Week 7 APC Mailbag: Defensive MVP, Hilton or Gordon, and Brett Hundley

The NFL took a collective hit when Aaron Rodgers went down with injury this past week. His season is likely done, and the optimism in Green Bay as withered. Call it homerism, but Rodgers truly is the most physically gifted QB to play the position. The precision throws, the mobility, and pre-snap ability are all skills that you’d be hard pressed to find in another quarterback. Rest up, Rodgers. The APC staff is thinking of you.

The NFL hasn’t stopped playing games because of the Rodgers injury, even though they may be a degree less fun now. So let’s take a look at what we got in the mailbag.

Let’s open some mail:

This isn’t always the case, but I like to think that the best defensive player on the best defense should be the one to win the DPOY. Like, league MVP pretty much always goes to the best player on the best team which is how Matt Ryan was able to beat out guys like Zeke Elliott and Dak Prescott last season.

Khalil Mack won it last year despite being on a below average Raiders defense and Von Miller should have way more hardware under his belt. But maybe this year will be different? Maybe the best defensive player on the best defense will win?

Because it should be Jalen Ramsey.

According to NFL Outsiders, Jacksonville ranks first in defensive DVOA and that has largely to do with Jalen Ramsey shutting people down entirely. Through a quarter of the season, Ramsey has let up a league leading 36.8 passer rating. He’s not at the top of the interception list, but he’s the reason Jacksonville is able to do what they are on the defensive side of the ball.

Speaking of Ramsey-

Alex Jacobson via email asked: Melvin Gordon against the Broncos D or TY Hilton against the Jags Secondary. Who you got doing better in terms of fantasy?

I’d go Melvin Gordon.

I’m not touching T.Y. against the Jaguars defense that has two potential All-Pro corners in Ramsey and Bouye, but also another solid slot corner in Aaron Colvin. Still no Andrew Luck either. Without Luck, Hilton has been putting up respectable numbers, but the ceiling has been a limited one without only 1 TD on the season.

Full disclosure: I have Melvin Gordon in a league and I’m playing him. So if my advice to start him doesn’t work out, just know I’m suffering too. The Broncos run D is pretty stout and they did hold Gordon to 54 yards on 18 carries in their first match up, BUT he did reel in 5 catches for 25 yards and a TD. So the opportunity to do something should be there.

As interesting as that sounds, I don’t think so. Hundley will be working with the first-team offense all week and I don’t think they’ll scale back Cobb’s, Jordy’s or Adams’ snaps to put Janis on the field.

For the record, I’m in on Jeff Janis. I actually think he’s a solid player and he’s been pretty good on special teams this year. It’s just a hard battle to get near the top of the depth chart without injuries.

Hundley’s already proved that he can throw a decent back shoulder throw in the game against Minnesota and the only way he gets better is if he’s throwing to the best weapons on the team.

We can take solace in the fact that Hundley is better than Scott Tolzien.

I went to a small school in Madison, WI called Edgewood College so this weekend, I’m taking a trip back there to hang out with all my college buddies. The only real difference from our college days is that we go to bars where the brews are a little bit more expensive. It’s been about 3 years since I graduated and I can’t hang as well in the college atmosphere as I’d like to think no matter how hard I try.

That’s the Packers right now. It’s nice to think that they can do the same things that they always have because of all the weapons around them, but it’s not going to look as good as it can. Rodgers is a Hall of Fame quarterback and it doesn’t matter if the Packers have Randy Moss and/or 2012 Adrian Peterson on the team, you can’t get your hopes up without Rodgers.

Did I just compare my college-self with Aaron Rodgers? Maybe. But I needed an analogy!

Bold prediction: Aaron Jones takes over as the primary tailback because he’ll get more opportunity and he’s really good.

Thanks, guys! See you next week.