Matt Ryan, Chad Pennington MVP Candidates in NFL's Year of the Underdog

Hope is a very personal word with much meaning involved.  Sports is great because it gives hope to everyone—hope for a winning season, a comeback for the ages, and a championship celebration. 

Everyone has hope at the beginning of the season: fans, players, coaches, teams.  But that hope dwindles away after an 0-3 start, a low preseason ranking in ESPN's polls, or the criticisms of fans before the team even takes the field. 

After Tom Brady went down with the most shocking injury in recent memory, Peyton Manning and the Colts came slow out of the gates, and LT struggled through injury, the NFL has hope for somebody to step up and claim the MVP.  

Without any prime time names available to win the award by default, the NFL can have a true MVP this season.  In the truest sense of the term Most VALUABLE Player, the finalists should include Chad Pennington and Matt Ryan.

What?

Answer this question truthfully.  Who in the world of sports had hope for Chad Pennington this season.  Hope that he could win the starting job? Maybe. Hope that he could improve upon a 1-15 season? Maybe.  But hope that he could lead the Dolphins to a first place tie with three weeks to go in the regular season!? Never. 

With Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington fanatics and experts excused, I cannot believe that anybody had hope for Chad Pennington this year. 

Chad Pennington, exiled by his former team, the New York Jets, has revived his career and the hopes of the Miami Dolphins with a steady, unexpected, and inspiring season.  Who would have thunk it!

In a season where nobody's numbers really jump out, and Pennington's certainly don't, the Dolphins are in pursuit of a comeback season for the century, a division title, and a run at the Super Bowl.  Thanks to the play of Pennington, the Dolphins have the inside track to the AFC title with games remaining against the 49ers, Chiefs, and division-leading Jets. 

On a team without a standout side receiver, Pennington has his second-best passer rating of his nine-year career at 93.7 and his most yards per game at 235.5.  Pennington is also on pace to set his highest total of passing yards and lowest total of interceptions. 

While these numbers do not scream MVP, Pennington's inspiring play does.  Going into the season with not only a chip on his shoulder from being pushed out of New York for arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, and also an immense amount of criticism from experts and fans, Pennington has used his leadership to carry a 1-15 team to first place.

What?

Chad has taken criticism for his inability to throw the deep ball, spread the field, and make the big play his entire career.

''This offseason, I really took a look at the criticism I was receiving,'' Pennington said. 'I looked at it and saw, `Hey, some of it was probably true. How could I change that?' ''

So far this season, in the midst of fascinating efficiency, Pennington is quietly proving he also is capable of spreading the field more effectively than he did in the past. Against the Patriots, he averaged 11.3 yards on his 17 completions. Against the Chargers, he averaged 7.9 yards on 22 completions.

Big games, big throws, big wins has been the motto of Chad Pennington this season. 

It would truly be a great story if Pennington is able to lead the Dolphins to a 3-0 finish and beat the Jets in week 17 to secure the team's first playoff appearance since 2001.

However, as great and inspiring a story as Chad Pennington has been this season, there has been one better.  

This brings me to Matt Ryan. 

The odds have been against Matt Ryan since being selected number three overall in the 2008 NFL draft.  Many believe Ryan was only selected that high because of the weak quarterback class to start with.

By being selected by the Atlanta Falcons, Ryan was plagued with the task of making bitter Falcon fans forget the Michael Vick disaster that last season was. 

Ryan has answered the call, outplaying all of the previously quarterbacks selected high in the draft.  The Falcons rookie quarterback has outperformed Jay Cutler, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Brady Quinn, and I won't even go near JaMarcus Russell.

Not only has he outperformed them, leading the miserable Falcons of 2007 to a possible playoff berth, but he has also done it all while putting up more than solid numbers. 

No. 2 has a pass completion percentage of 62, a passer rating of 92, 14 TDs to seven INTs, and nearly 3,000 yards with three games to play. 

Like Pennington, these do not scream MVP numbers, but Ryan's inspiring play, especially under pressure, does. 

Under pressure has been the rookie's forte.  Ryan has led the Falcons in wins over the Panthers, Saints, Packers, and Bears this season, all teams still fighting for the playoffs.

The Atlanta Falcons were projected by The Sporting News to finish 1-15 this season.

The Falcons are nowhere near 1-15—they are currently tied for a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs.  If Ryan can lead the Falcons through the final three games against the division-leading Bucs, the division-leading Vikings, and the erratic Rams, the Falcons will secure their first playoff berth since 2005 and only their third in the last 10 years. 

Not only has Ryan given Falcons nation hope, but he has also erased the memory of the Michael Vick era and has instilled a bright outlook for the future of the organization. 

Without Ryan, it is unlikely that Roddy White, Michael Turner, and Michael Jenkins would be having career seasons.  White and Turner may very well likely make the Pro Bowl, along with Ryan. 

If Ryan had been overlooked by the Falcons as he was by many others heading into the 2008 NFL draft, The Sporting News may have very well been correct with their 1-15 projection.

This is why my vote for MVP goes to Matt Ryan, and respectively, comeback player of the year to Chad Pennington. 

Thanks to their leadership, inspiring play, and unexpected poise under pressure, two teams selecting in the top three of the draft just several months ago are now in position to make a run at the ultimate prize, the Super Bowl.

This truly has been the year of the underdog.