What a difference a month makes.
The New England Patriots entered October with a 2-2 record, reeling from a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that left fans and media alike heaping blame on quarterback Tom Brady. They questioned if his skills were in decline at age 37.
Four weeks later, the same website that proposed Brady be traded to the Houston Texans has dubbed him the NFL’s midseason MVP.
All 32 of ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters selected their top midseason performer Tuesday, and exactly half went with Brady. The next closest candidates were Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (seven votes) and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (five votes), while Andrew Luck, Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski each received one vote.
Those results would have seemed ludicrous four weeks ago, when Brady had yet to throw for more than one touchdown pass in a game and was averaging just 198 yards per game. Yet over his last five games — all Patriots wins — Brady has thrown for 18 touchdowns with only one interception.
There’s still plenty of season left, but as the Patriots head into their bye week, they must be happy with where they stand — at 7-2, atop the AFC standings. They also must be happy ESPN’s June declaration that Brady wasn’t a top-five quarterback looks more and more like hogwash.
Photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
