2014 NFL MVP: Ranking the Top 5 Potential Candidates

The NFL season is now at the halfway point. That means it's time to start discussing potential MVP candidates. There are several former MVP award winners that reappear in the discussion—Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers among them. A few names will also be tossed into the discussion for the first time.

Of all the potential candidates, one has truly stood above the rest. However, with the second half of the season approaching, this list is subject to change from week to week.  

Honorable Mentions: J.J. Watt, Tony Romo, Andrew Luck

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J.J. Watt

The Houston Texans have already doubled their win total from the 2013 season. Part of that has to be attributed to J.J. Watt's outstanding play on defense.

Watt is currently fifth in the league with seven sacks. Watt also has an interception, forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game is his ability to knock the ball down at the line of scrimmage. Watt leads all defensive linemen and linebackers with seven passes defended. If that wasn't enough, Watt has also scored a touchdown in three different ways—a receiving touchdown, an interception return touchdown and a fumble recovery return touchdown.

Tony Romo

The Dallas Cowboys are off to a surprising 6-2 start and find themselves on top of the NFC East midway through the season. Tony Romo has done a nice job taking what the defense has given him and not forcing throws—especially in the second half of games.

Romo has thrown 15 touchdown passes and has a passer rating of 103.6. He has been exceptional in the second half of games, tossing eight touchdowns to only one interception. If Romo continues to limit mistakes and be effective throwing the football, he could possibly creep into legitimate MVP contention.

Andrew Luck

The Indianapolis Colts are currently the league's top-ranked offense, averaging 452.2 yards per game. With Andrew Luck at the helm, the Colts are always primed to score a lot of points.

Luck leads the NFL in passing yards (2,731) and is tied with Peyton Manning with 22 touchdown passes. The only knock on Luck is that he turns the ball over too often. With nine interceptions through eight games, it will be tough to win MVP. However, if the Colts finish with one of the better records in the NFL at season's end, Luck will certainly stake a claim at the award.

5. Philip Rivers

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After his disappointing 2011 and 2012 seasons, many left Philip Rivers out of the elite quarterback conversation. That changed last year when Rivers had a resurgent season, passing for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns.

This season, Rivers has been even better. He has the Chargers (5-3, second in AFC West) as legitimate Super Bowl contenders coming out of the AFC. Through eight games, Rivers has thrown 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions for a rating of 109.9. His ability to spread the ball around to all receivers has kept opposing defenses on their toes all season. Rivers has also dealt with injuries to running backs Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown—yet the Chargers offense continues to put up points. 

If Rivers is to move up in the MVP conversation, he will need to beat the Broncos at home in Week 15 and overtake them for the division title. If he can do that, Rivers will have a good shot at his first MVP award.

4. Tom Brady

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Can you believe there was a point in the season where fans were calling for Jimmy Garoppolo to replace Tom Brady as quarterback of the New England Patriots?

After an embarrassing blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 4, Tom Brady has been sensational—leading the Pats to four straight wins. In this span, Brady has thrown for 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Brady's ability to limit turnovers this year has been extremely impressive. He has only thrown two interceptions all season—both in that Week 4 loss. He also has an uncanny ability to respond to criticism. Following the Chiefs loss, Brady helped destroy the Bengals 43-17, and the Patriots have never looked back since.

If Brady is going to win his third MVP award, he will likely need to defeat Peyton Manning this Sunday in Foxborough. Brady should not have a problem winning the AFC East yet again this season—giving him serious consideration for this year's MVP.

3. Aaron Rodgers

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Arguably the best quarterback in the league right now, Aaron Rodgers comes in at No. 3 on the list. After beginning the season 1-2 for the third straight season, Rodgers told fans to relax. Since that comment, he has led the Packers to a 4-1 record and has been playing some of the best football of his career.

Before injuring his hamstring Sunday night in New Orleans, Rodgers had thrown for 19 touchdowns and only one interception. The injury obviously affected him as he preceded to throw two interceptions in the second half of the game. 

Rodgers would have been higher on this list if not for his uncharacteristic second-half performance in New Orleans. Although his hamstring injury is not supposed to force him to miss time, Rodgers will need to continue to play at a high level and remain healthy. If he wants to win his second MVP award, he will likely need to overtake the Detroit Lions for the NFC North crown and make fans forget about New Orleans.

2. Peyton Manning

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Two Sundays ago, Peyton Manning threw his 509th touchdown pass—breaking Brett Favre's record for most touchdown passes in a career. That was just one more accomplishment to add to Manning's illustrious career.

Now Manning is in search of his second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Why not add a sixth MVP to that list? Manning has thrown for 22 touchdowns this season to go along with a 119.0 passer rating. He has led the Broncos to a 6-1 record as they sit atop the AFC West standings.

Coming up Sunday is a date with Tom Brady at New England. If Manning is able to dominate the Patriots on the road, it will be a critical step towards his quest for a sixth MVP award. 

In fact, if the Broncos continue to own the best record in the NFL, Manning could be a potential lock for MVP—if not for one player.

1. DeMarco Murray

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Coming into the 2014 NFL season, DeMarco Murray was certainly not a popular pick to be MVP of the league. But for an injury-prone player at one of the NFL's toughest positions, Murray has silenced his doubters. 

In Week 7 versus the Giants, Murray became the first player in NFL history to rush for 100-plus yards in his first seven games. 

Then, on the big stage Monday night, Murray racked up 141 yards on the ground against a stout Redskins run defense—his eighth consecutive game with 100-plus yards.

The Dallas Cowboys sit at 6-2 this season. Without DeMarco Murray running the ball, the Cowboys would not be the balanced team that they are today.

Murray also has a legitimate shot at reaching the 2,000-yard milestone this season if he remains healthy. Unfortunately, remaining healthy may be his biggest obstacle considering he is averaging over 20 carries each game. 

If Murray can stay on the field and rush for over 2,000 yards, he should easily claim the 2014 MVP. Even if he does not reach 2,000 yards, the Cowboys would not be a Super Bowl contender in the NFC without him.

Only time will tell.