With 23 touchdown passes, a 6-3 record and a chance to eclipse 5,300 passing yards this season, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan remains at the front of the conversation.
Ryan has the eighth-highest passer rating through nine weeks of any quarterback since 1960, according to Pro Football Reference.
ESPN senior writer, John Clayton, breaks down the MVP race (Insider account required) and why Ryan is his No. 1 candidate at this point of the season:
Why he's an MVP candidate: With Tom Brady missing four games, Ryan was the clear MVP of the first half of the season, according to the execs.