One of the most common perceptions in Most Valuable Player arguments is that if a player is truly “valuable”, then that player is irreplaceable on their team. It is that player, and that player alone, that is the key to the success of the team, the difference between wins and losses. This season the NFL has a rare opportunity to clearly promote this logic. For not only is there is no greater example of a player meaning everything to his team than Michael Vick, but there is no example so obviously evident.
There are several requirements to winning MVP. First off, and most basic, a player must have incredible statistics. A player must lead their team to success. A player must be a leader. The thing about all these requirements, is that in 99% of cases, they involve the player being on the field at all times. But along the same lines as addition by subtraction, doesn’t seeing how a team reacts when the player in question isn’t on the field seem just as important?
However it’s ludicrous to imagine a player not only putting up great numbers, winning games, and establishing himself as a leader, but also missing a few contests so that it can become a glaring certainty just how important he is. Or is it?
If all goes according to plan, Michael Vick will play in 13 games for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, starting 12. That includes the week 4 match-up with Washington that saw Vick leave in the 1st quarter with a rib cartilage injury. Now, 13 games would be a fair assessment in say, the 1969 MVP race. Winner Joe Namath only played in 14. Then again, that was an entire season in 1969. Imagine giving Usain Bolt a two second head start in a 100 meters race. Now think what Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady can do in 3 games.
In just 268 attempts this year, Vick has 2,243 yards , 15 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also has 467 yards rushing and 6 touchdowns. Both his yard and touchdown totals place him in the lower half of starting quarterbacks, but Vick’s QB rating of 105.7 is second in the NFL to just Tom Brady, slightly better at 105.8. Vick is also second to Phillip Rivers in yards per attempt at 8.4, as well as top 10 in the league in completion percentage at 63.8%. What makes these numbers more impressive is how vastly they differ from his career stats. Vick entered this season with a career high QB rating of 81.6, a completion percentage under 55%, and a TD-INT ratio of 1.38:1. From 2001 to 2007 he had only 2 games where he threw for over 300 yards . This season alone he has 3. Factor in a 3-year absence from the starter’s role and Vick’s amazing play this year really makes very little sense.
Of course that absence, and the reason for it, plays a role in this debate as well. There is no doubt that what Vick did was heinous. No question that he should have been locked away for his actions. But he was. He served his time. Vick is now very outspoken and open about the mistakes he has made and also takes the initiative to speak out against animal cruelty and violence. For some this changes nothing, but what’s the point of a second chance if a person is still being completely judged upon their previous actions? There’s a reason not every sentence is a life one.
Vick’s on the field play has been a revelation and nothing short of spectacular. There are reasons why he shouldn’t win the award, but one overwhelming reason why he should. Past all the stats and opinions there lies just one thing: winning. This season when Michael Vick starts and completes a game for the Philadelphia Eagles, they are 6-1. Without him, they are 2-3. How irreplaceable is that?
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