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AFC stock reports: Playoff shuffle, Week 12 upsets, MVP, and NFL Draft

By Travis Steffen

KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a six-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 13: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs throws a six-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – NOVEMBER 24: Tom Brady #12 of the New England throws the ball during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – NOVEMBER 24: Tom Brady #12 of the New England throws the ball during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Gillette Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

New England struggles and MVP talk

As the New England Patriots sit at 10-1 on the season, the team is quite different from the roster we are accustomed to from previous years. The story of the season has been the elite defensive performances put up by the Patriots while overshadowing the struggles on the offensive side of the ball. Those struggles for New England have not kept the team from winning 10+ games in 17 consecutive seasons.

Given the Patriots schedule, it’s been a cakewalk for most of the 2019 season. Until their loss to Baltimore in Week 9, it had been primarily backup and rookie quarterbacks on the other side. Despite a dominant season, for the most part, Tom Brady has not gone away from expressing his frustration with the offense as he did following the Week 11 game in his post-game interview. Following the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski and the release of wide receiver Josh Gordon earlier this season, Brady has found himself with few weapons behind a struggling offensive line.

During a rainy game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, those struggles continued. Without Mohammed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett in the lineup, the only receiver with any experience for Brady was Julian Edelman. As the offensive line continued to struggle, the running attack was nothing to write home about in a game that they needed to run the ball the most. Brady threw the ball 37 times against the Cowboys, completing only 17 attempts for 190 passing yards and 1 touchdown.

On the other side of the ball, Dak Prescott also struggled with the rest of the Dallas offense. Throwing 19 of 33 for 212 yards and an interception, Prescott continued to give the critics firepower on why he shouldn’t be considered for MVP with the likes of Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson. Now sitting at 6-5 on the season, the Cowboys have yet to acquire a win against a good opponent with their best win coming against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With losses to the Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints, Prescott has yet to prove he can win against top teams in 2019. Despite leading the league in passing yards, Dak has to prove he can beat those teams to win MVP. Unlike Jackson and Wilson, Prescott also is working with a top offensive line, star wide receiver core, and elite running back.

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