As we cross into November the NFL season has just crossed its halfway point. It’s about now we get a sense of the contenders and pretenders in the league, in addition to getting clarity on who could take home some hardware in the awards races. The MVP race is lacking a defined leader right now, but it shouldn’t be. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been leaps and bounds the best player in the NFL this season and deserves the MVP.
The Numbers
The numbers are a good place to start. Despite having a bye week already, Stafford still leads the NFL with 21 passing touchdowns, three more TD passes than second place.Stafford is known as a gunslinger, and for most quarterbacks who fit that moniker, interceptions are accepted as necessary evil. This year, though, he has been nearly perfect with just two interceptions all season, both of which came in the first three weeks.. Even though he has played one less week than some of his competitors, Stafford is top ten in passing yards, quarterback rating and passer rating. Stafford also leads all qualified passers with 268 passing yards per game. He has been flawless in the red zone with 17 touchdown passes to zero interceptions.
The Success
You can’t win the MVP if you’re on a bad team. The Rams are tied atop the NFC West right now with a 6-2 mark, thanks in no small part to Stafford. The Rams offense has topped 23 points in every game this year except two. Now granted Stafford does have elite weapons to throw to like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Not to mention an elite head coach like Sean McVay. Stafford though doesn’t need all that. Nacua is out oh yeah no big deal Stafford will just throw for five touchdowns without him easy win. The Rams season felt hinged on Stafford’s health as he had that back issue in training camp. The only issue Stafford has shown this year is single-handedly putting the Rams on his back and looking like he’ll lead them to the playoffs.
The Eye Test
Despite analytics taking more of a foothold in every sports conversation nowadays, I still prefer the old school approach where you trust your eyes with what you see and your gut feeling instead of relying on the numbers. What my eyes and gut tell me is that it’s #9’s time to get his MVP. When I watch games on Sundays there is no quarterback who can get me excited with a throw like Stafford does — that feels like an MVP to me. A feel factor is unique to everyone. You can’t really describe it in words; you just have to see it. There is a part of the feeling that could factor in as well that it’s past time for Stafford to get the recognition. Stafford is amongst the last of the great statesmen who quarterbacked the NFL through the 2010s and while guys like Aaron Rodgers collected the MVPs and Tom Brady the Super Bowls and MVPs, Stafford got nothing. It is absurd Stafford only has two Pro Bowl selections. Stafford has long been one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. With the season he’s having at age 37, being atop or near the top of all statistical categories for quarterbacks, doesn’t it feel like this guy has been underappreciated for years? He has the numbers and team success to back it up. It feels like it’s time to honor Matthew Stafford and give him the MVP.
The Other Candidates
Of course, there are other contenders. Reigning MVP Josh Allen and modern titan Patrick Mahomes have the potential to add another MVP to their resumes, but Stafford has the superior numbers and team success to trump them both. Baker Mayfield has cooled off after a hot start and players like Lamar Jackson have missed time due to injury. The Colts duo of Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor might be Stafford’s stiffest competition. Jones doesn’t have that feel factor though of being elite that goes into MVP conversations, and fair or not Taylor is a running back and the MVP almost always is a quarterback award.
The Path
In order to secure the MVP, Stafford just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing. His last game out might have been his best with 282 passing yards and four touchdown passes en route to a 34-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. . Stafford will have plenty of screen time as well as the Rams have only played one primetime game so far and have premier games against the Buccaneers, Lions and Seahawks all in primetime coming up. Stafford has a chance to show on a national level why he should be the MVP by simply playing like he has been. The Rams have a good chance at winning the division, which is a feather Stafford needs in his cap if he wants to take home the MVP.
The Disrespect
Stafford has been playing lights out, leading the Rams into playoff position while leading the league in touchdown passes. Those factors are needed for a MVP and if it were any other quarterback but Stafford they would be much more in the conversation than he is now. Stafford is playing the best football of his career thus far at an MVP level. It’s long past time for Stafford to get his recognition; the future hall of famer Matthew Stafford deserves the 2025 NFL MVP.