor was the psychotic party boy who could beat any blocker. Regardless, Watt comes the closest to any player that can consistently disrupt an offense as Taylor did. Quarterbacks today fear Watt as they feared Taylor back in the day.

Considering Taylor had the luxury of coming from many different angles, Watt’s consistency is of a very different brand. There were many plays where Taylor wasn’t even touched by blockers because nobody on the offense knew where he was blitzing from. In the perspective of trying to block Watt, all offensive linemen know where he is prior to any snap.

The Texans are not nearly as dominant as the Giants were in 1986. That Giants team physically beat opposing teams into submission. Today, the Texans are an average ball club sitting at 5-5.

But without Watt, they might be much less than average. They may even stink. Take away Watt’s defensive scores and his receptions at tight end and the Texans may be in trouble. Watt’s contributions are without a doubt the greatest on the team.

The Texans are currently one game behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. In the first contest, the Colts won 33-28 as a Texans comeback fell short. Naturally the chance to win was propelled by Watt’s fumble recovery and score. The next matchup will be in Indy on Dec. 14.

Let’s get this straight. Watt’s no LT, but he’s the closest thing the league has seen since. Watt is everything to the Texans. He’s all but certainly going to win Defensive Player of the Year, but he has a serious chance to win MVP as well.

Whether or not the Texans win the division shouldn’t matter towards Watt’s MVP votes, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. In a league that’s so heavily appreciated for offense, it’s great to see a defensive player get the recognition he deserves. Watt’s identity in the media is certainly sugarcoated, but a lot of it is well earned. If the season ended today, he’d be the league’s MVP.

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