How Brock Purdy can Lock up the MVP Award

Brock Purdy is currently the betting favorite to win the NFL MVP award this season.

His performance this season with the 49ers has been nothing short of impressive as he leads the league in practically every statistical category. Arguably the best one is his yards per attempt at 9.9, which is on pace to be the third-highest mark in a season in NFL history, trailing only Hall of Famers Otto Graham (1953) and Norm Van Brocklin (1954). So much for being "carried" by his teammates given that stat.

However, that does not guarantee him that he will win it when the regular season is all said and done. The MVP race is volatile. Entering Week 15, it was Dak Prescott who was the favorite until the Cowboys got destroyed by the Bills, while Purdy tossed four touchdowns in an easy 49ers win against the Cardinals. All it could take is for Purdy to look average or bad this upcoming week when the 49ers face the Ravens, especially if the 49ers lose.

There is a way that Purdy can lock up the MVP award. How he can accomplish that is by helping the 49ers clinch the No. 1 seed, while avoiding any poor performances in the final three games of the regular season. It really is that simple for him with the toughest task arriving in front of him this upcoming week versus the Ravens. The fact that it is a primetime game on Christmas versus the No. 1 seed in the AFC emphasizes the importance of this game for the MVP race.

Lamar Jackson isn't out of contention for the award. Should the Ravens win with Jackson performing strong, then there will be a case that he is right there if not in front of Purdy for the award. There's also the factor of Christian McCaffrey taking away some luster from Purdy's candidacy. Should McCaffrey break Jerry Rice's touchdown record with the 49ers and top it off with some sweet performances, then he will have a case as well.

The worst case scenario is the 49ers lose two games and fumble the one-seed. That would ensure Purdy doesn't win the award at all, especially if he doesn't doesn't look good in those losses. I really do not foresee that happening. Maybe one loss, which would be to the Ravens, but even then. It's tough to see the 49ers losing at all the rest of the way, even if they do have a few ugly wins down the road.

What Purdy has going for him is that he is the starting quarterback for an elite team. And part of why the team is having massive success this year is because of him. The 49ers are not this great of a team without Purdy. His contributions this season cannot be simplified as his teammates "carrying" him because that is just a lazy take. The stats AND the eye test back up his case, which is really all he has to do is help the 49ers clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed.

It's all about finishing the season with the momentum he and the 49ers are on. If they can do that, then Purdy will have locked up the MVP award without question.