Super Bowl XLV: Top 10 MVP Candidates
The Super Bowl MVP has been awarded to some of the legends of the sport: John Elway, Jerry Rice and Bart Starr just to name a few. It has also been awarded to much less familiar names: Larry Brown, Ottis Anderson and Jake Scott come to mind.
One thing they all have in common is the immortality that comes with playing a great game on football's grandest stage.
NOTE: The numbers in the slide titles represent what a $100 bet would pay out. My bottom line tells what I think of that number.
Aaron Rodgers +150
1 of 10
Las Vegas lists Aaron Rodgers as the odds-on favorite to win MVP. That hardly comes as a surprise since more than half the previous winners have been signal-callers. He is a talented quarterback with a stable of dangerous weapons, but he is also playing in his first Super Bowl against a team loaded with veterans who have been here before.
BOTTOM LINE: The number makes since because the Packers are favored to win and Rodgers puts up huge numbers. I still think jitters could cause him to get off to a slow start. Plus, with two great defenses, this could be a low-scoring game.
Ben Roethisberger +350
2 of 10
Ben Roethlisberger probably will not win MVP. His team will not rely on him to carry them like the Packers need Rodgers to do. Big Ben does not usually put up crazy statistical numbers. He makes timely plays and he wins. In his two previous Super Bowl wins, wide receivers have been named MVP.
BOTTOM LINE: Roethisberger could win the award, but I think there are other offensive players who would probably win it over him. Big Ben shines when the spotlight is at its brightest, but I wouldn't touch those odds.
Rashard Mendenhall +650
3 of 10
Roethisberger gets the lion's share of the credit for Pittsburgh wins, but make no mistake—this teams identity is to run the ball early and often. Mendenhall has been a beast in the playoff. He gashed a stout New York Jets run defense for 121 yards.
BOTTOM LINE: Mendenhall probably has the best shot of any Steelers offensive player to take home the hardware. I do think a large chunk of Dom Caper's game plan will be centered around stopping the run, but Green Bay ranked 18 in the NFL in that category in 2010.
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Greg Jennings +1000
4 of 10
Greg Jennings serves as Aaron Rodgers proverbial home run threat. He can make the tough catches as well, but he has made a living out of stretching the field and having a nose for the end zone. Pittsburgh will likely keep the run game in check, so Jennings should get his shots.
BOTTOM LINE: Jennings would need a monster game to take the award from Rodgers. But if the score is tight and he catches a late touchdown to win, he just might Santonio Holmes his way to Disney World.
James Starks +1200
5 of 10
James Starks has emerged in the playoffs as a viable running threat when the whole world assumed the Packers did not have one. He has played well against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago—all with more than capable run-stopping defenses. None of those teams can hold a candle to Pittsburgh's ability to stuff the run.
BOTTOM LINE: This is crazy talk. There is no way the Steelers will give up enough rushing yards for Starks to get the award. His only shot is if he scores the game's only touchdown, but I would still call that a long shot.
Troy Polamalu +1200
6 of 10
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu always seems to end up around big plays. He picks off pass, causes fumbles and generally just annoys offenses on seemingly every down. When Polamalu does not play, Pittsburgh is 5-7. When he does play, they are 14-4. That is an unheard of statistic, especially in the new quarterback-is-king era of the NFL.
BOTTOM LINE: This is a great value bet—much better than James Starks at the same odds. I would expect a defensive struggle, and since Polamalu has a nose for the football, he could very well end up making the key play in the game.
Mike Wallace +1500
7 of 10
Just call him Mr. Big Play. You can not watch a Steelers game on TV without the announcers commenting at least 50 times on how fast Mike Wallace is, and with good reason. He probably stretches the field better than anyone in the game and having a quarterback who can throw it out of the stadium doesn't hurt.
BOTTOM LINE: With points coming at a premium, a few big plays by Wallace could be the difference. I would expect Green Bay's excellent secondary to have a plan in place to keep that from happening.
James Harrison +2000
8 of 10
The hard-hitting James Harrison spent much of his season paying fines for what the league deemed dangerous hits. He even contemplated—perhaps even seriously—retiring because of the league's new stand on punishing those dangerous hits. Regardless, he is a beast on the league's best defense.
BOTTOM LINE: Harrison would need a monster game to take home the trophy, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. If he does win and someone makes this prop bet, maybe throw him a few bucks to help with those fines.
Donald Driver +2000
9 of 10
Donald Driver is the elder statesman of the Packers offense. He gives Rodgers an option when teams take away Jenning's vertical threat and serves as the team's possession guy.
BOTTOM LINE: Like Jennings, Driver will be hard pressed to pry the award away from Rodgers if the Pack win. His only shot is a multiple-touchdown game and even then, he may need a few third-down conversions to run out the clock.
Charles Woodson +2000
10 of 10
Former Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson consistently makes big plays. He not only covers well, but is a big part of Green Bay's blitz packages. It would not be unlikely for Woodson to grab a pick, a couple sacks and a fumble recovery.
BOTTOM LINE: Great value here, as a $10 bet nets you $200. It really feels like this will be a defensive Super Bowl and a defensive player could very well lock the award, especially if Rodgers throws a pick or two.
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