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New England Patriots’ Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski Should Be Given Serious MVP Consideration

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By @calling_allfans

Brady & Gronkowski

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Many people are saying the 2014 NFL MVP award may be Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray’s to lose right now, but before we just hand Murray the award after Week 9, let’s take a look at other players around the league who are making serious cases to be named the NFL’s most valuable player this season. Two players who currently deserve much consideration are Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.

The New England Patriots at 7-2 are leading the AFC East by two games and are the top seed in the AFC. New England has rattled off five straight wins, including a 43-21 win over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Sunday, which may have put the Patriots in the driver’s seat in the AFC. The team is playing well as whole, but Brady and Gronk are two of the biggest reasons why.

Brady is throwing for 266 yards per game this season (11th) and he has 22 TDs (3rd) to only three INTs. His QB rating is 103.5 (6th). In the last five weeks Brady has thrown the ball down the field with much more accuracy and success. During the Patriots’ five-game win streak, Brady has thrown for 1,601 yards, completing 133 of his 197 attempts (67.5 percent), and he has 18 TDs and only one INT. Those are ridiculous numbers are certainly MVP-esque, and although other players across the Patriots’ roster are stepping up, he’s accomplishing all of this with less than help than many other QBs . During that five-game stretch he ranks seventh in completion percentage, second in yards, first in TDs, tied for the second-fewest INTs and his rating of 120.5 is the best in the NFL (minimum 50 pass attempts).

But it’s not just the numbers that make Brady MVP worthy; it’s what he means to the team. When the team started 2-2 and everyone was shoveling dirt on the Patriots and Brady, most players and teams would have folded up shop. The Patriots didn’t. They worked hard and are currently enjoying being in the middle of a five-game win streak, including that huge win over the Broncos. Head coach Bill Belichick deserves a lot of the praise for the turnaround which is why he should the leader for the coach of the year right now, but the players still have to perform once the games start. Brady’s meaning and value to the Patriots cannot be underestimated. There’s a decent amount football that still needs to be played, but at this point Brady deserves his third MVP award.

It’s easier for a QB to win the MVP award, but if Brady somehow fails to be named MVP this season, Gronkowski is certainly worthy of some serious consideration. This season Gronk has eight TDs (tied for third most), and over the Patriots’ five-game win streak, he has 36 catches for 516 yards and five touchdowns — all of which lead the NFL during that time. That one handed grab Gronk made near the goal line during the game against the Broncos was amazing and there aren’t many, if any, tight ends who could have made that catch. When he’s healthy, he’s the best tight end in the league.

The award being discussed here is Most Valuable Player. If they lost either Brady or Gronkowski the Patriots probably would not be in the incredibly favorable position they are right now. You’d be hard pressed to find two players more valuable to their team this season than Brady and Gronkowski are to the Patriots.

Justin Patrick is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @calling_allfans, like him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google. You can also email him at [email protected]

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