Statistics matter, of course. But it is also important to consider the way in which he has been able to make his teammates better, while displaying poise and grit in crunch time.
I will be ranking my top five NFL MVP candidates at this point in the season. Each player will be rated on a 1-10 scale for each of the following attributes: statistical performance, elevation of teammates, clutch-time performance, consistency and indispensability to the team. The results will then be tallied, with the optimal score being a 50/50.
There have been a number of excellent performances this season, and a number of players who fell just outside of the top five also deserve recognition. Leaving Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott off of this list was an excruciating decision. Prescott has been phenomenal and is on pace to record the best statistical season for a rookie QB in NFL history. Elliott has been excellent in his own right, averaging just under five yards a carry and leading the league in rushing with 1,199 yards.
Both Dak and Zeke have been excellent and would sit at number six and seven on this list, but the collective dominance of the Cowboys on offense hurts their individual chances for MVP.
The Cowboys are a team that is loaded with offensive talent, and their offensive line is perhaps the most dominant unit in all of football. A case can be made that the entire Cowboys offensive line deserves consideration for MVP, but this is an individual award.
Coming in fifth is the only defensive player you will find on this list. Giants safety Landon Collins may be a surprising MVP choice, but if you consider his body of work for the surging 8-3 New York Giants, it becomes apparent that he is worthy of consideration.
Collins leads all NFL safeties in tackles, interceptions, sacks and passes defended. He has also recorded five interceptions in his last four contests for Big Blue. Until the Giants pass rush heated up over the past two weeks, Collins was even leading all Giants defenders in sacks, totaling four on the season.
He has come up big in critical moments, intercepting Case Keenum late in the fourth quarter to preserve a victory against the Rams. His propensity for clutch play continued against the Bears, when he stepped in front of a Jay Cutler pass on the final drive to seal the 22-16 victory.
The Giants have thrived in tight contests this season and feed off the relentless play of their defense. Without Collins patrolling center field, there is no way they would have pulled out some of those tight victories. Score: 43/50.
Checking in at fourth is someone who is no stranger to MVP consideration. Some may scoff that Tom Brady sits at only fourth on this list, and they would be well within their rights to question my judgement. Brady currently leads the NFL in passer rating at 116.7 and has tossed 18 touchdowns to just one interception on the season for the AFC leading Patriots.
Brady has managed to get the most out of his offensive teammates and led a gutsy comeback against the Jets this past weekend for the 50th game-winning drive of his career. However, his candidacy is marred by the fact that he missed the first four games of the season due to the controversial Deflategate scandal.
During his suspension, the Pats offense was initially led by Jimmy Garoppolo, who managed to post a stellar 117.1 QB rating in two games of action to open the season. The Pats were 3-1 without Brady.
While this may speak to the depth and talent of the roster, it also shows that the Patriots could win in Brady’s absence. For those reasons, his indispensability rating falls a bit flat. This is no knock on the future Hall of Famer; There are others ranked above him who have been more indispensable to their team in 2016. Score: 45/50.
At third is Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who has turned in arguably the best season of his career for the surprising 7-4 Falcons. Matt Ryan is currently second in the NFL in QB rating behind Brady, posting an incendiary mark of 114.3. He has thrown 26 touchdowns and only six interceptions, while piloting the highest scoring offense in the league.
The Falcons currently average over 32 points per game and have often been impossible to stop this season. The Falcons are mediocre at best defensively, which means that Ryan and the offense had to routinely outscore opponents to win games.
The only knock on Ryan is that he plays with perhaps the most physically dominant receiver in the NFL in Julio Jones, who has the ability to completely take over any game. Given the possibility his numbers might be inflated by Jones, Ryan sits third on the list. Score: 46/50.
In second is Matthew Stafford, who is also having a career-defining season for the upstart Detroit Lions. No one thought that the Lions would be leading the NFC North heading into the season, yet Detroit sits at 7-4 and has found a knack for coming out on top in close contests.
The Lions have trailed in the fourth quarter in all seven of their victories this season, and Stafford and his team have set the record for the most 4th quarter comeback victories in NFL history with 5 games still to play.
Stafford has thrown 19 touchdowns against only five picks. His rating of 99.3 is the highest of his eight-year career. Without Stafford’s steady hand and clutch fourth quarter play, it is unlikely that the Lions would be NFC contenders. Score: 47/50.
Standing atop the rankings is a quarterback who has really made the leap to superstardom this season. Derek Carr is perhaps the most promising young quarterback in the NFL, and his consistently brilliant play has the Oakland Raiders sitting atop the AFC West at 9-2.
Carr has tossed 22 touchdowns and only five picks, while registering a QB rating of 100.5. He has shined brightest when it has mattered most. Time and time again when the Raiders have been tied or trailing in the fourth quarter, Carr has elevated his play and led the team to thrilling victories.
In Week 1, Carr and the Raiders shocked the Saints on a daring two-point conversion to push ahead 35-34 with only seconds remaining. He registered over 500 yards passing and four scores in a 30-24 victory over Tampa Bay, overcoming an NFL record 23 penalties with a 41 yard strike in overtime to Seth Roberts.
After being held in check offensively for three quarters against a tough Texans defense, Carr rallied the offense in the fourth as he threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns to sink Houston 27-20.
Then just last week, Carr was forced to exit the game in Carolina with a dislocated pinky that appeared gruesome and season-threatening. However, he would return just one series later and led the Raiders on a game winning drive. This gritty display of heart and determination is what separates Carr from the others on this list. Score: 48/50.
