FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- On Wednesday, the NFL passed over New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for its AFC Offensive Player of the Week award, instead giving it to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The tale of the tape:
Brady was 38 of 59 for 466 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a lost fumble in a 40-32 road win over the Bills. The 466 passing yards were the most allowed by the Bills in franchise history, eclipsing a record that had held since 1961. The 59 pass attempts were the second-highest total of Brady's career.
Roethlisberger finished 21 of 27 for 369 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions in a 43-18 home victory over the 49ers.
Both impressive performances, no doubt.
From this view, the case for Brady is strengthened based on venue (road), strength of opponent (Bills defense is better than the 49ers, who were on the road on a short week) and overall numbers.
Meanwhile, the case for Roethlisberger is strengthened by a "cleaner sheet," as he didn't have a turnover and Brady did (lost fumble).
Then, of course, there's the elephant in the room that can't be overlooked. It's no secret that the dynamic between the NFL and Brady has been altered based on everything that unfolded this offseason.
In that sense, in a close call, would the league be more inclined to go against Brady?
Some Wednesday morning fodder to consider.