Ending The MVP Debate: Why Michael Turner Is The Man Left Standing

How exactly the MVP is determined no one seems to know. Is it the best player on the best team?  Is it the player with the best statistics?  Is it the player that is most valuable to his team?  Unfortunately, it’s usually the most popular player having the best season from a pre-determined pool of players deemed worthy of the award by media “experts” before the season ever really gets started—just like Pro-Bowl balloting.

To determine this years NFL MVP, let’s work with the following definition:  The most valuable player is one who is most valuable to the success of their respective team.  This player must be so paramount to the teams’ success, that he carries great influence, both directly and indirectly, in determining how opposing teams game plan for he and his team.

After the smoke lifts and the fog rolls back and conventional wisdom is thrown out the window, common sense prevails. The clear cut choice for MVP is (drum roll please):

Atlanta’s Michael “The Burner” Turner. 

Buried behind LaDanian Tomlinson on the bench of the San Diego Chargers, few knew what to expect from Michael Turner when he signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a 26 year old free agent. One of the few, however, who knew exactly what Turner could be, was Falcons rookie GM Thomas Dimitroff. 

Atlanta was the first stop for free agent Turner who also had visits planned with several other clubs. However, Dimitroff was determined to sign Turner, telling front office officials “not to let him leave Atlanta”.

So what’s Turner done in a feature role? 

Besides leading the upstart Atlanta Falcons to a (very) surprising 9-5 record and a likely playoff berth with a rookie QB and head coach, Turner is second in the league with 1,421 rushing yards, leads the league with 15 rushing touchdowns, leads the league in carries with 332, is one of only two players to average more than 100 yards a game. He also has fumbled only twice all year, leads the league in yards after contact, and has yet to miss a game.

There are several players talked about as potential MVP candidates right now, including: Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, Adrian Peterson, and Brothers Manning.  Even Ben Roethlisberger is somehow in the conversation.

If you swapped all of those quarterbacks out for each other, do any of the teams experience a significant drop-off?  Well, maybe Roethilisberger’s new team, but that’s it.

Now on to our two runningbacks, let’s not forget that Peterson not only has the luxury of running behind an offensive line featuring three Pro-Bowlers, but he also has the luxury of sharing carries. 

Turner meanwhile, is running behind a line that features: a rookie, a second year player, a seventh rounder, and two undrafted free agents.

At a time when many teams run a two-back system, Turner is a throwback to the old days, where players like Earl Campbell and Larry Csonka ran through you as opposed to players like Peterson, who run around you.  Turner is only getting stronger as the season progresses:  In his last four games he’s rushed for over 500 yards and six touchdowns.

The bottom line:  Atlanta was projected to finish with around three wins this year.  They have nine...and counting.

Through 14 games Michael Turner is the biggest reason for the biggest turnaround of any team in the league, doing more with less than any other candidate.

Remember, if you are giving the award to one player, you're essentially taking it away from someone else.  Imagine handing each of the candidates the MVP trophy to hold until you found a reason to take it back.  What would you do when it got to Turner?  Could you find a logical reason to take it back?