Silverman: Manning, Murray, Rodgers Lead 5-Man MVP Race At Halfway Point
By Steve Silverman
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The NFL season has taken shape as a majority of teams have reached the halfway point.
The season has turned into a disaster for the New York Jets, and there's no reason to think that general manager John Idzik or head coach Rex Ryan can provide the answers. And there's less reason to believe that Geno Smith or Michael Vick could execute those plans if their bosses knew what they were doing.
The Giants are in better shape, but they are teetering on the edge themselves. Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning have to find a way to come through during the most difficult part of their schedule, or else they will find themselves wondering what went wrong.
While the local teams are searching for answers, the NFL has seen some startling performances through the first half of the season. Some of them have been expected (Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers) while others (DeMarco Murray and Antonio Brown) have been surprises.
Here's a look at the NFL's leading MVP candidates through the first half of the season.
5. WR Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers are the most schizophrenic team in the NFL, having lost to the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Bucs, and having pummeled the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers. You may have noticed a brilliant performance by Ben Roethlisberger last Sunday against the Colts in which he threw for 522 yards and six touchdowns. Yes, he had the game of his life, but one of the primary reasons for his success is Brown.
He is perhaps the fastest of all the upper-echelon receivers in the league and he gets open on every play. There's no way to contain him because he is so confident in his ability to break down a defensive back. Brown has caught 60 passes for 852 yards and seven touchdowns, and he is a big-play machine who has 13 receptions of 20 yards or more. If he's in the lineup, the Steelers have a chance to score from anywhere on the field.
4. QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers – There has been some slippage with losses in the last two weeks, but Rivers has played like a championship-level quarterback throughout the first half of the season. The main difference between Rivers now and Rivers in past years is his relationship with head coach Mike McCoy.
The Chargers' boss keeps Rivers focused on the next play, and keeps him from stewing over previous mistakes. Rivers has completed 185-of-271 passes for 2,213 yards with a 20-5 TD-interception ratio. When it comes to dropping in the perfect deep ball to his receivers, few quarterbacks can match Rivers' touch and consistency.
3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – When the Packers lost two of their first three games and widespread panic was starting to infiltrate Wisconsin and many parts of the Upper Midwest, Rodgers had the solution to the high anxiety. He sat down, interlaced his fingers behind his head and told everyone to R-E-L-A-X. Rodgers couldn't have been more correct, as the Packers went on a four-game winning streak in which he threw 13 touchdown passes and did not throw one interception.
It seemed like he was on his way to making it five wins in a row when he tweaked a hamstring Sunday night against the New Orleans Saints. Rodgers stayed in the game, but it was clear he was not 100 percent and the Packers lost. He vows that the injury will not keep him out of the lineup, and if he is 90 percent healthy or better, that gives Green Bay a huge advantage nearly every week. Rodgers has connected on 169-of-250 passes for 2,092 yards with a 20-3 TD-interception ratio. He is smart, athletic and has an exceptional arm, and a healthy Rodgers will be in prime contention for the MVP award.
2. RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys – It's one thing for a running back to put prolific numbers on the board the way Murray has with the Cowboys, but it's quite another to perform so well that opposing head coaches have to chance their teams' entire game plan as a result. The Cowboys looked like a scary team in the preseason, but not scary good. They appeared to have one of the weakest defenses in the NFL, and while the offense had potential, it seemed that the defense was going to give up 30 points or more nearly every week after losing DeMarcus Ware (declined to offer contract) and Sean Lee (injury) in the offseason.
Head coach Jason Garrett knew he had to find a way to keep the offense on the field and the defense off of it, and that meant finding a productive running game. Murray was a strong runner last year with 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns, but he has been brilliant this year with 1,054 yards, a 5.1 yards-per-carry average and seven rushing touchdowns. There may be no stopping Murray this year as he makes a legitimate run at 2,000 yards.
1.QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos – While there are a number of good teams in the NFL, the Broncos are clearly the best team in the league at the halfway mark. Yes, they have an improved defense, but the biggest reason for their success is Manning. He makes big plays and he doesn't make key mistakes.
Notice how Manning plays the position when the Broncos are deep in their own territory. He doesn't call risky plays that could produce turnovers. He stays calm in the face of the pass-rush, picks out his opponent's weakness and then exploits it.
Manning appeared to have deficits when it came to arm strength two years ago after his neck surgery, but he is throwing the ball nearly as well as he ever has. Manning has completed 174-of-252 passes for 2,134 yards with 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and his command of the game gives the Broncos an edge that results in spectacular performances – and wins – nearly every time he steps on the field.
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