Giants vs. Patriots: Why Super Bowl MVP Won't Be Tom Brady or Eli Manning

The Super Bowl MVP is one of the most prestigious awards in the NFL, but a quarterback won't win it this year.

A quarterback has won the award 23 times, including four out of the last five Super Bowls.

Tom Brady and Eli Manning have each won the award before—Brady has won it twice. Nevertheless, neither of them will win it this year.

First, they're too easy to pick. Accordingly, they will need to have spectacular games to be considered. Brady had good numbers in 2005, but he didn't stand out.

By the nature of the sport, the quarterback is the easiest position to stand out. However, without standing out, it is tough for a quarterback to win the MVP.

In addition, there are plenty of other players that could win the award.

On the New England Patriots, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker are each potential winners.

When healthy, Gronk is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. If his ankle isn't bothering him, he could have a huge game. If he can score a couple touchdowns and the Pats win, he has a very good chance to win the award.

As for Welker, he always has the chance to take over a game. If he ends up with a dozen catches and a couple of touchdowns, don't be surprised if he wins the award, a la Deion Branch in 2005.

On the New York Giants side, there are even more potential winners.

Any of the wide receivers for the Giants could have a monstrous game. Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks all have the ability to go off.

On defense, the entire line, mainly Jason Pierre-Paul, could have a few sacks and force a few turnovers. In turn, he would probably win the award.

There are plenty of things that could happen in the Super Bowl. However, the quarterbacks have too much going on to win the MVP. They will have to play incredible football to win it, and they didn't really show that in the conference title games.

In addition, there is so much big-play talent around them, they could easily defer to their teammates.

Brady and Manning have the ability to win the Super Bowl MVP, but that doesn't mean they will. They would have to do something ridiculous, and they would have to outshine great talents on their team.

As a result, the Super Bowl MVP will not be either of the quarterbacks.