With the NFL season now in its second half, USA TODAY Sports will be handicapping the MVP race through Week 17. Our experts who cover the league submitted their current MVP votes this week. A first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place vote is worth three, and a third-place vote is worth one.
The MVP standings heading into Week 10
1. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (28 points): The two-time MVP is suddenly leading the conversation for additional hardware six weeks after questions arose wondering if his best days were behind him. Since that memorable (and forgettable) 41-14 blowout loss at Kansas City, the Pats are 5-0, and Brady has thrown for 1,601 yards and 18 TDs with just one INT. Clearly the tank is far from empty.
2. RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (16 points): Even with seven games to go, he's got a stranglehold on the league rushing title and is still on pace for a 2,000-yard season even though he failed to reach 100 yards for the first time this season in Sunday's loss. More importantly, the ball control offense Murray has allowed Dallas to play has limited the chances Tony Romo has had to take while keeping a still-suspect defense on the sideline for long stretches.
3. QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (11 points): He's on pace to surpass Peyton Manning's year-old record for passing yards (5,477) and has a viable shot at tossing 50 TDs. But Luck is focused on keeping the Colts cruising toward the AFC South crown and seems poised to elevate them into the conference's elite ranks alongside the Broncos and Patriots.
4. QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (8 points): Do we take the five-time MVP — no one else has more than three — for granted? His numbers are only slightly off the pace from his record-smashing 2013, and Denver is right back in the Super Bowl hunt. Yet the latest loss to Brady seems to have further pushed Manning off the MVP radar ... for now.
The MVP standings heading into Week 10
1. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (28 points): The two-time MVP is suddenly leading the conversation for additional hardware six weeks after questions arose wondering if his best days were behind him. Since that memorable (and forgettable) 41-14 blowout loss at Kansas City, the Pats are 5-0, and Brady has thrown for 1,601 yards and 18 TDs with just one INT. Clearly the tank is far from empty.
2. RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (16 points): Even with seven games to go, he's got a stranglehold on the league rushing title and is still on pace for a 2,000-yard season even though he failed to reach 100 yards for the first time this season in Sunday's loss. More importantly, the ball control offense Murray has allowed Dallas to play has limited the chances Tony Romo has had to take while keeping a still-suspect defense on the sideline for long stretches.
3. QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (11 points): He's on pace to surpass Peyton Manning's year-old record for passing yards (5,477) and has a viable shot at tossing 50 TDs. But Luck is focused on keeping the Colts cruising toward the AFC South crown and seems poised to elevate them into the conference's elite ranks alongside the Broncos and Patriots.
4. QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos (8 points): Do we take the five-time MVP — no one else has more than three — for granted? His numbers are only slightly off the pace from his record-smashing 2013, and Denver is right back in the Super Bowl hunt. Yet the latest loss to Brady seems to have further pushed Manning off the MVP radar ... for now.
