NFL MVP Results: 5 Reasons Why Aaron Rodgers' 2011 Season Won't Be Topped Soon

Aaron Rodgers ran away with the MVP award, which was announced tonight on NFL Honors. But Rodgers's season was more than MVP-worthy.

It was the most worthy season we've seen in a while, and the most worthy we will see over the next few years.

In 2011, Rodgers led the Packers to a 15-1 record while taking the NFL by storm. In a season with multiple great quarterback performances, Rodgers stood out above the rest. 

He's going to continue to do that, but this season might be the most memorable of his career. 

His Touchdown-to-Interception Ratio

Aaron Rodgers put up an incredible 45-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio during 2011. This mark is better than Tom Brady's 50-8 ratio in 2007 and Peyton Manning's 49-10 ratio in 2004.

Anytime a quarterback throws less than 10 interceptions, he probably had a great season. If that quarterback also threw more than 40 touchdowns, he had a historic season. 

Record-Setting Passer Rating

In 2011, Aaron Rodgers had a passer rating of 122.5, an all-time NFL record. Rodgers didn't beat Peyton Manning's mark of 121.1 by much, but he did eclipse it.

The passer rating stat is the most inclusive and complete of quarterback statistics. It takes multiple facets of the game into account and compiles them all into one all-knowing number. 

Sure, passer rating has some flaws, but it's a great measure of success. And according to passer rating, Aaron Rodgers just had the best passing season ever. 

15-1 Record

Fortunately for Aaron Rodgers, the postseason has no impact on the MVP award. The Packers may have stumbled in the playoffs, but they were the best regular-season team we've seen in five years.

Green Bay wasn't quite able to make it to the awe-inspiring 16-0 mark, but they came very close. No team came close to the Packers' dominance in 2011, and the team owned the NFL.

A select few teams have dominated at similar levels. 

However, the 2011 Green Bay Packers stand in elite company.

9.25 Yards Per Attempt

Yards per attempt doesn't get as much attention as other stats—touchdowns, interceptions, completion percentage—but it is a great indicator of success.

The last quarterback to exceed Aaron Rodgers' 9.25 yards per attempt was Kurt Warner in 2000, with an average of 9.9. If we ignore Warner, we have to go back to 1976. 

Yards per attempt takes several aspects of play into account—vertical-passing success and accuracy. These are both hugely important, and Rodgers obviously dominated in both areas.

The It Factor

There is no way anyone watching Aaron Rodgers in 2011 could deny his absurdly high level of play. Rodgers was on a different level than everyone else in the NFL for the entire year, and he should be rewarded with the MVP trophy.

In 2011, Rodgers was one of the most accurate passers ever, and he did a fantastic job throwing vertically. The Packers star has one of the strongest arms in football, and his athletic ability allows him to make plays on the movie.

As his touchdown-to-interception ratio shows, Rodgers is eerily calm. He rarely makes poor decisions, and he is poised when picking apart a defense. 

In 2011, Aaron Rodgers was simply in a zone. He couldn't be touched by anyone.