Aaron Rodgers: Why He Is More Deserving of the MVP Award Than Drew Brees

Aaron Rodgers got off to a fast start in the MVP race, and early on in the season many assumed he would easily win the award.

However, the Packers bumbled away their undefeated season in Kansas City, and Drew Brees broke the NFL single-season record for passing yardage while leading the Saints to eight consecutive wins in the final eight weeks of the year.

Brees' stellar second half of the season has put him in the conversation for the league's Most Valuable Player award, and deservedly so. But Rodgers has been the best player in the NFL this season, and should be the MVP.

Rodgers has been the more efficient quarterback and led his team to the league's best record and NFC's top seed, and done so with an inconsistent running game, injury-plagued offensive line and a defense that allowed the most passing yards in a season in NFL history.

At first glance, Brees seems to the passer with the better stats. Brees set NFL records for passing yardage (5,476) and completion percentage (71.2), and also led the league in touchdowns (46). 

Rodgers finished a full 833 yards behind Brees (4,634) and finished second in the league in completion percentage (68.3) and touchdowns (45).

However, looking at totals is a misleading way to compare the two players because Rodgers did not play in the final week and gave up playing time to Matt Flynn in blowouts against the Broncos, Vikings and Raiders. Comparing total touchdowns and yardage is essentially penalizing Rodgers for winning several games by the third quarter and clinching the top seed in the playoffs a week early. Brees threw 155 more passes than Rodgers this season.

In addition, Brees was not the only record-setting quarterback this season. Rodgers broke Peyton Manning's passer rating record, finishing with a rating of 122.5 compared to Brees' 110.6.

Passer rating is essentially a measure of how efficient a quarterback is, and other statistics that measure efficiency show how good Rodgers has been this season.

Rodgers led the league in yards per attempt, averaging 9.25 yards per pass, while Brees finished sixth with an average of 8.18.

Rodgers also threw just six interceptions this year while Brees threw 14. Brees threw multiple picks in five games this year, while Rodgers did not throw more than one interception in any game this season.

Lastly, looking at statistics only tells part of the story. As the NFL notes in its explanation of passer rating, "It is important to remember that the system is used to rate passers, not quarterbacks. Statistics do not reflect leadership, play-calling, and other intangible factors that go into making a successful professional quarterback."

Brees is an amazing quarterback and a future Hall of Famer, but he benefits from Sean Payton and his offensive system as much as Payton benefits from having Brees as his quarterback. In contrast, Rodgers' ability to improvise adds a dimension to Mike McCarthy's offense that defenses have no way to prepare for. 

Brees has an uncanny ability to find favorable matchups created by Payton's play-calling, and his preparation and pocket presence are second to none.

However, Rodgers' work ethic and drive is equal to Brees' and his improvisational abilities hide a lot of weaknesses on the Packers roster.

A perfect example of Rodgers' ability to do this came on Christmas against the Bears when he threw a short pass to Jordy Nelson for a touchdown on a called run. 

He routinely makes this type of play that moves away from short-yardage runs, which the Packers struggle with, and puts the talented receivers in a position to make a play against single coverage. 

Rodgers has also improvised by using his legs to extend plays and drives, thereby hiding the Packers' sub-par offensive line play and running game.

His offensive line has been inconsistent and injury plagued. Among players who started in the first week of the season, only center Scott Wells, right guard Josh Sitton, and left guard T.J. Lang have not missed significant time. Lang has moved around due to injuries to just about everyone else who has played on the line during the season. This has contributed to the Packers having the 27th-ranked rushing offense and Rodgers being sacked 36 times.

On the other hand, the boys up front for the Saints have been stellar. Three out of the five players who started Week 1 are headed to the Pro Bowl (Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans and Jermon Bushrod). The Saints finished as the sixth-best rushing team in the league, and going into the final week the group was tied for first in the NFL with fewest quarterback hits.

And finally, the Packers allowed more yards per game this season than any team in the league. The Saints defense has not been good, and is ranked 24th, but also has not been monumentally bad. 

In short, Brees is a general for the Saints, and runs Sean Payton's offense to degree of perfection that is rarely seen in the NFL.  

Rodgers has been a magician on the field, making plays that have left spectators with their jaws on the floor. He has been flawless this season and has thrown more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than Brees with worse pass protection and no running game to rely on.

Both are fantastic players deserving of all the praise they have received throughout the season. However, Rodgers has won more games than Brees and is the biggest reason the Packers have been considered the best team in the league for nearly the entire season.

Aaron Rodgers is the best player on the best team and plays the most important position in football. No other player, including Brees, can make that claim, which is why Rodgers should the 2011 NFL MVP.