First Things First - HIGHLIGHT: Brou's preseason MVP ballot

Episode Date: August 2, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The NFL preseason has officially begun. Chris Broussard shares a preaseason edition of Brou's MVP ballot. Who does he predict will take home the award? Listen and find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oh, I forgot about this. Eating and shooting the breeze. I was upstairs working. My door is closed. You had a busy, busy day today. So here was Bruce Ballet Preseason Edition. Yeah, these are in pencil. Yeah, these are in pencil.

But Jaylo! Jaylo! Jaylo. What? What? All right. First of all, they've got a great chance to win the division. Win a lot of games, 11, 12, 13 games, 12 games.

He's got, we know he had a nice receiving core. Now you add Matthew Golden, who we think could be his number one finally. You still got Josh Jacobs, who's going to open up the passing game because it's such a good running back. And I think coach J-Lo was banged up last year. All right, he was injured a bit. He played through it, shows him toughness. He's got to have a chip. on his shoulder after being a bit disappointing last year. We know he came on late,

didn't have the interception. So definitely Jordan Love, whether Wilde likes it or not. Oh, it's a little high. Five? Yeah. But it's a great. This is why it's not not wilds about. They're going to win enough. At number four, Josh Allen. And here's why I got him at four, which might seem a little lower. Yeah. Last year's MVP, he won the MVP, but he didn't put up typical MVP numbers. All right. He got it because they won so many games. We know he didn't have the greatest receiving core

and obviously he was dominant. But coach, and look, he is going to be, I think, a Hall of Famer. And so it was kind of like he needs an MVP at some point. He's good enough. He's one of the best in the game. And he had a great season individually as far as winning and he had some moments. So we gave him the MVP.

I don't think two years in a row, though, pedestrian numbers or, you know, for an MVP candidate, he had a 93 passer rating. I believe it was 93. He had 28 touchdowns, six picks. I'm sorry, 101 pass a rating. But that's not generally the MVP. And so I just think in Joe Brady's offense coach, it's not, he doesn't put up huge number. Joe Brady's the one that took over and took Stefan Diggs. essentially out of the offense.

They didn't throw it as much. They started running more, but they win. So unless they go like 16 and 1, 15, and 2, I don't think his numbers are going to be great enough for him to win the MVP. Fair. So there it is. All right.

At number three, Patrick Mahomes. Now, I really hope to see the light show. All right. But I have to be honest, as much as I believe in Mahomes, coach, I'm not 100% sure we're going to see the light. You coined that phrase, didn't you? Yes, and Patrick took it and ran with it. Did you do the research?

Because I didn't do it. You should have trade. You were probably disappointed. You thought you. You should have. But last year he was my preseason pick the win MVP. But last year he was my preseason pick the win MVP. I was certain we're going to see the light show.

Now I'm about 75% sure because we haven't seen it in two years. Yeah. You know, so everything is there for him, the motivation from losing the Super Bowl. from losing the Super Bowl being viewed now by some as not the best quarterback in the league. He's got the receivers in place if they're healthy. So I, in the offensive line, as Nick's been raving about, is improved. I'm very interested in this. I got him a number of, really?

Number two, Jaden Daniels. I think this is coach. This might be coached. That was my. That's your, okay. That was your number one. Look, obviously you got to get Terry McLaren sign, which I feel confident that they will. and he'll be playing.

I think as great as Jaden was last year, he has room to improve. He only threw for 210 yards a game. All right? In the playoffs, though, he began throwing the ball. He threw 28 times a game in the regular season, 38 times a game in the playoffs, and threw for like 274 yards a game in the playoffs.

He only had like a game or two over 300 yards passing. I said earlier, He can throw the deep ball better in the NFL than he did last season. So I expect, and they're saying the reports coach are that he's in there when it's dark. Like he's the first guy there and I love it. So he's shown everything that makes me think he's not going to have a sophomore slump. So he's number two. This feels CJ narrative, uh, CJ-esque.

Jayden? Yeah, because last year. Oh, did you have CJ as the MVP? I did. I'm a little gunshot this year. Yeah. Spectacular rookie year, playoff success. Certainly everything is going to break the same way and maybe even better.

And we were kind of sneaky bit in there. But they, unlike Houston, they improved their offensive line. They went out and got Houston's got a Larrymy Thompson. So I think they're all in and I think he's going to get it done. At number one, you want to, you think you know? Well, yeah, it's got to be. Is it? Of course.

Okay. It is. One of the best passes of all times. I think he's getting better, Coach. And I know you don't always have two phenomenal seasons in a row, even if you are a historically great player. But look, he's got all the motivation in the world because they haven't gotten it done. And you're still going to have Derek Henry there.

So the defense has to make some choices. You know, who do we stop first? Henry or Lamar? Is Lamar passing? Is he running? I just think everything is setting up for him. to have another big year efficiently. I think he could throw for another four.

Like his numbers last year clearly were good enough to be the MVP. And he didn't get it because he had won it twice before. But I think now this year, Josh is kind of, he got his MVP. So I think Lamar is a great candidate to take it home again. His third MVP. I like a lot about your list. I do not like the J-Lo pick at all. I would probably put Baker Mayfield ahead of J-Lo on that list.

I would 100% put Joe Burrow ahead of J-Lo on that list. And I agree with you. Burroughs going to be hampered by what they do defensively, but that could also be the strongest argument for him becoming the MVP when they win 10 or 11 games because they're winning at 35. 3531 and he's the reason why. So, so. His number is going to be here.

A lot of stuff I like about the list, Josh Allen, he really benefited not from his, the production in terms of touchdowns, but the fact that he was able to pull the turnovers in so dramatically. To me, that's what, what helped him so much. And with Lamar, it's going to be hard to consistently be, you know, one of two. Lamar fatigue. Could be a little bit. I thought he biddy last year a little bit.

No, but Yolkitch-esque, like, we need to see you win it before we give you an MVP. Who's your number? Narratively, I think Jalen Hertz is coming around again.