NFL MVP tracker: Raiders' Derek Carr leads for first time
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 12's games (and one from Week 13):
1. QB Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (22 points): Maybe the Michael Jackson effect put him over the top, but the third-year star assumes first place in our poll for the first time just days after he finished Week 12's comeback win over the Carolina Panthers with a black glove on his throwing hand. Carr was temporarily knocked from the game after sustaining a dislocated finger but returned in plenty of time to lead his fifth fourth-quarter comeback for the Raiders, whose 9-2 record is tied for best in the AFC. His 22-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio aside, just leading Oakland to its first winning record in 14 years is enough to make Carr a strong contender. Last week: 2
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2. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (21 points): His run in the top spot barely fell shy of a third week. It's certainly not helping the NFL's leader for rushing yards (1,285) that he's sharing votes with fellow Dallas rookie Dak Prescott. And despite his disavowal of rookie walls, Elliott's pursuit of Eric Dickerson's mark for most yards on the ground by a rookie has also steadily fallen off the pace. Still, no shame in breaking into the league as such a strong MVP candidate. Last week: 1
3. QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots (7 points): He's a victim of his own success and standards, but Brady's two worst games of the season have come in the past three weeks, degrading his momentum. Thursday's news that TE Rob Gronkowski will likely miss the rest of the season could deal another blow to Brady's pursuit of a third MVP ... or vault him ahead of the field if he's able to keep the Pats on cruise control without his favorite target. Last week: 4
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4. QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (6 points): It used to be first-year quarterbacks rarely even sniffed rookie of the year recognition. Yet here's Prescott, potentially raising that bar a significant notch. His 108.6 passer rating would be the best ever for a rookie passer if he can maintain his efficiency — and, given he's dipped below 100.0 just once during Dallas' 11-game win streak, it seems likely he'll be rewriting the record book. Last week: 3
5. QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (3 points): If they named an MVP for the first half of the season, here's your guy. With 3,516 passing yards, 26 TDs and six INTs, Ryan is still headed for a career season and just became the first player to ever pass for at least 200 yards in 50 consecutive games. But the Falcons have split their last six contests, and Drew Brees and Brady have overtaken Ryan in several prominent statistical categories. Last week: 6
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Others receiving votes: Drew Brees (1 point), Kirk Cousins (1), Matthew Stafford (1), Russell Wilson (1)
— Week 11 MVP rankings (Ezekiel Elliott)
— Week 10 MVP rankings (Ezekiel Elliott)
— Week 9 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 8 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— Week 7 MVP rankings (Matt Ryan)
— 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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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
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