NFL MVP Race 2018: Top 10 candidates at midseason

5. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

There’s no doubt that 2018 is the best Newton has played in his NFL career. He’s even playing better now than when he won the MVP in 2015, but he’s not the leading candidate for MVP.

Even though His total QBR is the highest it’s even been, it’s still only good enough for 13th in the NFL. That said, when he had 10 or more rushing attempts, which is a key asset to his success, the team is 3-0. However, that success is a lot to do with the improvement of Christian McCaffrey, making the backfield having multiple running threats.

Newton is also the most accurate he’s been in his career. However, the completion percentage is reflected by the NFL Next Gen Stats completed air yards. Similarly to Mahomes, he’s ranked low in that category. His average of 5.2 yards in the air per completion in ranked 29th in the NFL among the 39 qualified quarterbacks (minimum of 68 attempts).

The Panthers receivers are doing a lot of the work with 808 yards after the catch and 5.1 yards after the catch per reception. That’s why he’s not number one on this list. His production is valuable, but because he’s relying so heavily on others, his play isn’t the main point in winning, albeit without him, they may not be in the situation they’re in — challenging for the NFC South.