With the Monday Night Football game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles now concluded, Week Six of the 2015 NFL season is in the books. Even if the season is going way too quickly, there is still a lot of football yet to be played this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to talk about who are the legitimate MVP contenders as of now. When considering potential MVP candidates, we need to keep in mind that it is important, even more so than in other sports, that the MVP come from a good team. It’s really difficult for a player from a subpar team, or especially from a team that fails to make the playoffs, to be named the MVP.
This is just the reality of the situation, and the point of this article is not to debate whether that is right or wrong. So for the purposes of this list I will only consider players from teams with winning records as of now. Almost none of the teams that currently have a sub .500 record look like they will make the playoffs. Maybe, just maybe, the Seattle Seahawks (2-4) can get into the postseason if they get their act together, or possibly (but doubtful) the Dallas Cowboys (2-3) if they can get healthy, since no team is running away with the NFC East. With those thoughts in mind, below are the top six contenders for MVP as of now.
TOP SIX 2015 NFL MVP CANDIDATES THROUGH WEEK SIX
TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Tom Brady has the New England Patriots sitting at 5-0 and atop the AFC East. The former Michigan Wolverine is averaging 340 passing yards per game (second) and he’s thrown 14 touchdowns (tied for second) with only one interception, while completing 70.6 percent of his passes (first among quarterbacks who have completed at least 100 passes this season). That one interception came Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts, and, as good as wide receiver Julian Edelman has been, that pick six was Edelman’s fault. Brady has been playing at a really high level all season and he has the Patriots looking like they have a legitimate shot at repeating as Super Bowl champions.
AARON RODGERS, QUARTERBACK, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Aaron Rodgers lost his best receiver from last season Jordy Nelson to an ACL tear before the regular season even began, and his next best target Randall Cobb has been playing with a hurt shoulder. But Rodgers has helped the Packers achieve a 6-0 start and commanding lead in the NFC North. Rodgers is averaging 249 passing yards per game (20th) this season and he’s thrown 15 touchdowns (first) with only two interceptions.
ANDY DALTON, QUARTERBACK, CINCINNATI BENGALS
Andy Dalton has played really well this season, and he is a big reason why the Cincinnati Bengals have gotten off to a 6-0 start and hold a two game lead in the AFC North. The former TCU Horned Frog is averaging 294 yards per game (fifth) and he’s thrown 14 touchdowns (tied for second) with only two interceptions. True, Dalton and the Bengals need to win a playoff game (0-4 with Dalton under center), but the MVP award is for the regular season only. There is no denying the Red Rifle has played at an MVP caliber thus far in 2015.
JULIO JONES, WIDE RECEIVER, ATLANTA FALCONS
The Atlanta Falcons may have had a pretty easy schedule so far this season, but regardless, Julio Jones has been playing really well. There is no denying that. He has 49 receptions (third) for 638 yards with four touchdowns (eighth) and he is averaging 106.3 receiving yards per game (fourth). After a ridiculous first three games (146.6 yards per game and four touchdowns) Jones has cooled off a bit. Some of that can attributed to his hamstring issues, and the former Alabama wide receiver will probably continue to post impressive numbers the rest of the season.
DEVONTA FREEMAN, RUNNING BACK, ATLANTA FALCONS
Devonta Freeman has put up some good numbers so far this season. He currently leads in the league in rushing with 505 yards and he is averaging 84.2 yards per game. The second-year running back has also found the endzone a staggering nine times already and he leads all running backs with 31 first downs. The former Florida State Seminole isn’t just dangerous carrying the ball out of the backfield, though. He has 32 receptions, which is tops among running backs, for 296 yards with one touchdown and another 10 first downs. For those keeping score that is a total of 801 yards, ten touchdowns and 41 first downs.
CHRIS IVORY, RUNNING BACK, NEW YORK JETS
Time will tell if the New York Jets have what it takes to make the playoffs, but them starting the season 4-1 is one of the bigger surprises of the 2015 season. While the Jets haven’t exactly had a gauntlet of a schedule, they are still playing good football, and running back Chris Ivory is a big reason why. The talented running back has 83 carries for 460 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns with no fumbles this season. He is averaging 115.0 yards per game (first) and he has three runs of over 20 yards with no fumbles this season. He has also rushed for 22 first downs, which is tied for fourth among all running backs.
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