With five games remaining in the NFL season, the race for the coveted MVP award is tightening up. In fact, it's tightened up so much that you can effectively call it a two man race. The two frontrunners in my mind are Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre.
That's right, I said Bret Favre. The guy I begged and pleaded with to retire before the season has done what he always has, he shut up and played. And not only did he shut up and play, he shut up and played to such a level that people doesn't care that he did his retirement tango. They don't care that he hopped from the Packers to division rival Minnesota (with a short stop in New York...oh, and I'm positive the Packer fans are still a little sore about the move). They, like myself, are just marveling at his continued excellence.
Now Peyton Manning, on the other hand, is doing what Peyton always does, win through the air. He has taken a team that has no ground game to speak of and only one experienced wideout; a team that has been decimated on the defensive side by injuries, and has led them to a perfect 11-0 start. It hasn't always been pretty and I'm sure a loss has to come by the end of a season but you have to marvel at what this man is capable of when you know that opposing teams are coming in with one thought and one thought only, stop the pass.
To pick between these two is darn near impossible which may mean a split MVP like Manning did with the late Steve McNair back in 2003. My take though, is that Brett Favre is going to come away with it because nobody, and I mean NOBODY, expected the type of season Favre has given us and Manning may be a victim of his own excellence. Everyone expects his to be great.
But no matter who wins, this is a race that is going to go down to the final hour between two athletes who both equally deserve the award. Personally, I think the true winner of this race is us, the fans, who get to watch this excellence unfold (and did I mention I have them both in my fantasy league).
By the Numbers...
Brett Favre
W/L: 10-1 YDS: 2874 COM %: 69.3 TDS: 24 INTS: 3 QB Rating: 112.1
Peyton Manning
W/L: 11-0 YDS: 3415 COM %: 70.4 TDS: 24 INTS: 11 QB Rating: 102.5
