Matthew Stafford continues to age like fine wine. More than half of his 17th NFL season he is the favorite in joint bets with New England Patriots defender Drake Maye to win the league MVP award. Los Angeles Rams The signal-caller bolstered his MVP campaign Sunday with his third straight four-touchdown performance in a 42-26 win over a division rival. San Francisco 49ersStafford's teammates defended him as the best player in the NFL.
It's not just those in the Los Angeles locker room who think Stafford is the best player in the league. The 37-year-old has the shortest chance of winning the award, according to FanDuelafter discovering the year as a relative afterthought.
“To be honest, this has looked like an MVP game to me all year,” the Rams wide receiver said. Davante Adams. “Even some of the plays, the choices he made against Tennessee and the way he bounced back after that, that's how MVP plays to me. To rally a team and continue to lead at a high level after a setback, when things don't go your way, I think that's what really shows what MVP is all about.”
NFL MVP odds in Week 10
Odds via FanDuel
Stafford has been in the warm-up game since Week 4, and this long streak of outstanding performances has him reaching heights he has yet to reach in his prolific career. If the season ended today, Stafford would lead the NFL in passing yards per game (269.7) and touchdown passes (25) for the first time.
“He just plays with a lot of confidence,” defenseman Emmanuel Forbes – said the younger one. “He trusts his guys to make plays when the ball gets to them. Honestly, he's playing like an MVP.”
Winning the MVP award would all but cement Stafford's status as a future Hall of Famer. The achievement he sealed with Sunday's win didn't hurt either. After completing the 4-yard Davis Allen in the second quarter, Stafford became the ninth quarterback in NFL history to complete 400 career passes.
Jonathan Taylor should play a major role in the MVP race
Although Stafford is the new MVP favorite, he is far from the competition. In addition to the leading defenders who surround him as fellow statistical leaders and Super Bowl opponents, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is improving his position every week. Taylor now has a third shot at winning the honor after one of the best games of his career.
Taylor excelled in his workhorse role, leading the Colts to an overtime victory over the Colts. Atlanta Falconswith 32 carries for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He also had three catches for another 42 yards. It was the third time he topped 200 yards in his six-year career and kept the momentum going to finish the year as the NFL's leading rusher. He also leads the league in rushing touchdowns with 15.
It was a necessary bounce-back for Taylor, who was coming off his worst performance of the year in Week 9, and he willed the Colts to victory, righting the ship in what could have been a win. Super Bowl campaign.
If Taylor wins the MVP award, he will be the first non-defensive player to do so since. Adrian Peterson in 2012.
