3 offensive MVPs for the Patriots after first half of season

1. Julian Edelman

The reigning Super Bowl MVP is better than ever in 2019, despite two significant facts: he’s 33 years old now, and he’s played three-quarters of the season with a mysterious chest ailment.

Edelman sustained the injury in Week 3 against the Jets when 300-pound defensive end Henry Anderson landed on him during a catch attempt. The injury knocked Edelman out of the remainder of that game, but he’s somehow managed to play through the pain since then and hasn’t missed a start this season. Exactly what happened to his chest or ribs is unknown, but at least so far, it doesn’t appear to be hindering his ability to do what he always does best: get open, catch the ball, and make defenders miss in the open field.

Now in his 11th year with the Patriots, Edelman – like Dorsett – is well on his way to establishing new career highs for himself as a receiver. He’s currently projected for 106 receptions this year, which would eclipse his previous career high in 2013 by one catch exactly. He’s also on pace for 1,148 receiving yards, which would easily be a new milestone for “The Squirrel,” and for eight receiving touchdowns – which would also break his previous career high by one (seven scores in 2015).

Edelman has always been known for his grittiness, but if he actually ends up playing through a full 16-game season in 2019, it would only be for the third time in his 11-year career. In previous stints with New England, Edelman had to share the wealth with other talented pass-catchers like Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Deion Branch, and Danny Amendola. With none of those players left on the roster, this is clearly Edelman’s team as far as any one receiver is concerned.

Briefly this season that didn’t seem like it would be the case. The Patriots surely had summer conversations with Gronkowski about changing his mind and coming back for another run with the team, and they wasted no time in scooping up Antonio Brown and throwing him into the starting lineup in Week 2. For the one game that Brown was a Patriot (against Miami), Edelman almost looked forgotten by Brady until the fourth quarter.

But Brown is no longer a Patriot, and barring any crazy last-minute trades before the NFL deadline, it appears that this team’s receiving corps will be headlined by Edelman from here on out.

The deal for Mohamed Sanu actually could end up helping Edelman statistically more than it would hurt him, as it theoretically frees “Jules” up to run more routes on the outside now since Sanu does most of his damage from the slot. With Sanu inside and Dorsett outside, McDaniels can move Edelman all over the Patriots’ offensive formation… which is exactly what New England wants to be doing with Edelman anyway.

Perhaps other Patriots will make a run at these top-three spots in the rankings of offensive MVPs for New England as the season progresses. Obvious possibilities include Sanu, the always-reliable James White, and perhaps Sony Michel if he finally gets his wheels going after a disappointing start to his second year as a pro.

We’ll check in again after three-quarters of the season have gone by, right after the Pats’ Week 13 primetime matchup against the Texans. Until then, let us know who your picks are for New England’s offensive MVPs at the midway point of the season in the comments section below!