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New England Patriots: Tom Brady Should be Front-Runner for MVP

By Nick Ziegler

Dec 12, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) walks off the field after a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) walks off the field after a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the NFL season coming to a close, the race for awards heats up. Is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady the front-runner for MVP?

Once again, the 2016 season has been a huge success for the New England Patriots. After Week 14, the Patriots have an 11-2 record and sit atop the AFC. Coming into the season, there was some concern about how the Patriots would do this season.

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To start the season, the Patriots had to overcome the four-game suspension of Tom Brady. In those games, the Patriots went 3-1, and also had to utilize two different starting quarterbacks because of injuries.

When Brady returned in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns, he looked like a man on a mission. Despite being suspended for four weeks, Brady didn’t a miss a beat in his return. Against the Browns, Brady totaled 406 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.

Since then, Brady has been close to flawless. The only game that Brady didn’t throw a touchdown pass in this season was the Patriots’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks. In the loss, Brady totaled 306 passing yards, but he did throw an interception.

In a huge game on Monday Night Football, Brady might have had his MVP moment of the season. Against the No.1 ranked defense in the league, Brady was able to total three passing touchdowns and 406 passing yards.

The main competition for Brady in the MVP race is Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Like Brady, Carr has played great this season. However, Carr did not have an MVP-type game in the Raiders’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

Due to Carr not being suspended for four games this season, he has obviously been able to total more passing touchdowns and passing yards than Brady. However, Brady isn’t far behind. Carr has only totaled three more passing touchdowns. When comparing the total QBR of both quarterbacks, it isn’t close. Brady has a QBR over 20 points higher than Carr this season.

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With the numbers close and the Patriots now having more success, Brady should be emerging as the front-runner for the MVP award. At 39-years-old, Brady just appears to be getting better with age. Having two games with over 400 passing yards is extremely impressive for Brady. The addition of a signature win against the Ravens also really helps the MVP case for Brady.

There are still three games left to play, but Brady should be considered the favorite to win the MVP.

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