It’s been an even wilder and wackier NFL season than usual — too many backup quarterbacks forced into action, a blood clot review pending over why Jalen Hurts was allowed to play in London, a line judge and a referee suspended, a quarterback winning a game without completing a pass, a player returning to play in the second half following a trip to the hospital …
Which brings us to the prestigious Serby Says Midseason Awards:
MVP
Josh Allen (QB, Bills): The NFL’s best player is his team’s most valuable. On a mission to reach and win his first Super Bowl, he has flourished under new coach Joe Brady. His former offensive coordinator, forced to will his team to victory with a suspect defense while waiting for WR DJ Moore to stay on the field and make an impact. His 15-yard flip-six to Keon Coleman against the Raiders went viral. An 11-5 touchdown-interception ratio and career-best 8.75 yards per completion supplemented by 55-270-9 rushing. This was a photo finish with Brock Purdy (place) and Joe Burrow (show).
Offensive player
Jaxson Smith-Njigba (WR, Seahawks): Even after losing coordinator Klint Kubiak as Raiders coach, even with a struggling Sam Darnold, even with no Robin to his Batman, JSN (64-985-9) has been so dominant he could be included in the MVP conversation as he again stalks Calvin Johnson’s single-season record (1,974 yards) and a 2,000-yard season.
