NFL MVP Chase after Week 2: It's not about Tom Brady's TDs

Consistency above flash.

After Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, 16 teams were undefeated, and they produced the initial batch of 50 players earning an MVP point. Those teams went 7-9 in Week 2, and there are now seven teams at 2-0, 18 at 1-1, and seven at 0-2. 

Winning the game is the first requirement for earning an MVP point, and we now have 75 players with at least one MVP point. I won't list them all today.   

I will, however, list the 12 players from the undefeated teams that have two MVP points. I'll note that the undefeated Raiders aren't represented; they have several who earned an MVP point in Week 1 or Week 2, but nobody, not even QB Derek Carr, did so both weeks.

Note that the list is alphabetical, and doesn't imply that Tom Brady is in the "lead" despite his 9 TD passes in two games. In fact, his 97.0 passer rating in Week 1 is the bare minimum for a quarterback to earn an MVP point; if Brady had a 96.9 rating that week, he wouldn't have earned an MVP point and wouldn't be on this list. 

One doesn't have to play great to reach the benchmarks that earn an MVP point, but one does have to play well above the NFL average, and that's hard for even great players to do week after week, even in victory.

In any case, here are the week's MVP Chase leaders heading into Week 3, all tied with 2 MVP points. 

Tom Brady, QB, Buccaneers 

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos 

Sam Darnold, QB, Panthers 

Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals 

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers 

Darrell Henderson, RB, Rams 

Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams 

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers 

D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers 

Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals 

Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers 

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams 

Check back next week to see who's reached 3 MVP points, and how many more have joined the group at 2 points. We'll see the beginnings of a real chase.

James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you find value in his articles, subscribe and exchange value for value. Your support through Paypal helps keep him going. You may contact him for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.

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