MVPs for all 16 NFC teams at the midpoint

Quarterback is the most important position in football, but only two of them — both in the NFC East — earned Yardbarker's team MVP honors through Week 9. With a superlative performance through nine games, meanwhile, only one rookie earned our team award. Here are Yardbarker's team-by-team NFC MVPs. (Find Yardbarker's AFC team MVPs here.) 

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | WR CeeDee Lamb: So much for former Texan Brandin Cooks helping shoulder the load on offense. With Cooks averaging 20.6 yards per game, Lamb is the NFL’s fifth-leading receiver, averaging 103 yards per game with 297 yards after the catch. The soon-to-be-free agent is on pace for a career-best 1,751 yards receiving.

NEW YORK GIANTS | DT Dexter Lawrence II: According to ESPN Analytics, Lawrence has the NFL’s second-best win rate on pass rushes despite being double-teamed 68% of the time. That’s hard to do from tackle. With those stats, it’s no wonder Pro Football Focus rates Lawrence as the NFL’s top interior defender.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | QB Jalen Hurts: One year removed from a near-MVP performance that ended with an NFC championship, Hurts has the team poised for another Super Bowl run. With the fifth-most passing yards among QBs (2,347) and a career-best completion percentage (68.9%), Hurts has helped the team avoid a Super Bowl hangover with a league-best eight wins.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | QB Sam Howell: If not for Houston rookie QB C.J. Stroud, Howell could be the league’s biggest surprise. He's second in the league in passing yards (2,471) despite playing behind a porous offensive line (44 sacks, second-worst in NFL). Most importantly for Washngton, he seems to improve with each game. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | WR Marquise Brown: Brown’s first two years in Arizona have not gone as the Cardinals planned, but that can be traced to the team's murky QB situation and a lack of talent around the wideout. He is Arizona's most effective skill-position player and on track to catch more than 80 passes. Brown (42 catches, 440 yards) has already topped his TD catch total from last year (four to three in 2022).

LOS ANGELES RAMS | WR Puka Nacua: What a find by the Rams in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Nacua has emerged as a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Through nine games, he has 64 receptions for 827 yards and two TD catches. He helped stabilize the offense when Cooper Kupp was out with an injury early in the season.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | RB Christian McCaffrey: McCaffrey has a touchdown in 17 consecutive games for the 49ers dating to last season. He is the team's most consistent offensive playmaker and the league's leading rusher with 652 yards. He already has 944 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. As he goes, the 49ers go.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | LB Boye Mafe: In only his second season, he is one of Seattle's most disruptive players on a significantly improved defense. Mafe is a menace as a pass-rusher (team-high six sacks) and has two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, nine quarterback hits and six tackles for loss. — Adam Gretz

NFC North 

CHICAGO BEARS | CB Jaylon Johnson: There aren't many standouts on the 2-7 Bears, but Johnson is undoubtedly one of them. Johnson boasts the highest coverage grade among CBs (88.9) and owns the fifth-best reception percentage (46.5), per Pro Football Focus. However, he is in the final year of his rookie deal and requested a trade ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline. He might not be a Bear much longer.

DETROIT LIONS | DE Aidan Hutchinson: The Detroit defense is surprisingly ranked fifth in the NFL at the midway point, with Hutchinson playing a significant part. He has yet to suffer from the sophomore slump, leading the Lions in sacks (4.5) and QB hits (10). With 46 pressures, Hutchinson is third in the NFL, behind only Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons (49) and Las Vegas Raiders' Maxx Crosby (53), according to MLive.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | LB Rashan Gary: Gary has proved to be worth every penny since signing a four-year, $96 million extension that will keep him with the Packers through 2027. The 25-year-old leads Green Bay in sacks (4.5), tackles for loss (five) and QB hits (10). Meanwhile, per PFF, only Cleveland's Myles Garrett (26.2) has a higher win percentage against blocks than Gary (25.5).

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | DE/OLB Danielle Hunter: The eight-year veteran is having another Pro Bowl-caliber season and perhaps should be considered for Defensive Player of the Year. Entering Week 10, Hunter leads the NFL in sacks (10) and is tied for the lead in tackles for loss (13) and second with three forced fumbles. However, in a contract year, the 29-year-old may be headed elsewhere this offseason. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South 

ATLANTA FALCONS | S Jessie Bates III: Bates singlehandedly led the Falcons to a win in Week 1 against the Panthers by forcing three turnovers in a 24-10 win. Led by Bates, Atlanta is sixth in yards per game allowed (304). He is tied for third on the team in total tackles (60) and first in interceptions (three).

CAROLINA PANTHERS | WR Adam Thielen: Carolina’s offense is unwatchable when the ball isn’t in Thielen’s hands. The veteran wide receiver leads the team with 62 receptions for 610 yards. Meanwhile, Panthers wideouts DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Jonathan Mingo and Laviska Shenault Jr. have combined for 61 receptions for 595 yards.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | WR Rashid Shaheed: The 2022 undrafted free agent leads the league with a remarkable 19.3 yards per reception and is second with 1,054 all-purpose yards. (He's a special teams demon on returns.). His blistering speed makes him a matchup nightmare. He clinched wins in Week 1 and Week 9 with deep completions. 

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | LT Tristan Wirfs: Let’s show some love to one of the best offensive tackles in football. Wirfs gets bonus points for seamlessly making the move from right tackle to left tackle during the offseason. Per data from Pro Football Focus, Wirfs has only allowed 10 pressures and no sacks in 311 pass-rush opportunities. He’s one of two tackles with at least 300 pass blocks to not allow a sack and is 13th in ESPN’s pass-block win rate rankings. — Eric Smithling