MVP talk after just two games? It’s never too early to start gauging the NFL MVP race, so we’re doing exactly that despite the fact the 2018 regular season is only 12 percent complete.
Some of the names listed here might look silly in the weeks to come. But here are the top 10 candidates that have emerged after Week 2.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (last week: 2): Dude has a 151.5 passer rating, a 78.7 completion rate and a 13.4 yards-per-attempt average. Is that some sort of sick joke?
2. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (last week: NR): Mahomes is basically 1-A, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for listing him ahead of Fitzpatrick. That 10/0 touchdown-to-interception ratio speaks for itself, but he has a lot more support in that Kansas City offense.
3. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (last week: 1): He probably deserved the victory against Minnesota, and instead tied, but he still hasn’t lost and is playing superbly despite a rather significant injury.
4. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins (last week: NR): He also hasn’t lost, and he’s also playing superbly. The league’s sixth-highest-rated passer came up big in the clutch Sunday against the Packers.
5. Chicago Bears OLB Khalil Mack (last week: 9): Two sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown. Not a bad start to Mack’s Chicago career. The Bears should be 2-0, but he’s probably the only reason they aren’t 0-2.
6. Denver Broncos OLB Von Miller (last week: 4): Is it finally the three-time All-Pro’s turn to win Defensive Player of the Year? He leads the league with four sacks and has forced two fumbles.
7. Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton (last week: NR): He’s had a rough go the last couple years, but Dalton’s been really solid for the 2-0 Bengals. Six touchdowns to one pick and a 108.5 passer rating.
8. Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill (last week: NR): I repeat, he’s had a rough go the last couple years, but Tannehill’s been really solid for the 2-0 Dolphins. Completion percentage of 72.5 and a 104.9 rating.
9. Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill (last week: 3): The speedster has 263 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns as a jack-of-all-trades weapon for the most explosive offense in football.
10. Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff (last week: NR): The third-year No. 1 overall pick hasn’t really taken off yet, but he’s still got a triple-digit passer rating while quarterbacking the league’s best team.
