Two Buccaneers Among Top 100 Most Valuable in 2022 NFL Season
Every year the NFL world gathers to see which player becomes the MVP of the league, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is usually in that conversation.
But this year is and was different.
In his first losing season as a starting quarterback, Brady ended the year with his first career losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys.
And in what has been a whirlwind of positive achievements in his first two years with the Bucs, his third went out with a whole lot of bad.
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But if you took the MVP voting out to 100 spots instead of the five that associated press writers get to list, Brady would still make the list.
According to one ESPN analyst, he'd come in ranked 35th, among those top 100 players.
34 spots behind the No. 1 choice, fellow quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
"This wasn't close," ESPN's Seth Walder wrote on his selection of Mahomes at the top of his list. "He led the league in QBR by a substantial margin...despite playing on a team without star receivers (though he does have the best tight end in the league and a strong offensive line). In terms of points above average, which is essentially the volume version of QBR, Mahomes dominated with 66.9."
Comparing the areas Mahomes excelled, Brady was 18th in QBR in 2022, coming in behind other star quarterbacks like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills who ranked second.
But Brady also finished behind Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders who will be searching for another team after being banished by the one that drafted him.
In the points above average category, Brady again finished 18th, a full 61.1 points behind Mahomes.
Cleveland's Jacoby Brissett finished 11th in this measurement, nearly seven points higher than Brady.
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But there was another Buccaneers player on the list of 100 most valuable.
Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs came in 38th overall, ahead of the Raiders' Kolton Miller (46th), and the fourth highest in his position on the list.
No defensive players from Tampa Bay made the list.
If anything, this shows just how far the Bucs have fallen, and how much work coach Todd Bowles and his yet-to-be-constructed staff have ahead of them.
Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82
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