MVP Discussion: How the Broncos loss affects the MVP race

Photo from Bleacher Report

Also known as "Brady for MVP." With the Broncos loss to the Chargers last night, the Patriots now run the show for the #1 seed if they win out (read more here). So, the question is, if that happens, should Tom Brady win the MVP? Peyton Manning will no doubt have better numbers than Brady, but was he more valuable to his team than Brady?

Short answer: Brady has been way more valuable to his team than Peyton Manning.

Peyton will have the gaudy numbers come the end of the season. Right now, he's on track to pass the single season passing TD record set by Tom Brady in 2007, when the Pats went undefeated in the regular season. But gaudy numbers should not mean an MVP award. As far as overall value to his team, Brady has Peyton beat by several miles in my books.

For a start let's take a look at the weapons they have at their disposal. For Peyton Manning, his 4 main targets (Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Eric Decker) are #1 receivers on any other team. Pats fans know all about Wes Welker, as he played for the Pats for 6 years and was our #1 for much of that time. Last year, Welker had 118 catches for 1,354 yards, and he could put up 1,000+ yards this year (he has 778 yards now) according to ESPN.

And for D. Thomas, he could break his single season best for receiving yards (1,434 yards last year). He has 1,194 yards right now. This kid established himself last year as an elite receiver last year, so it comes as no surprise that he's put up big numbers this year. Same with Eric Decker. He established himself last year, setting his personal best in receiving yards (1,064 yards), but he's already broken that mark with 1,130 yards so far with 3 games left. As for Julius Thomas, he's broken onto the scene this season as a top tight end - he has 674 yards and 11 TDs this year so far.

So, Peyton has put up these numbers for the most part with 3 established receivers, all of whom put up 1,000+ yards last season, so are we really surprised that Manning is going to break Brady's single season TD mark?

Let's look at Mr. Tom Brady now - his top remaining target, Rob Gronkowski, will have missed a total of 9 games this year when all is said and done. That's forced other players, i.e. Julian Edelman (235 yards in 2012) and Danny Amendola (666 yards in 2012) to step up. Both have established themselves in the league, but they're not at the level of Peyton's main targets. Also, Tom Brady has had to break in rookie receivers (notably Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson), and yet, the Patriots have a 10-3 record with a chance to move in to the #1 seed with a win over Miami on Sunday. Let that sink in for a minute. If the Patriots win, they will have the same record as Peyton Manning and all his weapons.

So, as far as value to his team goes, I would have to say that Brady > Manning.

Let me know what you think on Twitter (@ConorJF1016) or leave a comment below.

All stats from ESPN.