Two standout Seattle Seahawks players are NFL MVP candidates

The Seattle Seahawks are coming into the final month of the season with one of the best records in the league.

The Seahawks' success has come from a multitude of avenues, but quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba have been two of the biggest reasons why. Both were listed as potential MVP candidates by ESPN contributor Bill Barnwell.

"Smith-Njigba is having a special season, but there's a number that any wide receiver is going to need to hit if they want to win MVP," Barnwell wrote.

"I'm just not sure it's possible for a wideout to win this award unless they break the league's receiving record and top 2,000 yards. Smith-Njigba is on pace for 1,867 yards, which means he would need to average 143 receiving yards per game over the final month of the season to get to 2K."

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrates after a touchdown catch against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Smith-Njigba, Darnold could win MVP

While Smith-Njigba is leading the league in receiving yards, the award is largely reserved for quarterbacks. That's why Barnwell feels Darnold has a slightly better chance at the award.

"He leads the NFL in yards per attempt at 8.9 and ranks second in CPOE at plus-5.9%, and he is averaging 13.1 yards per completion," Barnwell wrote of Darnold.

"The average Darnold dropback generates 8.3 yards, and the only quarterback within a yard of him is Maye (7.5 yards). And unlike Maye, Darnold is doing all of this against a relatively tough schedule of opponents; Maye's team-adjusted QBR is 2.3 points below his raw figure, while Darnold's adjusted figure is one point higher than the raw mark."

Smith-Njigba and Darnold still have a lot of work to do if they want to claim the MVP honors, but they have already done a lot of the groundwork towards receiving the award. They need to really shine in the final month and win all four of Seattle's remaining games if they want to be one of the finalists for the MVP.

Smith-Njigba and Darnold are back in action on Sunday when they take on the Indianapolis Colts at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. PT inside Lumen Field. Fans can watch the game on CBS or stream it on Paramount Plus.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Smith-Njigba, Darnold could win MVP

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