ARLINGTON, TX – NOVEMBER 19: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter of a football game at AT&T Stadium on November 19, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Last week, five quarterbacks — each playing for first-place teams — could make a case for NFL MVP, even if the Eagles’ Carson Wentz was the front-runner. But after Week 11, the field has tightened up as a few candidates didn’t play well and cost their teams. Could this now be a two-man race?

With six weeks remaining in the 2017 NFL season, here’s how we view the MVP race.

1. Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz (last week: 1st): It’s starting to look like Tom Brady could leapfrog Wentz in the coming weeks, but I don’t think it’s fair to remove him from this spot after a turnover-free performance in a blowout primetime victory over a desperate division rival on the road.

2. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (last week: 3rd): But they’re neck-and-neck, considering that Brady leads the league in practically every statistical category for the top Super Bowl contender in the opposite conference.

3. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees (last week: 5th): Here’s your ultimate dark horse. Brees hasn’t always had to be at his best for the 8-2 Saints, but he carried them when it mattered most at the end of that thrilling Week 11 victory over Washington. The NFL’s third-highest-rated passer leads the league with a completion percentage of 71.6.

4. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (last week: 6th): Yes, the Seahawks lost to Atlanta on Monday night, but did you see that magic over and over again from Wilson? The league’s best improviser is single-handedly keeping the Seahawks alive. They nearly beat a superior Falcons team in Week 11, but without Wilson they would have been blown out.

5. Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford (last week: 7th): The numbers don’t do justice to Stafford’s season. He’s led a league-high three game-winning drives and he has a 124.7 passer rating during Detroit’s current three-game winning streak.

6. Kansas City Chiefs QB Alex Smith (last week: 2nd): He’s plummeting. The Chiefs have stopped hitting on big plays and have thus lost four of five after a 5-0 start. Smith’s a big part of that, of course. His numbers have been pedestrian since the middle of October.

7. Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff (last week: 4th): He’s had his moments, but the second-year No. 1 overall pick just hasn’t been consistent enough. After two huge weeks moved him into the top five, a dud on the road against a tough Vikings defense dropped him back.

8. Minnesota Vikings QB Case Keenum (last week: unranked): Keenum is a longshot, but the 8-2 Vikes would have several fewer wins without him at the helm. Dude’s been sacked just once since Week 4.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com, a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at CBSSports.com, Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Comeback Media, but his day gig has him covering the NFL nationally for Bleacher Report.