NFL week 12 starts Thursday, making two thirds of the season complete, with this in mind the MVP race is heating up.
While every team played at least 10 games, the players vying for the coveted award have time to strengthen their case.
Up to this point, there are four strong contenders for the NFL MVP award. Here are the cases for each of those players and their odds to win through week 12.
All odds courtesy of BetRivers.
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Patrick Mahomes -200
The Chiefs quarterback led the offense to a remarkable 8-2 record, which ranked best in the AFC. Through week 12, Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards with 3,265. He also posted 28 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions. According to ESPN his QBR of 78.4 according to ESPN ranked second.
What makes this season more special for Mahomes is the departure of Tyreek Hill.
Once KC traded the talented receiver, many speculated how this affected Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense. Some thought the departure of Hill meant a decline for the Chiefs in offensive production, and in the standings, but the KC QB proved otherwise. There is no question that tight end Travis Kelce is the top target in the offense, but the engine behind this is Patrick Mahomes.
If he and the Chiefs continue this play, and post the best record in the AFC, then the MVP award will belong to Mahomes.
Tua Tagovailoa +500
The Dolphins owned a 7-3 record and shared the top spot in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills before Thanksgiving. A crucial part of this was Tua Tagovailoa, and the huge progress he made.
More importantly, the 18 touchdowns and three interceptions for Tagovailoa make a strong MVP case. The touchdowns ranked fifth among quarterbacks and the three picks tied for the second lowest among QBs before week 12. The 2,265 yards ranked 45th among QBs, but he is just 400 yards shy of setting a new career-best in that category.
In 13 games over the 2021 season, Tagovailoa recorded 2,653. This season, the former Albama product, is close to that mark and he’s played eight games.
If Miami leads the AFC East at seasons end, then Tagovailoa makes a strong case to be the NFL MVP.
Jalen Hurts +700
Jalen Hurts stepped into a big role once he replaced Carson Wentz at starting QB in 2020. After a rough rookie season, he rebounded with a respectable sophomore season as the Eagles posted a 9-8 record.
This season, the third-year quarterback ascended further in the top QB discussion. Philadelphia went 9-1, through week 12 of the season, and a good portion of that was because of Jalen Hurts.
After a career-high 3,144 yards in 2021, Hurts posted a little over 2,400 through 10 games in 2022.
He looks poised to set a career best in yards, touchdowns and rating.
His 15 touchdowns, tied for ninth in the league, and three picks, tied for second, showed how dangerous of a passer he is. But Hurts running ability made him a great dual-threat QB. Hurts compiled 440 yards on 110 rushing attempts and eight touchdowns through 10 games in 2022.
So, he can set career highs in those categories too.
The Eagles 9-1 record is the best heading into week 12, and if Philadelphia continues that trend, then Hurts will be a frontrunner for MVP.
Josh Allen +700
The last four games for Allen were below normal standards. The quarterback threw for over 300 yards once out of those four contests. Also, he’s threw four touchdowns with four interceptions mixed in.
Allen ranked second in passing yards with 2,930 yards and his 21 touchdowns ranked third.
With seven games left, and a soft schedule ahead, Allen will rebound.
He proved multiple times in 2022 that he can unleash a barrage of passes and beat some of the best teams.
At 7-3, the Bills share the AFC East title with the Dolphins heading into week 12, but there is a good chance Buffalo claims the top spot.
It is not enough for Buffalo to win the AFC East because the team showed Allen does not need to be stellar every game to secure a win.
If Allen bounces back, then the case for MVP is much stronger than if the Bills just won the AFC East.