MVP Race Week 7: Damon Huard? Yes

Each week we'll look at the players who would have the best shot at the league MVP award if the season ended right now.

1. Peyton Manning, quarterback, Colts: Another day, another Manning 300-yard, turnover-free performance. He makes it look easy.

2. Tiki Barber, running back, Giants: Talk about retiring on top. Even Barry Sanders wasn't as good in his final season as Barber is in his. Barber had a big night Monday against the Cowboys, leading his team into first place in the NFC East.

3. Donovan McNabb, quarterback, Eagles: Yes, those interceptions against Tampa Bay were costly, but let's not forget that this guy is still having an amazing year despite playing with a bunch of receivers no one else wanted.

4. Damon Huard, quarterback, Chiefs: This is the shocker on the list. If, before the season, I had ranked all 1,500 or so NFL players in order of how likely they were to be on an MVP watch list, I'm not sure Huard would have made the top 750. But this guy is just playing incredible football right now. Seven touchdowns, one interception, a passer rating of 96.7. Maybe we shouldn't be shocked -- after all, Huard's only other stint as a starter was as a substitute for the injured Dan Marino in 1999, and he played well enough that a lot of Dolphins fans wanted to keep Marino on the sidelines. It's too bad it took so long for him to get another chance.

5. Julius Peppers, defensive end, Panthers: Although Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson did a good job on Peppers, holding him without a sack, we'll keep the league's sack leader on the MVP watch list.