Drew Brees vs. Aaron Rodgers: Why Brees Deserves the 2011 NFL MVP Award

Aaron Rodgers is a lock to be named the 2011 NFL MVP, right?  

Not so fast—don't forget about a certain quarterback down in New Orleans who is posting some pretty eye-popping numbers himself.

Drew Brees is on track to shatter Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season (5,084), and with two games left to play, this MVP race is far from over.

Let's examine why Brees deserves the award over Rodgers...

Brees Is on Pace to Break Marino's Record for Passing Yards in a Season

With 4,780 passing yards through 14 games (341.4 yards per game), Brees is on pace to throw for 5,463 yards—a number that would shatter Marino's record of 5,084 passing yards set in 1984.

In fact, with a home matchup coming up against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, Brees may actually break Marino's record in 15 games.

Meanwhile, Rodgers has thrown for 4,360 yards (311.4 yards per game) and is only on pace for 4,983 yards passing.

Advantage: Brees

Brees Is on Pace to Break His Own Record for Completion Percentage in a Season

With a current completion percentage of 71.5 percent, Brees is on pace to break his own record of 70.6 percent set in 2009.

Rodgers' completion percentage is currently 68.1 percent, good for only 16th place in NFL history.

Advantage: Brees

Brees Is Doing His Damage Down the Stretch

The race for the NFL MVP always comes down to how you play down the stretch.

Let's take a look at the last five games for each player:

• Brees: 355 yards passing per game, 16 touchdowns, zero interceptions
• Rodgers: 298  yards passing per game, 12 touchdowns, three interceptions

Advantage: Brees

The Schedule Favors Brees

The Saints play their final two games in the comfort of the Louisiana Superdome, an environment that will undoubtedly promote a high-powered aerial assault on the record books.

Rodgers will play his final two games on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and may even rest a little if they are able to lock up home-field advantage before the end of the season.

Advantage: Brees 

Brees Gets Sacked Less

Brees has been sacked just 23 times on the season compared to 36 sacks for Rodgers.

In fact, when you consider that Brees has 110 more pass attempts than Rodgers (583-473), Brees averages one sack for every 25.3 pass attempts compared to every 13.2 pass attempts for Rodgers.

Advantage: Brees

Brees Has Led His Team to More Come-from-Behind Wins

Considering the Packers have been breezing through their schedule this year (up until last week's hiccup in Kansas City), Rodgers has been able to play with a comfortable lead for the majority of the season.

His only opportunity for a game-winning drive came against the Giants, and that game was tied, so it does not qualify as a "comeback" win.

Brees, on the other hand, has led his team from behind three times and is tied for eighth place in comeback wins on the season.

Advantage: Brees

Brees Has Been Asked to Do More

Brees is averaging 41.6 pass attempts per game and is on pace for 666 passes, which would place him third on the all-time list for most pass attempts in a single season.

Rodgers is on pace for 541 pass attempts this season and has had the benefit of playing with big leads nearly every week.  

Instead of having to keep his team in the game during the fourth quarter, Rodgers can often be found on the sideline with a baseball hat or simply handing the ball off to his running back and running out the clock.

Advantage: Brees

Final Thought:

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched Packers fans. With two indoor home games remaining, Brees could still end up with more touchdown passes than Rodgers before it's all said and done.  

This MVP race is far from over...