The NFL post season awards have been handed out and this year it really has dropped the ball on handing out the awards to the wrong people. We have already talked about how Troy Polamalu should not have won the defensive player of the year award, and the Super Bowl proved it even more. Several other awards have been handed out recently, and several of them have not been given to the right player if you break it all down. Tom Brady won the MVP award and you can’t argue with that one bit, he had a great season and deserved that award.
But Tom Brady also won the offensive player of the year award which I definitely do not agree with, that award should have gone to Michael Vick. Let’s look at the numbers first:
Michael Vick
Pass Yds: 3108
TD’s: 21
INT’s: 6
Rush Yds: 676
Rush TD: 9
QB Rating: 100.2
Tom Brady
Pass Yds: 3900
TD’s: 36
INT’s: 4
Rush Yds: 30
Rush TD: 1
QB Rating: 111.2
People will say that Brady had a higher rating, more yards, and more touchdowns, but people are not looking inside those numbers. Brady started all 16 games and was left in games during blowouts, while Michael Vick only started 12 games and led the #1 offense in the NFL. If Vick played in all 16 games he would have thrown for more yards than Brady, and would have had higher numbers rushing and TD’s passes. He was the most exciting player to watch on the field this year, and most of his stats were not in garbage time like many of Tom Brady’s were.
You can’t fault Brady for playing the game, but it’s a fact when you are up 37 – 14 there is no reason to launch passes 50 yards down field other than for stat padding. Brady also played behind one of the best offensive lines in football while Michael Vick’s offensive line resembled diced Swiss Cheese at times this year. He was literally running for his life back there, while Brady had a nice clean pocket to throw from most of the time. When Brady did face a team that could pressure him he folded and curled up on the ground before a defender could even touch him while Vick often was blown up by defenders as he was trying to make a play. This is not to question Brady’s courage, but a lot of QB’s would have those numbers behind that offensive line.
Vick did end up winning a post season award though. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was named The Associated Press 2010 NFL Comeback Player of the Year on Saturday night. The voting was basically a no-contest, with Vick receiving 29.5 votes, 21.5 ahead of second-place finisher, Seahawks receiver Mike Williams. E.J. Henderson the Vikings linebacker who last year broke his leg in a gruesome injury that reminded you of a pretzel only received 3.5 votes. I did not even know that Henderson was back playing and had forgotten about the injury he suffered, I commend Henderson for getting back on the field after all of that. It’s hard to argue with Vick winning this award, but a case can be made for Henderson over Williams. I mean all Mike Williams had to overcome was that bag of Cheetos on the couch next to him.
