Michael Turner for 2008 NFL MVP

Michael Turner for MVP. These words sound impossible to Falcons fans like me all across the United States. Looking back, I still remember how it all started. One warm summer night, I was doing my usual Q & A with other football fans on the upcoming season. A new question popped up and it read something like “Who do you think will be the worst team in the NFL this year?”

There were already roughly 30 answers, and the majority of them said “Atlanta Falcons.” (Kudos to the one guy who said the Detroit Lions!) As a Falcons fan, I was very disappointed when I saw this. I saw Matt Ryan as being a great rookie quarterback, Turner being a powerful workhorse on the ground, and star wide receiver Roddy White having another awesome year.

Through Week 15, Turner has 1,462 all-purpose yards and 15 TD’s. This is Turner’s first year to really be able to show what he’s got, as he was a backup in San Diego from 2004-2007 to five-time Pro Bowler, LaDanian Tomlinson. During his four year period in San Diego, Turner started only one game, and had 1,257 yards on the ground, with six TD’s.

When the Falcons signed Turner to a $34.5 million, six-year contract, I knew that they had very high expectations for him. With still two games to go, Michael already has 164 more yards and nine more TD’s in 15 games with Atlanta than in a combined 59 games with San Diego.

As for MVP for the 2008 season, I believe there are three candidates. Two of them are quarterbacks in Kurt Warner and Drew Brees, and the third is Michael Turner. Despite the fact that Warner and Brees are both having respectively great seasons, those kinds of numbers are expected out of them. Now, I know you may be thinking, “why would I expect those kinds of numbers out of Kurt Warner? He lost his starting job last year to Matt Leinart.”

Although that is true, Warner is a three-time Pro Bowler, and has been to two Super Bowls, one of them in which he won and was crowned Super Bowl MVP. The Arizona Cardinals are having a respectable year with an 8-6 record through Week 15, which if they win at least one of their final two games, would give them an above .500 record for the first time since the 1998 season.

As for Drew Brees, he too is having a great year, but in my opinion should not win the MVP. The biggest reason why was actually mentioned on Monday Night Football last week. I believe it was either Deion Sanders or Emmitt Smith who said: “How can you give the award to Drew Brees when the Saints aren’t gonna make the Playoffs?” This was a phenomenal statement that I agreed with completely. Sure he has 28 TD’s, 4,332 passing yards, and a 93.9 percent passer rating, but the stat that matters most is what he does not have.

Yes, the MVP is a one man award, but the most important part of the award is not “Were you an outstanding player?” It's “Were you such an outstanding player that you were able to hoist your team up on to your shoulders and carry them into the playoffs?”

Brees would not be able to answer this question with a “yes.” Turner, however, could answer with a yes. He has led a team that was 4-12 last season, with a coach that just suddenly quit, and a former No. 1 overall pick in Michael Vick, who is “doing time” in prison because of dog fighting charges, to a 9-5 record. Their record will guarantee them an above .500 record, regardless of if they lose their two remaining games. It is because of these reasons that I believe Michael Turner deserves to win the 2008 NFL MVP Award.