Who is the Gophers MVP through two games?

Who is the MVP through 2 wins?

  • Tanner Morgan

    Votes: 13 20.3%
  • Rashod Bateman

    Votes: 46 71.9%
  • Rodney Smith

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • Antoine Winfield Jr.

    Votes: 3 4.7%
  • Tyler Johnson

    Votes: 1 1.6%

  • Total voters
    64

Otis

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2014
Messages
5,646
Reaction score
2,701
Points
113
We have had some pretty strong starts for a few players but who is the standout MVP so far?

I'm taking Bateman slightly ahead of Morgan.

But AW Jr. owns one win by himself!
 

Bateman. I know it’s early, but he’s on pace for a 78 - 1540 - 13 season. That would put him tied for 2nd with att Johnson all time receptions, first all time in receiving yards by a mile, and first all time in TDS by a nose.
 

1. Morgan
2. Bateman
3. Winfield

I think we’d be 0-2 if any of those three were out for the first two games.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




Bateman is only so open because Johnson is always occupying 2 d backs
 

I think it has to be Tanner.

Someone had to drop a couple dime passes to Bateman in week 1 and CAB in week 2. Along with his other game management duties.
 

I was going to go with Bateman...because 237 yards and two TDs through two games is impressive. Not to mention that a couple of those catches, including the one hander in game one for a TD wouldn't have been caught by 95% of the nations wideouts.

However....I had to go with Winfield due to his play on defense. No question that CAB and Morgan both deserve a huge assist for his game winning INT. But Ben Leber made a great point on the Power Trip this morning. AWjr was exactly where he was supposed to be when that ball was thrown. He was with the receiver that he was supposed to be guarding and that even many pros wouldn't have had the wherewithal to recognize the QB throw the ball and adjust the way he did. That wide open receiver was NOT his responsibility....so the fact that he saw the ball trajectory....broke off the guy he was trailing....and circled back for that INT on what would have been an otherwise easy TD for for Fresno was pretty damn remarkable.

He was covering his own man, but was still capable of tracking their QB and the ball in order to make up for his teammates lost coverage. That was an all-star play.
 




Morgan. Bateman close behind. Love Winfield, one my all-time favorites. However he and the rest of the Defense didn't really show up against the Jackrabbits. Too early a sample size to make a call; order likely to change before its all done.
 

Howden & Williamson have been the unexpected standouts for me so far.
 

I voted Tanner.

Howden has failed against Maryland last year and has learned from it.
Good for him to have Winfield playing with him to. Might pickup a few things with that bright guy playing back there with him.
 

I'm starting to think the really, really nice thing about this team is that there are lots of playmakers. And a lot of guys contributing.

Can't pick just one.

JTG
 



Heather....ELITE leaping ability and athleticism in those wedges
 


We have had some pretty strong starts for a few players but who is the standout MVP so far?

I'm taking Bateman slightly ahead of Morgan.

But AW Jr. owns one win by himself!

Bateman too, then Morgan. While awesome, AW Jr didn't even have the best Gopher play on Sunday morning Central time.
 



I was going to go with Bateman...because 237 yards and two TDs through two games is impressive. Not to mention that a couple of those catches, including the one hander in game one for a TD wouldn't have been caught by 95% of the nations wideouts.

However....I had to go with Winfield due to his play on defense. No question that CAB and Morgan both deserve a huge assist for his game winning INT. But Ben Leber made a great point on the Power Trip this morning. AWjr was exactly where he was supposed to be when that ball was thrown. He was with the receiver that he was supposed to be guarding and that even many pros wouldn't have had the wherewithal to recognize the QB throw the ball and adjust the way he did. That wide open receiver was NOT his responsibility....so the fact that he saw the ball trajectory....broke off the guy he was trailing....and circled back for that INT on what would have been an otherwise easy TD for for Fresno was pretty damn remarkable.

He was covering his own man, but was still capable of tracking their QB and the ball in order to make up for his teammates lost coverage. That was an all-star play.

I went with Bateman. I think he's really stepped it up with the double coverage on Johnson. But Winfield is not a bad choice at all.

The hard part with Winfield is that you don't know how many plays go away from him because he's so good at what he does. He might be impacting each and every play and you just don't see it because the ball goes elsewhere.

Like the Cowboys Superbowl where Brown got the MVP. The only reason he made so many plays at corner was because they wouldn't throw at Prime Time...
 

Bateman catches, but Morgan throws. Have to go with Morgan - he throws to more people than Bateman and does other duties, too.
 

I was going to go with Bateman...because 237 yards and two TDs through two games is impressive. Not to mention that a couple of those catches, including the one hander in game one for a TD wouldn't have been caught by 95% of the nations wideouts.

However....I had to go with Winfield due to his play on defense. No question that CAB and Morgan both deserve a huge assist for his game winning INT. But Ben Leber made a great point on the Power Trip this morning. AWjr was exactly where he was supposed to be when that ball was thrown. He was with the receiver that he was supposed to be guarding and that even many pros wouldn't have had the wherewithal to recognize the QB throw the ball and adjust the way he did. That wide open receiver was NOT his responsibility....so the fact that he saw the ball trajectory....broke off the guy he was trailing....and circled back for that INT on what would have been an otherwise easy TD for for Fresno was pretty damn remarkable.

He was covering his own man, but was still capable of tracking their QB and the ball in order to make up for his teammates lost coverage. That was an all-star play.

Guess it comes down to how you define MVP. That play by Winfield was absolutely amazing and will be tough to top as play of the year. What he did on that play was next level and totally agree with Leber that there are very few players who are capable of making that play. Winfield is a special talent, he just has to find a way to stay healthy.

But when you look at MVP over 2 full games, I gave the slight nod to Bateman over Morgan. Bateman has made a number of really clutch catches to extend drives and has been super reliable. Yes he benefits from TJ getting extra attention but he has made some tough catches and the one handed TD grab was a thing of beauty.
 

MVP = Most Valuable Player. Key word is valuable.

How do you measure value?

Here's one way: imagine this team if the player was lost to injury. Which one would be the biggest loss to the team?
 

MVP = Most Valuable Player. Key word is valuable.

How do you measure value?

Here's one way: imagine this team if the player was lost to injury. Which one would be the biggest loss to the team?

We might be 0-2 without Winfield
We’d probably be 0-2 without Bateman
We’d definitely be 0-2 without Morgan




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

We might be 0-2 without Winfield
We’d probably be 0-2 without Bateman
We’d definitely be 0-2 without Morgan

With Bateman, the receiving corps is pretty deep. Autumn-Bell and Douglas move up in the rotation. A drop-off, for sure, but not a disaster.

Winfield: you can't replace a playmaker like that. However, he's missed so much time over his career that we're used to playing without him.

Morgan? I don't like having to picture this team with an untested player replacing Tanner at QB, which is the most important position is team sports.
 

Howden & Williamson have been the unexpected standouts for me so far.

Agree. Williamson showed great discipline and awareness in not launching on his sack and getting a penalty. He made a perfect play.
 

You forgot fluid hips.

Bateman with ease.

Gopher pass offense is going to be so balanced when opponents realize that they can't just double TJ. Soon, they are going to shift to doubling Bateman, and then that leaves Johnson in single coverage. Just hope he doesnt drop too many when the big play opportunities come his way.
 

Agree. Williamson showed great discipline and awareness in not launching on his sack and getting a penalty. He made a perfect play.

He did miss an open field on Ronnie Rivers that resulted in a 19 yard gain but yes, overall he has been very good. He made has a great pass breakup in OT two plays before the roughings the passer and also had very tight coverage on the TE Rice that resulted in him dropping a key third down pass. And the sack and the pick 6 were great as well.

And Howden appears to be the most improved player on the team so far IMO.
 
Last edited:

MVP = Most Valuable Player. Key word is valuable.

How do you measure value?

Here's one way: imagine this team if the player was lost to injury. Which one would be the biggest loss to the team?

Well, if you put it this way, there would be a tie between quite a few different guys. Off the top of my head I'd say Morgan, Bateman, Winfield, Johnson (keeping the focus off Bateman), and I'm sure there are others we couldn't win without.
 

Winfield did some great things vs FSU. He didn’t have a very good game at all vs SDSU. Not the MVP thru 2 games, but has a great chance to be for the season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




Top Bottom