NFL MVP Race: Russell Wilson Emerges as Biggest Threat to Tom Brady

The Seattle Seahawks’ upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles capped off Sunday’s Week 13 NFL action. Behind Russell Wilson, Seattle (8-4) ended Philly’s league-best nine-game winning streak and kept the Seahawks within a game of first place in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), who took care of business against the woeful Arizona Cardinals. Wilson threw for 227 yards and three scores and added 31 rushing yards (118.6 passer rating) as he strengthened his case for Most Valuable Player in the victory, outplaying his counterpart and MVP candidate Carson Wentz. With Wilson’s performance on Sunday night in consideration, here is a look at the updated race for the league's MVP award.

5. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell and the Steelers travel to Cincinnati for ‘Monday Night Football’ to conclude Week 13. Even without playing his Week 13 contest, Bell currently leads the NFL with 981 rushing yards. His heavy workload, a league-high 252 rushing attempts, illustrates the Steelers’ reliance on the 25-year-old running back. The sensational play of teammate Antonio Brown, the NFL’s most dominant wideout who leads the league in receiving yards and warrants MVP consideration, devalues Bell’s MVP chances.   

4. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

Gurley currently leads the NFL with 1,502 yards from scrimmage (Bell could take the lead if he posts 125 yards from scrimmage on Monday night) and is the only halfback in the league with over 900 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Gurley has 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving), tied for most in the NFL with New Orleans Saints electrifying rookie running back Alvin Kamara.

Todd Gurley rushed for 74 yards and caught six passes for 84 yards in the Los Angeles Rams' road victory over the Arizona Cardinals. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

3. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Despite the defeat on Sunday night, the 10-2 Eagles are tied for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with the red-hot Minnesota Vikings, behind the quarterback play of Wentz, who is on pace to shatter Eagles franchise records. Wentz has thrown for the most touchdown passes (29) in the NFL. The Eagles are tied with the Rams for the league-lead in points per game (30.1).

2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

Right in the thick of the ultra-competitive NFC, Wilson has done it all on offense for the Seahawks. Despite a spotty offensive line and the lack of effective complimentary running backs, Wilson has thrown for 3,029 yards and 23 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season. He also has rushed for a team-best 401 yards and three scores.

Russell Wilson scrambles past Eagles defensive end Chris Long. (Josh Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports)

1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

40 years young, Brady is playing the best football of his legendary career. Brady improved his record to 27-3 against the division-rival Bills with New England's win over Buffalo on Sunday. He leads the NFL in passing yards, completions, and passer rating. He ranks second in completion percentage (Drew Brees) and TD passes (Wentz). The 10-2 Patriots look like the best team in the NFL and Brady is the biggest reason why.

Celtics’ Win Streak Hits 16 as Irving Again Flexes Clutch Muscle

Comebacks continue to be the theme of the Boston Celtics’ winning streak, which reached 16 games on Monday night. The Dallas Mavericks became the latest casualty of the resurgent Celtics, who rallied from a 13-point (87–74) deficit with 7:47 remaining to force overtime before closing out a 110–102 road victory in the extra session.

As has been the case with the majority of Boston’s 16-game unblemished stretch, Kyrie Irving was the driving force for the Celtics. Irving dropped a season-best 47 points — 10 coming in overtime — on a remarkably efficient 16-of-22 shooting from the floor, connecting on five of his seven treys with six assists. 

Kyrie Irving is the first Celtic to score 45+ points and shoot better than 70% from the field since Larry Bird (50 points, 76% FG) did it on 11/10/89 vs. ATL.

— Michael Berger (@MichaelSBerger) November 21, 2017

Irving continues to awe in pressure-packed moments. He leads the league with 65 points on 24-of-39 shooting in clutch situations — which the NBA defines as the final five minutes of regulation (or overtime) with the score within five points. He has yet to commit a turnover in the clutch and has notched 10 assists.

Kyrie Irving in final 5 min and score within 5 this season:
- 38 mins
- 65 pts
- 24-39 FG
- 13-16 FT
- 11 drawn fouls
- 32 pts in the paint
- 10 assists
- 0 turnovers
- Plus-minus of +40

Dude is the literal definition of clutch.

— Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) November 21, 2017

Delivering when it matters most, Irving doesn’t sweat having the game on the line.

"It's pretty simple," Irving said after the Celtics beat the lowly Mavs. "I don't really see it as a pressure situation. It's just like playing basketball, man. It's just like being in a park 7-7 and game is 8. Someone else calls win by two and you're calling straight up. That's when the defense just starts to crank up and you see some unbelievable plays.

Celtics fans in attendance at American Airlines serenaded Irving with deafening “MVP” chants as he made the game-sealing free throws to finish off his best performance of the young season.

Spearheaded by Irving, Boston (16–2) is undefeated in the month of November and is three wins shy of tying the franchise record of 19 consecutive wins set in the 2008–09 season.

Kyrie Irving dominated the Mavericks on Monday night to extend the Celtics’ win streak to 16 games. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

NBA 2017-18 Western Conference Standings Predictions

With the summer drawing to a close and the NBA’s Opening Night tipping-off in less than two months, standings predictions are detailed here for the upcoming season in the Western Conference.

1. Golden State Warriors

By far the best team in the league, the Dubs brought back their championship core and added guard Nick Young and forward Omri Casspi in free agency.

The Warriors could reach the 70-win plateau for the second time in three seasons.

2. Houston Rockets

The Rockets are constructing their roster to dethrone the Warriors. Not only did they trade for superstar point guard Chris Paul, they also signed P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute — two defensive stalwarts whom can guard (as best as one possibly can) Kevin Durant.

Chris Paul holds his jersey up in his introductory press conference with the Houston Rockets. Houston’s general manager Daryl Morey (left) and head coach Mike D’Antoni (right) are also shown. (AP Photo)

Houston is the home for two of the 10 best players (James Harden and Paul) in the NBA. Will it also be the home of Carmelo Anthony come this winter?

3. San Antonio Spurs

It was a bit of a rough offseason for the Spurs. Not only did their in-state rivals acquire Paul, a player who the Spurs coveted, they lost Jonathan Simmons in free agency (Orlando Magic) and their biggest move of the summer was signing Rudy Gay, who is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury.

Tony Parker is out until January, as the Spurs’ floor general recovers from successful surgery on his left quad. Patty Mills will be manning the point guard duties in the meantime.

Even with Parker out and forward LaMarcus Aldridge reportedly unhappy in San Antonio, the Spurs remain a top-3 team in the West because of Kawhi Leonard, the best two-way player in the league.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder pulled off one of the most stunning trades in recent memory, acquiring superstar forward Paul George from the Indiana Pacers in return for mercurial guard Victor Oladipo — currently in the midst of a hefty contract — and backup forward Domantas Sabonis.

Four-time All-Star Paul George, a free agent in 2018, is the newest member of the Thunder. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

Some think George, an impending free agent, may be a 1-year rental, but the forward made it clear if the Thunder reach the West Finals (or beyond) he’d be “dumb to leave” Oklahoma City.

Now serious contenders in the Western Conference, the Thunder re-signed defensive juggernaut Andre Roberson and inked stretch forward Patrick Patterson to a three-year contract.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2004 but their woes appear to be in the past after landing Jimmy Butler in a Draft Night trade from the Chicago Bulls.

The Timberwolves signed Jeff Teague to join a (projected) starting lineup comprising of Butler, Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Gorgui Dieng.

The bench features free agent additions Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson.

6. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers squeaked into the playoffs last year — only to get throttled in a first-round sweep at the hands of the champion Warriors. Though it was a disappointing season for Portland, given its expectations, there is certainly room for optimism because of Jusuf Nurkic.

The seven-foot 23-year-old Bosnian center was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Trail Blazers at February’s trade deadline. From the moment he arrived in Portland, Nurkic played like an All-Star, averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest.

Jusuf Nurkic will be critical to Portland’s success in 2017–18. (Sam Forencich/Getty Images)

Nurkic’s season was cut short after he suffered a non-displaced right leg fracture, as the center missed the final seven games of the regular season and appeared in just one game (17 minutes in Game 3) in the playoffs.

Assuming Nurkic returns to form, he can establish a powerful trio with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. And if all goes well, the Trail Blazers can trade for Carmelo Anthony (they would first have to convince the 10-time All-Star to waive his no-trade clause and leave the New York Knicks) and acquire the star power needed to compete in a Western Conference loaded with All-Star caliber players.

7. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets missed the playoffs by a mere game last season. After adding All-Star forward Paul Millsap in free agency, the Nuggets are poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Millsap will form a one-two punch in the middle with center Nikola Jokic, a bonafide superstar in the second half of last season who looks the part of a perennial All-Star.

Jokic is a walking double-double who improved on the defensive side of the ball as the season commenced. Jokic’s dominant interior presence will keep the Nuggets competitive in the West for years to come.

8. Utah Jazz

Gordon Hayward defected to the Boston Celtics in free agency, but the Jazz still have Rudy Gobert, a member of the All-NBA Second Team last season.

Replacing Hayward is an impossible task — at least for the upcoming season — for the Jazz who now must rely heavily on Gobert, the NBA’s blocks leader in 2016–17 who made the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

The Jazz traded for point guard Ricky Rubio — replacing George Hill, who signed with the lowly Sacramento Kings — and re-signed Joe Ingles. They also inked veteran forwards Jonas Jerebko and Thabo Sefolosha to two-year deals as the Jazz recovered relatively well from the Hayward departure.

Advancing to the West semifinals last year, the Jazz will likely be grinding just to reach the playoffs. They could find themselves battling with the Los Angles Clippers — who they defeated in a seven-game series last postseason — for the eighth seed in the West.

Rest of the Pack

9. Los Angeles Clippers

10. New Orleans Pelicans

11. Memphis Grizzlies

12. Dallas Mavericks

13. Los Angeles Lakers

14. Sacramento Kings

15. Phoenix Suns

NFL Predictions 2017

Standings Predictions

AFC East	Record	NFC East	Record
New England Patriots	14-2	New York Giants	11-5
Miami Dolphins	7-9	Dallas Cowboys*	10-6
Buffalo Bills	6-10	Philadelphia Eagles	9-7
New York Jets	1-15	Washington Redskins	7-9
AFC North	Record	NFC North	Record
Pittsburgh Steelers	12-4	Green Bay Packers	13-3
Baltimore Ravens	8-8	Minnesota Vikings	9-7
Cincinnati Bengals	6-10	Detroit Lions	6-10
Cleveland Browns	4-12	Chicago Bears	3-13
AFC South	Record	NFC South	Record
Tennessee Titans	10-6	Tampa Bay Bucs	11-5
Houston Texans*	9-7	Atlanta Falcons*	10-6
Indianapolis Colts	6-10	Carolina Panthers	8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars	5-11	New Orleans Saints	7-9
AFC West	Record	NFC West	Record
Oakland Raiders	11-5	Seattle Seahawks	12-4
Denver Broncos*	10-6	Arizona Cardinals	8-8
Kansas City Chiefs	9-7	St. Louis Rams	5-11
San Diego Chargers	8-8	San Francisco 49ers	3-13

 *Wild-Card Team

Awards

MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

Offensive Player of the Year: Antonio Brown (Steelers)

Defensive Player of the Year: Von Miller (Broncos)

Comeback Player of the Year: J.J. Watt (Texans)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Myles Garrett (Browns)

Coach of the Year: Dirk Koetter (Bucs)

Playoffs

AFC Wild-Card Round

(3) Raiders over (6) Texans

(4) Titans over (5) Broncos

NFC Wild-Card Round

(3) Giants over (6) Cowboys

(5) Falcons over (4) Bucs

AFC Divisional Round

(1) Patriots over (4) Titans

(3) Raiders over (2) Steelers

NFC Divisional Round

(1) Packers over (5) Falcons

(2) Seahawks over (3) Giants

AFC Championship

(1) Patriots over (3) Raiders

NFC Championship

(2) Seahawks over (1) Packers

Super Bowl

(1) Patriots over (2) Seahawks

Must-Watch Home Game for all Eastern Conference Teams

 With the NBA releasing its 2017–18 schedule on Monday, here is a glance at the must-see home contest for all 15 squads from the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta Hawks

Vs. Denver Nuggets (Oct. 27): Atlanta opted not to re-sign Paul Millsap, who compiled four All-Star seasons with the team before joining the Nuggets in the offseason via free agency. The Hawks will likely pay some sort of tribute to their former star Millsap, who conveyed his anger that Atlanta did not even make him a contract offer.

For a franchise in full rebuild mode, Millsap’s return to Atlanta might be the only thing Hawks fans can get excited about this season.

Boston Celtics

Vs. Washington Wizards (Dec. 25): The Celtics host a Christmas Day game for the first time in 53 years when the Wizards visit TD Garden in a rematch of last year’s seven-game Eastern Conference semifinals series.

John Wall and Isaiah Thomas will go head-to-head on Christmas. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The two best point guards in the East — Washington’s John Wall and Boston’s Isaiah Thomas — take center stage in a rivalry that now includes both of the Morris twins — with Markieff Morris entering his second full season (acquired at the 2016 trade deadline) with the Wizards and Marcus Morris now a member of the Celtics.

Brooklyn Nets

Vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Feb. 2): Lakers president Magic Johnson chastised Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell after trading him to Brooklyn. Russell didn’t pan out as expected with the Lakers, something Johnson made clearafter dealing the guard. Johnson said the Lakers needed “a leader” and someone whom “players want to play with” and Russell apparently didn’t fit the bill on either accounts.

Russell gets the chance to make Johnson eat his words (at least for one night) and goes head-to-head against the guy who replaced him, Lonzo Ball.

Charlotte Hornets

Vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Dec. 9): Will the attention-seeking LaVar Ball, father of Lonzo Ball, make the trip for the Lakers’ only visit to Charlotte?

If so, it would be intriguing to see Lavar, who has manipulated the media into covering his every move, interact with Michael Jordan. Lavar — successfully boasting his way into the league’s limelight with his incessant, nonsensical trash-talking tirades and all — claimed he would have “killed” NBA legend Jordan in one-on-one. Jordan snickered at Lavar’s comment, saying he could defeat LaVar playing on just one leg.

Chicago Bulls

Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Feb. 9): Jimmy Butler returns to the United Center — this time as a visitor and a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, who is entering his third season as Minnesota’s coach and president of basketball operations, also makes his lone visit of the year to Chicago for what is the Bulls’ only scheduled nationally televised game of the season.

Minnesota’s Tom Thibodeau (left) and Jimmy Butler (center) visit the Bulls in February. (AP Photo)

Cleveland Cavaliers

Vs. Golden State Warriors (Jan. 15): The Cavs look for redemption against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who defeated Cleveland in a lopsided five-game NBA Finals last June.

Detroit Pistons

Vs. Charlotte Hornets (Oct. 18): Opening night against Charlotte in the Pistons’ new home court, Little Caesars Arena, should make for a boisterous atmosphere in downtown Detroit.

Indiana Pacers

Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Dec. 13): Expect boos when four-time All-Star Paul George returns to Bankers Life Fieldhouse. George demanded a trade and got his wish as the forward was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Pacers and their fanbase are already geared up for George’s return to Indy.

Paul George makes his lone trip of the season to Indianapolis in December. (Robert Scheer/IndyStar)

Miami Heat

Vs. Boston Celtics (Oct. 28): Kelly Olynyk plays his first game against the franchise that drafted him back in 2013 after signing a four-year, $50 million contract with the Heat this offseason.

Miami faces Gordon Hayward, who chose to sign with the Celtics over the Heat this summer.

Milwaukee Bucks

Vs. Toronto Raptors (Jan. 5): The upstart Bucks get a chance early in the 2018 calendar year for revenge against the team that knocked them out of the postseason.

The Bucks hope to prove they are now on Toronto’s level.

New York Knicks

Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Nov. 13): LeBron James has put on a show at Madison Square Garden on multiple occasions, averaging 28.5 points per contest in New York’s home arena. MSG is the only arena where James has topped the 50-point plateau twice.

But the main story-line here is Kyrie Irving playing against the Knicks (assuming Irving is still on Cleveland’s roster come mid-November), a team that is reportedly on his wish list for trade destinations.

According to reports, Kyrie Irving is interested in playing for the Knicks. (Darren Abate/AP)

A minor subplot is Derrick Rose’s return to New York, where he played one season and registered 18 points and 4.4 assists per game before signing with the Cavs this offseason.

Orlando Magic

Vs. Miami Heat (Oct. 18): No contest stands out in particular on the schedule for the Magic, who look destined for another losing season, so opening night against the in-state rival Miami Heat might be the game to attend for Orlando fans.

Philadelphia 76ers

Vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (March 24): The first overall pick in each of the past four NBA drafts — the 76ers’ Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins — will be in action for this contest featuring a bevy of young talent. Joel Embiid versus Towns could provide fireworks.

Toronto Raptors

Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 11): Cleveland has knocked Toronto out of the past two postseasons, as the Cavs swept the Raptors in the second-round last year.

It’s only a regular-season contest, but this game gives the Raptors a chance to see if they shortened any of the gap between themselves and the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champions.

Washington Wizards

Vs. Boston Celtics (Feb. 8): The Wizards host the team that defeated them in the East Semifinals for the first time in 2018.

The home team won every matchup (regular season and playoffs) last year.