Russell Wilson has three wins in his first three starts of the season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have occupied the top spot in the AFC North for the last two weeks.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was questioned for starting Wilson in place of Justin Fields after a 4-2 start – but he’s surely happy about his decision.
Wilson helped rout the New York Jets with three total touchdowns, put together two scoring drives to put away the New York Giants and threw the game-winning touchdown Sunday to help Pittsburgh beat the Washington Commanders 28-27.
Wilson has accounted for seven total touchdowns, and the Steelers are 7-2 – their best start since 2020, when their first loss came in Week 13.
Is it enough to get Wilson in the MVP conversation? Not quite yet. But Wilson’s play in Pittsburgh has been worthy enough to ponder the discussion.
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If Wilson and the Steelers get a win next week over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, then it’ll be time to push Wilson into USA TODAY Sports’ NFL MVP rankings.
Arizona Cardinals star Kyler Murray and Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts have better cases at this point. Both have played every game for their division-leading squads, but they don’t quite stack up with our Top 5.
Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield, each tied for the NFL lead with 24 touchdown passes, would have serious arguments if the Bengals and Buccaneers weren’t both 4-6.
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NFL MVP rankings after Week 10:
5. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, stock even
Daniels and the Commanders dropped to second place in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles after Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Steelers.
Daniels went 17-for-34 (50%) for 202 yards and did not throw a touchdown in the game. He did lead two touchdown drives, where running back Austin Ekeler scored. But he was unable to create any late-game magic against Pittsburgh like he did with his Hail Mary touchdown in Week 8.
Daniels is still the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and is a contender for MVP. He just needs to bounce back to boost his case.
4. Bills QB Josh Allen, stock even
Josh Allen threw no touchdowns and had two interceptions, but a win is a win — Buffalo defeating Indianapolis 30-20 on Sunday. Allen did have a rushing touchdown, the 57th of his career, which tied O.J. Simpson for second in team history.
More important, Buffalo is atop the AFC East with the third-best record in the NFL (8-2). The Bills have won five in a row after dropping their only games of the season despite key injuries to pass-catching targets Keon Coleman, Amari Cooper and Dalton Kincaid.
Allen’s MVP case could either get a major boost or take a hit next week, when the Bills host the Kansas City Chiefs.
3. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, stock even
Mahomes threw only one touchdown in a hard-fought, 16-14 Chiefs win Sunday over the Denver Broncos.
It was another week where Mahomes had to rely on either the defense or special teams to pull out another victory, with linebacker Leo Chenal blocking what would have been a game-winning kick for Denver at the buzzer.
Mahomes remains idle in our MVP race this week. And let’s face it: Mahomes’ MVP case is boosted because the Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the NFL. But Mahomes will have a chance to further separate himself against Allen and the Bills in Buffalo next week.
2. Lions QB Jared Goff, stock even
Not even five interceptions could drop Goff from the second spot in our MVP rankings. That’s because he led four scoring drives to help Detroit come back from a 16-point deficit in Houston on Sunday.
Goff threw two touchdowns and got kicker Jake Bates into position for a 52-yard field goal as the Lions beat the Texans 26-23 on ‘Sunday Night Football.’
Goff and the NFC-best Lions continue to roll. The comeback win helped Detroit improve to 8-1, the second-best record in the NFL. And Detroit’s schedule lightens up with the Jaguars, Colts and Bears in the next three games.
1. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, stock even
The camera panned to Jackson after Joe Burrow found Ja’Marr Chase for a 70-yard touchdown pass, and it was like Jackson never even flinched.
Jackson and Burrow each threw four touchdowns, but it was the Ravens who left ‘Thursday Night Football’ with a 35-34 win after Cincinnati’s two-point attempt to win the game with 38 seconds left failed.
Jackson helped Baltimore overcome a 21-7 deficit in the third quarter with four scoring drives, including three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. He remains the leader in our NFL MVP race, keeping the Ravens at 7-3 and in contention for the AFC North crown with the Steelers.
Baltimore faces Pittsburgh next week in another game that could further boost Jackson’s chances of winning his third MVP award.