FanPost

2010 Packer MVP Bye Week Edition

So as we look forward to the Vikings this weekend, let's take stock of where we are at as a team and who our most valuable PLAYER is to this point. As always please feel free to disagree, tell me I'm flat out wrong and put up your own contenders for this highly coveted honor.

Lots of good contenders now after a pretty hefty win over the Cowboys. We also have a reason to start listing offensive players too...a welcome change of pace.

The top five:

1. Clay Matthews. I know there are some that would rather #12 up here, but I just can't do it. Matthews is a key difference maker on the defense and makes things happen. At times on Sunday it looked like was single handedly beating down the entire Cowboys team.

2. Charles Woodson. Another somewhat controversial pick, but he's still doing it all. He was stuffing the run, blitzing, and doing it in coverage. He may not be the best pure corner we have anymore, but he is still a close second to best all around defender.

3. Aaron Rodgers. After overseeing the absolute whipping put to the Dallas D he gets this spot. Really he should be higher, but his body of work this season just hasn't convinced me that he deserves one of the top two spots yet. This will probably change since he's got a relatively weak secondary coming up in the Vikings, but who knows....this is probably going to be one of those "toss the records out" sort of games where anything can happen.

4. Tramon Williams. This one is me caving to pressure since a part of me thinks Raji is slightly more important to this team right now, but Williams is making plays and really standing out this year. He's not only made Al Harris expendable (we miss you Al), but he's quickly taking much of Woodson's place in the secondary as shutting down the main reciever for the other side. Corners are hard to find, and it's always nice to see the Packers develop a special one like this in house.

5. B.J. Raji. Scoff at me wanting to put him ahead of Williams, go ahead, but chew on this....right now a major reason why our D has been able to win us games is because our D line has been able to shut down the run and collapse the pocket. The major force behind that? Yup, it's Raji. Of our starting guys game one Raji has been the only consistent presence week in and week out, and while his play may not be eye popping, it's still some where between solid and awesome. For that he gets his spot in the top five.

Honorable Mention

Greg Jennings. Still doing what needs to be done and being a force for the offense. For being such a star in the making I would like to see a bit more "taking over a game" from Jennings, but other than that there's not much to complain about. He's a playmaker who has stepped up his game from when Finely went down.

Cullen Jenkins. If he were a comedian he would be Rodney Dangerfield. He really doesn't get no respect. Recently saw him highlighted over at NFL Network in a piece on top underrated players in the NFL and I have to agree. He's another key in our D doing what it does. He really puts the pressure on the QB, from a position that shouldn't in this D no less, and he's played most of this year with a cast on his hand. That's double tough right there. Only reason why he's not in the top five listing is because his spotty injury status this year.

Nick Collins. With the emergence of Tramon Williams and the general awesomeness of Matthews & Woodson it's a bit easy for Collins to get a smidge forgotten. Really that's a shame because he has stepped up his game this year and helped keep things together from that safety spot. Remember way back when in those balmy, heady days of summer when we were worried about our safety play? We wondered if Burnett could do the job, what would happen with our coverage calls, what elite QB's would do against us? Well Collins has overcome some injuries to him as well as who ever is playing strong safety (who thought Peprah would be back there) and has put together a nice season so far. Hats off to him.

James Jones. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but Jones has really stepped up since the disappearance of Finely. Jones has great running after the catch ability, now if his hands can show up consistently we will have a special player to compliment Jennings for years to come.

Mason Crosby. Still going to send love his way. He hasn't been on any major droughts this year and is just doing his job. That's not something to take for granted with a kicker.

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