NFL MVP 2011: Aaron Rodgers Deserves Award Despite Late Charge from Drew Brees

Aaron Rodgers took control of the MVP race early in the season and, despite the best efforts of Drew Brees and Tom Brady, should claim the award. The Green Bay Packers quarterback was simply the league's most important player on a weekly basis.

Rodgers finished the season with eye-popping numbers across the board. He threw 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions while compiling a quarterback rating that was 12 points better than his closest competitor.

He led the Packers to the NFL's best regular-season record and top scoring offense at 35 points per game. Since the defense struggled to make any meaningful stops, it was up to Rodgers to find ways to win games each and every week.

More often than not, he did. Mostly because he was able to turn players like Jordy Nelson and James Jones into formidable weapons after being considered nothing more than role players prior to the season.

The hallmark of an elite signal-caller is utilizing each weapon in the best way possible to maximize effectiveness. And that's exactly what Rodgers does game in and game out.

One argument used by supporters of Brees and Brady was the Week 17 performance by Matt Flynn. The backup quarterback lit up the Detroit Lions with Rodgers resting for the playoffs in what some construed as proof that Rodgers isn't actually that valuable at all.

In reality, one game shouldn't do anything to sway voters' opinions of Rodgers. Do the Packers go 15-1 with Flynn under center for the entire season? Highly unlikely.

As Tim Tebow illustrated against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, anything is possible in a single game.

Unfortunately it seems like voters become bored sometimes and look for alternatives instead of assessing actual value. It's a phenomenon that crushed Andrew Luck's Heisman Trophy dreams at the college football level.

Luck was the favorite for most of the season, but as soon as Stanford lost its first game, voters flocked to Robert Griffin III from Baylor. It's not that Griffin was unworthy of the award, just like Brees would be a perfectly fine selection, but it seems like voters are always seeking another option.

All told, Rodgers is the most valuable player on the league's top offense and nearly navigated the Packers to a perfect regular season.

That should be more than enough to earn him MVP honors for the 2011 season.