At this point of the NFL season most people are already making their final decisions on who they believe to be the league's MVP, if they haven't already done so at this point.  There are several factors that go into deciding who should receive this honor, but normally what ultimately seperates one player from another is if the player was the best at his position, had big numbers, and helped his team win more than any other player.  The latter of these three should be the most influential factor in determining the league's MVP.  Sure numbers are nice, and saying you led the league in rushing or receiving yards at the end of the season are great accomplishments.  However, in the end it doesn't add up to being the MVP unless your presence or absence dramatically changes the position your football team would be in and its likelihood of success.

This year, most have focused on the great years being enjoyed by Carson Palmer, Shaun Alexander, LaDanian Tomlinson, Steve Smith (Though he has cooled down a bit as of late), and the seemingly perennial MVP candidate, Peyton Manning.  All of these guys have had great years to say the least.  Palmer has completely turned around the Bengals franchise, already leading them to their best record since Boomer Esiason was at the helm in his prime.  Shaun Alexander can still possibly break Priest Holme's single season TD record and his Seahawks appear to be the class of the NFC.  LaDanian Tomlinson can do it all, and has thrown more TD passes this year than some QB's currently starting for NFL teams.  Steve Smith is having a great year accounting for a great deal of Carolina's offense, and Peyton Manning is well, to put it as John Madden might say, "Doing the things that Peyton Manning does."

Peyton Manning, and some of the other guys mentioned above who have had great years in the past as well, may be the favorites for the title of MVP for this season.  But one player who isn't mentioned above, and who rarely is mentioned as a MVP type player, may just be the MVP of the NFL over the last three year period.  A player that is more vital to his team's fortune or misfortune than any other player.  That player is Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick.

Before you start calling me a homer, or about how over-rated Michael Vick is as a quarterback, just look at the most important stat in existence to a sports team, win-loss record.  Since the start of the 2003 season, the year that Vick had a bad run-in with a Baltimore Raven in the pre-season and missed almost the whole year, the Atlanta Falcons have gone 22-8 when Vick is their starting QB, and 2-13 when he is not in the lineup.  During that 2003 season in particular the Falcons went 2-10 to open the season without Vick, but won three out of their last four when he returned. 

Now sure he has room to improve to say the least.  His completion percentage isn't where you would like for a starting NFL QB's to be.  He has been an injury risk due to his exciting style of play, and can be turnover prone at times.  However, most defensive coordinators name Vick as the player that causes them the greatest worry because of his big play ability, as well as the being the hardest player in the NFL to prepare for because of his blazing speed.  When he does hit his passes they are normally for big gains because everyone has to cheat up and prepare for him to take off and run one to the house at any time, which is why he leads the NFL in yards per completion this year. 

But as mentioned before, his team's win-loss record differential is the telling factor here.  Take away Peyton Manning and the Colts would not have home field advantage, but with Edgerrin James, those talented wide-receivers, and a defense very talented at generating pressure and creating turnovers, they would most likely be in the playoff hunt.  C.Palmer has been greatly helped by Rudi Johnson and Chad Johnson, and the Bengals were at least a .500 football team without Palmer.  Both are recognized as being far better quarterbacks than Vick.  But Vick is the more valuable football player to his team.  He makes everyone around him much better than they could be without him.  With no Vick, the Falcons would be completely out of it, and maybe even in the cellar of their division.  Hopefully for the Falcons sake, and the hopes of their fans who want to see them make the playoffs, tonight's blatant and illegal hit on Vick that took him out of the game will not linger into next week and cause him to miss any time.  If you want wins, then you need Vick.