2014 NFL MVP Predictions, Rankings & Projections: Top 5 MVP Players Through Midseason
The 2014 NFL season is officially halfway complete, and we've seen a lot of players standout and thrive against the best teams.
The most prestigious award an individual can receive is the Most Valuable Player Award. This award shows you've been one of the best players in the league and you've helped your team win on the field.
Here are the top 5 MVP candidates midway through the season:
1. Peyton Manning
The obvious pick, as Peyton Manning has won this award an NFL-record five times including last season.
This season, Manning has thrown an outstanding 22 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He has the highest passer rating in the entire league at 119, even higher than last season. Manning has a 6-1 record this season with the Denver Broncos, and his only blemish this year was an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on the road. Manning has yet to lose a single game this season in regulation, and is poised to win his sixth MVP award.
2. DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray has been the best running back this season. He leads the NFL with 1,054 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Murray has run for 100 yards in every single game this season, becoming the only running back to ever eclipse the 100-yard mark in his first seven games. He benefits from having the best offensive line in front of him, but he still makes the most of it. The Dallas Cowboys are 6-2 thanks to Murray's performance this season so far.
Unfortunately, Murray has been fumbling a lot this year and he's not as consistent as Manning.
3. J.J. Watt
It's a long shot, but no other defensive player has played better than J.J. Watt has this season. Watt will most likely win the Defensive Player of the Year Award, just like he did in 2012. Watt has seven sacks and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown this season. He did miss a crucial sack against Tony Romo, but Watt has still been the league's best defender. It will be tough for Watt to get the MVP Award because the Houston Texans are just 4-4 this season.
The last time a defensive player won league MVP was 1986, when Lawrence Taylor won it for the New York Giants.
4. Antonio Brown
No wide receiver has ever won the MVP Award, not even the great Jerry Rice.
Antonio Brown doesn't have history on his side, but he is playing like the best receiver in the league. Brown is the most useful wideout in football, able to catch deep passes, short passes, cut through the middle and even play special teams. This season Brown ranks first in receptions (60), second in yards (852) and fourth in touchdowns with seven. There's nothing this 5-foot-10 receiver can't do on a football field, especially with Ben Roethlisberger throwing him the football. If the Pittsburgh Steelers can make the playoffs, expect Brown to get some MVP votes.
5. Aaron Rodgers
As usual, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having a terrific season. Rodgers has 19 touchdowns and three interceptions this season with a 113.6 passer rating. He's been great, but not perfect. Aside from not being as good as Manning, Rodgers was outplayed by Matthew Stafford in a loss to the Detroit Lions and then Drew Brees on Sunday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. Rodgers and the Packers are 5-3, right in the middle of the NFC North race.
Rodgers' stock will most likely rise once he gets more divisional wins and outplays other big name quarterbacks.
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