With five weeks remaining in the 2016 NFL regular season, here’s how we view the MVP race…
1. Derek Carr, Raiders: The third-year Oakland quarterback is only the league’s seventh-highest-rated passer and his 7.4 yards-per-attempt ranks outside of the top 10, but nobody has been better in the fourth quarter and nobody has done more with less. Throw in that dislocated pinky finger and while it remains close, this is a no-brainer.
2. Tom Brady Patriots: The league’s highest-rated passer has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 18-to-1 and is 7-1 as a starter. He’s also right there with Carr in terms of his ability in big spots. Again, it’s close.
3. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: The rookie fourth-round pick has now posted a triple-digit passer rating in nine of his 11 games, tying a rookie record. He ranks in the top six in football in all the key rate-based categories and is the NFL’s third-highest-rated passer. Throw in what he’s done with his legs and he has a small edge over his rookie teammate…
4. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys: I gotta think Elliott and Prescott will steal too many votes from each other for either to win, but the rookie running back is still a prime candidate with a 156-yard edge in the race for the rushing title. He also ranks second in the NFL when it comes to touchdowns and yards from scrimmage.
5. Matthew Stafford, Lions: Dude is having a breakout year. He hasn’t been as consistent as an MVP needs to be, but he has already tied an NFL record with seven fourth-quarter comebacks in one season. If he can pull a couple more rabbits out of his hat in December, he might have a chance.
6. Matt Ryan, Falcons: The veteran quarterback was great in a victory over Arizona, but the competition here is so fierce that I fear his interception total (six in 11 games) will ultimately cost him a shot.
