San Diego's Savior
December 8, 2006
As LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown in a victory against the Bills this past Sunday, other players looking to take home an NFL MVP trophy must have felt somewhat dismayed. Though he had a great game, the reason for such a sinking feeling was because this is what LT had been doing all year, and, actually, for his entire career.
After the game, Tomlinson became the second player in NFL history to start a career with at least 1200 yards in six straight seasons after Eric Dickerson, and the touchdown he scored brought his season total to 23, only three shy of the single season record, set just last year by last year’s MVP, Sean Alexander. And he has three games to improve on these totals. It is hard to ignore such achievements. It is even harder to top them.
To be honest, I can’t really see anyone catching him, and Tomlinson, barring some unseen calamity, should finish the season with his share of records and a well-deserved MVP trophy.
Tomlinson is just too great of a threat to look past. The stats are crazy, increasing his TD total in every season as he progresses, and he was already good! Now he has hit elite company with 23 rushing touchdowns and 26 total. Oh wait, and he has thrown two touchdowns already this season. Maybe the first few times he threw the ball you could dismiss it as a gimmick, but he has had two this season and has thrown six touchdowns over the past four years! (And no picks, might I add). This is a legitimate addition to the offense, and one of the many things that makes him so special. Add to this the fact that he is durable (missing only one game in his six years so far), and you have a consistent, versatile, explosive threat of a player who keeps on improving himself. What more could you ask for? Give the man the MVP.
Though Tomlinson should win the MVP, there are plenty of players out there who have been playing high-caliber football all year as well. Just for fun, or the outside chance of some major changes in the next few weeks, let’s discuss other MVP candidates in this lopsided race. There are some old staples and a few young guys making a name for themselves, but they all deserve some credit for what they and their teams have accomplished.
First off, let’s take care of Mr. Laser Rocket Arm himself, Peyton Manning. Had he kept up with the undefeated-ness he likes to tease us with each year, he would have had a shot at taking out LT, but now, having suffered two losses, one of which was to a 5-6 Tennessee team, his chances have been considerably diminished.
His individual stats haven’t been as epic this year as they have been in previous years, with Carson Palmer matching him for touchdown passes and the Saints’ Drew Brees leading him by a fair margin in passing yards.
However, once again, Manning has kept his team among the elite of the league for yet another year, which is an impressive feat. The Colts are 10-2 and on top of the AFC, ready for another playoff run toward the Super Bowl…OK, they will probably have another early departure, but hey, maybe this is the year Manning can finally show the world he can lead a team in crunch time…oh, all right, he’ll probably get beaten again. At least he has the best passer rating in the NFL…Wait, what? A rookie has a better passer rating than Manning?
Yep, Tony Romo of the Cowboys has put up a great mark of 102.4 in his seven starts replacing Drew Bledsoe, who was great until defenses got a bit too quick and strong for his dying breed of a pure pocket passer who can’t get away from a pass rush to save his life. Sigh. Well, Romo has the ‘Boys back in the thick of things after a rough start, and after making sure the Giants were completely demoralized by giving them their fourth straight loss after a game winning kick by Vanderjagt…Wait, not Vanderjagt? Martin Gramatica? Wasn’t he on the Patriots and the Colts this year already? Three teams in one year and still kicking game winning field goals? Not bad.
Anyway, back to Romo. Anytime you can put up those kinds of numbers, give a team hope to advance in the playoffs, and do it in your rookie year, you deserve some talk. With someone distributing the ball well, the Cowboys now have a dangerous passing attack, with Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens still able to make big plays and get open. With a decent running game and a defense that is third in the NFC for points allowed, the Cowboys could go somewhere, and Romo has been a huge part of that.
Another surprise candidate for MVP is the Saints’ Drew Brees, who has led a surprising group from New Orleans to an 8-4 record that puts them on top of the NFC South.
Reggie Bush has been a contributor, and shows some promise for the future, but the star of this team has been Brees, who, like his Saints, has been a surprise.
Dumped by the Chargers in favor of Phillip Rivers, Brees seemed like a risky pickup after shoulder surgery in the off-season, but has proved his worth this season by leading the Saints and finding a variety of receivers for the league lead in passing yards.
In a city that really needed to have something to forget about their problems, the Saints have impressed a lot of people, and their move to pick up Brees in the off-season clearly was vital to this resurgence.
All of these players have had great seasons, are truly valuable to their teams, and deserve recognition. And there are plenty of others that I haven’t mentioned that deserve recognition too.
But none of them deserve the MVP as much as LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson is the only one who should be savoring that reward this season. He has had a record- setting season, continues to be one of the most exciting players to watch, and never has been among the group of talented players who cause problems in the locker room. I can’t think of a better choice for NFL MVP, and hopefully I won’t be disappointed.