Mid Season MVP Candidates

We are nearly halfway through the NFL season, and our sample size is large enough to posit some probable candidates for 2013's Most Valuable Player.

Let's Start with the Obvious:

Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning is enjoying one of the finest seasons of his celebrated career in Denver, and is playing as well as he ever did pre-surgery with the Colts. He has already thrown 29 touchdowns and is averaging 364 yards per game; he has thrown only 6 interceptions and is completing 71.6% of his passes; and he has the Broncos sitting pretty at 7-1 (and still in second place!).

He finds himself at the helm of one of the deadliest aerial attacks in the league. The talented receiving core of D. Thomas, Decker, Welker, and J. Thomas bring a mix of size, speed, and precision to a team that also possesses a strong ground game.

Manning is on pace for a record-breaking year, and is in fact already shattering them. After 5 games Manning had thrown for 19 touchdowns, eclipsing the great Daunte Culpepper (no joke) for the most to start the season.

Factor in their strong defensive play and Denver looks to be firing on all cylinders, but many feel they are underperforming. They have the week off to regroup, then will look to continue their success for the remainder of the season. Among others, they will face the Patriots, the Chiefs (twice), and end the season in the Black Hole in a match that will likely have strong playoff seeding implications.

Calvin Johnson

Of all the high expectations for Calvin Johnson, the steepest were those he applied himself, and though I cannot speak for Calvin, he is certainly exceeding in my book.

In week seven Megatron recorded three hundred and twenty-nine receiving yards, falling just seven short of the all-time record. Not only were the catches incredibly acrobatic, but they came in some of the game's most important moments, including an 87-yard catch-and-run, a 54-yard bomb in betwen defenders, and a 22-yard catch to set up the game-winning score.

He is averaging 117 yards per game and has Matt Stafford and the Lions in contention for first place in the division. Though they are currently a game behind the Packers, Detriot looks poised to make the playoffs either way.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees and the Saints are the least-talked about juggernaut in the league. Sean Payton's return from suspension has immediately translated into the success, and they currently sit atop the NFC south at 6-1-- their only loss coming at the hands of Tom Brady and his epic last-minute touchdown drive in Foxboro. However, that sting, and that of Payton's recent suspension, only fuel the fire in New Orleans, and have Brees playing at a level very similar to his 2008 Super Bowl season.

Brees has passed for over 2200 yards and 19 touchdowns, 8 of which went to his favorite target, Jimmy Graham. The Monster tight-end had been battling a sprained foot for the past few weeks, and his health in inextricably tied to the success of this team. However, if the past is any indication, Drew Brees will find a way to keep his team in contention with the best in the league.