NFL · 2 hours ago

NFL Super Bowl MVP Top 10 Player Power Rankings | Divisional Round

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

1) QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford continues to strengthen his case as the league’s double MVP, sitting atop both the regular-season and Super Bowl MVP odds. After leading the Los Angeles Rams to a wild-card win over the Carolina Panthers — throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead strike with 38 seconds left — Stafford has Los Angeles positioned to make a run. The Super Bowl LVI champion is playing with urgency, and the Rams are backing it up with results when it matters most.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +600 --> This Week's Odds: +430

Divisional Round Opponent: at Chicago Bears
10) QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Mr. Irrelevant just keeps relevanting. Brock Purdy tossed one of his two touchdown passes to Christian McCaffrey in the fourth quarter to seal the San Francisco 49ers' Wild Card win over the defending Super Bowl champion, Philadelphia Eagles. The Niners pivot finished with 262 yards in the air in the 23-19 upset victory, where San Fran scored 13 in the final frame.

Purdy will have his work cut out for him without tight end George Kittle this week, as the 49ers go into Seattle as the biggest dog on the board.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +4000 --> This Week's Odds: +2500

Divisional Round Opponent: at Seattle Seahawks
9) WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Had Puka Nacua played every game this season, he likely would have led the NFL in receiving yards in addition to his standing as the receptions (129) leader. The dominant wideout finished 78 yards short with 1,715, despite playing one less game than the league leader, who happens to be our next slide.

Nacua picked up where he left off in the regular season with another stellar performance in the Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers. The BYU alum had a game-high 10 catches for 111 yards, while scoring twice, once through the air and once on the ground. It will be tough to upstage his quarterback, but if the Rams get to the Super Bowl, Nacua has the skill set and target volume to have a monster game and put himself in the MVP conversation. First, he'll have to help Matthew Stafford breeze through the Windy City.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +3000 --> This Week's Odds: +2200

Divisional Round Opponent: at Chicago Bears
8) WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has clearly separated himself as the centerpiece of the Seattle Seahawks offense, especially with Seattle entering the Divisional Round as the largest favorite on the board at -7 at home. Sam Darnold’s top target put together a dominant regular season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, while ranking fourth in receptions (119) and adding 10 touchdowns.

With a first-round bye in hand and a favorable path, Seattle has positioned itself for a deep playoff run. If the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl, Smith-Njigba’s volume and explosiveness give him a strong case to outshine his quarterback on the biggest stage. In a pass-heavy offense that flows through one player more than any other, JSN could easily emerge as Seattle’s most valuable postseason weapon.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +2000 --> This Week's Odds: +1700

Divisional Round Opponent: vs San Francisco 49ers
7) QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
It's not official, but word is the Chicago Bears may add the letters omeback after the "C" on Caleb Williams's helmet moving forward. It's about as fitting as it gets following the former No. 1 overall pick's latest unlikely victory. Williams helped erase an 18-point deficit in a 31-27 Wild Card Weekend victory over the Green Bay Packers. His fourth-quarter go-ahead strike to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining capped a 25-point final frame in a game in which Williams passed for 361 yards. While the 24-year-old's playoff debut was a successful one, it won't get any easier as +3.5 home dogs against the Rams.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +3000 --> This Week's Odds: +1500

Divisional Round Opponent: vs Los Angeles Rams
6) QB CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud wasn’t at his sharpest in the Wild Card round, but he did enough to push the Houston Texans past the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road. Under constant pressure, Stroud finished with 250 passing yards, though ball security was an issue — a red-zone interception and five fumbles, two of which were lost, kept the game tighter than necessary.

That margin for error shrinks this week with Houston heading to New England as a +3.5-point road underdog. Still, Stroud’s case doesn’t hinge on dominance. With the top defense in the league and a balanced offense surrounding him, one clean, efficient performance could be enough to swing Super Bowl MVP consideration his way. Stroud has averaged 217 passing yards per game this season — good, not overwhelming — but in a system built on depth and defensive control, that may be all Houston needs for a deep playoff run.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +1700 --> This Week's Odds: +1400

Divisional Round Opponent: at New England Patriots
5) QB Box Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix steps into the Divisional Round facing the tightest spread on the board, with the Denver Broncos listed as -1.5 favorites in what projects as a near toss-up against visiting Buffalo. For the second straight season, Nix has exceeded expectations, guiding Denver into its most legitimate Super Bowl position since the eras of Peyton Manning and John Elway.

While his passing efficiency hasn’t jumped off the page — ranking 14th in QBR (58.5) — Nix has made his impact felt as a runner, piling up 356 rushing yards and five touchdowns while consistently extending drives. The bye week provides a needed reset, and Denver’s balanced offensive approach gives Nix multiple paths to influence the game. If the Broncos make a deep run, his versatility and competitive edge could translate into Super Bowl MVP consideration.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +1000 --> This Week's Odds: +1300

Divisional Round Opponent: vs Buffalo Bills
4) QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye announced his arrival on the playoff stage in Wild Card Weekend, leading the Patriots to a controlled 16–3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The likely regular-season MVP runner-up threw for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while also adding a season-high 66 rushing yards, showcasing the full scope of his impact.

No New England Patriots player since Tom Brady has accelerated the franchise’s trajectory this quickly. With an average supporting cast on offense, Maye has transformed the Patriots from a four-win team into legitimate Super Bowl contenders. With home-field advantage locked in until at least the AFC Championship Game, the path is real — and if New England reaches its first Super Bowl since 2019, the offense will run squarely through Maye.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +1300 --> This Week's Odds: +750

Divisional Round Opponent: vs Houston Texans
3) QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen continues to be the engine behind everything the Buffalo Bills do offensively. In the Wild Card round, he absorbed heavy contact from the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense while accounting for all three of Buffalo’s touchdowns, scoring twice on the ground and once through the air. It was a reminder that when the Bills advance, it’s usually on Allen’s terms.

That workload won’t get any lighter as Buffalo heads to Mile High for a near coin-flip matchup against Denver’s physical defense. If the Bills are able to survive a difficult postseason path as a lower seed, Allen’s dual-threat impact makes him the clear centerpiece — and the most likely candidate to carry Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +1200 --> This Week's Odds: +650

Divisional Round Opponent: at Denver Broncos
2) Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold enters the divisional round under a bright spotlight as the Seattle Seahawks sit as 7-point home favorites over the San Francisco 49ers, the largest spread on the board. While Seattle’s offense powered its way to the top seed, Darnold’s regular-season performances against San Francisco were quiet, going 1–1 without a touchdown or interception and failing to reach 200 passing yards in either matchup.

Still, Darnold’s overall production can’t be ignored. He threw for 4,048 yards, fifth-most in the NFL, showing he can sustain an offense over a full season. The concern is efficiency under pressure — his 14 interceptions, third-most in the league, loom large against a disciplined 49ers defense. With limited playoff experience and a heavy favorite role, Darnold’s decision-making may ultimately determine whether Seattle justifies its status or leaves the door open for an upset.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +650 --> This Week's Odds: +490

Divisional Round Opponent: vs San Francisco 49ers
1) QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford continues to strengthen his case as the league’s double MVP, sitting atop both the regular-season and Super Bowl MVP odds. After leading the Los Angeles Rams to a wild-card win over the Carolina Panthers — throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead strike with 38 seconds left — Stafford has Los Angeles positioned to make a run. The Super Bowl LVI champion is playing with urgency, and the Rams are backing it up with results when it matters most.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +600 --> This Week's Odds: +430

Divisional Round Opponent: at Chicago Bears
10) QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Mr. Irrelevant just keeps relevanting. Brock Purdy tossed one of his two touchdown passes to Christian McCaffrey in the fourth quarter to seal the San Francisco 49ers' Wild Card win over the defending Super Bowl champion, Philadelphia Eagles. The Niners pivot finished with 262 yards in the air in the 23-19 upset victory, where San Fran scored 13 in the final frame.

Purdy will have his work cut out for him without tight end George Kittle this week, as the 49ers go into Seattle as the biggest dog on the board.

Previous Week's Super Bowl MVP Odds: +4000 --> This Week's Odds: +2500

Divisional Round Opponent: at Seattle Seahawks