Colts' Peyton Manning wins in a landslide, but MVP not so clear-cut
January 3
Chicago Tribune columnist Dan Pompei
"The MVP is supposed to be obvious, can't miss. A skyscraper in a small town. High beams coming at you on a dark country road.
But this year, the MVP was not obvious to me, despite the fact Peyton Manning received 32 of 50 votes to become only the second player in history to win the award three times.
As one of the 50 voters chosen by the Associated Press, I take the responsibility of choosing an MVP seriously. It is a meaningful award, and it is an honor being part of the process.
So let me share with you how I arrived at my decision.
Minnesota's Adrian Peterson was a strong candidate, but he led the league in fumbles with nine. An MVP can't be a turnover waiting to happen.
The Steelers' defense had two worthy candidates in safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison. How would you pick one over the other? Harrison's 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles might be more impressive than Polamalu's seven interceptions, but his numbers have to be attributed partially to scheme.
The 20 sacks DeMarcus Ware collected certainly were flashy. He couldn't prevent the Cowboys from underachieving, though.
Ed Reed merited consideration because of his nine interceptions, but he ranked ninth on the Ravens in tackles. An MVP has to do more.
Quarterbacks always carry a little more weight in MVP consideration because they handle the ball more than anyone and have more influence on the outcomes of games. There were four quarterbacks in the running.
Miami's Chad Pennington had a remarkable season. He didn't make my final cut because the Dolphins did not build their offense around his abilities to the same extent other teams built their offenses around their quarterbacks.
That made it a three-horse race involving Indianapolis' Manning, New Orleans' Drew Brees and Arizona's Kurt Warner. And they ran to a photo finish.
I compared the QBs in 10 categories, assigning points for each."
Link
Calendar
