Quarterback Tom Brady has helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claim a pair of impressive victories these last two weeks.
First, Brady and the Bucs earned a one-sided Week 6 win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. One week later, in a Week 7 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, the “Tom Brady Show” took over as the 43-year-old signal-caller threw four four touchdowns.
It was a stretch that not only elevated the Buccaneers in NESN.com’s NFL Power Rankings, but also impacted Brady in the MVP conversation. Notably, Brady’s odds increased from 18-to-1 on Oct. 20 to 8-to-1 just one week later, per consensus data. Brady is behind only Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Rodgers as the favorite to land the Associated Press honor.
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians was asked Wednesday about the MVP campaign that Brady is putting together. Brady’s first-year coach had a simple explanation to what it would take for him to claim the award for a fourth time.
“I think our team will have to continue to win, for sure,” Arians told reporters, per the team. “Those type of things only come to winning teams.”
The good news is that the Bucs already have done some winning.
Tampa Bay is in first place of the NFC South at 5-2 overall. The team would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC is the playoffs started today, behind only the 5-1 Seahawks and 5-1 Packers.
The Buccaneers should have no problem getting their sixth win as they travel to the New York Giants for “Monday Night Football.”
