Jacksonville Leads NFL Standings; Brock Purdy's MVP Case

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Outspoken With Dan Sileo

Jacksonville Earns Midseason Praise, While Brock Purdy Emerges as an MVP Pick

At the midway point of the season, Jacksonville stands out as the best team in the NFL. The team made several moves before the trade deadline, but its performance metrics were already impressive. Dating back to the end of last season, Trevor Lawrence has not needed to play the entire fourth quarter in eight of the past 15 games.

Jacksonville is winning by dominant margins with strong offensive and defensive play. The decision-making has also been sound, with Liam Cohen and his staff pressing the right buttons. Even from the perspective of a Titans fan, what Jacksonville is building appears capable of producing success this season and remaining sustainable for the next four or five years.

The team also swung for the fences at the trade deadline. Although the Niners and Bills may be more prominent names nationally, it is difficult to argue against Jacksonville as the best team in the league right now.

General manager Gladstone is investing in his coach, much like Chicago is investing in Ben Johnson. Jacksonville added Jordan Davis to a defensive front that already includes Eric Armstead, Allen, and Trayvon Walker. The team entered the weekend ranked third in run defense, making the move another strong addition.

When considering the most valuable person to his team during the first half of the season, Brock Purdy is the choice. Joe Burrow has been excellent, and Josh Allen is also an obvious candidate, but the key question is which team would struggle most if its top player were removed.

Without Purdy, the Forty-Niners might still make the playoffs with Mac Jones, but they would not be among the best teams in the league. Purdy has been especially valuable within Kyle Shanahan’s offense as San Francisco has dealt with injuries across the roster, including a particularly difficult stretch at wide receiver.

Despite those setbacks, the Forty-Niners continued moving forward because of how well Purdy can play. Several quarterbacks have valid arguments, but Purdy’s importance to San Francisco gives him the edge.