Barber carried the Giants all year.
MVP: Tiki Barber RB NYG: Barber had an incredible year in helping the Giants make the postseason. He rushed for 1860 yards with a 5.2 yards per carry average. More impressively, he had 530 receiving yards giving him 2390 total yards. This was tops in the league, and his rushing numbers were second only to Alexander. Barber only had 11 total touchdowns which is not close to Alexander, but to me Barber was much more important to his team. Barber had to carry the offense as Eli Manning struggled down the stretch at quarterback. Manning wound up with a QB rating of only 75.9, and he only completed 52.8% of his passes. This put the load squarely on Tiki's shoulders, and he responded with the best season of his career. Without Barber there is little chance that Giants are even close to the playoffs. Without Alexander the Seahawks would still have a shot.
2. Tom Brady QB NE: Brady was also there when his team needed him most. He led the NFL with 4110 passing yards, and he finished with a QB rating of 92.3. He was the only mainstay on a team that suffered multiple injuries, and he successfully led them to an AFC East crown against the toughest schedule in football. The Patriots would have been nowhere this season without Brady, and he deserves recognition for that.
3. Shaun Alexander RB SEA: As I said earlier, you cannot go wrong with Alexander. He has been a dominant back for the past few seasons, and he has shown a nose for the endzone that is unparalleled in the league. I just do not think that he was the most valuable guy in the league.
4. Peyton Manning QB IND: It's shocking to see this name this far down on the list, but there are just too many better choices this year. Manning still had a terrific season throwing for 3747 yards and a 104.1 QB rating. He led the Colts to the #1 seed in the AFC, and his play is still the benchmark for the league. As well as he played, the Colts still won multiple games this season with their defense as Manning struggled. This and this alone is the only reason he is here on this list.
5. Carson Palmer QB CIN: Palmer had a breakout season in what was only his second season as starter. He threw for 3836 yards and a 101.2 rating while having an outstanding 32/12 touchdown to interception ratio. He was also largely responsible for the Bengals return to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Palmer may win an MVP or two in his career just not this year.
Coach of the Year: Marvin Lewis CIN: Lewis is the other major reason that the Bengals are back in the playoffs. In his third year as Bengals' coach he has led them to an 11-5 record and an AFC North Championship. He is now 27-21 in three seasons after taking over for a 2-14 team in 2002. If not for this season, Lewis deserves this award for the full body of work that he has performed the past three seasons. Other candidates for this award are Lovie Smith, Tony Dungy, and Mike Holmgren. This is no knock on any of them, but their jobs were not nearly as difficult as what Lewis' has been. Smith and Holmgren have the luxury of coaching in the putrid NFC conference, and Dungy has had one of the best teams in the league since he arrived in Indianapolis.
Comeback Player of the Year: Steve Smith WR CAR: Smith shared this award with Tedy Bruschi of the Patriots. It is hard to argue with Bruschi's performance, but with one vote, it has to go to Smith. Bruschi did come back from a stroke, but he only missed a portion of this season, and his recovery time was not nearly as long as Smith's. Smith, on the other hand, broke his leg in the first game of 2004. He missed the entire 2004 season, and he returned to the Panthers this year without his running mate Mushin Muhammed who traveled to Chicago for more money. Smith went on to carry the Panthers' offense, and in the process he led the NFL in receiving yards with 1563. He also had 13 total touchdowns, and many of them were electrifying to say the least. This type of performance is more impressive given that he had no #2 receiver across from him all year. This vote is not a vote against Bruschi. It is a vote for the remarkable season that Steve Smith had.
1 comment:
It is true that the Pats dont make the playoffs without the return of their defensive leaders, but they would have been like 3-7 or 2-8 when they returned if Brady did not carry them during the beginning of the year.
Other factors on the Barber/Alexander debate:
Barber had to play behind a makeshift offensive line all year while Alexander has the luxury of playing behind future hall of famers Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson. This is key considering that Seattle runs to the left side, behind them, nearly 80-85% of the time. Barber's versatility outshines Alexander's as Alexander did not even have 100 yards receiving on the season! I don't mean to knock Alexander, but I just do not think he was as vital to the Seahawks making the playoffs as Barber was to the Giants.
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