Michael Vick vs. Tom Brady: A Two-Man Race for the NFL MVP Award

Quarterbacks Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots officially turned the battle for the NFL MVP award into a two-man race on Sunday of Week 14.

Michael Vick has proven to be the league’s most improved player this season.

His field vision and accuracy from the pocket with the Eagles were unforeseen in his days with the Atlanta Falcons.

Vick made a few rare mistakes against the Dallas Cowboys. He rushed a couple of decisions, and pressure forced him into making a poor throw, which was intercepted in the middle of the field. Another Vick pass was tipped by his receiver and ultimately picked off. Amazingly, these were just his third and fourth interceptions on the season.

Vick completed 16-of-26 attempted passes (61.5 completion percentage) for 270 yards, two touchdowns and the two interceptions. He also added 16 yards on the ground, including a touchdown.

After the NFC East division showdown with the New York Giants last month, it seemed the Giants laid out the blueprint on how to, at least somewhat, contain Michael Vick. The Chicago Bears took that blueprint and pressured Vick, which cost the Eagles the chance to keep pace with the Falcons for the top seed in the NFC.

Vick rebounded mightily against the Houston Texans in Week 13, as they have one of the worst defenses in the league.

This week against Dallas, the Cowboys pressured Vick and forced him into a few poor decisions. The league may finally be catching up to Vick, but it may not be quick enough. He was still able to rebound against the Cowboys and led his team to a 30-27 victory.

He started the game with a play-action bomb to DeSean Jackson. The two followed it up early in the fourth quarter. On a quick out route to the sidelines, Vick threw a tight bullet to Jackson, who was able to break away from a tackle, stay in bounds and proceed up the field for a 91-yard touchdown to take the lead.

Vick has put up gaudy numbers despite not playing the full Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers and getting injured in the first quarter against the Washington Redskins in Week 4, which caused him to miss the next three contests.

Equipped with blazing speed, a rocket arm, catlike quickness and now nearly impeccable accuracy, pocket awareness and vision, Vick has career highs in quarterback rating and completion percentage with 104.3 and 63.6, respectively. He has thrown for 2,513 yards and 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions and one fumble lost. Vick has added 483 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, which is one shy of his career high.

The “Michael Vick Experience” is back and better than ever in Philadelphia. He has the Eagles in prime position to win a Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, it seemed all that was needed was an embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Browns for Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

Since that Week 9 loss, “Tom Terrific” has been in rare MVP form, playing like a man possessed. Brady has been scorching hot. He has lit up every defense he has played since that loss. Something either clicked or snapped in Brady because he is playing at a level perhaps even better than his historic 2007 campaign, when he threw a whopping 50 touchdowns.

Brady has refused to turn the ball over since Week 6 against Baltimore, which is seven straight games. In that span, Brady has ripped through the top defenses in the league, including the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football Week 10 and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football Week 13.

This week, Brady took his Patriots into the frigid Chicago cold and proceeded to rout another top defense in the Bears, in the snow, 36-7. The conditions may have been frigid freezing, but Tom Brady was as hot as ever. He diced through the Bears secondary for a season-high 369 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing 21-of-29 attempted passes (67.5 completion percentage).

Since that devastating road loss to one-time Belichick pupil Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns, Brady has thrown for over 300 yards in four of the past five games, including three straight. He has thrown 15 touchdowns in that span and also rushed for a touchdown against the Steelers. Again, most importantly, Brady has refused to turn the ball over.

The cerebral assassin boasting quite possibly the most accurate arm in the game has proven that he is arguably the league’s greatest leader. He has stepped his game up to a new level despite working with Wes Welker, Deion Branch and a host of inexperienced or castaway players on a makeshift offense.

Brady has been just about as perfect as he can be, spreading the ball over the field, and not just on the Patriots’ lethal quick, short routes. Brady is finding different receivers over the middle of the field, at the sidelines and over the top of the defensive coverage.

We may not have seen Brady this passionate, focused and determined at any point in his career.

Tom Brady currently has a 109.9 quarterback rating and is completing 66.8 percent of his passes, the second-best mark of his career after the record-setting 2007 campaign. Brady has thrown for 3,398 yards, 29 touchdowns and just four interceptions with one fumble lost and a rushing touchdown.

Although Brady is backed by an inexperienced and inconsistent defense, Bill Belichick has this defense believing in everything he says. They are well-coached and are giving everything they possibly have. With Tom Brady focused, prepared and determined to shred every defense in his path each week, the New England Patriots are currently the AFC favorite to reach the Super Bowl.

The MVP race has officially heated up between Michael Vick and Tom Brady.

With three games remaining, they each have as great a shot as the other to win the coveted award.

Michael Vick’s Eagles finish the season at the New York Giants and hosting the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys in the last three games.

Tom Brady’s New England Patriots host the potentially Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers, travel to Buffalo and close out the year against the Miami Dolphins at home.

With two tough division games for each remaining, anything can happen in this close race.