With competition hurt, Brady faces clear path
From Week 1 through Week 17, USA TODAY’s NFL staff will be handicapping the race for league MVP. A first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place three and a third-place one. Our MVP tracker after Week 15’s games.
1. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (351⁄ points): Emblematic of the team, his performance doesn’t really blow you away — especially by Brady’s own unparalleled standards and in the midst of his own subpar December (two touchdowns, four interceptions, 75.0 passer rating) — but he’s probably the best of the bunch in a year devoid of a runaway performance. In that same vein, the fact Brady is still standing — thank you, Alex Guerrero? — in a season in which the injury bug has claimed Antonio Brown, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, etc., bolsters his case as much as anything. (Availability often trumps ability, it’s just part of The Patriot Way after all.) And, in fairness to TB12, the stats are very good, if not mind-blowing: 4,163 passing yards (league best), 28 TD passes, 104.0 rating. And he again has the Patriots on track for the AFC’s home-field advantage, which probably means a Super Bowl return. Don’t break a leg, Tom. Last week: 3
2. RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
(15 points): He relaunched his campaign with authority Sunday, rushing for 152 yards and scoring four TDs in Seattle while driving a 42-7 win that will likely propel the Rams to the playoffs and might spell the end of the “Legion of Boom” era for the Seahawks. And make no mistake, Gurley was a legit candidate all along and now boasts a league-best
17 rushing TDs (five more than anyone else) with 1,817 yards from scrimmage, only 32 fewer than Le’Veon Bell. But as good as Bell’s been, Gurley is probably more instrumental to the overall success of a young L.A. offense. Last week: Unranked
3. WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (9 points): His charge to become the first wideout to win MVP honors had just hit high gear. Then, disaster. Before suffering the calf injury Sunday that will likely end his regular season, Brown did manage to become the first player ever with five consecutive 100catch seasons. And his 1,533 yards might still be enough to confer the NFL receiving title. But given how competitive the Steelers remained without him against the Patriots, combined with his upcoming absence, probably means business will no longer be booming at the MVP ballot box. Last week: 2
T4. RB Le’Veon Bell, Steelers (3 points): For a guy leading the NFL in rushing (1,222 yards) and yards from scrimmage (1,849), Bell has generated remarkably little buzz. But with the field thinning and much still at stake for Pittsburgh, opportunity might come knocking. Last week: Unranked
T4. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
(3 points): Killer interceptions and lame excuses are probably a deal breaker. Otherwise, read the aforementioned Bell entry. Last week: Unranked
T4. QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (3 points): His individual production and the Panthers’ collective regular-season success are a tier below the accomplishments of 2015, when Newton was the league MVP. Still, he’s having a nice year and was definitely the best quarterback on the field Sunday when Carolina beat Rodgers and the Packers. Last week: Unranked