New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is one of the best to ever spin a football. He’s also one of the only guys in that group of quarterbacks – maybe the only quarterback – to not have been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. Every time he’s qualified the voters move the goalposts and deny him that recognition.
Back in 2009, Brees led the league in completion percentage (70.6-percent), passing touchdowns (34), and adjusted net yards per attempt (8.31); that last one is a measure of efficiency that accounts for sacks, interceptions, and scores. He also threw just 11 interceptions. You know who won MVP that year? Peyton Manning, who completed just 68.8-percent of his passes while throwing fewer touchdowns (33) and more interceptions (16). Manning’s ANY/A was a meager 7.51, and he deservedly lost to Brees in that year’s Super Bowl.
It looked like Brees would redeem himself in 2011. That year’s offense broke records set long ago by the Greatest Show on Turf, and Brees was at the top of his game. He broke his own completion percentage record (71.2) with more pass attempts (468), passing yards (5475), and passing touchdowns (46) than anyone else. He committed just 14 interceptions, and posted an ANY/A of 8.23. But that wasn’t good enough. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took a backseat to Brees in every one of those categories except ANY/A, in which he put up a league-leading 9.39.
Things should be different in 2018, but the voters threaten to make the same mistakes they’ve committed before. Going into Week 11’s games, Brees was set to shatter his own records for completion percentage with an unfathomable clip of 77.3-percent. He may have the best touchdown-interception ratio in the history of the sport with 21 scores to 1 turnover (he added another 3 touchdowns, by the way). Brees’ ANY/A rate was on par with that historic figure Rodgers posted in the distant past: 9.28.
So what gives? Who could find it within himself to keep this last great recognition from Brees?
Well, a lot of people are excited about Kansas City Chiefs ascendant star Patrick Mahomes. With Week 11’s Monday Night Football outing still ahead of him, Mahomes has already scored 31 touchdowns and thrown for 3,150 yards. But he’s also turned the ball over with 7 interceptions, and is completing just 67-percent of the passes he throws. Those are great numbers, sure, but not MVP-caliber. The ANY/A argument shows what makes this such a tough decision for voters: like Brees, Mahomes averages an excellent 9.28.
So all things equal, let’s put Mahomes’ volume stats against Brees’ efficiency, the way he’s been measured in the past. That justifies naming Brees the MVP over Mahomes – but history suggests it won’t happen. And that’s a shame, because there’s 15 or 20 years ahead of us for Mahomes to flex his MVP eligibility. Every comment Brees has made suggests his NFL career is drawing to a close. Hopefully, the voters will remember to do the right thing.