Tom Brady: 5 Reasons He'll Win the NFL MVP Over Michael Vick and Peyton Manning

With the NFL regular season winding down, the New England Patriots have all but clinched the top spot in the AFC playoffs.

But Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is involved in a much closer race: the NFL MVP race.

Brady will be battling Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning for the award.

Here are five reasons why the MVP of the NFL unquestionably belongs to No. 12.

5. Team Success

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CHICAGO - DECEMBER 12: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a pass against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Patriots defeated the Bears 36-7. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Patriots have won more games (12) than the Eagles (10) and Colts (8) this year.

Team success has to be taken into account in any MVP race. If there are players who have put up similar years, the tiebreaker should be how well their team did.

Brady and the Patriots are well on their way to the best record in the AFC. If Bill Belichick doesn't rest Brady this week or next week, he'll be the most worthy candidate for MVP.

4. Stats

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown scored by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 (not pictured) against the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on

Brady has thrown for 3,561 yards, completed 66.6 percent of his passes and thrown for 31 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Those certainly sound like MVP-caliber numbers to me.

Plus, with games remaining against the Dolphins and Bills, it's possible Brady could top the 4,000-yard mark and finish with 35 or more touchdown passes.

3. Consistency

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez #85 (not pictured) in the fourth quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on December 19, 2

Since Week 9, Brady has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game. He also hasn't thrown an interception since Week 6.

It really helps out a defense when it knows what to expect from its quarterback.

The Patriots' defense knows that Brady isn't going to turn the ball over and that he's going to make enough plays to keep New England in every single ball game.

That's a large part of the Patriots' sustained success over the years.

2. Leadership

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DETROIT - NOVEMBER 25: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots reacts after a Detroit Lions turnover during the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on November 25, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. New England defeated Detroit 45-24. (Photo by Leon

As good as Michael Vick and Peyton Manning are, they can't match the leadership of Tom Brady.

Manning comes close, but he sometimes shies away from the big moments in games. Brady thrives on adversity and has been playing with a chip on his shoulder since he entered the league.

No one has more influence on a sideline and garners more respect from his teammates than Brady.

1. Irreplaceability

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 19: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown scored by running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis #42 (not pictured) against the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on

I'm not sure if irreplaceability is a word, but if it is, it defines Tom Brady.

Brady is the most indispensable player in the NFL. If you put any other quarterback in New England, they are a 10-6 team at best.

Brady takes New England's band of misfit players and makes them great.

For that, he deserves to be the NFL MVP this season.