Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was outstanding in 2016 — MVP worthy, some would argue — but he came up short in the race.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was nothing short of phenomenal in 2016, putting together seven comeback victories en route to leading the Silver and Black to a 12-4 season.
Another adjective that is appropriate for Carr is valuable — as he goes, the Raiders go. That was obvious for the first 14 games (and three quarters) he was healthy, and even more obvious in the final five quarters he didn’t play (not including the playoff game).
Carr’s case for the MVP was as strong as anyone, with his penchant for coming up big in clutch situations as the focal point of his resume.
Raiders QB Derek Carr is first player in NFL history with 5 game-winning TD passes in the 4th-quarter/OT in a season
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 5, 2016
via @EliasSports
Carr’s NFL record was just one of many reasons why he was a deserved MVP recipient, but unfortunately, Oakland’s franchise quarterback came up short in the final ballot.
How NFL MVP voting broke down:
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) February 5, 2017
Matt Ryan - 25
Tom Brady - 10
Ezekiel Elliott - 6
Derek Carr - 6
Aaron Rodgers - 2
Dak Prescott - 1
Carr tied for third, which is still something to be proud of. Matt Ryan ran award with the award, thanks to his statistically impressive resume.
The third-year quarterback didn’t come up empty-handed, though, as he was named the Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Year.
Derek Carr will be the MVP of the 2017 season. You can take that to the bank. #VaultMe
— Nick Hjeltness (@NickHjeltness) December 25, 2016
Next: New Episode of the JBB Podcast
Hopefully next year, we’ll have a different article on this story.