x
Breaking News
More () »

Is Russell Wilson the NFL's MVP so far this season?

KREM 2's Karthik Venkataraman breaks down and compares Russell Wilson's MVP caliber season to his main competitior Lamar Jackson.
Credit: AP
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson  is having an MVP caliber season.

He's been phenomenal.

However, he's not the clear cut favorite. This is a two man race right now and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is Wilson's main competitor.

Who is on top right now? 

THE PASSING YARDS

This category is about Russell Wilson dominating because there has been no better quarterback when it comes to throwing the ball.

His yard per game aren't top 10, but he is in about every other category. He still averages about 50 yards more per game than Jackson.

Wilson had the most passing touchdowns coming into this week with 23. Out of all regular starters in NFL, Wilson is tied for least interceptions with Aaron Rodgers.

Wilson has also been really good throwing the ball down the field. He has 39 passes of 20 plus yards.That is third in the NFL.

Jackson has 30 of those.

Wilson also has the best quarterback rating among all NFL quarterbacks who start regularly. He also has a better completion percentage than Jackson.

To sum it up, Wilson is the better passer of the two and it isn't close.

THE RUSHING YARDS

It also isn't close when it comes to rushing yards too.

This time it's in Jackson's favor though. He has captivated the NFL with his amazing rushing ability. He ranks 11th in the NFL in rushing yards per game came into this week and he's a quarterback.

He's been explosive in that category too with seven rushes of over 20 plus yards.

Wilson hasn't been much of a rusher this year.

It's a huge part of Jackson's game and he's definitely the best running quarterback. He's a consistent dual-threat.

COMMON OPPONENTS

Another interesting comparison point is through the Seahawks and Ravens first 10 games, they played four of the same teams.

One of them was the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Ravens have played them twice so far. To make the stats fair, the stats include an average of Jackson's numbers in those two games against Cincinnati.

Here's how they stack up.

Wilson had 1,098 total yards, nine touchdowns, zero interceptions and one fumble lost. Jackson had 1,275 total yards, seven touchdowns, five interceptions, and zero fumbles lost.

While Jackson had more total yards, Wilson was far more efficient in taking care of the football. He also had more total touchdowns.

In this category,  Wilson gets the nod because the yards difference is marginal.

HEAD TO HEAD

The last thing is both of these quarterback's teams played against each other in week 7.

The Ravens won that game 30-16.

Wilson had 258 total yards, one touchdown and one interception. Jackson had 259 total yards and one touchdown.

There are two major moments from this game that stick out.

One of them was the awful Russell Wilson interception that went for a pick 6.

In the scheme of a season where he hasn't thrown a lot of interceptions, it's not the biggest deal. However, for this comparison point it was a lasting impression. Wilson nor the offense showed up down the stretch.

Jackson will be remembered in that game for the fourth quarter drive where he drained the clock.

From that game, Lamar Jackson was better.

RELATED: Seahawks knock 49ers from unbeaten ranks with 27-24 OT win

RELATED: NFL playoff picture: Here's who is in if it started today

RELATED: Russell Wilson throws 5 TDs, Seahawks outlast Bucs 40-34 in OT

Before You Leave, Check This Out