ClutchPoints’ Week 15 NFL MVP Power Rankings

With just four weeks left in the NFL regular season, the MVP race has started to look more and more like a two-horse race as the year has gone on. Matthew Stafford and Drake Maia have led two of the best teams in the NFL while playing great football, but Josh Allen and Jordan Love had a big week in week 14 to stay in the race.

elsewhere, Jakon Smith-Njigba entered the end zone twice Miles Garrett reached the 20-sack milestone. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys couldn’t keep their winning streak going on Thursday Night Football, and Jonathan Taylor’s slump continued as the Colts’ season appears to be in jeopardy.

Here’s how the MVP standings stand with only a month left in the season.

Honorable Mention: Browns DE Myles Garrett, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, Cowboys KB Dak Prescott

5. Seahawks VR Jakon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba has cooled off a bit after his incredible first half of the season, but he still leads the NFL in receptions by a mile for one of the most efficient and explosive pass rushers. He fell off the 2,000-yard pace a bit, which probably doesn’t put him in the picture to actually win the award.

Still, the Ohio State product had 92 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 37-9 win over the Falcons and is on pace to top 1,800 yards, with a chance to threaten the single-season receiving record if his pace picks up; he needs 134 yards per game over the last four weeks to get there. We don’t see receivers built like Smith-Njigba as a focal point in passing games that often, which puts him on this list as a long-shot No. 5.

4. Packers KB Jordan Love

It’s been a bit of an inconsistent season for both Jordan Love and the Packers as a whole, but the star quarterback is starting to find his best stuff as the regular season winds down. Love threw three touchdowns on Sunday in a big win over the Chicago Bears to take control of first place in the NFC North and have Green Bay play as a Super Bowl contender.

Lion’s season numbers are quietly excellent: He’s tied for fifth in the NFL with 22 passing yards to just four interceptions, and he’s tied for the league lead in EPA per drop at plus-0.22. He’s right in the top two for the award right now, but playing on the field against one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Denver Broncos, is a big stage for him to make a statement on Sunday.

3. Bills QB Josh Allen

Josh Allen has also been a little hyped this season, but he proved in Week 14 that he’s still unstoppable when the snow starts to fall in Buffalo. Allen scored four total touchdowns, three through the air and one on the ground, in a a dramatic 39-34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals to lead the Bills to 9-4 on the season.

Now, Allen has a chance to return to the top of the race in Week 15. Drake May had a prime-time MVP moment back in Week 5 when he went to Buffalo and led the Patriots to a victory in the fourth quarter. Now, Allen has a chance to make a similar statement Sunday in Foxboro as Buffalo tries to get back into the AFC East race.

2. Patriots QB Drake Maie

May was free in Week 14, so he naturally fell to second thanks to Stafford’s big day. However, Maye’s masterpiece on Monday Night Football against the Giants in Week 13 did not go unnoticed and currently has him in a coin toss race with the Los Angeles veteran.

Just as Sunday is a big chance for Allen, so it is for the second-year pro from North Carolina. Sweeping the Bills, who have owned the AFC East since Allen rose to fame, and cementing New England’s place at both the top of that division and the top of the AFC would be a major feather in his cap. All eyes will be on it on Sunday morning to see how May reacts.

1. Rams KB Matthew Stafford

Stafford and the Rams bounced back from a frustrating loss to the Carolina Panthers with an upset against the Cardinals on Sunday, beating their division rivals 45-10 in a game that was never close. Stafford had a big day, throwing for 281 yards and three touchdowns to further solidify his spot atop the MVP race.

Stafford has another big stage to play on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, who were pass-rushing before making a nice comeback against the Cowboys on Thursday night. The Rams should have natural answers against Detroit, and a win in that game could increase their lead even further.