Eight weeks into the 2014 NFL regular season, here’s how we view the 10 most valuable players in football at this very moment…
1. Peyton Manning, Broncos — Like no other, this has been the year of the quarterback. That’s the only reason Manning has only a small lead here despite a 22-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 119.0 passer rating. Another masterful performance Thursday against the Chargers.
2. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys — He’s back on pace to break the single-season rushing record. If that happens and Manning maintains this pace, it’ll be the toughest MVP decision we’ve seen in years.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers — A bit off his game with two picks in a prime-time loss to the Saints. And so he drops from the second spot.
4. J.J. Watt, Texans — Eight more pressures, two sacks, three stops and a forced fumble against the division-rival Titans. This is becoming ridiculous. Watt would be leading this list in most other years.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers — When we’re only seven or eight games into a season, one huge outing can get you into the MVP conversation. That’s the case for Roethlisberger, who put together one of the single greatest quarterback performances in NFL history against Indianapolis.
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys — One bad performance can also take you down a notch. While Murray ran wild against the Redskins, Romo was useless against extra rushers and injured his back on one of the five sacks he gave up.
7. Philip Rivers, Chargers — Couple picks in an off performance on the road against a good team. Not enough to kill his MVP chances, but he’s sliding.
8. Tom Brady, Patriots — Since taking heat after a Week 4 loss to the Chiefs, Brady has a 129.1 passer rating, 14 touchdowns, zero interceptions, four wins and zero losses.
9. Andrew Luck, Colts — Came back to earth after carrying the Colts on a five-game winning streak. The third-year quarterback struggled with a pair of picks in a blowout loss to the Steelers.
10. Justin Houston, Chiefs — He replaces Russell Wilson, who just wasn’t getting it done. Leads the league with 10 sacks through seven games, which puts him on pace to fall just short of the single-season record.
