The MVP strikes like lightning, but he's no Bolt

All told, Hester's six touchdowns have covered 510 yards, almost two football fields more than the sum total of Tomlinson's 29 scores (345 yards). When Hester scores the game changes, usually for good, and five of his six touchdowns have come on the road. What's it worth to the Bears for Hester to psyche out an entire stadium?

This is how Chicago is 11-2 despite its quarterback controversy and an offense ranked 20th out of 32 teams. The Bears have a stud defense, but given their basket case of an offense, defense doesn't fully explain 11-2. Thanks to Hester, Chicago owns the kicking game and all those hidden yards within. In addition to his TDs, he has seven other punt returns of at least 20 yards. He leads the NFL at 14.4 yards per return, and with a few more kickoff returns to qualify, his 35.1-yard average also would lead the league.

At the end of the day, though, Tomlinson will win because he's an every-down back who will touch the ball 400 times this season compared to 50 or 60 for Hester. That's not just you thinking it. It's people here at SportsLine.com. One of our NFL writers pointed out in an e-mail the discrepancy in touches between Tomlinson and Hester, wishing me a mocking "good luck" with this story. In other words, an MVP for a specialist like Hester would be like an MVP for a baseball pitcher. Which has happened 20 times, by the way.

Look, I'm aware that Tomlinson's ridiculous touchdown total will carry him to the MVP. For every 11.5 times he touches the ball, he ends up in the end zone. Then again, Hester scores every 7.8 touches. And when he's on the field, the other team isn't thinking about Philip Rivers or Antonio Gates. There are 11 sets of eyes watching Hester and only Hester.

Me, I'm looking at the stats of Tomlinson's backup, Michael Turner. He's averaging more yards per carry (6.2) than Tomlinson (5.0), which makes me wonder if the Chargers' real MVP isn't their offensive line.

Not that Tomlinson isn't great. He is. But his greatness is forged by teamwork and enhanced by circumstances. Hester's greatness comes from thin air. In one instant the football is falling out of the sky, and in the next it is 80 yards away, in the end zone, held aloft by Devin Hester, who still has room in his other hand for the MVP trophy.