NFL MVP tracker: Patriots' Tom Brady grabs lead
From Week 1 through Week 17, Paste BN Sports' NFL staff will be handicapping the race for league MVP.
A first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place vote is worth three, and a third-place vote is worth one.
Our MVP tracker through Week 14's games:
1. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (27 points): Has he finally done enough to overcome his four-game Deflategate suspension and earn a third MVP award? If Brady wins, he'd be the first MVP to play fewer than 13 games. It certainly helped his case to pass for 406 yards and three TDs against the Baltimore Ravens, who no longer own the top-ranked defense after being skewered by Brady. The Patriots star's 113.6 passer rating leads the league, and his 22-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio is also shaping up as a personal best. Last week: 3
2. QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (13 points): An abysmal night in Kansas City — Carr's 49.1 passer rating was his career low — ends his two-week run in the top spot. But one poor showing doesn't erase a season's worth of clutch play, production and toughness. And with one more victory, Carr will help Oakland end a 14-year playoff drought, while an AFC West title and perhaps even a bye remain within reach. Last week: 1
3. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (8 points): The impressive rookie is cruising to the league rushing title; his 1,392 yards are 257 more than his nearest competitor. However Elliott wasn't on the field for the final seven plays of Dallas' Week 14 loss to the New York Giants, not a great visual for an MVP campaign. Still, his first 100-yard effort in a month continues to keep him in the conversation and adds credence to Elliott's belief that he will not be stopped by the proverbial rookie wall. Last week: 2
4. QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (4 points): It would appear vintage Rodgers has returned along with the Pack, whose three-game winning streak has returned them to relevance. Seven of Rodgers' league-high 32 TD passes have come during this hot stretch. He hasn't been picked off since Nov. 13, and his passer rating has been at least 108.9 over the past four games. And dominating the Seattle Seahawks defense Sunday despite a calf injury constituted his most impressive performance of 2016. Last week: Unranked
T5. RB Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (3 points): He's carried the Steelers during a four-game roll that has launched them back atop the AFC North. Bell has rushed for 620 yards during that span, including a team-record 236 Sunday, and is averaging better than 200 yards from scrimmage. His 1,616 yards from scrimmage is the most in a player's first 10 games during the Super Bowl era. Only legendary Jim Brown had a better start in 1963. But like Brady, Bell could struggle to overcome the stigma of a suspension. Last week: Unranked
T5. QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (3 points): He'd probably have more support if he didn't have to play the Giants. But New York has been the rookie's Kryptonite, and Prescott turned in, by far, his worst performance (2 INTs, 45.4 QB rating) in Sunday's defeat. He could still produce the greatest season ever by a rookie quarterback, but that may not be enough to earn him MVP honors. Last week: 4
T5. QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (3 points): Another week, another fourth-quarterback comeback engineered by Stafford — that's a single-season record eight if you're counting. His 7-yard TD run was enough to beat the Chicago Bears on a day when he was impeded by dislocated middle finger on his throwing hand. Stafford's numbers (3,447 yards, 22 TDs, 7 INTs, 97.8 QB rating) aren't eye popping in this age of advanced passing. But his clutch factor and the chance to lead Detroit to its first division title since 1993 make him a compelling contender. Last week: 5
Others receiving votes: Matt Ryan (2 points)
— Week 13 MVP rankings (Derek Carr)
— Week 12 MVP rankings (Derek Carr)
— Week 11 MVP rankings (Ezekiel Elliott)
— Week 10 MVP rankings (Ezekiel Elliott)
— Week 9 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 8 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 7 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 6 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 5 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 4 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 3 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 2 MVP rankings (Ben Roethlisberger)
— Week 1 MVP rankings (Antonio Brown)
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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
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