NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

New England Patriots: Tom Brady has stopped MVP from being a debate

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

It’s hard not to feel for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, or Arizona Cardinals veteran Carson Palmer, because for as good as all three of those QBs have played this season, New England Patriots legend Tom Brady has prevented the MVP race from becoming an actual debate. There’s no doubt that Dalton and players at non-QB positions deserve to get some love for the work they’ve put in this season, but Brady’s performance last night was yet another reminder of just how hard it is to consider anybody else for this prestigious award.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Who are the NFL’s most overpaid players?

You could say Brady is playing the best football of his life, and I’d rather undersell his previous seasons than under-praise his work this season. Last night was a perfect example of his ability to find every little mis-match in an opponent’s defense, and it’s almost ridiculous how good he is at finding two completely different types of pass-catchers.

More from New England Patriots

Not only did Brady blast the Miami Dolphins with nine throws for six receptions and 113 yards to Rob Gronkowski, but he hit up Dion Lewis on six of his nine attempts for 93 yards and was a perfect six-for-six to Lewis at one point in the game. Brady’s spotting his tight end, his running back, his top possession receivers, and his “X” guy Brandon LaFell. No matter who he plays, he’s going to find the best matchup possible, and he is going to absolutely abuse it.

Brady made it look easy last night in a 36-7 win against a team that embarrassed its first two opponents under Dan Campbell, and while the teams the Dolphins faced were terrible, beating anybody 44-26 and 38-10 in back-to-back weeks is impressive.

It’s not like Brady had it too easy either, because he was pressured quite often last night. The Dolphins managed to hit him six times, and it wasn’t just Cameron Wake putting in work before his injury either. Olivier Vernon and Ndamukong Suh absolutely laid waste to the Patriots offensive line, and a lesser quarterback would have been flustered into a more frustrating day.

Instead, Brady completed 26 of 38 passes for 356 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in what was a nearly flawless primetime performance. This was supposed to be a relatively close game between a powerhouse AFC East team and a bounce-back AFC East squad on a hot streak. Brady made it a blowout, and it seems like he’s become so good at moving in the pocket that no amount of pressure can impact his rhythm.

With 20 touchdowns, just one interception, a completion percentage of 68.9%, and an average of 344.3 passing yards, Brady’s numbers are off the charts. He’s piling up volume, he’s avoiding mistakes, he’s putting points on the board, and it sometimes seems like his receivers drop more passes than he misses throws.

It’s this kind of brilliance that has made the Patriots the best team in the NFL, and even when they face a tough opponent (like last week against the New York Jets), Brady proves to be the difference. His Week 7 game against the Jets was a quintessential Brady performance, as he was the offense without any sort of a running game against one of the NFL’s most dominant defenses. Even when the players around him aren’t in a rhythm and dropping passes or missing blocking assignments, Brady always finds a way to get it done.

The Patriots are winning, and they are winning by impressive margins in big spots, whether it’s against the Jets or in front of a national audience on Thursday Night Football against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers or a previously red-hot division rival. Maybe the Dolphins are frauds who benefited from beating up on the Titans and Texans, but there was nothing misleading about Brady’s game last night.

Oct 29, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a touchdown pass to wide receiver Julian Edelman during the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

On tap for Brady and the Pats are duels against the NFC East’s Washington Redskins and New York Giants before a rivalry meet-up with the Buffalo Bills and old foe Rex Ryan.

But outside of a battle against Aqib Talib, Von Miller, and the mighty Denver Broncos defense, it’s hard to see any unit having any sort of success against Brady.

Heck, it’s even hard to see the Broncos stopping a quarterback who can gun it for nearly 350 yards per game while still never having an interception that was actually his fault.

We still have more than half of the season to go, but, as of right now, the MVP race isn’t a debate.

Brady’s numbers and the way in which he is carrying this offense are simply unparalleled. Dalton, Palmer, and Rodgers have all been impressive, but even the QBs with comparable numbers can’t touch Brady’s completion percentage, passing yards per game average, and lone INT.

Rodgers could usurp him at a later date, but, for now, the MVP conversation is Brady’s to dominate.

Next: Did the '07 Pats have the best offense ever?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/New England Patriots