Forget Tuesday Night, Tom Brady's MVP Award Was Never in Doubt

Forget the debacle that was Tuesday Night Football in America. Michael Vick had a bad game, but that will have nothing to do with his MVP chances. The truth is the race should be sewn up by now. Tom Brady deserves that MVP and he deserves it by a mile. Sure, the Vick story is a great sports story. Most of us are imperfect, and therefore, a sucker for a good redemption story. However, becoming a good person doesn’t make you deserving of the MVP. Nor does the media love affair with you. Brady has had his share of admirers, but without question Brady deserves the award this season. He’s got Vick beat by a mile and I’ll give you more than a few reasons why. 

1.Better Quarterback Rating

This is the measuring stick of every good quarterback. It’s the thing they tell the casual football fan matters the most. So, with that being said Tom Brady has a 109.8; tops in the NFL. Vick, before Tuesday night’s letdown, was rocking a 103.8. Good, but not good enough. 

2.Better Record

A quarterback, if not judged by his ratings, is often judged by his wins. Brady is an NFL best 13-2. Vick? He’s sporting a 10-5 record. If these two teams were in the same division, the Pats would be cruising right now. Vick is barely hanging on in a poor division…we’ll get into that. 

3.Better Wins

Let’s examine the Eagles 10 wins. They have taken down the Jags, Redskins, Lions, Texans, Cowboys. They beat a less than stellar Colts team, but they did handle the Falcons. Still, they got spanked by the Bears and they were manhandled by the Vikings.

The Patriots on the other hand have lost twice. They got hammered by the Browns(there is no defense for that) and they lost to a Jets team that is still fighting for a playoff spot. However, they also have wins against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. They crushed the Bears team that handled Michael Vick, and they avenged their Jets loss by ruining their season with a demoralizing loss. The Pats have had a tougher road and Brady has out- performed Vick. 

4.Better Signature Game

Since we are on the topic of out-performing, let’s take a look at the single game that defines them. Vick’s was his game against Washington. It was a work of art and something that Brady could never match pound for pound. However, Brady’s signature win was against the Steelers; a top five team in most power rankings. Brady aired it out for 350, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s. Brady carved up a good Steelers defense. Vick was breathtaking against a Washington team that is a complete mess.  Both are great, but the degree of difficulty goes to Brady. 

5.Less Weapons

Vick has done incredible things on offense, but don’t forget who he has to work with. His receiving core is DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy is a heck of a good young back. Brady, on the other hand, has done more with less. He’s won with Gronkowski, Welker and Branch. Not a bad core of guys, but ask anyone in the NFL, besides Brady, and they will tell you they’d rather have Vick’s weapons. 

6.More Playing Time

Look, this isn’t to knock Vick for getting injured. It happens, and a guy who gives his body up the way Vick does should expect to miss time here and there. But it has to count against him. Vick has missed 3.5 games. Brady has missed none. The most valuable player should be someone who is able to play every week. That’s value. 

7.No Moss

Let’s not forget the impact this has had on the team. Maybe for Brady it was a blessing in disguise, but losing your deep threat and your Hall of Fame wide receiver should make you worse. Instead Brady got better when the Patriots traded him. How many quarterbacks get better doing that? Only Brady it seems. 

8.More Touchdowns/Less Picks

So Vick has a tad smaller sampling to choose from. The truth of the matter is that Brady has been flat out better. He can’t run like Vick, but he doesn’t have to. He’s had more touchdowns and less picks(34/4) this season. How you can make an argument for Vick knowing that is just ridiculous. 

9.Less Defensive Help

Going into Tuesday night the Eagles were ranked eighth in total defense while the Pats were ranked 27^th. This means that Vick has been the recipient of better field position, lower scores and more time on the field to work his magic. Brady has been given less and made more out of it. 

10.Intangibles

Vick has shown us that he is a much better quarterback than he ever was in Atlanta. He’s a leader of men now. He can will his team to victory and carry them on his back. Brady has been doing that for years and this year is no exception. After a dreadful game in Cleveland where people were openly wondering if he’d ever really be the same after his injury, Brady has been nothing short of perfect. He has willing his team to win and created a new identity. Brady is the clear cut choice and Tuesday night had very little to do with it.