Tracking the 2016 NFL MVP race: Tom Brady leads, but Derek Carr and Matt Ryan are closing in

A year ago, Tom Brady looked like the consensus MVP candidate at the 2015 midseason point. While both the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers were undefeated until after Thanksgiving, Brady’s stats were far better than Cam Newton’s in the first two months of the season.

One NFL.com writer even called Brady a “no-brainer” selection as the MVP for the first half of the season.

But then Newton had three five-passing touchdown games in the back half of the year and kept the Panthers on a winning track, leading the team to a 15-1 record. And when the final MVP vote came, Newton was the obvious choice.

With Brady missing the first four games of the 2016 NFL season, no other player jumped out as the obvious choice as MVP, and Brady has looked tremendous since his return. While he leads our MVP rankings for now, it’s only a tenuous grasp with plenty of capable challengers hot on his heels.

Week 9 - Bye

Other players have racked up bigger numbers than Brady, but that’s not at all surprising considering he’s played half as much as most of them. But with eight games left, he’s well on pace to put up numbers that will blow away the field.

In four games, Brady already has 1,319 yards, 12 touchdowns and not a single interception. Only 10 quarterbacks have more touchdowns and all of them have at least three interceptions.

Week 9 - 344 passing yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Buccaneers

Ryan was already in the hunt before he pieced up the Tampa Bay secondary on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Falcons hold a strong lead over the rest of the NFC South, and Ryan is already just 20 yards away from 3,000 passing yards on the year.

His NFL lead in passing yards is significant enough that no one is even in range to take it from him in Week 9, no matter how prolific the performance is.

Week 9 - 20 of 31 for 184 yards, O TDs, 0 INTs vs. Broncos

Derek Carr didn’t put up stellar numbers this week, but he was efficient and didn’t make any mistakes, which is easier said than done against a tough Broncos defense.

For most of the season, the Raiders haven’t played good defense, and it’s been on the shoulders of Carr to lead the way for the team with an average of more than 40 pass attempts per game. But he’s managed to complete more than 66 percent of those 354 passes with 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

Oakland is 7-2 and now holds the AFC West lead. Carr is the No. 1 reason why.

Week 9 - 8 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD vs. Buccaneers

Matt Ryan is a little ahead of Jones on this list, but it’s hard to imagine Ryan would be in contention without the receiver making absurd catches on a seemingly weekly basis.

Jones led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards a year ago, and he’s leading in the latter category again in 2016. No player has ever had 2,000 receiving yards in a single season, but Jones came close last year. If he eclipses that mark in 2016, it might be time to consider how valuable he really is.

Just imagine if uncalled pass interference penalties counted for something.

Week 9: 219 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT vs. Vikings

Stafford didn’t have his best day in Week 9, but he did enough to get the win and he’s playing the best football of his career. His big year is coming after the departure of Calvin Johnson. His completion percentage has never been higher, and he’s throwing just as many touchdowns as ever, but with fewer interceptions.

Unfortunately for Stafford, the team around him is struggling with injuries, doesn’t run the ball well, and doesn’t have great defense. Still, he’s led the team to a 5-4 record and the Lions are in the thick of the NFC North race after an overtime win over the Vikings.

Week 9: 92 rushing yards, 2 TDs vs. Browns

Another big game for the rookie running back puts him in the mix for MVP talks as he’s doing things that very few have ever done.

Elliott joins Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson as the only three players to rush for more than 875 yards and seven touchdowns in their first eight career games. He entered Week 9 as the NFL’s rushing leader and only added to that total.