The
Seattle Seahawks’ upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles capped off Sunday’s
Week 13 NFL action. Behind Russell Wilson, Seattle (8-4) ended Philly’s
league-best nine-game winning streak and kept the Seahawks within a game of first place in the NFC West behind the Los Angeles Rams (9-3), who took care of business against the
woeful Arizona Cardinals. Wilson threw for 227 yards and three scores and added
31 rushing yards (118.6 passer rating) as he strengthened his case for Most
Valuable Player in the victory, outplaying his counterpart and MVP candidate Carson
Wentz. With Wilson’s performance on Sunday night in consideration, here is a
look at the updated race for the league's MVP award.
5. Le’Veon Bell,
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell and the
Steelers travel to Cincinnati for ‘Monday Night Football’ to conclude Week 13. Even
without playing his Week 13 contest, Bell currently leads the NFL with 981 rushing yards.
His heavy workload, a league-high 252 rushing attempts, illustrates the
Steelers’ reliance on the 25-year-old running back. The sensational play of teammate
Antonio Brown, the NFL’s most dominant wideout who leads the league in
receiving yards and warrants MVP consideration, devalues Bell’s MVP chances.
4. Todd Gurley,
Los Angeles Rams
Gurley
currently leads the NFL with 1,502 yards from scrimmage (Bell could take the
lead if he posts 125 yards from scrimmage on Monday night) and is the only halfback
in the league with over 900 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Gurley has
11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving), tied for most in the NFL with New
Orleans Saints electrifying rookie running back Alvin Kamara.
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| Todd Gurley rushed for 74 yards and caught six passes for 84 yards in the Los Angeles Rams' road victory over the Arizona Cardinals. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images) |
3.
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
Despite
the defeat on Sunday night, the 10-2 Eagles are tied for the No. 1 seed in the
NFC with the red-hot Minnesota Vikings, behind the quarterback play of Wentz,
who is on pace to shatter Eagles franchise records. Wentz has thrown for the
most touchdown passes (29) in the NFL. The Eagles are tied with the Rams for
the league-lead in points per game (30.1).
2.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Right
in the thick of the ultra-competitive NFC, Wilson has done it all on offense for
the Seahawks. Despite a spotty offensive line and the lack of effective
complimentary running backs, Wilson has thrown for 3,029 yards and 23 touchdowns with
just eight interceptions this season. He also has rushed for a team-best 401 yards and
three scores.
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| Russell Wilson scrambles past Eagles defensive end Chris Long. (Josh Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports) |
1. Tom
Brady, New England Patriots
40
years young, Brady is playing the best football of his legendary career. Brady improved his record to 27-3 against the division-rival Bills with New England's win over Buffalo on Sunday. He
leads the NFL in passing yards, completions, and passer rating. He ranks second
in completion percentage (Drew Brees) and TD passes (Wentz). The 10-2 Patriots look
like the best team in the NFL and Brady is the biggest reason why.
