This time of year, every media outlet is discussing who should be MVP, what absurd playoff scenarios could exist (The 9 games the Buccaneers need to go a certain way in order to make the playoffs, or if the Lions and Packers tied, they’d both make the postseason, for example), but I’m here to list my top 5 candidates for the award, and to make the case for and against each, and ultimately pick who I would vote for, and who I predict will win the award. Without further delay, let’s begin:

Honorable Mention: Derek Carr – Quarterback, Oakland Raiders

I love watching Derek Carr play, he’s the guy I’d build a team around if I had a pick of any quarterback under 30, which made it all the more heartbreaking to see him injured so severely last week. I think he’s been having a near-MVP caliber season, but he’s had 6 games with a QB rating under 85, which is tough in a season with spectacular QB performances

5. David Johnson – Running Back, Arizona Cardinals (tie)

The Case For: This man leads the NFL in touchdowns, in scrimmage yards, and is the reason, it seems, that the Cards have more than 2-3 wins this whole season. He’s been arguably the best running back in football, possibly its best receiving back as well (there’s a good debate between him and the guy I have him tied with).

The Case Against: The Cardinals are 6-8-1 this season, and were eliminated from playoff contention. This has been a wildly inconsistent team despite having the league’s most consistent production from the running back position, MVPs lead their teams to the playoffs, not to sub-.500 records. He’s the most likely player to get offensive player of the year though.

5. Le’Veon Bell – Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers (tie)

The Case For: Have you watched Bell play this year? The Steelers offense goes as he goes, during the mid-season slump, Bell only averaged around 80 yards rushing per game. The Steelers are on a 6 game winning streak, all the while, Bell has averaged well over 150 yards from scrimmage in these contests, and has scored 7 of his 9 touchdowns on the season in that span. That is indicative of his value to this offense.

The Case Against: Bell has only played in 12 games this year, because he was suspended for the first 3 games of the season for failing a drug test. The only player to miss more than 1 game during an MVP season was Joe Montana, and the reason he won that award was because he was far and away the best QB in the NFL during that span, there was no debate who was the most valuable to his team. This point will also be brought up later with another player on the list.

4. Zeke Elliott – Running Back, Dallas Cowboys

The Case For: Elliott has exploded onto the scene in his rookie season, showing why he was worth the 4th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Zeke has been a true game changer for Dallas, and has helped Dak Prescott rapidly develop into a good passer this season, as he’s been able to work with loaded boxes. Zeke also leads the NFL in rushing this season by around 300 yards.

The Case Against: Donald Trump will be basing his wall on the Dallas offensive lines ability to keep unwanted parties at bay. (I’m only putting a Trump mention in here for more google search results). But in all seriousness, the offensive line in Dallas has been a wall for Zeke to run through all season, and the development of Prescott has allowed Elliott more space to work with at times. He’s also a running back, which means, to win MVP, he has to do something that transcends the sport like the last running back to win the award, Adrian Peterson with his 2000 yard season.

3. Aaron Rodgers – Quarterback, Green Bay Packers

The Case For: Rodgers has put on a show for the last few weeks, taking a Packers team that was 4-6, and giving them a chance at the division title if they win a showdown with the division leading Detroit Lions. The offense has been at another level since they ended their 4 game losing streak, with Rodgers passer rating over 100 for 4 of the 5 games in the Packers 5 game win streak.

The Case Against: Are the Packers winning because of Aaron Rodgers, or because players around him are finally getting healthy and settled into new positions? Jordy Nelson finally looks like his 2014 self, when he and Rodgers were lighting up scoreboards. How about the emergence of Ty Montgomery as the Packers lead running back? Rodgers also enjoys some of the best pass protection in the league these days. That’s a ton of factors helping a guy who is supposed to be the most valuable to his team, but I ask the question, is Rodgers the Packers MVP, or is it Jordy Nelson? Really think about this one.

2. Blake Bortles – Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Case For: Uh, moving on.

2. Tom Brady – Quarterback, New England Patriots

The Case For: Brady has been on an absolute tear since coming back from suspension (more on that later) 25 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions is just insane, especially considering how long Brady has been without the best tight end in the league, Gronk. Brady has led the Pats to a probably #1 seed in the AFC, and has reminded everyone how good he can be.

The Case Against: Much like Le’Veon Bell, Brady was suspended (albeit a dumb suspension) for the first 4 games of the season, which significantly affects his eligibility for this award, not to mention that the team went 3-1 without him, including a 27-0 shutout win over a playoff bound Houston Texans team with third-string QB Jacoby Brissett starting the game. The Pats are a very talented team that doesn’t necessarily need Brady to make the playoffs, it certainly helps to have a great QB like Brady under center, but with all the talent on that team, I think Jimmy Garroppollo could lead them to an AFC East title as well.

1. Matt Ryan – Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons

The Case For: The Mattural (or Matty Ice, but I’m with Rich Eisen on this one) has been a beacon of consistency, and has led his Falcons to a historically great offense, as he’s become the only QB to throw a touchdown to 13 different receivers in a single season, he’s the current holder of a 54 game streak where he’s thrown for at least 200 yards, and he leads an offense that has scored 33.5 points per game. He is the heart and soul of the Atlanta offense, he is the Steph Curry of the NFL this year. He’s got the best passer rating in the league this season with a stellar 115.5, and his passer rating as only been under 90 for 2 games the entire season. Oh, and all the while Julio Jones has missed 2 games, and been held under 35 yards in 4 games. The Falcons have won all 6 of these games.

The Case Against: The addition of Alex Mack has taken some burden off of Matt Ryan’s shoulders, as has a play-calling scheme that allows him to distribute the ball to so many different receivers. Playing in Atlanta certainly hurts his chances, as he’s on a second seeded Falcons team without a truly signature win on the season, the best win you get is the win over the Broncos in Denver and the win over the Saints on Monday Night Football on the anniversary of the Superdome reopening, there are plenty of great wins, certainly, as was the win over the Raiders early in the season. It’s tough to get voters excited about a guy who’s a model of consistency that doesn’t play for one of the NFL’s signature franchises.

The Ruling

So you’ve heard the cases, and I have thought long and hard over who has truly earned the right to be called the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, and the winner is:

Matt Ryan:

My reasoning for this is the fact that the Falcons defense has been carried by that spectacular offense all year.The Falcons have gone on 53 touchdown drives and had 55 drives end in punts or turnovers, no team in the NFL team is even close to touching them in that regard. The offense scores on 55 percent of their drives, leaving them as second to only the 2007 Patriots in terms of scoring percentages (57% of drives led to scores for that team.) The man who leads his offense, and who truly provides more wins over the next man up (which is the definition of value), is the one who should win MVP. If I have to choose between Brent Hundley, Jimmy Garroppollo, and Matt Schaub, my season isn’t over with Hundley or Garroppollo, my season is most certainly over with Schaub. That, and Ryan’s Falcons beat Rodgers’ Packers, and Ryan has vastly outplayed Tom Brady against common opponents, Ryan has more yards and touchdowns, and a much better passer rating.

Who do I think the media will give it to?

I think the voters will get this one right and go for the guy who has been leading their team to victory in Matt Ryan.

Who do you all think should be the NFL’s MVP? What do you think of my rankings? Let me know in the comment section below.