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NFL New England Patriots

Tom Brady Is NFL MVP Frontrunner Heading Into Week 14

By @Bigwoolf5

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Benny Sleu-USA Today Sports

The New England Patriots started off this season 2-2, and it was after their Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs that many people started to panic and ask the question of whether Tom Brady should be benched. While some were calling for Brady’s benching, others, including Steve Young and Trent Dilfer, were saying that the Patriots organization had failed Brady and not surrounded him with enough talent. Despite all of this, the Patriots are now tied for the best record in the AFC and Brady is the frontrunner for MVP.

Brady’s stats this season are outstanding, but his MVP candidacy goes way beyond the numbers. The Patriots roster on paper isn’t a team that makes you think best team in the league, especially on offense. In the beginning of the season Brady had basically nobody to throw to besides Julian Edelman. Rob Gronkowski was nowhere close to 100 percent, and Brandon LaFell was still an unknown commodity.

Gronkowski is now 100 percent and better than ever, but besides him, you wouldn’t think much of the Patriots’ skill position players. Brady has turned LaFell into a star like only Brady can do, and he has spread the ball around to different people and made it work like he has throughout his career.

The Patriots’ offensive line has also been inconsistent this year after trading Logan Mankins in the offseason, their best offensive lineman. Brady’s ability to do more with less talent around him is what makes him one of the best quarterbacks ever, and he once again has proven that this year. Brady has thrown 28 touchdowns compared to only six interceptions this season with a quarterback rating on the season above 100.

Brady’s biggest competition for the MVP award this season is Aaron Rodgers, who has 32 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Those stats are ridiculous, but the reason I give the edge to Brady is that Rodgers’ skill position players are head and shoulders above Brady’s.

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are probably the best duo of wide receivers in the league and both individually in the top 10. Not to take anything away from Rodgers, who is the current best quarterback in the league, but Brady doesn’t have those weapons to throw to.

This is definitely a close race for MVP in 2014, but it seems obvious that the top two candidates are Brady and Rodgers. Both have led their teams to the top of their divisions, but this award is about who is the most valuable, which to me means who could lift their team higher than the talent level. Brady is clearly doing that right now better than anyone.

Both players still have a lot more work to do on the field in the last four weeks of the season, and maybe there is another candidate who will rise up and force his way into the MVP conversation. But as of right now Brady is slightly edging out Rodgers for the award.

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