Buckna said:
For fun and to add some more fuel to the MVP fire, Watt has 4 TD's, the first d'lineman to do so since 1948. 2 receiving, 1 fumble return & 1 INT. 9.5 sacks, 8 passes def, 2 FF, 4 F recoveries.
Hou still has a way to go to even make the playoffs, but Watt amazingly still could be in the conversation at the end of the year.
5th TD today, 1st dlineman since 1944 in the era when players played two way. Now 3rd on the list all-time of TD's in a season by a d'lineman. 2 sacks, TFL forced fumble, fumble recovery. He totally dominated the Titans.
Going to be a co-mvp this year with Rodgers IMO.
Honestly, the "first DL since 1944 with 5 TDs" thing is a bit silly. How many DLs play on offense today? Mike Vrabel had four TDs in 2005 and didn't even make the pro bowl (deservedly so!). Watt has one more receiving TD so far this year than Warren Sapp had in 2003, but nobody talks about 2003 as one of Sapp's best seasons (deservedly so!). The time these guys spent on offense was a curiosity, not a major source of value they were providing to their franchises.
Watt deserves MVP consideration because of the amazing work he does on the defensive line, which constitutes 98% of his responsibilities... not because he also moonlights as a TE, which is an aberration among those at his position historically but accounts for maybe 2% of his responsibility to the team.
Last year Jeremy Ross had the most return yards by a tight end in NFL history, and nobody really cared because A) the only reason he set the record is because very, very few TEs historically have handled returns, and B) Ross wasn't a very good TE, which constituted the vast majority of his duties.
Anyway, there are a lot of really great arguments for Watt as the MVP. I just think any argument that is putting those three offensive touchdowns as the centerpiece is missing the point of what he's really been providing for Houston. I mean, Von Miller is the only player in the entire league who is even within 20 QB pressures of Watt (who has 79 to Miller's 63). The fact that Watt is Reggie White on defense is more important than the fact that he's Joseph Fauria on offense.