As we enter Week 6 of the NFL season, I thought it would be a great time to review the landscape of the MVP race.
Here are the top five candidates so far this season:
1. Philip Rivers
Stats: 1,443 yards, 70%, 12 TDs, 2 INTs
The San Diego Chargers were solid last season at 9-7, but certainly not otherworldly. With injuries decimating the running back position and questions on the offensive line, no one expected the Chargers to be one of the best teams in all of football. But they are. San Diego is atop the AFC West largely because Philip Rivers is playing out of his mind. Rivers is orchestrating a top ten passing unit, while top wide out Keenan Allen is struggling to find his groove. The Chargers have lacked a consistent running game. The guy leads the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempts (8.75) and QB rating (116.3).
"Winning the AFC West would help differentiate Rivers from [Peyton] Manning, who figures to keep pace on the stat sheet and then some," ESPN's Mike Sando wrote of the two MVP candidates.
2. Peyton Manning
Stats: 1,298 yards, 67%, 12 TDs, 3 INTs
Manning is a lock to be in consideration for the MVP award every single season he plays. It's just like clockwork. Running back Montee Ball has failed to live up to expectations, but Manning is making a star out of new receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Tight end Julius Thomas leads the league in touchdown receptions. The overtime loss in Seattle hurts, but Manning never even touched the ball in OT. The Broncos will be Super Bowl contenders and Manning will remain one of the front runners for the MVP award.
"I just think Peyton Manning is the better quarterback," Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said when comparing Manning and Rivers.
3. Andrew Luck
Stats: 1,617 yards, 68%, 14 TDs, 6 INTs
Andrew Luck leads the NFL in passing yards, yards per game (323) and touchdowns. The Indianapolis Colts are first in the league in points per game (32) and second in yards per game (442). What more do you need from the guy? The Colts have come back strong from their 0-2 start by winning three straight. The Colts look downright dangerous thanks to Luck.
"He gets better every year," Thomas said. "I was watching him Sunday just staying patient in the pocket and being able to feel what is going on around him without panicking. He does a great job with that."
4. DeMarco Murray
Stats: 670 yards, 5.2 YPC, 5 TDs, 15 receptions, 124 yards
With Murray's injury woes seemingly in the past, the running back is getting a historic workload this season. He's on pace for 464 total touches over 16 games. Murray became just the third player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards in each of his first five games last weekend. He joins Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson. The Dallas Cowboys are second in the NFL in total rushing yards per game and tied for first in the NFC East thanks to their powerful new ground attack.
5. J.J. Watt
Stats: 19 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
Watt's sacks are down, but the game-changing plays, such as his pick-six against the Houston Texans, are keeping him firmly in the MVP conversation. Only two defensive players, Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor, have ever been awarded an MVP, so the odds are stacked against Watt. But Watt is still the best defensive player in the league, and his ability to disrupt opposing quarterbacks is unparalleled.
