2009-2010 NFL Most Valuable Player: Peyton Manning

Well, as the playoffs are set to start this Saturday, I found myself looking things up about the current candidates for the AP MVP award. Lets take a look at what I found for each candidate.

1. Peyton Manning- The 3 time MVP was back to his usual form that we have all come to know and love, or hate depending on who you are. "The Sheriff" quickly began molding 2 very young receivers into "PrimeTime" players, and making good use of his two favorite targets in Wayne and Clark who each had 100 catches.

Manning also led his team to an NFL record 7 come from behind victories, 2 of which the team was down 17 points at halftime. His poise and pocket presence were unmatched, and his leadership on the field showed why he wears the "C" on his chest. If Manning played all 4 quarters in each of the last 2 games, there is little doubt that the Colts would be undefeated, and Manning would lead in most QB categories statistically.

2. Drew Brees- The leader of the Who Dat nation no doubt had one of the best years of his career, capping it off with a new NFL record for completion percentage at 70.8. Brees's performance in the 1st 2 games alone was amazing, 9 touchdowns and 500+ yards. He did fall off a bit after that though, having 2 games with less than 200 passing yards and no touchdowns.

Brees did find ways to win, including a win after a double digit deficit to the Miami Dolphins. What blew it for Brees? Losing 3 games at the end of the season, one of which was to the (at the time) 2-11 Buccaneers after having a quick 17-0 lead only to blow it in the 4th and lose in OT. There were certainly times that Brees just didn't show up to play this year.

3. Phillip Rivers- Rivers also had a great season, leading the Chargers to their 4th consecutive AFC West title. He did this with the 2nd worst running game in the league, next to the Colts. Rivers also set the mark this season with the most yards per passing attempt, and had one of the fewest int counts in the league.

Rivers problem though was who was in the AFC West this year? Their only real threat was the Broncos for the first quarter of the season. They had to play teams to the likes of the Raiders and the Chiefs. The Chargers were in arguably the worst division in football, and for that, they won the title. Rivers has, in my mind anyway, moved himself into the presence of the elite Quarterbacks, and will win an MVP (or a few) in his career, but not this year.

4. Brett Favre- The only other player to have 3 MVP awards happens to be a  40 year old man who no doubt had one of the better years of his career. He had one of the best running games behind him, great receivers, and one of the leagues premiere defenses supporting him. I was very impressed with Favre this season.

He looked like a kid again, maybe in his mid 20's. Part of him looking like a kid though was not a good thing. A few weeks ago, Brad Childress tried to pull him from the game, and Favre basically started rolling around on the ground flailing his arms around like a child having a tantrum at the store when he doesn't get the box of cereal he wants.

The other problem he had was that while he did look like a kid again, he also showed his age at times. There were accounts where you could see his fatigue setting in, and it effected him. He threw very few int's this year, but he threw them when it mattered most. The Pittsburgh game is the one that comes to mind. 2 turnovers in the last 4 minutes of the game, both times they were in ample position to win the game.

5. Chris Johnson- What a year this kid had. Over 2,000 yards is remarkable for anyone in the RB position. This guy should be good for years to come, and will be feared by defenses throughout the league.

Biggest problem though, the award goes to the Most Valuable Player, or by another definition, the player most Valuable to their team. It is really hard to be valuable to your team when your team starts 0-6 and one of those losses was a 59-0 score. If the Titans were in contention for anything, then Johnson would be higher on the list. However, even with 2,000 yards rushing on the year, it doesn't matter much if your team is heading home after week 17.

My 2 wild card picks for MVP would be:

Aaron Rodgers- This guy also had a stellar year, and no doubt injuries early in the season plagued the Packers from pushing for the NFC North title. Rodgers became the 1st player in NFL history to throw for 4,000+ yards in each of his first 2 seasons as a starter. A couple of problems that he had, his team lost both games to the Vikings, and he got sacked an absurd 50 times this season, 25 of which came in the first 5 games of the season.

Matt Schaub- This guy was fantastic this year, leading the Texans to their first winning season in franchise history. Schaub led the league in passing yards as well, which is no small feat. The reason Matt won't be in the top 5 is because first off, it appears to be common knowledge at this point that if Manning had played the full last 2 games, he would lead the league in Yards, TD's and Wins.

Well that is it for my top 5 plus my 2 wild cards. I can almost guarantee that by this weekend, we will see a record set for most MVP's in NFL history when Peyton Manning collects his 4th.