MVP meter

Week 14

By Michael Holbrook, Managing editor of special projects
Dec. 18, 2001

New to the list this week are Steelers QB Kordell Stewart, off his impressive performance in Baltimore Sunday night; Chiefs RB Priest Holmes, who’s having a phenomenal season in relative obscurity; and 49ers RB Garrison Hearst, who is having an amazing season on a surgically repaired knee. Let’s take a look at the Most Valuable Player list after 14 weeks:

1. Marshall Faulk, Rams RB — For the season, Faulk has 185 carries for 894 yards (4.8 avg.) with six touchdowns. He also has 68 catches for 610 yards (9.0 avg.) with eight touchdowns.
2. Rich Gannon, Raiders QB — Completed 20-of-28 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders’ hard-fought, 13-6 victory over San Diego. He also threw an interception, just his sixth of the season. Gannon leads the AFC in passing as he’s completed 274-for-412 (66.5%) passing for 3,042 yards with 23 touchdowns. His 100.8 passer rating is still the best in the NFL.
3. Brett Favre, Packers QB — Completed 21-of-39 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Packers’ 26-20 loss to Tennessee Sunday. The loss was a costly one as 9-4 Green Bay fell a game behind the Bears in the NFC Central. He now has completed 249-of-397 passes (62.7%) for 3,093 yards with 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
4. Kurt Warner, Rams QB — For the season, Warner has taken over as the NFC’s top-ranked passer, completing 309-of-463 passes (66.7%) for 3,974 yards with 28 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
5. Jerome Bettis, Steelers RB — Didn’t play for a second straight week with hip and groin injuries. Is expected back for this week’s game against the Lions. All totaled, Bettis has carried the ball 225 times for 1,072 yards (4.8 avg.) with four touchdowns. He is third in the AFC in rushing.
6. Tom Brady, Patriots QB — Led the Patriots to their ninth victory of the season with a 12-9 nail-biter in overtime over Buffalo. New England is 9-3 in games he’s started this year. He completed 19-of-35 passes for 237 yards despite getting sacked five times and getting intercepted once. For the season, the rookie is the No.2-ranked passer in the AFC with 2,537 yards on 236-of-365 passing (64.6%). He has thrown 16 TD passes against 10 interceptions.
7. Jeff Garcia, 49ers QB — Had a quiet game in a 21-0 victory over the Dolphins due to the fact that the running game and defense dominated. Completed 14-of-20 passes for 133 yard and one touchdown with no interceptions. For the season, Garcia has completed 267-of-423 passes (63.1%) for 2,910 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
8. Brian Urlacher, Bears LB — Tied for the team high with eight tackles in a dominating defensive performance by the Bears as they whipped Tampa Bay 27-3 Sunday. He now has 98 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and six passes defensed as the leader of a strong Chicago stop unit.
9. Curtis Martin, New York Jets RB — Rushed 24 times for 78 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards as the Jets kept alive their playoff hopes with a come-from-behind, 15-14 win over Cincinnati. For the season, he has 1,218 rushing yards on 274 carries (4.4 avg.) with 10 touchdowns.
10. Donovan McNabb, Eagles QB — Helped the 9-4 Eagles take control of the NFC East with a big, 20-6 victory at Washington Sunday. He completed 16-of-34 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. For the season, he has completed 241-of-420 passes (57.4%) for 2,731 yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also has rushed 70 times for 403 yards (5.8 avg.) and two touchdowns.

 

Best of the rest

11. Kordell Stewart, Steelers QB — This is clearly not the same Kordell Stewart that we’ve seen struggle the past couple of years. This is the confident, multi-threat Stewart that led the Steelers to the AFC Championship game after the 1997 season. Stewart was phenomenal Sunday night in Baltimore as he led the 11-2 Steelers to a huge, 26-21 victory over the closest division rival. He completed 20-of-31 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns (including a 90-yarder to Bobby Shaw) and was not intercepted. He also ran 10 times for 55 yards. For the season, Stewart has completed 222-of-365 passes (60.8%) for 2,560 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has rushed 88 times for 477 yards (5.4 avg.) with four touchdowns.
12. Ahman Green, Packers RB — Clearly had his worst game of the season in a 26-20 loss to Tennessee, rushing for nine yards on nine carries and getting tackled in the endzone for a safety. For the season, Green now has 1,103 rushing yards on 243 carries (4.5 avg.) with six touchdowns. He also has caught 55 passes for 542 yards (9.9 avg.) and two touchdowns.
13. Michael Strahan, Giants DE — Made five tackles and registered half a sack as the Giants kept alive their slim playoff hopes with a 17-13 win over Arizona. The half-sack gives him 17 for the season. He now needs 5.5 sacks to break ex-Jet Mark Gastineau’s NFL single-season record.
14. Priest Holmes, Chiefs RB — I don’t like to look at players on losing teams for MVP, but this guy’s accomplishments this season can’t be ignored any longer. Holmes rushed 29 times for 121 yards and a touchdown to help the Chiefs score a 26-23, overtime decision over Denver Sunday. For the season, he leads the AFC in rushing with 1,267 yards on 254 carries (5.0 avg.) with seven touchdowns. He also has caught 46 passes for 497 yards (10.8 avg.) and two touchdowns.
15. Garrison Hearst, 49ers RB — Rushed 26 times for 103 yards (4.0 avg.) against a stout Dolphins defense in keying an impressive, 21-0 victory Sunday. For the season, Hearst, a mortal lock for NFL Comeback Player of the Year, has 939 rushing yards on 183 carries (5.1 avg.) with four touchdowns. He also has caught 34 passes for 303 yards (8.9 avg.) with one touchdown.

Dropped out

Ray Lewis, Ravens LB
Chris Chambers, Dolphins WR
Terrell Owens, 49ers WR

Last week’s list

1. Marshall Faulk
2. Rich Gannon
3. Brett Favre
4. Jerome Bettis
5. Kurt Warner
6. Ahman Green
7. Tom Brady
8. Jeff Garcia
9. Curtis Martin
10. Brian Urlacher
11. Donovan McNabb
12. Chris Chambers
13. Michael Strahan
14. Ray Lewis
15. Terrell Owens

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