NFL Offensive Player of the Year 2011: Drew Brees Wins After Historic Season

When you break one of the most storied records in the history of professional football, you better be named Offensive Player of the Year.

And that’s exactly what happened with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees on Saturday, when he was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. 

Not to be confused with Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year is an award based on stats, and Brees was a fantasy player’s dream in 2011.  

He broke Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards mark with 5,476. Well maybe broke isn’t a strong enough word. Considering he put up 392 yards more and passed the mark with over a full game to go…he obliterated one of the most storied records in the league.

He also broke the completion percentage record by connecting on 71.2 percent of his throws.  The old record was 70.6 set by none other than Brees. While his 46 TDs didn’t break Tom Brady’s record of 50, it was 12 better than his previous career-high.

Oh, did I also mention he didn’t lose a single fumble this year?

Fourteen interceptions is the only blemish on this spotless resume and it’s the only reason Aaron Rodgers was still in the conversation for the award. His 2011 season was great as well (4,643 yards, 45 TDs and six INTs, four fumbles lost), but it’s just not as good as Brees'.

Comparing the receiving corps of the two shows us that the Packers had a much more stacked unit (Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jermichael Finley) than the Saints (Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Jimmy Graham).

While the MVP debate is going to rage on with the Packers 15-1 regular season going up against the Saints 13-3, there is no question that when you are going by statistics, Brees had the best 2011 season, and quite frankly one of the best of all time.