NFL MVP tracker: Ezekiel Elliott knocks Matt Ryan from pedestal - Nate Davis, USA Today
Elliott moves up into the top spot of USA Today's NFL staff MVP tracker.
Elliott ends Matt Ryan's seven-week run as our frontrunner. But Elliott, who could join legendary Jim Brown as the only rookie to be anointed MVP, deserves the acclaim. He leads the NFL with 1,005 rushing yards and is on pace for 1,787, which would be 21 yards shy of matching Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson's rookie record. But Elliott, the offensive engine of the Cowboys and their league-best 8-1 record, showed Sunday that he's much more than a runner, providing stellar pass protection for fellow frosh Dak Prescott while taking a screen pass 83 yards to the house.