Kyle Shanahan endorses MVP cases of Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey
Brock Purdy is in the incredible position of being the betting favorite for MVP in his first full season as the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback, but his case is complicated by both the system he plays in and the awesome level of talent around him. Arguably the most important aid to Purdy outside of […]
Brock Purdy is in the incredible position of being the betting favorite for MVP in his first full season as the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback, but his case is complicated by both the system he plays in and the awesome level of talent around him.
Arguably the most important aid to Purdy outside of head coach Kyle Shanahan is running back Christian McCaffrey, who himself is seen as an outside bet for MVP in a year where many believe there isn't a compelling quarterback candidate.
McCaffrey leads the NFL in both scrimmage yards (1,614) and touchdowns (17) and his status as a non-quarterback contender alongside Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins led to Shanahan being posed an uncomfortable question during his Wednesday press conference.
Shanahan was asked how it's possible to decipher the MVP conversation around Purdy given McCaffrey's incredible impact.
It was a question he did his best to dodge, but in doing so endorsed both players for the NFL's top on-field award.
“I mean, are you trying to get me in trouble with those two guys? That’s the only reason I wouldn't overly comment on either one of them because I don’t want them to cancel each other out," replied Shanahan.
"But, if any non-quarterback’s going to get a MVP, I don't get how Christian McCaffrey can’t. I mean, he’s amazing in what he has done all year.
"If it’s going to a quarterback, then I don’t have to talk about Christian. I can talk about our quarterback. If his numbers is all you see, then I think that solves it up. But, if you watch the film then it makes it even stronger, which to me is the most important thing."
On Wednesday, Purdy was named FedEx Air Player of the Week for his Week 14 performance in a win over the Seattle Seahawks, which saw him throw for a career-high 368 yards. McCaffrey's 145 yards rushing earned him the Ground Player of the Week.
Purdy leads the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown percentage, QBR, passer rating and every yards per attempt metric as well as efficiency metrics DYAR, DVOA and Expected Points Added per play.
McCaffrey, meanwhile is second in DYAR, which measures total value, among running backs on carries and first in that metric on receiving plays, his numbers making it tough to dispute Shanahan's belief he has the incredible luxury of having two worthy MVP winners on his offense.
The odds are stacked against McCaffrey, but he should at least be credited with a substantial assist if Purdy does indeed take his remarkable story to a height nobody saw coming with an MVP triumph.
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