2007 NFL MVP Debate 'Favre' from Over

Now that we're almost 12 weeks through the 2007 NFL season, the debate on who the Most Valuable Player for the entire league has begun. The front-runner according to just about everyone is Tom Brady of the New England Patriots running away with the award.

The only kink in Brady's candidacy-- three time MVP Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. If you recall after the draft when the Patriots not only got Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders for the low, low price of a fourth round draft pick (Cincinnati CB John Bowie) but they also stole Moss right out from under Favre and the Packers respective noses. Cue the drama of an angry Favre who wanted Moss in green and gold more than anyone ever wanted Moss in his life. Moss, a player a lot of experts thought was through after two injury plagued seasons in Oakland, has proven to be a valuable pickup for the Patriots having already gained over 1,000 yards through the air, helping lead the team in receiving yards, and setting a new franchise record for receiving touchdowns. Moss is projected to have 1600 yards receiving (which would be a new Patriots record) and extending his team record to an NFL record 26 receiving touchdowns.

Now why does Favre throw a kink in Brady's "magic" season? Because of the acquisition of Randy Moss and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Moss' resurgence has more to do with the fact he wants to play for a winner, not Brady's arm. And the fact that coach Belichick wants to pad his QBs numbers by running up the score. If you may recall the Patriots vs. the Miami Dolphins in week 7 the Pats were up 42-14 when Brady's back up Matt Casel threw two incomplete passes with an interception and Belichick found this unacceptable being up the four touchdowns so he put Brady back in to run up the score to 49-21 on Brady's sixth TD pass of the game. The Pats won the game 49-28. "I did it because of the score, one more turnover, and then it's a 14-point game in the middle of the fourth quarter," was Belichick's excuse for bringing Brady back into the game.

Now turn over to the NFC North this preseason-- the NFC champion Chicago Bears were supposed to run away with the division and Brett Favre was supposed to be washed up. Favre was angry at management about not getting him a play maker outside of his number one receiver: Donald Driver. With the lack of a running game Packers head coach Mike McCarthy asked Favre to step back form being a gunslinger and become more of a game manager. While implementing more slant patterns in the playbook to help expand a team without a running game and Favre has flourished with these new short slants.

While Tom Brady's off partying and enjoying the sweet life of a potential 16-0 season his prefect season is more based on the Pats becoming the New York Yankees of the NFL by having his front office stockpile proven wide receivers on the offensive side of the ball (trades with Miami for Wes Welker, the Moss trade, picking up free agent Donte Stallworth.) Favre is helping develop not just his young receivers (Greg Jennings, James Jones and Ruvell Martin,) he is also tutoring and mentoring his heir-apparent: Aaron Rodgers. Favre has developed into a player/coach for a team that thrives on defense and finds ways to tear apart defenses on offense. During this season Favre has broken almost every major passing record (even the not so prestigious career interceptions list) and will keep adding to his records for at least the rest of this season, a lot of the records falling this season are thanks to the Packers lack of a running game the first 8 weeks of the season, and with the emergence of Ryan Grant as the Packers primary running back Favre has found even more success passing for 1641 yards since Grant has taken over the starting job in the back field. The Packers defense is the catalyst for this season. But Favre is definitely the heart.

At the start of the season Favre and the Packers were projected to finish in the middle of the league at 8-8 or 7-9. Needless to say both the Packers and their hall of fame quarterback have done nothing but play the game it's supposed to be played and has a total of seven games with 300 or more passing yards. All this with no-name receivers. Not bought talent like Brady's Pats.

Brett Favre not only deserves the NFL MVP award for being the leader of a team that was supposed to go nowhere, fast. But he's been doing it while being honest with himself and the rest of his teammates saying "By no means can we rest, or think that we arrived," Favre said after a game against the Carolina Panthers, "because we haven't."

By being honest and telling the young players like it is Favre has been keeping his teammates from becoming overconfident because he knows what happens when you get cocky. Back in 2004 the Packers started 7-1 and stumbled to a 12-4 finish and missed out on home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Packers face the last real challenge on Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, this game could be an NFC championship game preview and also determine home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. If Favre leads the Pack over the Cowboys, good ol' number 4 should be considered a legitimate contender for his unprecedented fourth MVP award, and first since 1997.