Packers vs. Giants: MVP Of The Week

SumNemo put the pressure on me today with this particular post. We all know this is a staple of the post game breakdown, but after a total event collapse like we witnessed last night it’s double tough to find the silver linings other than "it can’t get much worse" or "at least we play the Vikings next week."

Then again I’m sure my boss would drop me an e-mail reminder that this is part of the deal with blogging….so away we go!

In all seriousness, there were probably three performances worth nominating for MVP. If you can think of any more than please make your case, but other than these guys it’s going to be a stretch.

Your nominees:

LB Dezman Moses – This has to be the odds on favorite. Why? He was the only Packer defender who was able to sack Eli Manning. He was also the only one who was able to bring pressure on a semi-consistent basis throughout the night. Was he a playmaker? Not really. Was he a game changer, obviously not. But look at what he is…he’s a fourth string OLB and UDFA who is getting playing time because of an absurd amount of injuries. If the Packers can get that amount of production of a fourth string LB then that’s good enough for me….especially in a game like what we just witnessed on Sunday night.

RG Josh Sitton – He did his job for the most part. Linval Joseph is an up and coming DT in this league and Sitton basically shut him down. Every other offensive lineman got handled against the Giants, but Sitton did his job. On a night where no one else did their job that’s good enough for an MVP nod. Enjoy it Josh, it’s rare that a RG gets mentioned in this post.

FB John Kuhn – He barely missed having the best run average for the night (4.3 yard s per carry versus 4.4 for James Starks), had the longest receiving play of the night outside of the Jordy Nelson TD, and was a better pass blocker than both the starting tackles. In a forgettable night Kuhn was able to remind people why he is such an asset for the Packers.

Honorable Mention

QB Graham Harrell – Harrell didn’t have a bad night. He completed his first NFL pass. He didn’t fumble the football. He had a higher QBR than Rodgers according to ESPN (47.4 versus 17.3) so I guess he did more to help the Packers win by handing the football off in garbage time than Rodgers did for three quarters when the game actually mattered. There’s that. Then again it was gut churning to watch him with that goony smile while the Packers were getting their teeth kicked in. I know, it’s on the field experience but come on man!

NO MVP FOR YOU!

Hopefully this section never appears here ever again….but this week it does need to appear. There are some players who may have an interesting argument as to why he should be an MVP nominee. These guys should get some attention, but not really since as much as they had a good play or two overall they fail to really be in the running for MVP honors this week.

Any WR – Yes, Jordy Nelson had a big TD grab. Yes, Randall Cobb looked good in the first quarter…with some good catches and a nice run. You know what though? If you as a position group get shut down by the New York Giants’ secondary in bump and run, then you have failed. Every last one of you. No MVP for you!

TE Jermichael Finley – You had another highlight or two J-Mike. Even better, you didn’t look like a total liability for the second week in a row. Congrats on that. You still disappeared for long stretch of the game once again. No MVP for you!

Any of the young secondary – Davon House wasn't terrible. Casey Hayward made a play early and wasn't picked on after that. You know what though? After that nice pass defended by Hayward he did literally nothing the rest of the night (no joke, Jarrett Boykin had more tackles than Hayward). For all of the not terrible that House put on, he also didn't really look good either. The rest of the secondary looked young and lost. No MVP for you!

So there you go. Three choices for MVP, although all three a bit of a stretch. I will also offer the challenge to think of a player more deserving than these three. If you can think of one please list your reasons why in the comments section. Otherwise buckle up cause the real fun is going to be Dud this week.