Tom Brady, Drew Brees and 5 NFL Players Putting Up Video Game Numbers

With the NFL becoming more and more about high-scoring offense, the likelihood is ever-increasing that a number of players will have the kinds of statistical years once thought impossible.

It's almost as if these players are the kind of invincible studs you'd see in video games. In the following slides, I examine five of them.

QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, has been one of the most consistently dominant passers of the last decade, and though his receivers change, his ability to make plays never diminishes.

Whether he's throwing to wideouts like Randy Moss or bruising tight ends like Rob Gronkowski, he's able to enhance his teammate's strengths and lead the team into the postseason year after year.

This season, Brady has 3,920 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and hasn't thrown an interception since Week 9. The only reason we're not talking about Brady's year as much as we should is the astounding fact that there are quarterbacks performing even better than him.

QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees is one of three quarterbacks threatening to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record. At 3,689 passing yards thus far this season at the helm of the NFL's most productive aerial offense, it doesn't appear Brees is going to slow down this pace anytime soon.

He's completed 70.2 percent of his passes thus far this season, with 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to his name. He has innumerable talented receivers to whom he can throw the ball; that, combined with his significant skills, has led the Saints to an 8-3 record.

In Week 13, his team hosts the Detroit Lions. If one thing is certain about this game, it's that Brees will yet again take to the air and will add to his already-mind blowing stats on the year.

QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

The league-leading quarterback so far this season has been the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, who—through 12 games, as his team's contest against the New York Giants is in progress as of this writing—has completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,475 yards and 33 touchdowns to four interceptions on the year.

Also in the running to break Marino's passing record, Rodgers has only improved after a stellar 2010 that saw him lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Seemingly unstoppable, he has done nothing but exceed expectations while making spectators wonder if what they're seeing is really happening.

QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback, Cam Newton, is practically the archetype of the so-called quarterback of the future, with a big, accurate arm and devastating mobility.

Newton's done better than any rookie quarterback in recent memory, even if that stellar play hasn't resulted in a winning season for his team. Fortunately for Newton, those problems aren't his.

In Week 13, Newton broke the NFL record for single-season rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, notching three scores on the ground to bring his total on the year to 13.

He's gotten those touchdowns by rushing 99 times for 519 yards and has also thrown for 3,207 yards, 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on the year.

If Newton only continues to improve, in a few seasons, he may eclipse the kind of unbelievable play we've seen this year from some of the other elite quarterbacks. He's certainly on the path to become one of the most successful and dangerous passers to play the game.

WR Wes Welker, New England Patriots

With so many quarterbacks putting up crazy numbers this season, it's only logical that a wide receiver would thus be having an amazing year as well. And that's certainly the case for the New England Patriots' Wes Welker.

Welker is one of the most reliable receivers in the league, catching an overwhelming majority of passes thrown his way—in fact, he caught all 11 of his targets in his team's Week 13 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts.

On the year, Welker has 93 receptions for 1,253 yards and eight touchdowns. He's the leading receiver in the league by a wide margin, and though his touchdown numbers have dipped as the season has progressed, with other Patriots more productive in that role, that doesn't mean he's in any way fallen out of favor.

When a receiver is both reliable and being thrown to by one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, it's nearly impossible for him to not be putting up major numbers. Such is the case for Welker, who is clearly on pace to have the best season of his eight-year career.