2011 NFL MVP Watch: Power Ranking the Top 20 Most Likely Candidates

First off, let's just get this out of the way: Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are the two clear-cut front-runners for the 2011 NFL's Most Valuable Player award this season. 

With that being said, the MVP race could change at any moment as a player can suddenly catch fire and lead his team to a playoff berth or a player can simply start playing well below average and ultimately bring down their team. 

Players like Rodgers and Brady have been unstoppable this season as they've led their teams to a combined 13-1 start this season. 

As Rodgers and Brady are two obvious candidates for the MVP award this season, where does everyone else fall? What about Drew Brees, Calvin Johnson and Matt Forte? 

Find out by reading this power ranking of the top 20 MVP candidates thus far this season. 

20. Michael Turner

Michael Turner has been a human bowling ball for the Atlanta Falcons this season—no one has been able to tackle Turner on a consistent basis.

The 29-year-old has ran for 621 yards for the Falcons this season as he's scored six touchdowns as well as catching seven passes for 98 yards. 

Without Turner, the Atlanta Falcons are not 4-3 and Matt Ryan and the team's passing attack is no where as good as it is right now. 

19. Frank Gore

Despite struggling through the first three weeks of the season, Frank Gore has turned it on as of late.

Gore has ran for 541 yards, which is good enough for the sixth most in the NFL, as he's averaged 5.0 yards per-carry and has punched in four touchdowns on the ground for the San Francisco 49ers. Gore has also caught 12 passes for 71 yards.

The Inconvenient Truth has been the key to San Francisco's offensive success as of late and has most certainly been a major factor to the team's surprising 5-1 start. 

18. LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy has done his share for the Philadelphia Eagles despite the team starting off with a pitiful 2-4 record.

McCoy has ran for the NFL's fifth most yards at 569 as well as six touchdowns. In the air, McCoy has snagged 21 passes for the Eagles as he's accumulated 123 yards while scoring two touchdowns as a receiver. 

There is no debate that McCoy has been the Eagles' most consistent player this season. 

17. Matt Forte

Matt Forte is the reason why the Chicago Bears can get away with giving up a dreadful 21 sacks on the season.

Forte has ran for 672 yards, which is the fourth most in the NFL while averaging 5.4 yards per-carry and scoring two touchdowns on the ground. However Forte's dominance doesn't end there, when he's a receiver, he's caught an incredible 38 passes for 419 yards and a touchdown. 

Forte is arguably the NFL's most dangerous dual-threat running back today. 

16. Ray Lewis

How good has Ray Lewis been this season? Well for starters, he's on pace to finish with 133 tackles and five sacks.

Lewis is arguably the biggest reason why the Baltimore Ravens have the NFL's top ranked defense. 

There is no question that Lewis is the heart and soul of the Ravens defense, and even though he doesn't necessarily have the greatest stats, he's definitely a candidate for the 2011 MVP. 

15. Matt Schaub

Matt Schaub has played very well thus far for the Houston Texans this season.

Schaub has led his Texans to a 4-3 start, which is good enough for the top of the AFC South.

The Virginia product has passed for 1,893 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 61.2 percent of his passes and posting a 96.8 quarterback rating. 

14. Cam Newton

It's kind of hard to be considered an MVP candidate when your team has a 2-5 record, but it certainly has not been his fault.

Cam Newton has been simply unbelievable this season for the Carolina Panthers.

This year's first overall pick has posted an 82.8 quarterback rating while throwing for an incredible 2,103 yards and eight touchdowns, but has been picked off nine times. On the ground, Newton has been just as much as a playmaker, as he's ran for 266 yards and seven touchdowns.

Newton is on pace to finish with 4,806 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 608 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. To make this clear, Newton is projected to finish with 34 total touchdowns—how incredible is that? 

13. Ben Roethlisberger

2011 by no means has been Ben Roethlisberger's best season, but he's still playing at a high level and leading his Pittsburgh Steelers to victories.

Big Ben has posted a 95.3 quarterback rating while tossing 12 touchdowns and passing for 1,937 yards. 

Roethlisberger's solid performance this season has lead to a 5-2 start for the Steelers. 

12. Darrelle Revis

Darrelle Revis has been at his best this season for the New York Jets.

Arguably the NFL's top cover-cornerback, he has been able to take out every opposing team's No. 1 wide receiver.

Revis hasn't been thrown to much, but when he has, he's made the opposing quarterback pay. Revis has tallied up 20 tackles on the season, 10 pass deflections and four interceptions, with one of those being returned for a touchdown. 

Revis is a huge reason why the Jets are the seventh best defense against the pass. 

11. Eli Manning

Eli Manning is on pace to have the best season of his career.

Manning has led his New York Giants to a solid 4-2 start, which is good enough for first place in the tough, competitive NFC East.

No. 10 has recorded a 101.1 quarterback rating as well as throwing for 11 touchdowns, 1,778 passing yards and only five interceptions. 

10. Patrick Willis

Patrick Willis is the key ingredient to the San Francisco 49ers' success this season.

Willis has led the 49ers to be ranked as one of the NFL's top defensive units, as he's recorded 47 tackles, a forced fumble as well as seven pass deflections. 

All in all, Willis as a monster. He roams around the field making tackle after tackle and is currently on pace to finish 2011 with an impressive 125 tackles. 

San Francisco would not be 5-1 without Willis' services. 

9. Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh certainly does not have the numbers to back it up, but he's arguably the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL today.

Suh has recorded 23 tackles on the season while tallying up three sacks. 

The reigning defensive rookie of the year has been an even better force than he was last season—and that is saying something. 

Suh is a huge reason why the Detroit Lions find themselves at 5-2 on the season. 

8. Darren McFadden

Despite ultimately being a non-factor last week for the Oakland Raiders, Darren McFadden has still managed to have the fifth most rushing yards in the entire NFL with 614 yards.

Run-DMC is averaging 5.4 yards per-carry while having scored four touchdowns on the ground. In the passing game, McFadden is just as major of a threat, as he's caught 19 passes for 154 yards and a score. 

McFadden is a major reason why the Oakland Raiders are 4-3 on the season. 

7. Fred Jackson

The NFL's sixth leading rusher as been arguably the main reason why the Buffalo Bills find themselves with an impressive 4-2 record. 

Jackson has ran for 601 yards on the season, as he's averaging a phenomenal 5.7 yards per-carry and stands with a total of six touchdowns on the year.

However, Jackson's dominance doesn't end there. No. 22 has not only been a threat on the ground, but he's also a threat in the passing game. Jackson has caught 24 passes for 279 yards, which is a solid 11.6 yards per-reception. 

There is no debate regarding Jackson's importance in Buffalo's offense and their success over the season. 

6. Matthew Stafford

The NFL is without a question a quarterback league which makes Matthew Stafford a legitimate contender in the 2011 MVP race.

Stafford has led his Detroit Lions to be unbelievable 5-2 start, as he's passed for 16 touchdowns, 1,912 yards while completing 60.2 percent of his passes and recording a 95.5 quarterback rating. 

Stafford's numbers aren't the league's best, but he's one of the key reasons why the previously-lowly Lions are now a legitimate playoff contender. 

5. Wes Welker

Tom Brady may be the best player on the New England Patriots' roster, but all of the credit to New England's success this season should be rewarded to wide receiver Wes Welker. 

Welker is well on pace to break Jerry Rice's record of 1,848 receiving yards in a season as Welker is projected to finish with 2,093—that would be considered to be the greatest season ever by a wide receiver. 

As Welker is on pace to finish with 2,093 receiving yards, he's also on pace to finish with 136 receptions, which would be the second-highest of all-time as well as scoring 16 touchdowns. 

How's this for a finished stat line: 136 receptions for 2,093 yards and 16 touchdowns. 

4. Calvin Johnson

It would be quite the story if Calvin Johnson were to be named the 2011 NFL's Most Valuable Player.

Johnson, or better known as "Megatron," has been uncoverable this season, as he's in the reach of breaking several NFL records—one being Randy Moss' single season record of 23 touchdown receptions, as Johnson is on pace to reel in 22.9 touchdowns, which is ultimately 23. 

Megatron is the juice that keeps the Detroit Lions' offense pumping, as he's snagged 41 passes for 679 yards to go along with his incredible 10 touchdowns. 

3. Drew Brees

2011 has arguably been Drew Brees' best season ever throughout his stellar 11-year career. 

Brees has posted a 104.6 quarterback rating while passing for a league-best 2,477 yards, and has completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Purdue product has led his New Orleans Saints to a solid 5-2 start while leading the NFL's second-best offensive attack. 

2. Tom Brady

Believe it or not, this could very well be Tom Brady's best season in the league—it's definitely close with his phenomenal 2007 season.

The reigning MVP became the first ever unanimously chosen winner last season and so far this season, he's performed at a whole different level than last season.

Brady has thrown for 2,163 yards and 16 touchdowns, while completing 67.5 percent of his passes. The lone negative on Brady's stat line is that he's been intercepted eight times, which is a bit alarming for a quarterback at his level. 

No. 12 has led his New England Patriots to an impressive 5-1 start while being the top passer in the AFC. 

1. Aaron Rodgers

This is as clear-cut as it's going to get—there should be no debate regarding Aaron Rodgers being the favorite to win the 2011 NFL Most Valuable Player Award. 

Rodgers has been simply unstoppable this season for the Green Bay Packers.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP has posted the highest quarterback rating in the entire NFL at 125.7—if the season would end today, that would be the highest quarterback rating in the history of the league.

Rodgers has also passed for 2,372 yards, a league-high 20 touchdowns while completing 71.5 percent of his passes—which would also be an NFL record if the season were to end today.

It's quite simple when you think of it: Rodgers leads the league in most passing numbers while leading the Packers to an incredible 7-0 start. There's no reason why he won't win MVP if he keeps it up.