NFL MVP race tracker: Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye soar after heroics

Week 7 felt like a big statement from the NFL’s top dogs. The stars took over, as Patrick Mahomes erupted, Matthew Stafford put on a clinic in London, and Drake Maye wowed Gillette Stadium with his laser-like accuracy.

After performances like those, the award talk really started heating up as fans and pundits engaged in heated debate about who would be awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year (OPOY and DPOY), plus the best rookie, comeback player, and coaching awards.

Here’s my weekly take on how the race for the NFL’s biggest individual prizes is shaping up before we hit Week 8.

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Most Valuable Player (MVP)

1. Patrick Mahomes, QB - Kansas City Chiefs
2. Baker Mayfield, QB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Drake Maye, QB - New England Patriots
4. Matthew Stafford, QB - Los Angeles Rams
5. Josh Allen, QB - Buffalo Bills

Mahomes only played three quarters in the Chiefs' shutout over the Raiders, but that was all he needed to strengthen his claim on the top spot.

I thoroughly enjoyed Stafford's five-touchdown masterclass from the Wembley stands, even if I did feel slightly sorry for the Jaguars.

Maye is among the biggest climbers this week after smashing Tom Brady's single-game completion record in the Patriots' win over the Titans. He has surpassed even my lofty expectations.

Mayfield took a backward step in the Bucs' loss to the Lions, and Goff's so-so effort in the same game saw him fall just outside the top five.

Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY)

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB - Indianapolis Colts
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR - Seattle Seahawks
3. Christian McCaffrey, RB - San Francisco 49ers
4. Bijan Robinson, RB - Atlanta Falcons
5. Puka Nacua, WR - Los Angeles Rams

Taylor retains top spot -  as do his Colts in our power rankings  - after running ragged over the Los Angeles Chargers with 132 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

JSN's huge day against the Texans catapulted him into second place, where he's followed closely by CMAC, who leapfrogs Bijan after outshining him in prime time.

Nacua's incredible start to the season helps him fend off JaMarr Chase, Amon Ra-St. Brown and Co., but after missing the London contest and with the Rams on a bye this week, others could take his place.

Chase's hopes, in particular, were revived after a massive game with Flacco slinging it like he was 20 years younger.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)

1. Micah Parsons, EDGE - Green Bay Packers
2. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE - Detroit Lions
3. Nik Bonitto, EDGE - Denver Broncos
4. Brian Burns, EDGE - New York Giants
5. Myles Garrett, EDGE - Cleveland Browns

Parsons was the biggest climber after his dominant three-sack effort in the Packers' win over the Cardinals. As one of the biggest names on this list, and fair or not, he'll have an edge in the voting process over other, less well-known players in contention.

Bonitto falls from the top spot after being overshadowed in recent weeks by his Broncos teammate, Jonathon Cooper. He's still in the thick of the race.

We'd love to see another position represented here, but with Devin Lloyd missing time and quarterbacks avoiding throwing Patrick Surtain's way, neither is near the top of these rankings.

Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY)

1. Jaxson Dart, QB - New York Giants
2. Emeka Egbuka, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Tyler Warren, TE - Indianapolis Colts
4. Quinshon Judkins, RB - Cleveland Browns
5. Cam Skattebo, RB - New York Giants

Egbuka has been a revelation, but Dart is the frontrunner after reinvigorating the Giants with a string of strong performances. If he continues like this, the award is his.

Warren was a star from the moment he set foot onto the field in his very first game, and he continues to go from strength to strength.

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Judkins made a strong case after his three-touchdown effort, which made life miserable for the Dolphins, and Skattebo deserved inclusion, too. Judkins and Skattebo replace Ashton Jeanty and Tetairoa McMillan for now.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)

1. Carson Schwesinger, LB - Cleveland Browns
2. Jihaad Campbell, LB - Philadelphia Eagles
3. Nick Emmanwori, S - Seattle Seahawks
4. Abdul Carter, EDGE - New York Giants
5. Will Johnson, CB - Houston Texans

Schwesinger remains atop this list after another productive outing, and, at risk of sounding cocky, I saw this coming.

Campbell continues to play well, and if he continues to play additional snaps on the edge, he'll probably enhance his resume with sacks over the second half of the season.

Emmanwori makes his first appearance in my rankings, and it probably won't be his last. I knew he was athletic and tipped him to make my All-Rookie team, but I didn't expect him to be this good, this quickly.

Carter is the biggest name here, but he's been relatively quiet so far.

Coach of the Year

• Shane Steichen - Indianapolis Colts
• Mike Vrabel - New England Patriots
• Kyle Shanahan - San Francisco 49ers
• Ben Johnson - Chicago Bears
• Mike Macdonald - Seattle Seahawks

No change in the top two from last week. Steichen continues to amaze, and Daniel Jones is playing at levels I never thought possible.

The same can be said for Vrabel, the Patriots, and Drake Maye. Hat-tip to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, too.

What Shanahan has achieved so far, and continues to accomplish without Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Brock Purdy, defies belief.

Mike Macdonald replaces Liam Coen. The Jaguars are still on pace to improve on last year, but their recent slip severely hurts Coen's chances of winning this award.

Shout out to Dan Campbell of the Lions. A strong second half will see him join these ranks, too.

Comeback Player of the Year

1. Dak Prescott, QB - Dallas Cowboys
2. Daniel Jones, QB - New York Giants
3. Christian McCaffrey, RB - San Francisco 49ers
4. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE - Detroit Lions
5. Stefon Diggs, WR - New England Patriots

This is a tight race between the top three. The oddsmakers may favour Prescott, but Jones is just as deserving, and the way CMAC is playing, you cannot rule him out.

Diggs replaces Trevor Lawrence at five.

Final thoughts

It’s important to remember that this is just an early snapshot of where things stand as Week 8 approaches.

The order changes weekly, so make sure to check back in on this article in future weeks to keep track of how these races are shaping up.