Tuesday open thread: Name your top three MVP candidates

Back in late October when the Matthew Stafford for MVP talk was still in its early stages, I’m not sure anyone actually believed that we’d be here over a month later still talking about it. At the time, the Lions were just 4-3 and still behind the Vikings and Packers in the division race. The only way Stafford would still be in the MVP race in December is if they Lions went on an epic run and actually won the division for the first time in 23 years.

Well, we’re here now. The Lions have won seven of their last eight and they are in a prime position to host their first playoff game in over two decades. Matthew Stafford deserves a ton of the credit, as he has thrown just one interception over the past two months, while passing for 14 touchdowns over that eight-game span.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Who are your top three MVP candidates right now?

My answer (in order):

1. Derek Carr
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Tom Brady

Derek Carr is having an unbelievable season right now. His numbers are nearly identical to Stafford’s (100.5 passer rating for Stafford, 100.3 for Carr), but I give him the edge because his team is doing slightly better.

There’s an argument to be made that Stafford has been more instrumental in his team’s eight wins, especially considering all of the late-game heroics, but Carr has been a fourth quarter fiend of his own. Carr has rallied for five comeback victories of his own in the final quarter. At this point, I view Stafford and Carr as neck-and-neck, and the final month of football should decide who go home with the title. Of course, Tom Brady, Ezekiel Elliott, Matt Ryan and others still have a very good chance to make a run at it.

Your turn.