AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

AFC EAST

Running back LeSean McCoy

It's not even a contest. McCoy averaged 5.4 yards per carry, the best mark of his career, and scored 14 total touchdowns, his most since 2011 and second-most of his career. When he rushed for 100 or more yards, the Bills were 5-2. When he rushed for less than 100 yards, the Bills were 2-6. -- Mike Rodak

Running back Jay Ajayi

Miami's surprise run to the playoffs this season correlates with the equally surprising breakout season from Ajayi. His numbers skyrocketed after his 204 rushing yards against the Steelers in Week 6. Miami finished 9-2 in that span as Ajayi produced an NFL-high three 200-yard rushing performances. -- James Walker

Quarterback Tom Brady

Brady is in the mix for the Most Valuable Player award, as he set the NFL record for best touchdown-to-interception ratio (28-to-2) as the Patriots also set the NFL record for fewest interceptions by a team (two). Of course, that's not all a result of Brady, but he's a big part of it. Having turned 39 on Aug. 3, he shows few signs of slowing down.

Defensive tackle Leonard Williams

Williams is the MVP, slightly ahead of running back Bilal Powell, who had a fantastic final month. Williams posted a team-high seven sacks, establishing himself as one of the best young defensive linemen in the league. Unlike most of his defensive teammates, Williams was consistent on a week-to-week basis. He should've been selected to the Pro Bowl (he's a first alternate), but there will be many in his future. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Kicker Justin Tucker

Tucker was the clear-cut best player on the Ravens, accounting for 41 percent of the Ravens' scoring this season. Tucker was 38-of-39 on field goal attempts for the season (97.4 percent), and he was essentially perfect, considering his only miss was blocked by Shea McClellin leaping the line. His 10 field goals beyond 50 yards are tied for the most in any single season in NFL history. -- Jamison Hensley

Wide receiver A.J. Green

Green only played half the season, but he was clearly the most important player on the Bengals' offense and, for a period of time, the only one making any big plays. It certainly hurt the Bengals when Green went down with a hamstring injury, showing just how much he means to this Cincinnati team. Green is so valuable that Bengals management made a last-minute decision not to let him return this season and risk the possibility of getting hurt. Had he stayed healthy, he almost certainly would have had a record season. -- Katherine Terrell

Left tackle Joe Thomas

Thomas continues to maintain a standard of excellence not seen for a long time. He also took a more active leadership role this season. Thomas is an easy choice. -- Pat McManamon

Running back Le'Veon Bell

Ben Roethlisberger is a worthy candidate after producing another Pro Bowl season, but Bell's 12-game stretch of play was a historic one at the running back position. His average of 157.0 total yards from scrimmage ranked third all time for a single season. Bell was the catalyst for a seven-game winning streak and carried the offense for long stretches. His franchise-record 236 rushing yards on 38 carries against Buffalo will live in Steelers lore for years. Pittsburgh is the No. 3 seed in the AFC thanks largely to Bell's monster performances. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney

There are a few choices for the Texans' MVP this season, but it's hard to avoid picking someone from the defense, a unit that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the NFL. When defensive end J.J. Watt went on injured reserve in late September, head coach Bill O'Brien and many players acknowledged how difficult it would be to replace the production of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. But Clowney has led a defense that is the reason the Texans are in the playoffs. Clowney isn't high up in sacks -- he doesn't even lead Houston in the category -- but he has been very disruptive this season. O'Brien has continued to praise the job Clowney has done, moving from primarily playing outside linebacker this season. The former No. 1 overall pick was rewarded for his impressive season with his first Pro Bowl selection. -- Sarah Barshop

Quarterback Andrew Luck

The pickings were slim for the 8-8 Colts, but Luck was the runaway winner for this honor. He finished eighth in the NFL in passing yards (4,240) and fifth in touchdown passes (31). He completed a career-high 63.5 percent of his pass attempts, as he had no problem bouncing back from a disappointing 2015 season where he committed 13 turnovers and missed nine games due to injury. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton finishes second on the Colts when it comes to MVP because he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1,448. -- Mike Wells

Wide receiver Marqise Lee

Lee was the Jaguars' best offensive player, and without him the offense would've been even more of a disaster. He was healthy for the entire season for the first time in his career and led the Jaguars with 1,435 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 861 yards receiving. He also averaged 30.3 yards on 18 kickoff returns and would have been second in the NFL had he had enough returns to qualify. Lee made up for a struggling Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns and was the team's best playmaker all season. -- Mike DiRocco

Running back DeMarco Murray

A case can certainly be made for quarterback Marcus Mariota. But Murray delivered exactly what the Titans were looking for when they traded for him. He was a big part of the new physical tone and identity. He was productive as a runner with 293 carries for 1,287 yards and nine TDs and a pass-catcher with 53 receptions for 377 yards and three TDs, and he was a pass protector. Murray helped everyone on the team get better, including Mariota. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

Linebacker Von Miller

Miller should be the league's Defensive Player of the Year, as he consistently forced offenses to change everything they intended to do to deal with him. He was double- or triple-teamed on virtually every snap he rushed the passer this season. But Miller, with 13.5 sacks, was more than a rusher; he was active in run defense and often dropped into coverage against tight ends at times. The Broncos finished No. 1 in pass defense -- the only team in the league to hold opponents to fewer than 200 yards passing per game -- and No. 3 in sacks. As defensive coordinator Wade Phillips put it: "People did everything they could to keep him from wrecking games, and he still wrecked games.'' -- Jeff Legwold

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill

It's hard to imagine where the Chiefs would be without Hill, a rookie. They certainly wouldn't have won the AFC West and perhaps wouldn't even be in the playoffs. With his speed and big-play ability, Hill has added another dimension to their offense and their return game. Hill led the Chiefs in touchdowns with 12; no other Kansas City player had more than five. -- Adam Teicher

Quarterback Derek Carr

No player in the league meant more to his team this season than Carr did to the Raiders, which is why he should be on the short list for league MVP honors. Or did you miss Sunday's pratfall in Denver with the division title on the line, with Carr out recuperating from surgery to repair the broken fibula in his right leg? Carr led seven comeback victories in the fourth quarter or overtime this season and passed for 3,937 yards with 28 TDs and six INTs while completing 63.8 percent of his passes in 15 games for a passer rating of 96.7. Oakland has improved from 3-13 to 7-9 to 12-4 in Carr's three seasons, but his value might have been more in his spiritual leadership of the team. -- Paul Gutierrez

Cornerback Casey Hayward

The players voted him the Chargers' team MVP this season, which makes sense. Hayward is the only San Diego player voted to the Pro Bowl this season. He led the league in interceptions (seven) and finished tied for second in pass breakups (27) this season, with shutdown corner Jason Verrett out for most of the year with an ACL knee injury. And Hayward traveled all over the field to cover the opposing team's best receiver. -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

Running back Ezekiel Elliott

Picking between Dak Prescott and Elliott is a difficult task, and it will likely hurt their individual candidacies for the league MVP award. How do you separate the two? Prescott was perhaps the biggest surprise of the NFL season. Without him, the Cowboys wouldn't be 13-3. But Elliott changed the Cowboys' mindset with his physical running style. He led the league in rushing with 1,631 yards and did so in just 15 games. He is so important to Dallas' success, the coaches sat him in the regular-season finale. Without Elliott, life would have been more difficult for Prescott, who said he would vote Elliott as MVP. If he is going that way, who am I to argue against him? -- Todd Archer

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

An argument could be made for safety Landon Collins or even cornerback Janoris Jenkins, but the Giants could survive without either of those two. The Giants would be a losing team without Beckham, who accounted for 26 percent of their offense and almost 20 percent of their scoring, finishing with 101 catches for 1,367 yards and 10 TDs. Their offense was sputter, sputter, sputter, big play by Beckham, sputter, sputter, sputter for most of this season. They would've been doomed without him. -- Jordan Raanan

Defensive end Brandon Graham

The former first-round pick out of Michigan enjoyed a career year and proved to be the team's most consistently productive player. Graham finished with 5.5 sacks, 29 hurries, 12 tackles for a loss and a pair of forced fumbles on the season. -- Tim McManus

Quarterback Kirk Cousins

There are other candidates, including wide receiver Pierre Garcon who surpassed 1,000 yards, and others who started strong but either were hurt or suspended. Nobody on defense made enough game-changing plays. Cousins was the mainstay on the one side of the ball that (usually) produced. Yes, he could have played better in a handful of games but the Redskins finished 8-7-1 without a good defense or a consistent running game. Cousins finished with 25 TDs and 12 INTs as well as a franchise-record 4,917 yards. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Running back Jordan Howard

The talented rookie easily wins Chicago's MVP award. One of the lone bright spots, Howard rushed for 1,313 yards and six TDs, breaking Matt Forte's single-season rushing record for a Bears rookie. A fifth-round draft choice out of Indiana, Howard had seven 100-plus yard rushing games and also caught 29 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown. Howard should only be stronger in 2017 after an entire offseason in the Bears' strength and conditioning program. -- Jeff Dickerson

Quarterback Matthew Stafford

It's not even close. The Lions would not be a playoff team without their starting quarterback, who led eight fourth-quarter comebacks this season. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 4,327 yards, 24 TDs and 10 INTs. He became a legitimate NFL MVP candidate and his value was shown even more after his right middle finger injury. Since suffering the injury, the Lions have gone 1-3. -- Michael Rothstein

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers

He had a sluggish start, but no one's playing better than Rodgers heading into the playoffs. In Green Bay's six straight wins to close the regular season, Rodgers threw 15 touchdown passes without a single interception and completed 71 percent of his passes for an average of 277.8 yards per game. He hasn't thrown an interception in 245 consecutive attempts (dating back to Week 10), which is the longest streak of his career, and has multiple touchdowns five of the last six games. -- Rob Demovsky

Quarterback Sam Bradford

Playing behind eight different offensive line combinations and without running back Adrian Peterson for most of the season, Bradford still set a single-season NFL record for completion percentage and threw for a career-high 3,877 yards in 15 games. The Vikings' passing game needs to be better in the red zone, and there were still many times when Bradford threw short of the sticks on third down. But given all the changes around him, and the fact he joined the Vikings eight days before the start of the season, Bradford is the MVP in part because of the fact he provided some stability. -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

Quarterback Matt Ryan

The quarterback could well end up being the league's MVP after putting together a record-setting season, passing for a franchise-high 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing almost 70 percent of his passes. He was intercepted just seven times and averaged a jaw-dropping 9.3 yards per attempt, throwing touchdown passes to 13 different receivers -- an NFL first, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Ryan owns the top Total QBR in the league and also had the top passer rating by league standards at 117.1. -- Vaughn McClure

Tight end Greg Olsen

There were few bright spots in this season for Carolina, but Olsen was one of them. He led the team in receptions (80) and receiving yards (1,073) and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. But as solid as he was, he slipped on the end zone paint on a failed two-point conversion pass attempt to him in the final minute of a 17-16 loss to Tampa Bay in the Panthers' season finale. As he said, that summed up the kind of year it was for the team. -- David Newton

Quarterback Drew Brees

I have to go with the obvious choice since he had his best season in five years, leading the league with 5,208 passing yards (fourth in NFL history) and throwing 37 TD passes. But defensive end Cameron Jordan also deserves mention for his sensational year as both a pass-rusher and run-defender on a defense that needs a lot more impact players like him. And rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas, who injected new life into the Saints' offense with his breakout year (92 catches, 1,137 yards, nine TDs). -- Mike Triplett

Quarterback Jameis Winston

Wide receiver Mike Evans is a very close second. And sure, did Winston miss some throws he should have made? Yes. Did he throw a lot of interceptions? Yes. Could he and the offense have put up more points? Yes. But no player meant more to this team in terms of overall ability and leadership, even when his supporting cast dwindled due to injuries. One could argue that the defense's resurgence, more so than the offense, was a key reason for their five-game win streak that nearly propelled them into the playoffs, but defensive players like Keith Tandy will tell you this of Winston: "When he talks to you and he looks you in the eye, you feel it like in your soul, and you're like, 'I've gotta make a play for him.'" -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Running back David Johnson

This one was easy. Johnson has emerged as potential NFL MVP candidate and has made a very strong case to be the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. On a team that underachieved this season, finishing 7-8-1 when it was considered a Super Bowl favorite in preseason, Johnson was the brightest star. He finished the season with 1,239 rushing yards and 879 receiving yards, while breaking a handful of franchise and league records. He was the catalyst for the Cardinals' offense, leading the team and the NFL with 373 touches. -- Josh Weinfuss

Defensive tackle Aaron Donald

This is an easy choice, because punter Johnny Hekker is the only man who is even a close second. Donald, invited to his third Pro Bowl in as many seasons, made a legitimate case for Defensive Player of the Year on a team that underperformed almost everywhere else. He led the NFL in quarterback hits (31), tied for the lead in tackles for loss (17) and added eight sacks despite operating between the tackles. He is one of few reasons for hope for this franchise. -- Alden Gonzalez

Offensive lineman Zane Beadles

There isn't an obvious candidate in San Francisco who combined consistent production with availability all season, but Beadles comes the closest to checking both boxes. He played all 16 games and made starts at left tackle, left guard and center, a position which he'd never played in a game before this season. Beadles wasn't dominant, but he was mostly solid and the ultimate team player in the midst of a difficult season. -- Nick Wagoner

Quarterback Russell Wilson

It wasn't the best season of his career, but where would the Seahawks be without Wilson? His greatest strength might be his durability. Wilson battled through three different injuries and still didn't miss a start. He averaged 7.73 yards per attempt (seventh in the NFL) and threw 21 TDs against 11 INTs. He consistently faced pressure in the pocket and set a career-high with 546 passing attempts because the offense struggled to run the ball. The Seahawks enter the postseason as a flawed team and will need Wilson to carry them if they're going to make a run. -- Sheil Kapadia