Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Style points affect the MVP Watch list only to a degree.

Rank 'Em: MVP Candidates How do you size up the NFL MVP race? Drew Brees and Peyton Manning continue piling up wins and touchdowns at a tremendous pace. Who is the best player in the NFL? Cast your vote

Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger weren't always pretty in Week 7, but they did what legitimate MVP candidates do in leading their teams to victory.

Both rank among the NFL's statistical leaders and their teams have won a combined 10 consecutive games.

In fact, the top six figures on the MVP Watch list this week play for teams that have won a combined 25 in a row.

I also found room on the list this week for Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub, who might have been overlooked a week ago. Brett Favre slipped a few spots, but I also wondered whether that phantom tripping call against the Vikings might have short-circuited a potential comeback. We'll never know.

1. PEYTON MANNING QB | Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 1) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 156 215 1,880 72.6 8.74 80 15 4 2 114.5 Completing 73.8 percent of his passes with 13 TDs and 117.4 rating against standard pressure.

2. DREW BREES QB | New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 2) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 132 197 1,698 67.0 8.62 66 14 5 9 106.9 Has 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions when passing inside the red zone this season.

3. BEN ROETHLISBERGER QB | Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 7) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 164 233 2,062 70.4 8.85 52 11 6 19 102.6 Already has more completions covering 40-plus yards (eight) than he had last season (seven).

4. TOM BRADY QB | New England Patriots (Last Week: 4) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 179 273 2,032 65.6 7.44 54 15 4 8 99.9 Has 688 yards and nine TD passes in his last two games. Thank you, Bucs and Titans.

5. KYLE ORTON QB | Denver Broncos (Last Week: 5) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 124 194 1,465 63.9 7.55 87 9 1 9 100.1 Only Orton and Brett Favre have at least four TD passes without an interception vs. added pressure.

6. CEDRIC BENSON RB | Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: NR) 2009 RUSHING 2009 RECEIVING ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD 164 720 4.4 28 5 10 66 6.6 19 0 Within 27 yards of matching his career single-season high for rushing yards.

7. BRETT FAVRE QB | Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 3) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 158 229 1,681 69.0 7.34 63 12 3 18 102.2 Did a fantastic finish elude Favre when officials invented that tripping call to wipe out a TD at Pittsburgh?

8. ELVIS DUMERVIL DE | Denver Broncos (Last Week: 8) 2009 TACKLES MISC. TOT SOLO AST SACK STF STFY FF BK 23 22 1 10.0 0 0 2 0 The bye week slowed him only temporarily. Ten sacks in six games is crazy.

9. AARON RODGERS QB | Green Bay Packers (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 121 184 1,702 65.8 9.25 71 11 2 25 110.8 On pace for 30 TD passes and 5 INTs over a full season. Another 4,000-yard season likely.

10. MATT SCHAUB QB | Houston Texans (Last Week: NR) 2009 PASSING CMP ATT YDS CMP% YPA LNG TD INT SACK RAT 163 249 2,074 65.5 8.33 72 16 5 12 104.4 Has already set a career high for TD passes in a season. Averaging 296 yards per game.