Football

Michael Vick for MVP

Why he deserves it over Tom Brady.

Sure, Tom Brady may be having one of the best statistical years for a quarterback ever, but he shouldn’t win the NFL MVP award. That honor belongs to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, whose most recent feat was a 28-point fourth-quarter comeback against the New York Giants. “Brady is the familiar pocket passer, the most consistent we have ever seen,” writes The New York Times’ William C. Rhoden. “On the other hand, no quarterback in recent N.F.L. history has leveraged the double threat like Vick.” Rhoden argues that Brady also enjoys an advantage on the field because officials protect him. “Vick is on the ground, throwing, running, throwing on the run, taking several hard shots a game as a matter of course. Defensive players who even think about putting hits on Brady will be flagged—and financially flogged—by the N.F.L.”