Rough night for Stafford opens door for Drake Maye in MVP race

Rough night for Stafford opens door for Drake Maye in MVP race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Entering Monday night, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was the betting favorite to win MVP. But a disastrous first half against the Atlanta Falcons — combined with an outstanding performance by Drake Maye on Sunday — has dramatically shifted the race in the New England quarterback’s favor.

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Stafford threw three interceptions for the first time since Week 1 of the 2022 season, a performance that sent his MVP odds tumbling. He entered Monday Night Football as a -230 favorite, but his odds have since fallen to +400 at FanDuel. Maye, meanwhile, has surged to -550 to claim the award.

For what it's worth, 18 of 30 NFL executives voted Stafford MVP in a NFL Network poll last week. But, ESPN's Mina Kimes, who has an MVP vote, publicly announced that she's voting for Maye.

MVP race coming down to Week 18

To his credit, Stafford showed his MVP-caliber resilience by helping the Rams rally from a 21-point halftime deficit. The comeback ultimately came up short, but Stafford finished the night 22 of 38 for 269 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

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Maye, on the other hand, was nearly flawless in New England’s win Sunday, throwing five touchdown passes while completing 19 of 21 attempts. With one week remaining, the MVP race appears headed for a dramatic finish.

Stafford is not far enough behind to be ruled out, especially with a potential statement performance looming against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18. The Rams still have NFC playoff seeding at stake despite falling short of a division title.

New England, meanwhile, sits at 13-3 and is still in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

It also remains unclear how much either quarterback will play in the season finale, as resting starters in Week 18 has become increasingly common in recent years.