If Jon Gruden had an MVP vote he would give it to Chiefs QB Pat Mahomes

The NFL schedule makers didn’t do the Raiders any favors sending them to Kansas City for their season finale. KC has been a black hole for the Raiders, but not the good kind. They haven’t won there since 2012 — a streak of five straight.

Those losses coincide with the time Alex Smith became the Chiefs’ quarterback. Last offseason they traded Smith as they were ready to give second-year former 10th overall pick Pat Mahomes the job. Since he set foot on the field he has made one jaw dropping throw after another and leads the NFL with an astounding 48 touchdown passes which leads the NFL by a wide margin.

He threw four touchdown passes in the Raiders’ last meeting with the Chiefs. Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is suitably impressed and knows where his MVP vote would go if he had one.

“I don’t know how you can’t be the MVP after you look at his body of work as a first year starter,” Gruden said of Mahomes. “Not to take anything away from [Saints QB Drew] Brees or anybody else that’s played at a high level, but this guy’s making throws that people haven’t seen before. Closing in an 50 touchdown passes in your first year as a starter? That’s quite amazing. And he’s taking care of the ball and he’s won games for his team, so if I did have a vote, I would probably stand here in front of these microphones and say I vote for him.”

It’s common for coaches to talk up the talents of the players on their next opponent. Gruden could have done that with Mahomes simply by saying he was in the conversation at MVP, but he didn’t. And anyone who has watched Mahomes at all this year would have a tough time trying to rationalize any other conclusion than Gruden has come to.