The Real NFL MVP Revealed

And the winner is...New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara. This will never happen, but the question I ask is, "why not?"

  First off, where is the requirement that the most valuable player has to score touchdowns, sack the quarterback, or intercept passes?  It would be nice to see, even for one year, an offensive lineman chosen as league MVP.  An offensive lineman's play will effect anything an offense does. 

Sure there are great runners and quarterbacks who rightfully deserve this award, but who is behind, or rather in front of, every yard gained by the offense? Yes, the offensive line. Without solid blocking, no quarterback would get a pass off and no running back would make it out of the backfield. 

Why Shaun O'Hara you ask?  Well, if the fact that he is the leader of the offensive line that boasts the number one rushing attack in the NFL is not good for you, look even deeper. The Giants signed Shaun O'Hara in 2004. 

In 2003 Giants starting running back had Tiki Barber had 1216 rushing yards with 4.4 yards a carry.  The year O'Hara joined the Giants, Tiki Barber ran for a total of 1518 yards while averaging 4.7 yards a carry.  In 2005, Barber posted even more yards, 1860 and had a 5.2 yard average.  So that was then, this is now right? 

Fine, but ponder this.  The Giants have two running backs with over 500 yards, with Jacobs 50 yards away from eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark.  Ward has 630 yards.  The Giants third back, Bradshaw has 310 yards.  Okay, so that's impressive, but is that enough to win your vote? If not, Ward's solid 4.8 yards a carry average is the lowest! Jacobs has a 5.1 average and Bradshaw has a 6.3 average. 

Remember, there is still four games left to add to these numbers.  In 2008, Giants quaterback Eli Manning has been sacked only 15 times.  This puts him at 23rd on the list of most sacked quarterbacks.  Bottom line is, Manning has time to throw the ball.

If it was possible, the MVP should be given to every member of this starting offensive line for the New York Giants.  However, the MVP only goes to one player.  Shaun O'Hara is, without doubt, the leader of that offensive line.

Let us embrace change!  Enough of these statistical MVPs.  I am calling for a change to look deeper than one or two stat columns.  Remember these unsung heroes in the offensive line.  It is time to give them credit.                   

Just for note, the only chosen MVP that played offensive line was awarded the Joe F. Car Trophy in 1938 (first recorded MVP of the NFL).  You guessed it, Mel Hein played center for the New York Giants.