Fittingly, in a year when the fate of several NFL teams’ playoffs will be decided in the final game of the season, the MVP race culminates in an exciting fashion with heroic late years that could ultimately determine who walks away with the prestigious award.
And as you enter week 17, there’s a new favorite to win the MVP. Our panel of nine analysts voted for the top 10 players in the MVP race so far, and we then used those nine sets of rankings to determine our top five candidates overall, using Heisman Trophy-like scaling for each rankings. Based on the vote in this latest round, we agree with the general consensus on the competition that it is a toss between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. But six of our nine panelists placed the Packers quarterback in first place.
The MVP for 2020 will likely be decided between two of the league’s top quarterbacks, but there are a handful of others who have made a convincing case. Here’s a look at our final MVP viewing rankings.
Note: Our panel includes Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Courtney Cronin, Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Mina Kimes, Jason Reid, Kevin Seifert, and Field Yates. The odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill.
Jump to:
Top five | Just missed
2020 statistics: 4,059 passing yards, 44 TDs, 5 interceptions (plus 145 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs) in 15 games
First place votes: 6 of 9 | Odds of winning MVP: -260
Rodgers went off a reminder after the Packers called Jordan Love to be the MVP leader eight months later. The Green Bay quarterback has been in a tear since week 12, throwing at least three touchdowns in four of the Packers’ last five wins. Rodgers is now on track to capture his third MVP award after a dominant prime-time performance against Tennessee on Sunday, where he took his season-defining win (four touchdowns). It was also his 13th game this season with a rating of over 100 passers-by, which equates to the most games in one season in the Super Bowl era, a feat he also achieved when he was first named the most valuable player of the league. 2011.
Rodgers has done more with fewer guns around him, leading the league in touchdown passes (44) and passer-by rating (119.4), second in completion rate (70.3%) and fifth in passing yards. With another win against Chicago in Week 17, the Packers will lock up the NFC’s best seed and see you a first round. If Rodgers hasn’t cemented himself as the MVP just yet, it’s helping the Packers achieve that feat.
While Mahomes is arguably the most valuable player to the league at large and the face of the NFL, Rodgers is the most critical part of his team’s success. Hence, he ends up as the likely MVP this season.
2020 statistics: 4,740 passing yards, 38 TDs, 6 interceptions (plus 308 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs) in 15 games
First place votes: 3 of 9 | Odds of winning MVP: +210
While Mahomes has been great at quarterbacking the Chiefs to a 14-1 record, there aren’t too many categories where the reigning Super Bowl champion has beat Rodgers. Simply put, the Packers quarterback has beaten Mahomes over time, and a bad week for the Chiefs’ QB against the Falcons coupled with Rodgers exploding on Sunday Night Football may be the nail in the coffin. Mahomes’ three interceptions against Miami in week 14 don’t help his case either. Nor does his career-low 5.4 yards per attempt vs. the Saints.
The Kansas City QB should dominate in the Chiefs ‘vs.Chargers’ regular season finale to potentially reclaim first place, but it seems coach Andy Reid is tending to give his starters some rest before watching a repeat run on a title . next month. Of course, this isn’t to say that the 25-year-old couldn’t use awesome, awesome, or any other adjective to describe his game in 2020. Mahomes leads the NFL on passing yards and routinely has wild, head-banging, wonder plays that amaze the rest of the league with his talents. Rodgers has been just a little bit better this season.
2020 statistics: 4,320 passing yards, 34 TDs, 9 interceptions (plus 418 rushing yards and 8 rushing TDs) in 15 games
Top five votes: 9 of 9 | Odds of winning MVP: +1200
According to ESPN Stats & Information, no quarterback has seen a greater increase in overall QBR from 2019 (49.4) to 2020 (81.6) than Allen. It has helped the Bills establish supremacy in the AFC East with their first division title since 1995 and the Patriots’ first season in 20 years.
Allen is probably too far behind Rodgers and Mahomes to win the MVP, but he deserves no less to be in the talk after his remarkable turnaround, completing 68% of his passes for over 4,000 yards and helping Buffalo to most wins in one season. since 1993. Allen put an exclamation point on his amazing 2020 by throwing for 320 yards and four touchdowns in a prime-time victory over the Patriots, earning him his eighth 300-yard passing game of the season. His 34 passing touchdowns also set a new franchise record for one season.
2020 statistics: 1,777 rushing yards, 15 TDs (plus 114 receiving yards) in 15 games
Top five votes: 5 of 9 | Odds of winning MVP: +5000
Nearing his second title in a row, Henry is 223 meters from the eighth player to join the prestigious 2000-meter rushing club. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry in December, the most even in NFL history among players with at least 300 hasty tries. And what’s perhaps most impressive is that despite his workload, Henry has only messed around once this season.
The Titans are 10-5 with a chance to lock down the AFC South and a playoff bid for command Henry has taken on just about every game he’s played in 2020. He has at least 75 rushing yards in 12 of his 15 games, and he’s only rushed once for less than 60.
2020 statistics: 4,031 passing yards, 38 TDs, 13 interceptions (plus 484 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs) in 15 games
Top five votes: 5 of 9 | Odds of winning MVP: +10000
Wilson didn’t exactly return to his MVP form at the start of the season to defeat the Rams and take the NFC West, but he didn’t let Aaron Donald break the Seahawks’ plan and played well enough to get into the conversation. stay. . The Seattle defense has put Wilson in some tough situations where he had to finish late wins, and that needs to be kept in context when evaluating the burden that has been put to him in 2020. However, what hurts his candidacy the most is his 13 interceptions, equaling third place in the NFL.
Just missed
Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams: Donald did his best to keep Wilson uncomfortable in week 16 by squeezing eight times and making a bag. His 13.5 sacks are in second place after TJ Watt (15), the only player to stand in the way of Donald’s third Defensive Player of the Year award since 2017. Donald is one of the best defenders in the league and the anchor of a Rams defense that ranks in the top three for efficiency.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints: Henry gets all the love, but don’t forget the season Kamara put together, with 1,688 yards of scrimmage (third most) and 21 total TDs (six more than the Titans MVP candidate). Without three of their four best receivers, the Saints led everything through Kamara in a Christmas Day victory, and, boy, did he. Kamara rushed for six TDs against Minnesota, tying the NFL record for one game. And meanwhile, he set the New Orleans franchise record for touchdowns in a season.
Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Brady currently has 150-1 chances of winning MVP and has already lived up to one of the high hopes set for him when he signed with Tampa Bay in March. For the first time since 2007, the Bucs are playoff tied after Brady threw four touchdowns and put down a career-high 348 passing yards in the first half in a defeat of the Lions. After hitting a wall in November and questions raised about the viability of the Bucs’ post-season offense, Brady has set the ship straight and his team will play in January.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs: By helping Kansas City close the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs in Week 16, Kelce caught seven passes for 98 yards. He’s the first tight end with two seasons of 100 catches, and he set the single-season yardage record for a tight end with 1,467 to 15 games.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are in an offensive slump with their season on the line and may miss the playoffs if Murray (leg injury) can’t go in week 17. He probably won’t be the first player to throw 4,000 yards. and is rushing for 1,000, but its impact on Arizona’s success – especially with its feet – has been felt year-round. The Cardinals are 0-5 if Murray runs seven times or less in a match and 8-2 if he runs eight or more times.
Also receive votes
These players received at least one top 10 vote from our nine experts. Keep in mind that those votes fell outside of the top five in most cases.
-
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
-
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans
-
TJ Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
-
Davante Adams WR, Green Bay Packers
-
Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
-
Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
-
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals
-
Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
-
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams
-
Lamar Jackson QB Baltimore Ravens
-
Xavien Howard, CB, Miami Dolphins