Only twice in the history of the Associated Press NFL MVP voting has a defensive player walked away with the award: Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971, and Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in 1986.

But this season, some are backing the candidacy of J.J. Watt, a defensive end for the Houston Texans who has 15½ sacks, two behind Aldon Smith of the 49ers for the league lead. Watt also has a team-high 83 tackles, and has knocked down 15 passes — one of the more impressive statistics on his impressive résumé.