The NFL Most Valuable Player award has always been dominated by quarterbacks.
The award has been handed out since 1957, and 37 times a quarterback has won the honor, which includes shared winners in 1997 and 2003. And if it feels like QBs have won more in recent years, it’s because they have. Seven of the last eight winners have been quarterbacks.
So it should come as no surprise that this year’s list of candidates are dominated by the position. That’s especially true when you consider big-name running backs like Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch are injured, while the glut of mediocre teams has also cut down on potential candidates.
With that being said, let’s dive into those making a run (or should we say “pass”?) for the MVP award in our first installment of the 2015 NFL MVP power rankings.
1. Cam Newton, quarterback, Carolina Panthers — Look, the Panthers are undefeated. You might have heard that by now. Newton is the best player and quarterback of said undefeated team. That alone doesn’t make him the MVP, but when you consider how Newton has elevated his play and the play of others — especially in recent weeks — he’s gotta be the choice for now. His most complete game might have come in Week 9 against the Packers when he threw for three touchdowns and almost 300 yards, while also rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown. Newton has a 118.9 passer rating in the last six weeks starting with that game; Carolina is averaging nearly 37 points per game in that stretch.
Week 14 stats: 15-for-21, 265 yards, 3 TD, 153.3 passer rating in win over Falcons
Season stats: 3,062 passing yards, 28 TD, 10 INT, 96.6 passer rating, 7 rushing TD
2. Tom Brady, quarterback, New England Patriots — Brady’s chances might be hurt by general fatigue when it comes to him and the Patriots, but he’s been fantastic once again this season, even at the age of 38. Brady was especially dominant in the first half of the season, when he had a full arsenal of weapons at his disposal. His numbers have seen an expected but small dip since injuries to players like Dion Lewis, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, but the Patriots continue to win games and Brady continues to play well. The numbers, which certainly are helped by the Patriots’ pass-heavy offense, speak for themselves.
Week 14 stats: 22-for-30, 226 yards, 2 TD, 116.8 passer rating in a win over Texans
Season stats: 4,138 passing yards, 33 TD, 6 INT, 103.6 passer rating
3. Carson Palmer, quarterback, Arizona Cardinals — Palmer seems like a lock for comeback player of the year, but how cool would it be if he won that award and the MVP? He’s certainly making a darn good case. Palmer is second in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passer rating this season and has a chance to pass the leaders in those categories by the end of the season. If he’s able to do that, and if the Cardinals can lock down at least the NFC’s No. 2 seed, Palmer would be right in the conversation, too. He doesn’t have the same flash as players like Newton and Brady, though, which ultimately could hurt him when it comes to votes.
Week 14 stats: 25-for-35, 310 yards, 2 TD, 117.6 passer rating
Season stats: 4,003 yards, 31 TD, 9 INT, 107.2 passer rating
4. Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks — Wilson and Seattle struggled at times early in the season, but when you look at their schedule, it’s easy to see why. They’ve kind of reached the softer part of the slate, and boy are they taking advantage. Wilson especially has been out of his mind, throwing 16 touchdown passes in the last four weeks alone. The injury bug also bit the Seahawks lately with Jimmy Graham, Marshawn Lynch and now Thomas Rawls all going down. So if Wilson is able to sustain this pace — or anything resembling this pace — and Seattle wins out, he might play his way up the rankings.
Week 14 stats: 23-for-32, 292 yards, 5 TD, 139.6 passer rating in win over Ravens
Season stats: 3,289 yards, 26 TD, 7 INT, 110.0 passer rating
5. Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver, New York Giants — Here’s a bit of a darkhorse. There’s probably less than a zero percent chance Beckham even gets MVP consideration, but what he’s done in the last six weeks is incredibly impressive. He’s averaging seven catches and 133 yards per game in the last six weeks, finding the end zone eight times in that stetch. In the last three weeks, he’s been even better, averaging 152 yards per game after a 166-yard, two-score game Monday against the Dolphins. What makes Beckham’s play so impressive is that he’s really all the Giants have. He’s their only real weapon, which means teams (in theory) should be game-planning to take him away, yet he continues to produce. The Giants are still alive, and if they get in while Beckham goes off for, say, 500 yards and four touchdowns in the final three games, he’d have to get some consideration.
Week 14 stats: seven catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns in win over Dolphins
Season stats: 85 catches for 1,320 yards and 12 touchdowns
Honorable mentions: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still among the league leaders in all passing categories, despite not having Jordy Nelson all season or, until this past week, any real threat of a running game. … J.J. Watt isn’t getting the same buzz he got last season, but he’s still the most dominant defensive player in the game right now, which at least deserves mention. … Tom Brady’s passer rating in the Denver and Philadelphia games? 83.4. It’s no coincidence that dip coincided with Rob Gronkowski’s injury, as Gronk might be the most valuable player in the NFL but probably won’t win the MVP, if that makes any sense.
Thumbnail photo via Sam Sharpe/USA TODAY Sports Images
