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As we know so well and lament so often, Drew Brees has never won a MVP award. An injustice? A bit. But not terribly surprising, and the culprit is less those who vote for MVP than those running the Saints organization, who too infrequently have provided Brees with the type of team a quarterback needs to win the MVP award.
Look at the numbers over the last 18 years for the Associated Press NFL MVP award, and you see the award normally goes to the hottest quarterback on one of the league's best teams. Over the past 18 seasons, a quarterback has won the award 14 times and a running back four times.
No player whose team has won nine or fewer games has been voted MVP. In fact, the regular-season team records for the MVP winner over the past 18 years are as follows: 10-6, twice; 11-5, twice; 12-4, four times; 13-3, three times; 14-2, four times; 15-1, twice; and 16-0, once.
Other facts of note: Tom Brady has won the award only twice, but Peyton Manning has won it five times (a reason that some on this forum do not always view Manning with high favor). The Super Bowl-losing quarterback has seven times been the MVP.
Drew had two legitimate chances to win MVP when both he and his team had great years. He should have won it in 2009. Manning, the presumptive MVP candidate each year during his career, won it instead. That year, the Saints went 13-3, and the Colts 14-2. However, Drew took comfort in winning the Super Bowl that year and being named MVP. Regarding the individual numbers, Drew threw for 4,388 yards, completed 68.1 percent of his passes, threw 34 TDs and 11 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 109.6. Manning threw for 4,500 yards, completed 68.8 percent of his passes, threw for 33 TDs and 16 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 99.9. The numbers were close, but Drew had a better year.
In 2011, Green Bay went 15-1, and the Saints 13-3. Drew had a fantastic year, but Aaron Rodgers also had a ridiculous year. Drew threw for a ridiculous 5,476 yards, completed 71.2 percent of his passes, threw 46 TDs and 14 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 110.6. But Rodgers threw for 4,643 yards (an 800 yard difference), completed 68.3 percent of his passes, threw 45 TDs and 6 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 122.5. Rodgers won the award.
In 2013, Manning won the award and fully deserved to win it. Denver went 13-3, and the Saints 11-5, though they were faltering at the end of the season. And Manning's numbers were better: 5,477 yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 55 TDs and 10 interceptions, 115.1 rating. Drew's numbers: 5,162 yards, 68.6 completion percentage, 39 TDs, 12 interceptions, 104.7 rating.
The problem is that, unlike Brady and Rodgers and Manning, Drew has only several times played on a team that was good enough for its quarterback to be considered for MVP honors. And that responsibility falls on those who have been running the organization. We have a quarterback who has played over the last three years like a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, and at no time in the last three years have the Saints ever been a winning record.
Look at the numbers over the last 18 years for the Associated Press NFL MVP award, and you see the award normally goes to the hottest quarterback on one of the league's best teams. Over the past 18 seasons, a quarterback has won the award 14 times and a running back four times.
No player whose team has won nine or fewer games has been voted MVP. In fact, the regular-season team records for the MVP winner over the past 18 years are as follows: 10-6, twice; 11-5, twice; 12-4, four times; 13-3, three times; 14-2, four times; 15-1, twice; and 16-0, once.
Other facts of note: Tom Brady has won the award only twice, but Peyton Manning has won it five times (a reason that some on this forum do not always view Manning with high favor). The Super Bowl-losing quarterback has seven times been the MVP.
Drew had two legitimate chances to win MVP when both he and his team had great years. He should have won it in 2009. Manning, the presumptive MVP candidate each year during his career, won it instead. That year, the Saints went 13-3, and the Colts 14-2. However, Drew took comfort in winning the Super Bowl that year and being named MVP. Regarding the individual numbers, Drew threw for 4,388 yards, completed 68.1 percent of his passes, threw 34 TDs and 11 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 109.6. Manning threw for 4,500 yards, completed 68.8 percent of his passes, threw for 33 TDs and 16 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 99.9. The numbers were close, but Drew had a better year.
In 2011, Green Bay went 15-1, and the Saints 13-3. Drew had a fantastic year, but Aaron Rodgers also had a ridiculous year. Drew threw for a ridiculous 5,476 yards, completed 71.2 percent of his passes, threw 46 TDs and 14 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 110.6. But Rodgers threw for 4,643 yards (an 800 yard difference), completed 68.3 percent of his passes, threw 45 TDs and 6 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 122.5. Rodgers won the award.
In 2013, Manning won the award and fully deserved to win it. Denver went 13-3, and the Saints 11-5, though they were faltering at the end of the season. And Manning's numbers were better: 5,477 yards, 68.3 completion percentage, 55 TDs and 10 interceptions, 115.1 rating. Drew's numbers: 5,162 yards, 68.6 completion percentage, 39 TDs, 12 interceptions, 104.7 rating.
The problem is that, unlike Brady and Rodgers and Manning, Drew has only several times played on a team that was good enough for its quarterback to be considered for MVP honors. And that responsibility falls on those who have been running the organization. We have a quarterback who has played over the last three years like a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, and at no time in the last three years have the Saints ever been a winning record.