Dominate the Super Bowl

Everything seems like a lifetime ago. It seems that the new season had just begun not long ago, but in the blink of an eye, the regular season has ended. From 2018 to 2019, the NFL has once again experienced great changes.

Some lament for the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears, for whom last season's glory has vanished before their eyes, becoming irrelevant to the excitement of the playoffs.

Others sigh for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Arizona Cardinals, whose collective determination and high ambitions during the offseason led only to a disappointing, unceremonious end to the season.

However, as playoff spots are settled, all focus eagerly shifts toward the Super Bowl, with excitement lying just ahead—

So, who can reach the pinnacle?

Additionally, who deserves the 2019 regular season MVP?

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Garoppolo? Or Green Bay Packers quarterback Rodgers? Or New Orleans Saints quarterback Brees?

Perhaps New England Patriots Cornerback Gilmore? Houston Texans Defensive End Watt? Tennessee Titans Running Back Henry? Or New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Michael Thomas (Michael-Thomas)?

Discussion abounds.

Of course, there are two players who cannot be overlooked: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes and running back Li Wei, both essential to this list.

In all respects, Li Wei remains the most formidable candidate this season.

In terms of team performance, the Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team this season, once again making history. This honor is something no one can ignore.

Regarding individual performance, Li Wei remains unquestionably the number one in the league at the running back position, yet the most astonishing aspect is Li Wei's progress. His adeptness and complete transformation in roles such as wide receiver, quarterback, and offensive line have sparked a running back storm in the league.

Leading the charge is Li Wei's biggest fan, McCaffrey.

This season, the Carolina Panthers fell into a predicament when starter quarterback Newton was sidelined with a season-ending leg injury in the second week; meanwhile, team owner Jerry Richardson was forced to sell the team due to a series of controversies. The new owner, with a fervor of new beginnings, fired veteran coach Rivera amidst poor team performance, pushing the team further into the abyss.

Finally, they ended the season with just five wins and eleven losses.

Nonetheless, following his transformation last season, McCaffrey continued his explosive growth, becoming an emerging running back with dual-threat capabilities in receiving and rushing.

Though running backs receiving passes is nothing new in the league, the emergence of Li Wei and McCaffrey one after another is thoroughly revolutionizing the role of running backs in offensive schemes, akin to how Graham and Gronkowski reshaped the tight end position.

In other words, Li Wei is still growing.

Last season, Li Wei conquered the league, with the regular season and Super Bowl MVP as the best proof; this season, Li Wei continues to progress and expand his dominance, which is truly astonishing.

The entire league offers its reverence.

In the regular season MVP discussions, no one can overlook Li Wei's presence—

Who knows, perhaps Li Wei can become the first player in a decade to win consecutive regular season MVPs since Big Manning achieved it in 2008 and 2009.

Since the introduction of the regular season MVP award in 1957, only four players in history have won consecutively.

Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown (Jim-Brown) won consecutively in 1957 and 1958.

San Francisco 49ers legendary quarterback Joe Montana (Joe-Montana) achieved this in 1989 and 1990.

Green Bay Packers legendary quarterback Brett Favre won it three times consecutively in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

Indianapolis Colts legendary quarterback Peyton Manning achieved it consecutively in 2003 and 2004, and again in 2008 and 2009.

Even for quarterbacks, winning consecutive regular season MVPs is not easy; let alone for a running back?

The feat of a running back winning consecutive regular season MVPs was achieved only once by Jim Brown over sixty years ago, during the first two years of the award, even before the Super Bowl era.

Since then, no running back has been able to replicate this legend.

Now, the pressure is all on Li Wei, and perhaps, after witnessing a series of historic moments, the NFL will continue to herald the birth of a new history.

However, somewhat unexpectedly, the frontrunner for the regular season MVP is not Li Wei, but rather—

Lamar Jackson.

Upon reflection, it's not entirely unexpected.

First, Li Wei aims to be the first running back in the Super Bowl era to win consecutive regular season MVPs...as well as the fourth player to achieve such a feat. The weight of this historical record is unimaginable. Are people really ready?

Secondly, since the offseason, Li Wei's impact on the league has been increasingly significant, even disrupting the league's push for a "pass-first" culture. Goodell and the league executives are aware and cautious about this.

Indeed, the Asian market and global market are important, but the culture of pass-first is crucial for boosting viewership and creating market value. Naturally, Goodell does not want Li Wei's sudden rise to disrupt their strategy.

In other words, the league officially does not want Li Wei to make history again—

to continue elevating the position of running backs in the league.

Under such circumstances, after the regular season concluded, public opinion surged toward Jackson, elevating him to the throne.

Moreover, while Li Wei's season stats are impressive, Jackson's are equally outstanding.

As a quarterback, Lamar Jackson has indeed completed an unprecedented brilliant season.

With 3,127 passing yards, a 66.1% completion rate, thirty-six passing touchdowns, six interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 113.3.

All of these statistics are among the league's best, not only showcasing passing ability and scoring capability but also efficiently controlling turnovers, standing toe-to-toe even with last season's Mahomes.

Perhaps the only "regret" is in passing yards; Big Manning, Brady, and Brees all had 5,000-yard seasons, and Jackson's 3,000-yard season can only be considered standard for a quarterback.

However, the regret isn't really a regret because Jackson's true brilliance shows elsewhere.

With 1,206 rushing yards, an average of 6.9 yards per carry, seven rushing touchdowns, nine fumbles but only two lost possessions.

Honestly, these rushing stats rank in the top three among running backs, save for a slightly lower count for rushing touchdowns; they're all top-tier in the league.

In other words, Jackson is a top-tier quarterback in the league and also a top-tier running back, both ranking in the top three in the league.

It's simply incredible.

He can pass when needed, rush when necessary; and whether passing or rushing, his low turnover rate further highlights Jackson's formidable performance.

These stats, even compared to Li Wei, show that Jackson is absolutely on par, nearly perfect.