Shohei Ohtani may not have dealt the decisive blow in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 18-inning win in Game 3 of the World Series, but he sure was the star of the show. He went 4-4 on the night, and with the Toronto Blue Jays fearing what he’s capable of from the plate in a sudden death situation, he ended up walking five consecutive times during that game.
Alas, in Game 4, Ohtani wasn’t quite as brilliant. He did walk in his very first at-bat to extend his walks streak to six, but he was very quiet from the plate otherwise, going 0-3 on the night. He also wasn’t at his sharpest on the mound, as he allowed the Blue Jays to score four earned runs in six innings of work, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. even taking him deep in the third inning of the Dodgers 6-2 loss on Tuesday that evened up the series at 2-2.
Ohtani is no stranger to adversity. He wasn’t quite himself to start the postseason, but he managed to flip a switch to end the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers, putting up arguably the greatest baseball game anyone has ever played. There’s nothing quite more dangerous for the Dodgers than a version of Ohtani that’s looking to bounce back from a rough game.
“We just have to turn the page and focus on the next game,” Ohtani said via a translator during his postgame presser, via SportsNet LA on X (formerly Twitter).
The Dodgers are headed for their final home game of the season in Game 5 of the World Series, and they will look to make it count. It will be difficult for them to head back on the road down 3-2, so Ohtani and company will have to shrug off this Game 4 loss and enter Game 5 with the mindset that they have their backs against the wall.
Dodgers offense has to follow Shohei Ohtani’s lead
This Dodgers team would not have made it this far if it weren’t for Ohtani, that’s for sure. The threat he poses on both sides of the ball is unparalleled. On offense, he is the most dangerous hitter on either team in the World Series, although he just didn’t seem to have the juice on Tuesday night.
But this Dodgers squad boasts a ton of depth, so they need that depth to come through if they were to win a pivotal Game 5, which will be later tonight at 8:00 PM E.T.
Jordan Love Is Quietly Dominating While MVP Voters Keep Ignoring Him
While it’s only been a little less than two and a half seasons since Jordan Love has served as the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback since taking over for Aaron Rodgers in 2023, the Utah State alum has already played on his fair share of big stages, which is just what comes with the territory when you suit up for the winningest franchise in NFL history.
One such stage, of course, was this past Sunday night in prime time when the Packers visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, which gave Love the opportunity to square off against Rodgers for the first and likely only time. And what did the soon-to-be 27-year-old do with that opportunity?
Well, he simply went out and played the best regular-season game of his young career, connecting on 29 of his 37 passes, including a franchise-record-tying 20 in a row at one point, for a season-high 360 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 35-25 victory, therefore earning a 134.2 passer rating, which just happens to be the highest regular-season mark of his career.
The only time he’s gone higher was in his first-ever playoff game, which came against the Dallas Cowboys following the 2023 season, a 48-32 victory in which he earned a near-perfect 157.2 rating after completing 76.2 percent of his throws for 272 yards with three touchdowns and no picks.
But we’re not here to talk about the past. We’re here to talk about the present and how Love is being ridiculously overlooked in the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation. It’s no secret that the MVP has become a quarterback award, as the only non-QB to win it over the last 18 years was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
And far more often than not, it goes to a quarterback of one of the top seeds (yes, we know Josh Allen was an exception just last year).
And while there’s obviously a long way to go before playoff time, although not that long, here the Packers have the best record in the NFC and the second-best record in the entire NFL at 5-1-1, and here’s where Love sits in the up-to-this-minute-of-this-writing standings in the NFL MVP betting odds at
DraftKings.
| Player | Position | Team | 2025 NFL MVP Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | Chiefs | +120 |
| Josh Allen | QB | Bills | +350 |
| Drake Maye | QB | Patriots | +500 |
| Matthew Stafford | QB | Rams | +1200 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | Buccaneers | +1400 |
| Daniel Jones | QB | Colts | +1600 |
| Jonathan Taylor | RB | Colts | +1800 |
| Jared Goff | QB | Lions | +2000 |
| Jordan Love | QB | Packers | +2000 |
Jordan Love is being overlooked in MVP race despite dominant start to 2025
Look, I certainly don’t want to disrespect any of the players on this list, as every single one of them is having a fantastic season. And good on Jonathan Taylor for being the lone running back on this list, even if he won’t win (if Saquon couldn’t get it last year, Taylor isn’t this year).
But Love alongside Jared Goff in a tie for eighth at +2000? Come on. If one were to go with the top five on this list come the NFL Honors ceremony, he wouldn’t even be a finalist, which is absurd.
Now, an argument I’ve heard on why Love may not be getting the love some others are is because the Packers’ defense, which obviously now includes Micah Parsons, has been so dominant. But I just can’t buy that, as the Kansas City Chiefs (16.4), Los Angeles Rams (16.7), New England Patriots (18.2), Indianapolis Colts (19.2), and Buffalo Bills (20.9) are all allowing fewer points per game than Green Bay (21.4) right now.
So, that covers everyone else on this list except Baker Mayfield and Goff.
Love may not the most gaudy numbers among the QBs on this list, but he ranks fourth in completion percentage (70.9), ninth in total passing yards (1,798), seventh in average passing yards per game (256.9), tied for 11th in TD passes (13), fourth in passer rating (112.8), and fifth in QBR (73.5). He’s also thrown just two interceptions thus far, tied for the fewest on this list alongside Mayfield and Matthew Stafford.
To get a touch more advanced, he’s also one of only two quarterbacks with an adjusted completion percentage of over 80 percent, a big-time throw rate of over five percent, and a turnover-worthy play rate of under three percent, the other being Drake Maye. This is MVP-caliber stuff, folks.
And just to reiterate, the Packers have the best record in the NFC and the second-best record in the entire league, trailing only the Indianapolis Colts (7-1).
Love is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL right now, and it’s about time his name starts getting thrown around in these MVP conversations a bit more.