From the Press Box: MVP Madness Edition

AG gives you his thoughts on the state of the "MVP" race- who should win it, who is being forgotten and why it may be an outmoded concept.

Sometime Monday night, as I watched Tom Brady pick apart the Houston Texans, it occurred to me that I take Brady for granted.

Amazing, isn't it? Also true though.

Today we're going to talk NFL MVP.

Brady hasn't been on my list this year. Neither has Aaron Rodgers. Yet both have been playing at an incredibly high level.

For myself, I've been an advocate of Adrian Peterson because what he has done this season has been nothing short of extraordinary. For much the same reasons, many people lean towards Peyton Manning.

We'll get back to why I feel the way I feel in a minute but let's talk about my epiphany first.

As Brady was throwing his way to a four touchdown, nearly 300 yard evening it occurred to me that Brady just wasn't impressing me anymore. That games like this were becoming so commonplace that I wasn't seeing them for the amazing accomplishments they were anymore.

And again, you could say the same for Rodgers' season.

It's interesting to note that the NFL we watch every Sunday (and Monday and Thursday) has reached a point where someone can do that, even someone like me who makes a living watching football.

Brady has had as good a season as we've seen in years but he's coming off a 5,000 yard season he'll likely not repeat so anything less just seems average.

So it wasn't until Monday that it hit me that. for as much as we see Brady do the amazing things he does they don't register the way they used to.

Of course, even after the light goes on I'm still pulling for Peterson.

The two most common arguments I hear opposing Peterson winning the MVP is that "an ACL tear isn't that big a deal" and "his team might not make the playoffs".

Let's talk about what a crock those are.

First of all, coming back from not one but two ligament tears is far from easy-it's unheard of. To come back from that and be not only as good as you were before but arguably better?

Doesn't happen. So, since we're talking perspective today, let's just understand how ridiculous it is that Peterson may kick past 2,000 yards.

With that out of the way, let's tackle the whole "they don't make the playoffs" thing.

It may be true. The Vikings may not make the playoffs. However, if we look at the other contenders-especially Manning-you see teams that are winning teams, fully built and more importantly playoff teams as recently as last year.

Sure, what Manning has accomplished is phenomenal. Personally, I didn't give him a chance of finishing this season and yet here he is.

But this is virtually the same team which Tim Tebow took to the playoffs last year and cleared the first round.

I'm not saying Tebow is just as good as Manning because he's not. Just that Manning isn't making as big a difference as a lot of people like to make him out as having.

On top of it, so far the Broncos haven't beaten any decent team and are feeding off of a terrible AFC West.

So you tell me who is more valuable.

Of course, it's all relative and at the end of the day, no running back will win this award. No wide receiver, lineman, defensive back, linebacker or even kicker will win the award.

It's a quarterback's world and the rest of the players just live in it.

Ultimately, this is why I think the MVP needs to go away.

Yeah you read that right. The MVP is a useless award which ignores 99% of the players in the league. At least with the Offensive and Defensive Players of the year, defensive ends like JJ Watt have a shot at an award.

Watt should be in the running for MVP. But like Peterson, Charles Tillman and other non-QBs, he has virtually no shot because the MVP voters can't see past the ability to throw a fade route.

It'd still be QB city on the OPOY, but at least the defensive players would have a fair shot.

Maybe one day the league will get a little more perspective and realize there's more to a game than the guy who throws the ball.

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Comments (3)

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Rocky70's picture

December 15, 2012 at 01:55 pm

AP is running like Gale Sayers, Walter Payton & Barry Sanders all wrapped into one. He has to be at the top of the MVP list. The Vikes would be 2-11 or maybe 3-10 without him instead of 7-6.

I've seen nearly all his games this season & he is running at a stratospheric level.

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Charlie Kelly's picture

December 15, 2012 at 02:11 pm

When he inevitably loses it to Manning, it will be funny hearing Viking fans cry about conspiracies the NFL has against their team.

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Evan's picture

December 15, 2012 at 04:16 pm

Not a knock on AP at all, he's incredible, but didn't Wes Welker accomplish a very similar feat in 2010?

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