Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become the odds-on favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award. But if Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to play like he has over the past six games, he possibly could work his way into the fringes of the conversation.
Over the last six games, Watson has completed 141 of 200 passes for 1,750 yards. He has thrown 15 touchdown passes, and zero interceptions. That equates to a passer rating of 122.29.
Although the Texans have plenty of talented players (over the past two games, J.J. Watt has turned back the clock to days of being an unstoppable force), Watson continues to be the best thing going for the Texans. Under one specific definition of MVP (the voters get no guidance on what it actually means), Watson has as much or more value to his team than any other player in the league.
To get serious consideration for the award, the Texans will have to keep winning. And they’ll have to make it to the playoffs. The best-case scenario, if they run the table, is 9-7. That may not get them in, even if the NFL expands the postseason field to 16.
Still, Watson has become a bright spot in a dark year for the Texans. It should help the team attract a quality G.M. and head coach, if they truly are committed to finding the best options for those jobs and not simply candidates who will defer to the current power structure and/or “culture.”