NFL MVP Talk: Is Matt Ryan Having a Better Year at QB Than Tom Brady?
NFL MVP talk is heating up as we get to the end of the season and there's plenty of candidates for the award, but at the end of the day, we're going to look at two quarterbacks in particular—Tom Brady and Matt Ryan.
They are the quarterbacks of the top teams in each conference right now and both teams are on a total roll right now. Is Ryan having a better year than Brady? We give five reasons for Brady and five for Ryan with a conclusion at the end.
Any thoughts or comments? Make sure to leave them below.
No. 5 Brady: No Moss, No Problem
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When Randy Moss was shipped out of New England, a lot of people thought it would be a huge blow to Tom Brady and the Patriot offense.
Oops. Since then, Brady has gone on to have a monster year and make plays at the same rate he did when Moss was in the lineup. He proved that he didn't need Moss to be a statistical beast and the offense might be performing better without the troublesome wideout.
It's been impressive to say the least.
No. 5 Ryan: Mediocre Defense
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Atlanta's defense isn't exactly what you'd call a tough defensive unit.
I think the difference between Atlanta and New England's defenses (the Patriots have a much worse defense by the stats) is that Bill Belichick put his young players out there knowing they'd struggle early on. Now Belichick has a feel for his players and that defense has been playing great the past couple of weeks.
I'd take New England's defense over Atlanta's at this point and Ryan has been winning games at the same clip as Brady, even with what I think is a lesser defense.
No. 4 Brady: Ryan's Mistakes Lately
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After going four weeks without an interception, the picks have returned for Matt Ryan.
Ryan has thrown four picks in the last three games and this is as the Falcons are pushing for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. This just isn't the time for the interceptions and in the next couple of weeks, the picks have to come down.
If those picks come in the playoffs, they could change the entire course of a playoff game.
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No. 4 Ryan: Less Offensive Depth
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While Matt Ryan does have weapons in Roddy White, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez, he doesn't have the depth that Brady has.
Brady has Deion Branch, Wes Welker, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Aaron Hernandez and so many other weapons. Don't get me wrong, Ryan has some great talent around him, but I think that Brady just has so much more at his disposal.
I think that New England has some of the more underrated players in the league and then turns them into stars.
No. 3 Brady: Mistake Free
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Tom Brady has not thrown an interception since Week 6 of this year.
Let that sink in. To help you realize how impressive it is, here are some of the teams he's played in that span: San Diego, Pittsburgh, NY Jets, Chicago. Those are some tough defenses he went up against and played well.
Not many, if any quarterbacks in the NFL can say that.
No. 3 Ryan: Heavier Workload
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For the whole season, Matt Ryan has thrown 21 more passes than Tom Brady this year.
That's almost a game's worth of passes that Ryan has had to throw on top of Brady's workload. It helps explain his higher interception total and makes you appreciate how important Ryan is to the offense, even with a Pro Bowl back in Michael Turner in the backfield.
It's his third season and he has more on his plate than Brady at this point.
No. 2 Brady: Efficency
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Tom Brady is the highest rated passer in the NFL.
Brady has always been an efficient passer, but it seems like this year he has taken it to another level. Excluding the rare exception, Brady is just on the money with pinpoint accuracy and he has just picked opposing defenses apart.
His play has been a thing of beauty this season.
No. 2 Ryan: Surprising Season
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So who had Atlanta getting home field advantage throughout the playoffs?
Anyone? No? I didn't think so.
The Falcons are rolling right now and look poised to take the top seed in the NFC and a lot of it has to do with Matt Ryan. He came into a bad situation after Michael Vick and turned it into one of the top teams in the league.
You can't say enough about the part he's played in turning it around this year, especially after a disappointing sophomore season.
No. 1 Brady: High Profile Wins
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Tom Brady has beaten some of the top teams in the league.
Not only that, but for the most part, he's made it look easy on offense. He's just in a groove like few quarterbacks have ever been in and it's just amazing to watch. The Patriots are battle tested and they're going to be a handful in the postseason.
If I'm an AFC playoff team, I'm praying I don't see the Patriots in the Divisional Round.
No. 1 Ryan: Comeback Wins
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The one thing Matt Ryan will do to you is come from behind to win.
He's done it multiple times in his career and he has done it this year, especially against Baltimore in a great game and Ryan has learned to thrive in clutch situations. He's got a poise and swagger when he gets into that mode that just lifts the team to a new level.
The Falcons are never out of a game with Ryan under center.
Conclusion
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In the end, it has to be Tom Brady.
Brady is playing for the best team in the best conference in football. He's doing it with guys that wouldn't have started for most teams at the beginning of the year and he's torching good defenses with extreme accuracy.
Ryan's had a great year, but there may not be a quarterback with a better year than Tom Brady.
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