League MVP should be...

[nierika]

In the spirit of the spirit of the award it's hard to give it to AP if they don't make the playoffs. The award is supposed to go to the one player, if removed from their team, makes the biggest impact on that team. Hence.. Most Valuable Player...

If the Vikings don't make the payoffs, it's a pretty safe bet they don't make it without AP either. If they do, crown him. Because without him, that team is done.

Your interpretation of the award is off IMO. You're focusing too much on the definition of the word "valuable." It's really a stats award for the best player (tilted towards players on offense).

It is impossible to predict how a team would perform if you removed a certain player (and replaced them with what? An average player at that position?). That is getting into hypothetical/immeasurable territory.

While I agree that the team that has the best player SHOULD make the playoffs, not making the playoffs shouldnt disqualify someone.

I think that anyone that breaks an all-time single season rushing or passing record should win the award almost by default. The fact that AP is doing it after coming off knee surgery and in a league that is more focused on passing than in the past is amazing. However, Peyton is doing what he is doing coming off of multiple neck surgeries and with a brand new team. That's why I say...

MVP: Peterson
Comeback Player: Manning

And if Manning wins neither award, I'd be happy to see him hoist a different trophy if ya know what I mean.

[BroncoFanNC]

They have split the MVP award before. So 2 players can both get it.

[AC1]

I disagree. How many quarterbacks are able to come in and have success. Not many. It is the toughest job in football. Now compare that to the amount of runningbacks who can come in and do a good job. Many more can do that. Runningback is a much easier position to play and passing the ball is not easier at all.

And yes Manning and Brady arn't playing by themselves however neither is Peterson. His run blocking is clearly great. They open holes for him. Just as both of the quarterbacks get protection from their O lines and their wideouts catch passes.

And our O line is solid. However it isn't like Peyton Manning has had a very good run game. This O line has had some great run blocking games like against the Saints and Ravens however for the most part they have not given great holes to any of our runningbacks. Tom Brady has had a much better running game to lean on.

And I think without Manning with this schedule we are right now sitting around 5-6 wins and out of the playoffs. I think this team has been built great however I don't see any quarterback out there coming in here and producing that many points on offense to have more then 5-6 wins.

Also the injury factor shouldn't mean anything in this debate. However Peyton Manning coming back from his injury is much more impressive then Adrian Peterson coming back from his. How many people have come back from torn ACL's ? Many. How many people have come back from serious neck injuries ? Peyton Manning and who ?

I think this is a great debate, but I'm with John here. Manning has made a huge difference to a division winning team. Yes, we made the playoffs last year and went 8-8, but we could easily (very, very easily) have been 4-12. With Tebow or most other QBs we're no better than that this year. Manning makes a world of difference. Our receivers are looking better, our OL is looking better, our defense is seeing fewer runs and opposing offenses are playing to our strengths (pass-rush).

This team would look very, very different without Peyton Manning.

[Dirty Bird]

Like Deion said. If A.P doesn't win they just should just change it to the MVQB award.

[#87Birdman]

Like Deion said. If A.P doesn't win they just should just change it to the MVQB award.

Why Tomlison proved you can win it at RB, you just need to be on a playoff team which makes sense. For example the Super Bowl MVP isn't going to the team that loss even if they have a player break a record. So the same standards probably apply to the regular season MVP. If you don't make the playoffs you loss the regular season.

[BroncoFanNC]

Why Tomlison proved you can win it at RB, you just need to be on a playoff team which makes sense. For example the Super Bowl MVP isn't going to the team that loss even if they have a player break a record. So the same standards probably apply to the regular season MVP. If you don't make the playoffs you loss the regular season.

Chuck Howley won SB MVP for the Cowboys, who lost SB 5.

[Me&theOldMan]

Sometimes I think everyone overlooks the fact that the Pats pad their stats against lesser teams... If Broncs wanted to pad the stats, PFM would outshine Brady by a ton... Don't get me wrong, I agree with Fox ball... The team far outweighs any individual award... Ask PFM, or Von which he would rather have, an award or an SB ring...

Now, if Vikings make playoffs, AP= MVP, PFM= OPOY... If they don't, PFM=MVP, AP=OPOY... JMO

[#87Birdman]

Chuck Howley won SB MVP for the Cowboys, who lost SB 5.

Touche guess I didn't go back far enough lol.

[ebsoria]

Your interpretation of the award is off IMO. You're focusing too much on the definition of the word "valuable." It's really a stats award for the best player (tilted towards players on offense).

It is impossible to predict how a team would perform if you removed a certain player (and replaced them with what? An average player at that position?). That is getting into hypothetical/immeasurable territory.

While I agree that the team that has the best player SHOULD make the playoffs, not making the playoffs shouldnt disqualify someone.

I think that anyone that breaks an all-time single season rushing or passing record should win the award almost by default. The fact that AP is doing it after coming off knee surgery and in a league that is more focused on passing than in the past is amazing. However, Peyton is doing what he is doing coming off of multiple neck surgeries and with a brand new team. That's why I say...

MVP: Peterson
Comeback Player: Manning

And if Manning wins neither award, I'd be happy to see him hoist a different trophy if ya know what I mean.

I have to give you that you're right, it does enter into the realm of trying to predict how the team would end up had said player been removed. Look at Brady a few years ago.. he went down and Cassel stepped in and that team still went 11- 5. So, point to you.

However.. to break a passing record or rushing record does not beget the award either. No one is mentioning Calvin Johnson who is sitting at the edge of cracking Jerry's single season yards record as well. Yet, the Lion's are so far out of it that he's not even getting sniff. It is because he's the only option to throw to in Detroit, so therefor his statsa re padded in due to that? What about Brady, then, padding his stats by the Pats running it up?

I'll give you you can make a VERY strong case for AP. To me, it's AP or Manning at this point. I think the next two weeks will determine who get's it. Either way.. to come back from such devestating injuries and even be mentioned?!?!

[theMileHighGuy]

I disagree. How many quarterbacks are able to come in and have success. Not many. It is the toughest job in football. Now compare that to the amount of runningbacks who can come in and do a good job. Many more can do that. Runningback is a much easier position to play and passing the ball is not easier at all.

And yes Manning and Brady arn't playing by themselves however neither is Peterson. His run blocking is clearly great. They open holes for him. Just as both of the quarterbacks get protection from their O lines and their wideouts catch passes.

And our O line is solid. However it isn't like Peyton Manning has had a very good run game. This O line has had some great run blocking games like against the Saints and Ravens however for the most part they have not given great holes to any of our runningbacks. Tom Brady has had a much better running game to lean on.

And I think without Manning with this schedule we are right now sitting around 5-6 wins and out of the playoffs. I think this team has been built great however I don't see any quarterback out there coming in here and producing that many points on offense to have more then 5-6 wins.

Also the injury factor shouldn't mean anything in this debate. However Peyton Manning coming back from his injury is much more impressive then Adrian Peterson coming back from his. How many people have come back from torn ACL's ? Many. How many people have come back from serious neck injuries ? Peyton Manning and who ?

We probably have like 500 some yards in the last three or four games or something, more than enough to keep defenses honest. AP runs against 9 in the box all day, that's why he breaks so many long runs. His blocking is adequate but he produces whether the hole is clear or not. He is putting up historic numbers, and in this era of football it's quite amazing.

We may very well be a 6 win team with Caleb Hanie, or god forbid Brock, or whatever journeyman they brought in, but that's still probably 5 more wins than Minnesota has without AP. Coming back from his neck and degenerative nerves is definitely amazing, I certainly didn't think he could do it missing as much time as he did. If he played any other position besides kicker maybe he would've had to retire. That said, NO ONE has ever torn knee ligaments and come back better than they were before, not to mention closing in on breaking a rushing record that has stood for like 30 years.

They are definitely 1-2, but if you're fishing for me to say Manning is more important to the Broncos than Peterson is to the Vikings, it's not gonna happen.

While I agree that the team that has the best player SHOULD make the playoffs, not making the playoffs shouldnt disqualify someone.

I think that anyone that breaks an all-time single season rushing or passing record should win the award almost by default. The fact that AP is doing it after coming off knee surgery and in a league that is more focused on passing than in the past is amazing. However, Peyton is doing what he is doing coming off of multiple neck surgeries and with a brand new team. That's why I say...

MVP: Peterson
Comeback Player: Manning

And if Manning wins neither award, I'd be happy to see him hoist a different trophy if ya know what I mean.

I agree with all three predictions

[BroncoFanNC]

A writer for the Washington Post said this:

"There are a couple of traditional ways to pick MVPs: Best player on the best team, the definition NFL voters often use, or the guy who’s done the most for his team, period."

You can argue for different people because there isn't really 1 set definition the voters go by.

[CoryWinget81]

The Vikings would trade Adrian Peterson tomorrow for Peyton Manning if they could.

Tells me all I need to know about who the MVP is and should be.

[johnlimburg]

We probably have like 500 some yards in the last three or four games or something, more than enough to keep defenses honest. AP runs against 9 in the box all day, that's why he breaks so many long runs. His blocking is adequate but he produces whether the hole is clear or not. He is putting up historic numbers, and in this era of football it's quite amazing.

I don't know that as I have not broke down the Vikings. And I would guess you don't know that either. However it is something safe to assume that he faces more men in the box then other teams as teams with bad quarterbacks usually face this sort of run defense. Like last year with us.

We may very well be a 6 win team with Caleb Hanie, or god forbid Brock, or whatever journeyman they brought in, but that's still probably 5 more wins than Minnesota has without AP. Coming back from his neck and degenerative nerves is definitely amazing, I certainly didn't think he could do it missing as much time as he did. If he played any other position besides kicker maybe he would've had to retire. That said, NO ONE has ever torn knee ligaments and come back better than they were before, not to mention closing in on breaking a rushing record that has stood for like 30 years.

We are going to be 13-3. From saying we would be a 6 win team that is a 7 game win difference and a second seed. Add in the stats I showed to show how horrible we were on offense last year compared to this year and the film which backs that up also. You can see how valuable Peyton Manning is to the team.

And I would disagree. Knowshon Moreno is doing it right now. He looks better then he ever did before. He is such a better running back then before. I would say he is showing potential to be a very good long term option and replace Willis Mcgahee when he is done, which may be sooner rather then later. So yes someone has done it and he is on our team also.

They are definitely 1-2, but if you're fishing for me to say Manning is more important to the Broncos than Peterson is to the Vikings, it's not gonna happen.

I am sick of hearing this in the debate actually. When the Vikings started the season strong Christian Ponder was playing good. As of late and through the middle of the season he was bad. However over the first 6 games when the Vikings started 4-2 he had thrown for 239 yards per game, 8 Touchdowns to 4 Interceptions. He produced these stats while completing 68.56% of his passes and had a 92.44 QB Rating. The offense was averaging 24.3 Points Per Game.

Over this same stretch while they were winning and looking like a good team Adrian Peterson was not in beast mode. He was averaging 83.16 Rushing Yards Per Game on 4.4 Yards Per Rushing Attempt. This is still good however not beast mode. It was after the first 6 games where he went on a tear. Over the next 8 games he averaged 164.13 Rushing yards Per Game on 7.46 Yards Per Attempt. That is amazing. But over this time he has been in beast mode the team has went 4-4.

So to say that without Adrian Peterson they are a two win team does not make sense. The way the season has went disagrees. However if you actually look into the situation this is not the case. However lets say that it is true. Lets say they are a two win team without Adrian Peterson. They finish the season 2-14 as Adrian Peterson tears his ACL again. And we will say the Broncos finish 6-10 because Tebow stays as the quarterback and there is no Manning.

The Vikings will lose these next two weeks against the Texans and Packers more then likely so they will finish up 8-8. That is a 6 win difference between what you claim them to be with and without Adrian Peterson. We will win the next two games and finish 13-3. That is a 7 win difference with and without Peyton Manning. So even when we don't look at everything and claim they are a two win team without Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning still shows up to be more valuable in your own situation.

And I am not fishing for you to say that Peyton Manning is more important to the Broncos then Adrian Peterson is to the Vikings. Your own situations and your points you bring up do that for you. And as Cory said. The Vikings would trade Peterson straight up for Manning. Because Manning is more valuable to his team and there success.

[theMileHighGuy]

- Ponder shocked the 49ers and beat a couple bad teams, and has been as bad as any QB since.

- Your second argument pretends AP wasn't on their team for the first part of the season at all. His first games coming off his knee injury and he was still putting up 80 yds/game.

-My boy Moreno missed considerably more time, and is not doing anything close to what AP is doing. Not in yardage, impact, ypc, and he plays on a team with PFM.

Lets say they are a two win team without Adrian Peterson. They finish the season 2-14 as Adrian Peterson tears his ACL again. The Vikings will lose these next two weeks against the Texans and Packers more then likely so they will finish up 8-8. That is a 6 win difference between what you claim them to be with and without Adrian Peterson.

This made zero sense.

And please, the Vikings would not trade their 27-year-old-best-running-back-in-the-league for two years of struggling building something around Manning.

When he breaks Dickerson's record and Brady or Manning are handed MVP, there should be a riot. That's all I have to say about it.

[johnlimburg]

- Ponder shocked the 49ers and beat a couple bad teams, and has been as bad as any QB since.

That is true. I said he had been bad since. But when he played good at the start of the season he was still a key contributer in there winning of football games. That is when they looked best and people were talking about them shocking the league and competing for the NFC North. And this was when Greenbay had a slow start and people were on the Vikings a little bit.

Don't take away because of level of competition. You didn't do that with Tebow last year here so don't mix and match your points for different arguments. As I told you Christian Ponder was good to start the season and it shuts down this terrible point people keep bringing up and saying the Vikings would be a 2 win team. The stats and a closer look at the situation disapproves this argument.

- Your second argument pretends AP wasn't on their team for the first part of the season at all. His first games coming off his knee injury and he was still putting up 80 yds/game.

I said that production was still good. But it wasn't anywhere close to MVP good. You are the one taking things away from certain players. You acted like Peterson had done it all by himself in an early post. All these great players have a lot of help to do it. Peterson has his O line. Manning and Brady have there O lines and wideouts. It is a team game and no one does it by themselves.

-My boy Moreno missed considerably more time, and is not doing anything close to what AP is doing. Not in yardage, impact, ypc, and he plays on a team with PFM.

That is true. However Moreno is playing really good football. And I was respodning to this exact comment "NO ONE has ever torn knee ligaments and come back better than they were before". As I said I disagree because Moreno is playing better then he ever did before the injury. And as I said. People have come back from the ACL injury before. No one has come back from Mannings injury and played this well.

This made zero sense.

And please, the Vikings would not trade their 27-year-old-best-running-back-in-the-league for two years of struggling building something around Manning.

When he breaks Dickerson's record and Brady or Manning are handed MVP, there should be a riot. That's all I have to say about it.

And how does that make zero sense. You said that the Vikings are a 2 win team with Peterson. They will finish 8-8. Therefor there is a 6 game win difference between what you think they would be without Peterson and what they actually are with Peterson.

Without Manning you said we are a 6 win football team. However with him and in reality we will be 13-3. There is a 7 game win difference between what you think we would be without Manning and what we actually are. Therefor having more wins because of him and showing he has more value to the team.

Your own arguments proved exactly what I was saying in this thread and helped make the case for a quarterback winning the award. And I thought I should have clarified that comment about the trade. The future prospect would play into the trade for sure. However in saying that if it was a two year borrow or if someone said which would you pick for your team for just one year. The Vikings would take Manning every single time. As would every NFL team except for maybe 4 others. Because he is more valuable then a running back no matter how good that running back is.

And as I said I think any 3 deserve the award if all 3 teams make the playoffs. However please stop with the dramatics. A riot. Peterson is not a clear cut favorite. That is obvious to everyone. If his team makes the playoffs and he gets it then fine. However are you really saying he is the clear cut MVP ?