The Burning 7: Derek Carr Is NFL Midseason MVP

Happy November everyone. 

Quick tweak in the weekly. 7 Burning thoughts is now called 'The Burning 7'. It will obviously touch on hot button sports topics but this will eventually increase into overall variety discussion on the world at large. Typically I want to drop these every Monday morning as sorta a weekend recap. We'll see if I can stick to that. 

Why 'The Burning 7'?

It just sounds way cooler. 
 
Ok....enough of the solitudes. On with it.


1. Another positive week as I went 3-2 vs. the spread.

Not quite 5-0 from last week but I'll always take a winning week to go. Indianapolis absolutely crapped the bed against Kansas City. By the way -- time for General Manager Ryan Grigson and Coach Chuck Pagano to go.

Atlanta wasn't able to cover vs. Green Bay. So a special shoutout to New England, Houston and Carolina.

21-18 for the season. Can't ever be disappointed with a consecutive winning sessions.


2. Halfway through the year, Derek Carr is my Mid-Season Most Valuable Player

Before Patriots fans get their panties in a bunch let's understand this. I do believe when the season is complete Tom Brady will in fact be awarded Most Valuable Player. But this discussion is specifically centered towards mid-season. The fact of the matter is if the season actually ended right now Brady would not even be eligible to win the award. He missed half the season. Sure it's semantics but it's also reality.

Derek Carr has helped changed the losing culture in Oakland. It hasn't been pretty this season either. The Raiders have skated out games in the end including this past Sunday in Tampa they should've otherwise lost. Any other quarterback in which his own team commits an NFL record of penalties in a game on the road typically would lose that said game. Here is what's fact -- the Raiders are 6-2. Tied for first in the AFC West.

My MVP rankings right now through eight weeks are as follows:

1. Derek Carr
2. Matt Ryan
3. Tom Brady (just for the sake are argument)


3. It's the Patriots. Then everyone else.

I don't trust any other team other than the New England Patriots. In just four games of action, Tom Brady is in MVP form and is most likely going to win it as the sample size grows. Though as I stated earlier I will stick to my midseason thoughts that I mentioned earlier.

Let's scope out the AFC for a moment. Forget the rest of the NFL for now. Which teams do we all consider actual playoff contenders?

Kansas City is a quiet contender and was my preseason pick to go to the AFC title game. 

Denver has arguably the best defense in all of football. Offensively however not as consistent.

Let's thrown in Pittsburgh once Big Ben returns. Defensively they are terrible.

Oakland is winning games by the skin of their teeth. Fun team to watch but their secondary is dreadful.

Bengals are done.

Ravens are more than done.

Houston is borderline terrible and lucky to be playing in the AFC South.

The issue here is every single one of these teams are not only flawed but HEAVILY flawed. The Patriots sure have their own issues too but they are nowhere near magnified as the ones the AFC contenders I just mentioned.

Then you have to factor this also. Most likely New England will get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Good luck winning in Foxboro vs. an already pissed off Tom Brady looking to send a middle finger to Roger Goddell in February once he gets his 5th Super Bowl ring.


​4. My Top 4 teams in college football are......

1. Alabama
2. Michigan
3. Clemson
4. Washington.

To the people who complained that there could be a log jam atop the rankings, I warned you that everything always works itself out. Even a team like Baylor who I am not convinced is a Top 10 team -- let alone playoff caliber absolutely shit the bed in Texas.

The obvious: Alabama is far superior. Thats with playing actually a tougher schedule than we all predicted earlier in the season.

Michigan while not the most challenging schedule on the planet have beaten the lesser teams in the way you're supposed to.

Clemson has a weighted schedule and despite dodging some close calls have earned their way into Top Four status.

Then there is Washington. The Pac-12's only hope at crashing the playoff party. Utah was their last legitimate piece of competition remaining and they skated by. Keep an eye on the Apple Bowl vs. Washington St. as that's another potential roadblock for the Huskies.

So long as these four teams do their job in the final stretch of the season, this by all means will be your four team playoff participants.


5. My NBA MVP Rankings So Far (The First Week Edition).

1. Russell Westbrook
2. Kawhi Leonard
3. That's all

No one else matters right now. Plus we are only a week into the NBA season. My 50 win rule still applies for even considering an MVP but given that both these men are on pace for an 82-0 season right now, it makes some sense right?


6. Tony Romo is not getting his job back anytime soon. If not ever.

If Tony Romo actually had a glimmer of hope to getting his starting job back, that moment was lost midway through the 4th quarter against the Eagles.

Dak Prescott for lack of a better word was horrible up to that point. Then the game flipped. Prescott's poise and patience won through and the Cowboys later won in overtime thanks in large part to Dak.

Again -- another evolution in the quarterback controversy in Dallas and another growth of the sample size that supports the theory that it is too risky right now to go with Romo and pull Dak Prescott.

The way for the Cowboys to address this is simple. You don't. Address it when Romo is actually cleared to play. If Dak shows some regression or God forbid gets hurt, then you go to Romo. But it's looking more likely that Tony Romo will be used as a trade asset this coming offseason -- especially if not only the Cowboys win the NFC East but in addition win postseason games as well.

Many teams need a quarterback. When healthy Romo is certainly a Top 7 guy.


​7. Who brings a dildo -- let alone throw one unto an NFL field? Seriously.

Yes. This actually happened at a sanctioned professional sports game. #BillMafia is out of control.