NFL MVP tracker: Matt Ryan proves he belongs atop list through four weeks
From Week 1 through Week 17, USA TODAY Sports' NFL staff will be handicapping the race for league MVP.
For the first time this season, there's no change at the top after Matt Ryan's 500-yard passing day cemented his status as a legitimate contender for his first MVP award.
A first-place vote is worth five points, a second-place vote is worth three, and a third-place vote is worth one.
Our MVP tracker through Week 4's games:
1. QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (26 points): He's piloting a steamroller of an offense that leads the NFL in yards per game (478.8, 83 more than the second-ranked Dallas Cowboys) and points per game (38, a touchdown better than their closest pursuer). Ryan's individual numbers are also eye-popping, his 1,473 passing yards, 72.1% completion rate and 126.3 passer rating well ahead of all his peers. He and Ben Roethlisberger share the league lead with 11 TD passes. And just as important, Ryan is on pace to commit just eight turnovers a year after he gave up the ball 21 times, many of the killer variety. Last week: 1
2. OLB Von Miller, Denver Broncos (14 points): His 5½ sacks lead the NFL — he's on pace to threaten Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22½ — and Miller is working on quite a streak with at least a half-sack in each of his last six games going back to the playoffs. He's coming off his quietest game of the season but remains the league's top-ranked edge defender, per the analytics site ProFootballFocus. And Miller will have another chance to pass the eyeball test Sunday, when he'll have Ryan and the high-flying Falcons in his crosshairs. Last week: 2
3. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (7 points): He followed his worst game of this season with his best, posting as many TD passes (5) in Sunday's demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs as incompletions. And with reinstated RB Le'Veon Bell reminding everyone what an impact his diverse abilities have on Pittsburgh's offense, it may not be long before Big Ben is closing the gap on Ryan's numbers. Last week: unranked
4. QB Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings (3 points): He's been remarkable considering he joined the team a month ago. Bradford has been steady in three starts — he has yet to turn the ball over — and that's really all a team with such a stifling defense needs. Expect his impact to grow as his familiarity with teammates and the playbook does the same. Last week: T4
Others receiving votes: Julio Jones (2 points), Russell Wilson (2)
Dropped out: Julian Edelman, Andrew Luck
— Week 3 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 2 MVP rankings (Ben Roethlisberger)
— Week 1 MVP rankings (Antonio Brown)
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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
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