Tom Brady's 2010 regular season featured one of the prettiest stat lines in NFL history.
He threw 36 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. He completed two-thirds of his passes, amassed nearly 4,000 yards and posted a passer rating (111.7) bested only by his legendary 2007 campaign. It was "Madden" set on beginner level-type of stuff.
So how did Brady follow up his MVP performance? In 2011, he set career highs in completions (611), attempts (401), yards (5,235), yards per attempt (8.6) and even rushing scores (3). He threw 39 touchdowns and became one of only four players in history to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. He nearly won the Super Bowl with a team that only had trace remnants of a defense or running game.
And still, Brady lost hold on his No. 1 spot in NFL Network's "The Top 100: Players of 2012" list. He came in at No. 4, behind Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson and Drew Brees.
This is patently absurd.
Brady was just as good at his job as he was a year earlier. If anything, he was better. The league evolved on offense, the Patriots' identity changed, and Brady never skipped a beat. He threw 119 more passes without losing a percentage point of accuracy. He was a future Hall of Famer clearly in the prime of his career.
As for the players ahead of him? Rodgers put together a masterpiece stat line of his own and won the league MVP, so we're not going to go too crazy there. Brees had outstanding numbers, but he also threw it more and had a superior supporting cast. Calvin Johnson? Megatron's a beast, but come on folks. Wide receivers need not apply to my top five.
Rodgers overtaking Brady at No. 1 is fine. But there's no way he can slip lower than No. 2. I demand a recount.
