NFL MVP Watch: Is Saints QB Derek Carr’s early production sustainable?

Derek Carr has turned back the clock and is playing some of the best football of his 11-year NFL career to start the season for the New Orleans Saints.

The 33-year-old Carr & Co. lead the NFL in points per game at 45.5. The Saints have scored on their first 16 possessions and already have an impressive 14 plays of 16-plus yards this season.

New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the son of offensive guru and former NFL quarterback Gary Kubiak, has installed his father's scheme, which he sharpened for a season coaching under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers.

The scheme is centered on running the football, thereby creating play-action shots down the field and clean pockets for Carr to operate from. And the results have been eye-opening: Carr is 30 of 39 for 442 yards, with five touchdowns and just one interception for a league-leading 142.4 passer rating. He's been sacked just two times.

According to Next Gen Stats, Carr has completed 11 of 16 downfield pass attempts (10-plus air yards) for 292 yards through two games, with four touchdowns and just one interception.

Can Carr keep it going? We tackle that question here in this week's MVP Watch.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Current MVP Odds: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)

Mahomes threw for just 151 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was picked off twice. 

But the Chiefs once again found a way to win, and the expectation is Mahomes will play better on the road against the Atlanta Falcons, who are preparing for this game on a short week after a road victory on Monday over the Philadelphia Eagles.

How Mahomes and the Chiefs replace the production lost by running back Isiah Pacheco (broken leg) will be something to watch. Kansas City