Tom Brady: Why He'll Win MVP in 2010 and 2011
The NFL's poster child, Tom Brady, is having another fantastic season for the New England Patriots.
After somewhat of a slow start, Brady has been spectacular as of late, leading the Pats to a league-best 12-2 record heading into their Week 16 match-up against Buffalo.
New England has already clinched a playoff spot and Brady has led the charge, directing an offense that doesn't feature many household names.
I'll break down five reasons as to why Brady isn't just set up for the 2010 MVP, but likely 2011 as well.
5. He Is Surrounded By Talented, Young Players
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Tom Brady has made it more clear this season than ever before that he can win with no matter who you surround him with.
While the names on the back of the jerseys might not match those of former Patriot Super Bowl teams, this year's New England Patriots team is filled with talent, and most importantly, youthful talented players that want to win, which only makes Brady's job easier.
Gone are names like Randy Moss and Donte Stallworth, guys whose troubles off the field trumped their talent and effort they gave on the field. Hello to guys like Danny Woodhead, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski—young players that want to succeed and have the talent and attitude to do so.
These young players are only going to get better with time, and combine that with the talented veterans like Wes Welker and Deion Branch, and Brady has just what he wants and needs to be able succeed in the NFL now and in the future.
4. Help Is on the Way
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When the Patriots traded Richard Seymour to the Raiders last year, they received Oakland's first round pick this year in return. And while the Raiders are having a better season then most expected, that will still likely turn out to be a top-20 pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
With that being said, as long as they do not make a trade, the Patriots should have two first round picks coming in this year's draft. It is likely that they would use one of those picks to help sure up the offense, maybe a tackle, a receiver, or a top-notch running back to complement BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Either way, having two first round picks is certainly going to help Brady's MVP cause by surrounding him more more talent. The more youthful talent that Brady is surrounded by, the more his MVP chances will improve.
3. They Are the Superbowl Favorites and Will Continue To Be So
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As of right now, it is fair to say that New England is—and probably will be—the Super Bowl favorite heading into this year's playoffs. The primary reason for their success has been the play of Brady.
Through 14 games this season, Brady sports a 109.9 passer rating, which is tops in the NFL. He leads the league in touchdown passes with 31, and has the fewest interceptions (four) of any starting quarterback. He has put up arguably the best numbers of his career, and there are no signs that these type of numbers should slow down the following season.
Brady is the best player on the league's best team, and has put up outstanding numbers this season. Sounds like an MVP resume to me.
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2. Who Is Going To Compete With Him?
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When you look at the potential NFL MVP candidates for this season, only three guys really pop into the serious discussion.
Brady, Michael Vick and Phillip Rivers.
Vick has had an outstanding season, but he also has not played in every game due to injury, and the fact that he did not start the year as the Eagles' staring quarterback. In addition to that, it is no secret about the issues he had off the field prior to this season, and while the MVP award should not be based in any such way on what a player has done off the field, it does play a small factor into the voting.
Rivers has had an outstanding season numbers wise, and like Brady, he has not had his usual suspects to pass the ball too this year. But his team is just 8-6, and if the playoffs started today, the Chargers would be left out of the picture.
Brady has the numbers both in the statistical and winning category, that makes him the obvious choice for this year's MVP award. Vick might remain good, but will always have that baggage attached to his name, and Rivers needs some more talent around him to get his team back as a contender in the future.
Brady is playing his best football at this point in his career, and with the talent that will return next season, what makes anyone think that those numbers and wins will go down?
1. He Is the Ideal Player/Person
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Is there one thing that Tom Brady does that isn't close to perfect?
He is a winner on the field, and has the championship rings to show for it. He puts up spectacular numbers year in and year out, and always seems to have his team in the Super Bowl conversation. And if all that isn't enough, he is an ideal individual that seems to say all the right things and have all the right answers for any questions that are thrown his way.
Brady stands for what is good about the NFL, and it can only help the league's image that the man who hoists the Most Valuable Player trophy at the end of the year, is the guy who does all the right things both on and off the field.
Brady has set the standard for winning in the NFL in the past decade, and has shown no sign whatsoever that standard will be questioned in years to come.
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