Drew Brees and Most Under-the-Radar NFL Stars of 2011

Drew Brees, like many players excelling in 2011, have been overshadowed by guys like Aaron Rodgers, but here is a list to commemorate their play.

Brees finally received the limelight he's been deserving all year when he broke Dan Marino's single season passing yards record on ESPN's Monday Night Football, and here are some other players who are finally getting their due recognition.

Laurent Robinson

For a guy who found himself without a team to start 2011, Dallas Cowboys receiver Laurent Robinson sure has made up for lost time.

The slot receiver has nine touchdowns along with 797 yards receiving this season. His touchdown output is more than guys like Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz, Larry Fitzgerald and Santonio Holmes.

Robinson has excelled when given the opportunity due to the nagging hamstring injuries to Miles Austin this season, and has quickly become one of quarterback Tony Romo's favorite targets. 

Jared Allen

Now, the public eye hasn't exactly been keying in on the Minnesota Vikings this season, but Jared Allen is quietly closing in on Michael Strahan's single-season sack record.

Now, he'd need a handful of sacks to accomplish the feat, but he's got 18.5 on the season as of now. That may not be NFL record worthy, but it's still an impressive accomplishment.

There hasn't been many bright spots for the Vikings this year, but fans can hang their hats on another Pro Bowl-caliber year for No. 69.

Darren Sproles

Now, Darren Sproles may be a qualified as a running back on the depth chart, but statistically, he's the sixth-ranked receiver in all the NFL this season.

Sproles has over 1,000 yards of total offense, with his receiving production outdoing his rushing. Currently, he has 659 yards receiving and five touchdowns receiving, while he has 496 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.

The touchdown totals may not be staggering, but go ask the San Diego Chargers how much they're missing their former running back right now. Watch a New Orleans Saints game, and you'll know everything you need to about Sproles.

Ryan Mathews

While the San Diego Chargers might not have Darren Sproles coming out of the backfield any longer, Ryan Mathews is having a standout sophomore season.

Mathews currently ranks eighth in the NFL in terms of rushing yards while managing to find the endzone six times despite having the ultimate touchdown vulture Mike Tolbert on the roster.

The Fresno State product is averaging almost five yards a carry this season and making Charger fans feel as if they have a running back to build around for years to come.

D'Qwell Jackson

Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson may not be a household name to those outside the Ohio state lines, but he continues to be a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable year for his team.

Jackson currently hold the second most tackles in the league with 145, trailing only Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher.

One hundred and seven of those tackles were done by Jackson all on his lonesome, leading the league in solo tackles.

He may not get Subway commercials or get on ESPN's top plays, but Jackson is a consistent source for smart tackling in a league where if one man fails to bring a receiver or running back to ground, they could be off to the races.

Brandon Browner

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner took awhile to find his way in professional football, but now finds himself one of the best players on a quietly stingy Seattle defense.

Browner was an undrafted free agent from the 2005 draft, received his walking papers from the Denver Broncos and took his career north of the border to the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL until 2010.

The former Oregon State player saw success in Canada, winning a Grey Cup with his squad back in 2008, and was even named to the All-Star team.

Now with the Seahawks, Browner has been able to keep trending upward. The corner has six interceptions this season, two of which he returned all the way to the endzone.

Seattle as a team are on an upward trend right now, just one season removed from shocking the New Orleans Saints in the 2010 Wild Card round and in the playoff conversation this season.

Plaxico Burress

One year after being in prison, New York Jets receiver Plaxico Burress has shown that he's still an imposing red-zone target.

Plax has eight touchdowns this season, just one less than Wes Welker and the same amount as Roddy White and Mike Wallace.

Burress has also been a solid bet for at least three receptions a game, with 11 games of three or more catches so far this season.

While the Jets are constantly in the news for their loudmouth head coach, Rex Ryan, don't forget that there are solid contributors like Burress on this roster.

Alex Smith

It took awhile for the national media to pay attention to the surging San Francisco 49ers, and they have yet to give Alex Smith the credit he deserves.

Smith isn't breaking passing yard records and he's not racking up crazy amounts of touchdowns, but he's consistently putting his team in the position to win.

The former first overall pick out of Utah doesn't have any 300 yard games to his name this season, but he does have 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions on the year. Oh, and his passer rating for the season is 90.1.

Maurice Jones-Drew

It's hard to say that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is underrated, but considering how little you hear people talk about his team, I put him in this category.

He's currently leading the league in rushing yards despite opposing defenses consistently packing eight people in the box against the Jags.

He only has eight touchdowns on the year, but that's more due to the fact that the Jaguars rarely reach the redzone. He does, however, have close to 1,500 yards on the ground this year.

MoJo continues to be the one consistent producer on this Jacksonville squad and continues to go unappreciated due to the little exposure his mediocre team receives.

Drew Brees

Drew Brees may be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but at one point, the San Diego Chargers didn't think he was worth a roster spot.

When he went into free agency, the Miami Dolphins were too afraid of his previous injuries to sign him. Brees now owns the single-season passing yards record and has received his due recognition.

Even though the quarterback has a Super Bowl ring and multiple records to his name, since winning the big game back 2009, the spotlight has moved away from Brees in New Orleans.

Now with Marino's record in hand, Brees is once again in the public eye, but he shouldn't have been out of it in the first place.