2010 NFL MVP Watch: Power Ranking the Top 15 Most Likely Candidates

It's hard to believe there's only three weeks left in the regular season. It seems like just yesterday we were over-analyzing how the Chad Ochocinco-Terrell Owens tandem would make the Cincinnati Bengals a playoff team, or how the Dallas Cowboys and Dez Bryant would roll through the NFC East, or how Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings would avenge last season's playoff exit by making it to the Super Bowl.

Funny how things change, isn't it?

One thing that hasn't changed about the NFL season, however, is that we still have to name an MVP. There are many names that have been thrown into the discussion, but only one can win the award.

Here's an early look at the top 15 candidates worthy of consideration for 2010 NFL MVP.

15. Peyton Manning

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NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 09: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts won 30-28. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It's hard to ever exclude the four-time NFL MVP from this discussion, but Peyton Manning has just not played like the elite quarterback we've become used to seeing.

In a span of three games (all losses), he threw 11 interceptions and only eight touchdowns. But he bounced back last week against the Titans, throwing for 319 yards and two touchdowns. And his MVP credentials don't stop there.

Manning is second in the NFL in passing yards with 4,028 and is the faraway leader in attempts (569) and completions (378). But he's thrown the fifth most interceptions (15) of any quarterback this season and his QB rating (91.2) stands to be Manning's lowest since 2002.

The 7-6 Colts need to win all three of their remaining games to make the playoffs, and even that may not be enough. If Manning can somehow guide Indianapolis to the postseason despite injuries to seemingly everyone on the offense, then he deserves serious consideration. That's a big maybe, though. 

14. Roddy White

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 12: Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

If there's one NFL receiver who might get some MVP votes, Roddy White is most definitely the guy.

The sixth-year player leads the league in receiving yards (1,219) and receptions (99), and is 12th in touchdowns with seven. He has four 100-yard receiving games this season, on top of a 201-yard performance against the Bengals.

White is now one of the top receivers in the game and a big reason why the Atlanta Falcons are sitting pretty with the best record in the NFC.

13. Clay Matthews

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 31: Clay Matthews #52 of the Green Bay Packers tackles LaDainian Tomlinson #21 of the New York Jets on October 31, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Packers defeated the Jets 9 - 0. (P

Ouch! That looks painful!

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has been dishing out a lot of pain this season, and will get a lot of votes for Defensive Player of the Year, but he deserves some MVP mention too.

Matthews is second in the NFL with 12.5 sacks and also has 51 tackles and a defensive touchdown. He's been the dominant force in a Packers defense that ranks third in the NFL in pass defense. 

12. Jamaal Charles

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 05: Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Denver Broncos on December 5, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Charles has been great in just his third season in the NFL and is a big reason why the Kansas City Chiefs are in first place in the AFC West.

He's third in rushing yards with 1,177 and averages an incredible 6.1 yards per attempt. He only has three rushing touchdowns on the season, but he can't be blamed for the Chiefs' struggles to get into the end zone.

Kansas City has the No. 1 ranked rushing offense in the NFL, so Charles is still the one moving the chains. 

11. Joe Flacco

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Pittsburgh won 13-10. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

Flacco has been as good as advertised for the 9-4 Ravens, now boasting one of the NFL's better offenses.

He's ninth in the NFL with 3,223 yards passing and he's been one of football's most efficient quarterbacks with a 21-8 TD-INT ratio. His 94.0 QB rating is eighth in the NFL.

Flacco has already had the best season of his career and still has games left against the Saints, Browns and Bengals. He could finish with 4,000 yards passing and 30 touchdowns, a great season by almost any standards.

But there are maybe a dozen other quarterbacks who could finish with the same stat line, so Flacco won't crack the top 10 in what is a loaded MVP class.

10. Arian Foster

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 02: Arian Foster #23 of the Houston Texans runs the ball in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 2, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles won 34-24. (Photo by Al Bello/

Hard to believe that this guy wasn't even a starter last season.

Foster is the NFL's leading rusher with 1,330 yards and scorer with 13 touchdowns. His 5.0 yards per attempt is eighth in the NFL, but first among running backs with at least 200 rushes.

Foster has four multi-TD games this season and seven 100-yard games, including a breathtaking 231-yards and three touchdowns against the Colts in the first game of the season.

But the 5-8 Texans have been awful after starting the season 4-2, and it's tough to put Foster much higher on this list when his team won't make the playoffs and may not even be the best player on his team (see: Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson).

9. Matt Cassel

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs in action during the game against the Denver Broncos on December 5, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Cassel's numbers aren't too overwhelming on the surface. His 2,503 passing yards puts him behind guys like Chad Henne and Ryan Fitzpatrick and his 59.9 completion percentage is worse than Carson Palmer's.

But Cassel is tied for sixth in the NFL with 23 touchdown passes and has thrown as few interceptions (4) as Tom Brady and Michael Vick. His 98.4 QB rating is the league's fifth highest.

The Chiefs passing attack doesn't look too lethal, ranking 28th in the NFL with 184.8 passing yards a game. But then you look at what happens to this team when Cassel is out (31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers), and you realize just how important he is.

If the 8-5 Chiefs hold on to win the AFC West then Cassel has to at least be in the top 10.

8. Troy Polamalu

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rolls out of bounds after intercepting a pass against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 28, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. Pittsburgh

The All-Pro safety is back to his bone-crushing ways, and is the reigning two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Polamalu has 62 tackles this season and is second in the NFL with six interceptions. As always, he remains the key player on a Steelers defense that has surrendered only 35 points in the last four games and is comfortably atop the AFC North with a 10-3 record.

The eighth-year pro out of USC may not win an MVP, but he will definitely be among the leaders in voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

7. Aaron Rodgers

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DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 12: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers throws a second quarter pass while playing the Detroit Lions on December 12, 2010 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Rodgers is well on his way to having his third straight super season for the Green Bay Packers.

He's currently eighth in the NFL in passing yards (3,289) and tied for sixth in touchdowns (23). His 65.4 completion percentage is also eighth and his 98.5 QB rating is fourth. The 8-5 Packers have the eighth ranked passing offense in the NFL largely thanks to Rodgers' prowess.

His candidacy has taken a bit of a hit (literally) after suffering a concussion during a 7-3 loss to the Detroit Lions, and he will likely miss Sunday's primetime game against the New England Patriots.

Still, Rodgers has been one of the NFL's best quarterbacks this season.

6. Drew Brees

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 12: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints looks to throw the ball during the game against the St. Louis Rams at the Louisiana Superdome on December 12, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Brees has been one of the NFL's most consistent passers with four consecutive seasons of at least 4,000 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, and he's set to soon complete his fifth.

He's third in the league in passing (3,855), second in completion percentage (69.0) and third in touchdowns (28). The Saints also look as good as ever with six straight wins.

Brees can improve his candidacy by performing well to close out the season against Baltimore, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, all games that New Orleans needs to win if they want to get that first round bye. But right now those 18 interceptions (tied for a career high) are keeping Brees just out of the top five.

5. Maurice Jones-Drew

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 12: Maurice Jones-Drew #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars breaks the tackle of Travis Goethel #50 of the Oakland Raiders during the game at EverBank Field on December 12, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Ge

It's no accident that the 8-5 Jaguars have the second ranked rushing offense in the NFL. It's also no accident that the 5'7" Jones-Drew is an MVP candidate.

The fifth-year running back is second in the NFL in rushing with 2,784 yards and first in attempts with 284. He's also caught 32 passes for 295 yards and is pretty much the only way the Jaguars have been able to put up points this season, though Jones-Drew only has seven total touchdowns.

If Jacksonville can win the AFC South, and they will need to beat the Colts for the second time this season to do it, then there's no way Jones-Drew finishes out of the top five.

4. Matt Ryan

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CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 12: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Few players have been better this season than the third-year quarterback out of Boston College.

Matt Ryan has been terrific for the 11-2 Atlanta Falcons, throwing for 3,147 yards (11th in the NFL), a 63.2 completion percentage (11th in the NFL), 22 touchdowns (eighth in the NFL) and only eight interceptions—all good for a 90.7 QB rating (12th in the NFL).

The Falcons have never been a team that relied heavily on the passing game, and a big reason for that is because they've always had elite running backs (Michael Turner is no exception). But Ryan has turned Atlanta into a team that can score in whichever way it pleases (205 points scored during the Falcons seven-game winning streak).

The Falcons should be able to finish the season with the best record in the NFL, and Ryan is their best player. That's MVP material in any book.

3. Philip Rivers

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SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 16: Quarterback Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers at Qualcomm Stadium on December 16, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

I tried talking myself into putting Rivers higher on this list, but the chance that the Chargers may not even make the playoffs made me hesitate and leave the San Diego quarterback ranked third.

Rivers' numbers, however, are as good as anybody's this season. His unreal 105.7 QB rating is second in the NFL, while his 4,141 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns are first. Then you remember that Rivers did this without his top target, Vincent Jackson, and with a hobbled Antonio Gates for much of the season.

Just look at what Rivers accomplished in a 34-7 dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers with Jackson back for only his second full game (273 yards passing, three touchdowns—all of them to Jackson).

The Chargers will win their two remaining games against Cincinnati and Denver, but they need Kansas City to lose at least once to have a shot at the playoffs. Still, even with a playoff berth it's hard to justify putting Rivers any higher here considering who else is on the list. Plus, the AFC West is awful.

2. Michael Vick

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 12: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles drops back to pass against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on December 12, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Vick has been widely regarded as one of the MVP favorites since he emerged as the Eagles' starting quarterback early in the season. And with Philadelphia tied for first in the NFC East with a 9-4 record, it's hard to argue against that logic.

Still, let's explore his candidacy a bit further.

Vick has missed three whole games and missed parts of two others. Yet, he's still been one of the league's most prolific players, utilizing both his passing and rushing ability to become a complete threat. He has 17 touchdowns through the air and another seven on the ground. His 104.3 QB rating is third in the NFL, thanks in large part to Vick's ability to minimize mistakes and control the ball.

Vick's MVP credentials take a bit of a hit from the fact that the Eagles won two of the three games that Vick didn't even play in, including a 31-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons. So he's obviously not the only reason that the Eagles are as good as they are.

But where would the Eagles be without this guy? And will anybody be able to stop Vick once the playoffs begin?

1. Tom Brady

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates after BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on December 6, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachu

If there was ever any doubt that Brady was going to be the 2010 NFL MVP then those doubts should have been destroyed after he thoroughly outplayed Peyton Manning in a 31-28 win over the Colts, or after his perfect QB rating in a 45-24 thrashing of the Lions, or after he humiliated the Jets on Monday night.

Then, just to make sure everyone was watching, Brady walked into snowy Chicago and made the Bears look like a JV team in a dominant 36-7 win. Being the quarterback for the best team of the NFL is usually enough to guarantee someone the MVP award, but let's look at the numbers anyway.

Brady's 109.9 QB rating is far and away the best in the NFL, he's tied for first in the league with 29 touchdown passes, his 66.8 completion percentage is third and he's sixth in passing yards with 3,398. Oh, and he's only thrown a league-low four interceptions.

Brady has done all this despite losing his best deep threat (Randy Moss) and having to readjust to a new offense on the fly. Brady could sit out the final three games and still be MVP. But because he's Brady he's probably good for another 1,000 yards passing and eight touchdowns.

Incredible.