NFL MVP tracker: Tom Brady quickly closing gap on Matt Ryan

From Week 1 through Week 17, USA TODAY Sports' NFL staff will be handicapping the race for league MVP.

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 7's games:

1. QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (26 points): He leads the list for the fifth consecutive week. But Ryan, who was our panel's unanimous choice just seven days ago, is slipping on the heels of a two-game skid, which included a fourth-quarter interception that allowed the San Diego Chargers to tie Sunday's game before they won it in overtime. Ryan still paces the NFL with 2,348 passing yards and yards per completion (14.2) while orchestrating Atlanta's top-ranked offense but is losing ground in other major categories. Last week: 1

USA TODAY Sports' Week 8 NFL picks

2. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (14 points): He now qualifies for the league lead in passer rating, a sublime 132.6 mark that is well ahead of the single-season record, and completion percentage (75.2%, also well ahead of record pace). Brady has won all three of his starts, leaving him just one back of Ryan, in convincing fashion. And though he'd never admit it, Brady sure seems as motivated as ever in the wake of his suspension to remind everyone he's a generational player ready to become a three-time MVP. Last week: T4 

3. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (9 points): Despite being off last weekend, the stellar rookie retained the league rushing lead (though DeMarco Murray claimed it, at least temporarily, Thursday night). Elliott gets the chance to extend his string of games with 130-plus rushing yards to five in front of a national audience Sunday night against the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, who've allowed more than 120 yards on the ground only once this season. Last week: T2

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4. OLB Von Miller, Denver Broncos (6 points): He was shut out of the sack department Monday night for the first time since the divisional round of last season's playoffs. But Miller, still the NFL's top-ranked edge defender per the analytics site ProFootballFocus, does far more than hunt quarterbacks, defending the run and pass far more effectively than most 250-pound linebackers. Last week: T4 

5. QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (3 points): His team remains on track for its first postseason trip in 14 years after Sunday's convincing win at Jacksonville. Carr's third season is shaping up his best — his 13-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio is just one indicator — and he'll surely need to maintain his lofty play given the Raiders continue to rank last defensively. Last week: unranked

Others receiving votes: Philip Rivers (2 points), Andrew Luck (1), Matthew Stafford (1), Russell Wilson (1)

— Week 6 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 5 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 4 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 3 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 2 MVP rankings (Ben Roethlisberger)
— Week 1 MVP rankings (Antonio Brown)

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