Father Time still remains undefeated, but New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is giving him quite a walloping before he accepts defeat, as the 40-year-old captured his third MVP award after another outstanding regular season.
Many cite the late-season injuries to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown as reasons for Brady's clear path to the award. However, the Patriots quarterback was no slouch this year, leading the league in both passing attempts and yards, and carrying his team to the top seed in the AFC.
With his previous MVP wins coming at the ages of 30 and 33, respectively, here's a look at how Brady stacks up against the younger versions of himself.
| Year | Pass Att. | Cmp. % | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 578 | 68.9 | 4806 | 50 |
| 2010 | 492 | 65.9 | 3900 | 36 |
| 2017 | 581 | 66.3 | 4577 | 32 |
(Bold numbers indicate he led the league)
Brady was leaned on more heavily by the Patriots in 2017 than in either of his previous two MVP-winning campaigns. Despite attempting a league-leading 581 passes, his completion percentage still checked in above his career rate.
While he led the league in yards for the third time, it's a number he's topped four other times in his career. His touchdown total took a bit of a dive, as he's exceeded 32 in six prior seasons. His eight interceptions matched his number from 2007 but were twice as many as he threw in the 2010 campaign.
However, while putting up his typically impressive numbers, Brady did miss out on another accolade he managed to take home in each of his two previous MVP-worthy seasons.
| Year | MVP | Pro Bowl | All-Pro 1st-Team | OPOY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2010 | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 2017 | Y | Y | Y | N |
Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, widely viewed as Brady's top competition for this season's MVP award, was named the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year.
It's no surprise that when Brady goes, as do the Patriots. In each of the three seasons he's been named the Most Valuable Player, the Patriots offense has been one of the best in the league at putting points on the board - a number which generally correlates with Brady's ability to throw the ball.
| Year | Record | PPG | P. YDS/G |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 16-0 | 36.8 (1) | 295.7 (1) |
| 2010 | 14-2 | 32.4 (1) | 240.4 (11) |
| 2017 | 13-3 | 28.6 (2) | 276.1 (2) |
That 2010 team used BenJarvus Green-Ellis for a 1,000-yard rushing season, just one of three such performances the Patriots have received from a running back dating back to that season.
While there's no competition to the Patriots' undefeated 2007 season - with blistering offensive production powered by the quarterback and recent Hall of Fame inductee Randy Moss - 10 years later, Brady is still driving one of the league's best offenses, and more importantly, one of the final two remaining in early February.
