In recent seasons it has been relatively easy to pick the league’s MVP, since record-breakers often get the nod, especially when the record is significant (i.e., throwing 50 touchdowns in one season is usually worthy). This season, however, it doesn’t seem quite so clear-cut. I think it’s fair to suggest the league MVP will be a quarterback or running back because that is the trend in the NFL. Offensive skill positions are in for two reasons: one, in the era of fantasy football, few fans care enough about individual players on defense to argue for them a case as the league’s “most valuable player.” You will never see an offensive lineman win the award because that offensive group is, well, a group. As far as wide receivers or tight ends are concerned, it’s difficult to point to one as being the reason for a team’s success since their success depends heavily on the quarterback.

With that “narrowing” concluded, here is my list of candidates (four quarterbacks and two running backs) and my pick, which is probably obvious if you caught the drift of my article’s lame clever title. I encourage you to also take advantage of the comments section to voice your opinion. Who do you think deserves the league’s most prestigious individual award?

Quarterbacks

1. Brett Favre - New York Jets

His individual numbers warrant some attention: 2,461 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. But the most telling stat isn’t on Favre’s NFL.com page. Instead, let me point to the New York Jets’ record without Brett Favre (last season): 4-12. Since acquiring Favre, New York is 8-3 and on top the AFC East. Might I also mention they just beat the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team? The Jets are serious Super Bowl contenders, and I would argue that Brett Favre is the catalyst of the surge.

2. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers’ numbers might not be gaudy (2,351 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions through ten games), but his play has been more than impressive this season. The Packers remain in the postseason hunt, and it sure isn’t because the running game has led it. Rodgers has showed incredible poise in the pocket and is the single biggest reason Green Bay’s offense is clicking. Now, normally he might not be worth an MVP bid, but consider the pressure he is playing under: he replaced Brett Favre in the offseason, much to the dismay of a good many Packers fans, and has spent the entire season gaining the respect of them and his teammates. I think he’s earned it.

3. Kurt Warner - Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals (7-4) have emerged this season as a contender in the NFC, something that is sure to have made fans believers in Ken Whisenhunt. The team hasn’t been perfect, and Arizona has had trouble running the football this season, which has led to Warner throwing 40-50 passes per game. His response can be described, in a word, as admirable. Warner was impressive in 2007, as well, but he has been in the zone this season. Through eleven games he has thrown for 3,506 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 8 touchdowns and has put the Cardinals’ offense, which ranks 3rd in points per game and 2nd in passing yards per game, on the map.

4. Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints

The Saints (5-5) have struggled this season - mostly because the defense can’t shut down anyone - but the team’s passing game has not. In ten games this season, Drew Brees has passed for 3,251 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 touchdowns. The number in that group to watch is his passing yards - he’s averaging 325 yards per game. That puts him on pace for 5,200 yards, enough to easily snag a record. He hasn’t thrown fewer than 30 passes in a game this season, and only twice has he passed for fewer\ than 300 yards.

Running Backs

1. Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings

No running back means as much to his team as Adrian Peterson. While the Vikings have had their ups and downs this season with a pair of ill-suited quarterbacks and a disappointing corps of wide receivers, Adrian Peterson has kept the team afloat through his undying determination. Against the Green Bay Packers I saw a running back take command of an offense in the final minutes to lead a scoring drive. Rarely will we witness a player rush for 40 yards and catch 2 passes for 24 yards to directly account for 64 of an offense’s 69 yards on a scoring drive that puts his team ahead with less than three minutes to play. The dependence on Peterson has been tremendous all season long, and his numbers reflect that: 1,180 yards rushing and 8 rushing touchdowns.

2. Michael Turner - San Diego Chargers

Describing Michael Turner’s numbers in one word is simple: remarkable. Turner has rushed for 1,080 yards and 13 touchdowns through eleven games, taking much of the pressure off rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons are 7-4 right now for a number of reasons, but I don’t think anyone would deny that Turner has played a very significant role.

My Pick: If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m going with Favre. He’s the biggest reason New York has turned it around so dramatically this season, and with him at the helm it’s not hard to envision a Super Bowl run for the Jets.

Maybe I’m right (I like to think so), maybe I’m wrong. Put your pick in the comment, and let’s get some discussion going!

Who would have projected a month ago that Brian Griese, Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, and Gus Frerotte would earn starting positions with their respective teams? Perhaps the most surprising on that list is Kerry Collins, who is doing an admirable job as the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback. I do think that most would admit, however, that they were taken a bit off guard when the Vikings announced earlier this week that Gus Frerotte is their guy after seeing enough of Tarvaris Jackson in the first two games of the season.

Interestingly, the three backups who have played this season are doing a fine job. Even Matt Cassell, playing in place of the injured Tom Brady, is putting up some great numbers and looking like a veteran while doing it. In fact, the Patriots, Titans, Cardinals, and Buccaneers are undefeated in games in which the backups played a signficant amount of time.

Now, what are the chances that these guys keep up this kind of success over the course of the season? That’s an entirely different matter. The safe guess is that they’ll level off a bit, but remember, these are backup quarterbacks in pretty good situations. Vince Young couldn’t be an effective passer with the Titans, but that’s due in part to the fact that he’s simply not a very good throwing quarterback. His greatest asset is his ability to make things happen when he’s not in the pocket. Collins, on the other hand, is a good pocket passer when his protection holds up and the ‘08 Titans have some pretty good weapons on offense this season.

Matt Cassell may have not started a game as quarterback since his high school days, but he’s in the perfect situation. He has a pair of top tier wide receivers and his running game offers great support. Plus, he’s been taking it all in since coming to the NFL, and though he hasn’t necessarily had the benefit of a lot of game-time experience, he’s looking a lot like his peer Aaron Rodgers.

Kurt Warner is taking up where he left off last season with the Cardinals. He’s a solid NFL starting quarterback and he’s been making defenses pay this season. The Cardinals have a lot of offensive talent, and he’s making the most of it. As a veteran, he’s also a great leader on the field and someone a coach can feel confident in when the game is tight.

Tampa Bay’s Brian Griese fits the mold as a Jon Gruden quarterback. He’s not the most talented player on the field, but he makes smart throws. And in the West Coast offense, that’s what you need: an accurate, smart pocket passer.

As far as Gus Frerotte is concerned, that one is a little more difficult. We haven’t seen a lot from Frerotte since last season when the Rams decided that an injured Marc Bulger was better than him on the field. That said, the Vikings have a great running game that should offer plenty of support, and the team has some targets on offense. As long as Frerotte makes better decisions (and throws) than his predecessor, he should be fine.

Remember, each and every one of these teams is a contender and will be seriously vying for a playoff spot as we the regular season progresses. Interesting, then, that they should be doing it with quarterbacks who, during training camp, were fighting (and, besides Warner, losing) the battle for a starting spot.

Poor Matt Leinart; the guy can’t catch a break with new head coach Ken Whisenhunt. In a new development in Arizona, the Cardinals are rumored to have reached a new decision at quarterback: Kurt Warner is going to start this season.

Ouch.

Well, at least the decision came before the season. Last year I cringed whenever I saw that Leinart had been pulled from a game. To pull your young starter from one game when he’s struggling? Not the worst idea, but it’s sometimes a better idea to let him finish the game. Still, it’s a judgment call for the coach and I can respect the decision. But to pull your inexperienced quarterback from consecutive starts? What the heck? Honestly, I had never heard of a coach doing that prior to last season.
I’m not a psychology major, so I’m not certain how it affects a young player when his new head coach pulls him from half the games he starts because he’s struggling, but I’m going to go ahead and venture a guess that it takes a toll on his level of confidence. In fact, who knows how long this would have gone on last season if Leinart’s season hadn’t ended in week five when he suffered a season-ending injury?

Alright, with that off my chest, I’m going to reiterate that I’m happy the decision was reached now. And I can understand it; Leinart struggled mightily week three of this preseason, going 4-for-12 and throwing three interceptions. To be fair, he was statastically pretty good during the first two weeks of preseason, completing 14-of-19 for 153 yards and touchdown. Warner, meanwhile, has completed 62 percent of his passes for 94 yards (no touchdowns-interceptions) in two preseason games and has looked pretty solid in his limited time.

Obviously, this decision goes deeper than preseason, and I must admit that it’s a little surprising to me. I understand it, but I didn’t expect it. Whisenhunt has taken every opportunity to back up Leinart, his work ethic, and his offseason progress this year, only to make this move after three exhibition games, of which only one Leinart played poorly.

Is this the right decision? I believe that Warner gives Arizona the best opportunity to win. How it affects the future of this franchise, I don’t know. After all, Warner - who turned 37 earlier this summer - proved he can play last season, but for how long?

Also, I think quarterback should be on the back burner until this team can find a way to appease its wide receivers. Both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin have asked to be traded at different points this offseason, and it seems likely that Boldin will be moved very soon. His thoughts on Whisenhunt: he has no relationship with the coach. The absence of Boldin, the team’s possession receiver and one of the toughest wide receivers to bring down, will adversely affect whoever is throwing the football.

From a fantasy football perspective, I think this does improve the stock of Fitzgerald. Warner is a more experienced quarterback than Leinart and someone who can put up bigger numbers. At the same time, I don’t think Warner is capable of putting up last season’s numbers without Boldin and Bryant Johnson.

It’s unknown how the team as a whole views its head coach and how its players will react to him in year two. I wonder how many players feel as disconnected to him as Boldin? In any case, this looks like a team poised to struggle in 2008.