With nine weeks remaining in the 2016 NFL regular season, here’s how we view the MVP race…
1. Tom Brady, Patriots: He’s started only four games, but Brady leads the NFL with a completion percentage of 73.1, a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 12-to-0, a yards-per-attempt average of 9.8 and a passer rating of 133.9. In his four starts, the Patriots are 4-0 and are averaging 34.0 points per game.
2. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys: The rookie averaged just 3.3 yards per carry and was held to fewer than 90 yards from scrimmage during his first two NFL games, but he’s accumulated more than 140 yards from scrimmage in each of his five games since. The Cowboys are 5-0 in that span. He’s been the NFL’s most dominant non-quarterback on the offensive side of the ball.
3. Matt Ryan, Falcons: The 31-year-old ranks in the top three in terms of completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating, and he leads the league with 2,636 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. Plus, the 5-3 Falcons sit atop the NFC South, with impressive wins over the Raiders, Broncos, Panthers and Packers already under their belt.
4. Derek Carr, Raiders: His rate-based numbers aren’t great, but he’s putting up some huge cumulative stats for a 6-2 team. And he’s been real clutch.
Among 27 quarterbacks with 50+ pass attempts in the 4th Q/OT, Derek Carr ranks first with a 109.0 passer rating. #NFL #Raiders #Clutch
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) October 31, 2016
5. Matthew Stafford, Lions: Need more consistency, but the numbers are still there and the Lions are in contention.
6. Von Miller, Broncos: The NFL’s most dominant defensive player continues to carry first-place Denver. He had a season-high 10 pressures in a Week 8 victory over the Chargers, and he now ranks second to only Lorenzo Alexander with 8.5 sacks.
