1987 NFL MVP Dilemma | Halftime Roomies
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- In 1987, John Elway, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice had one of the most contested and controversial MVP races in league history. The 49ers duo had career seasons while Elway led an ordinary Broncos team to the playoffs. Come voting time, while the majority of NFL personnel, coaches and media voted for one player, the results went another way. Find out what influenced the decision in what would become one of the biggest upsets in NFL MVP voting history.
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Lifelong Denver fan, 53 years. I think Elway won because he was essentially the entire team. His numbers were pedestrian at best, but he willed three mediocre, overmatched teams to 3 Super Bowls. Montana, who I think is the greatest of all time, had Rice, Taylor, Craig, a great Defense, Bill Walsh, etc. This is one of those occasions where they went beyond the stats and recognized what he meant to Denver. Without Elway, that team might win 3 games. In this case, it was fair, despite Rice being amazing that season. You put Elway on the San Fran team, and it is still amazing, possibly better considering he was more athletic the Montana. They got it right, and Montana and Rice kind of cancel each other out , argument wise. Was Joe great because he had Jerry catching those passes, or was Jerry great because he had Joe throwing them to him? Elway? Had Vance Johnson, Ricky Nattiel and Mark Jackson, and Sammy Winder as a featured back. Decent 2nd-3rd tier players, but not guys you can win an MVP with. Thanks John, for a career of great memories as a player, and a GM title in SB 50.
First off good topic and excellent presentation 👍🏾 I’m an elway guy but rice deserved that MVP. I think Elway got it cuz he didn’t have much around him in Denver. God bless Dan reeves but he was not a good coach on O. I believe Reggie white had 22 sacks in 12 games this season as well
The momentum off that honeymoon following John’s 1st sb appearance and what he did to make that trip happen seemed quite influential on observers’ views of him
Elway was the MOST VALUABLE, so I understand it. Still, Rice should’ve probably won it. Also, the whole “without Rice, there is no Montana” is ridiculous. Montana already had 2 SB rings, 2 SB MVPs and one of his greatest seasons ever (1984) BEFORE Rice stepped foot on a football field. Montana’s ‘87 season was incredible….especially given the helter skelter nature of that season w/ the player’s strike
Excellent video and topic!! I understand Elway was valuable to his team but he had a very mediocre year, much less for an NFL MVP. Show me a worse season by a QB in the Super Bowl era that was crowned MVP! While Rice, played on a team that went 13-2, and he had a historically great season similar to the likes of OJ's 2000 yards season, L.Tomlinson's 31 TDs, Adrian Peterson's 2000 yards+, Marshall Faulk ,Lawrence Taylor, etc.. All those guys won MVP! To further solidify the argument for Rice:
1) Elway wasn't even 1st Team All-Pro, while Rice was a UNANIMOUS 1st Team All-Pro
2) Montana crossed the picket line and played in 1 full game and saw action in another game vs the replacement scabs, so he actually had 26 passing TDs in real NFL games
3) Rice did quite well without Montana in the 3 games Montana either didn't play or saw limited action
4) While Rice finished 2nd in Receiving Yards that year, the leader was JT Smith, who had 39 more yards than Rice, BUT JT Smith played in 14 games, including all 3 against replacement scabs. Take away those 3 games, and he finishes WAY behind Rice.
Montana & Rice split their votes allowing Elway to win with a plurality. He was more valuable to his team, and he was coming off "The Drive" and a good performance in SBXXi. The league wanted Elway to be the face of the league at that time. It wasn't strictly statistics back then. Emotion and subjectivity played a role. I'm pretty sure Elway could have won SBs with those 49ers teams. I'm not convinced Montana could have dragged those Broncos teams to three SBs in the eighties.