Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Matt Ryan's name is being discussed in the 2016 MVP race. He has had a very good season but my first thought about his season, unfair as it may be, is his interception on a 2-pt try that Eric Berry returned the other way to give the Chiefs a 1-point win.

Tom Brady is also being mentioned. He provided the Patriots no value in four games which is one quarter of a season. I suppose it is also possible he might even sit out the Week 17 game.

This made me wonder about some bad games or moments or weeks of worthlessness from other players who would go on to be named league MVP in the season in question.

I am NOT interested in hearing about league MVPs who stumbled and bumbled AFTER being named league MVP (in other words, during the playoffs).

Steve Young had the 2nd worst game of his 49ers career against Philadelphia in 1994 (behind only the 1999 season opener.) The loss to KC and Montana was probably a sore spot as well, though the 49ers were missing three of their starting linemen.

Barry Sanders was awful running the ball in the first two games of 1997. 25 carries for 53 yards and numerous screams by fans that he couldn't play with a fullback. (The following 14 games proved otherwise.)

During Jim Brown's MVP season of 1965, his game against the Vikings (the game in which The Fortune Cookie used in the film) saw him gain 39 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown. He also had two catches for nine yards.

He actually had a worse game in the blowout loss to the Rams in Week 13 (20 yards on 13 carries), but that game was a throwaway for the Browns who lost 42-7. They rested most of their starters and the game was played in a steady rain.

Ken Anderson was benched in favor of Turk Schonert in Week 1 of his 1981 MVP season.

Terry Bradshaw had back-to-back clunkers in 1978: against the Rams and Bengals in weeks 11-12, he was 23-55, 242 yards, 1 TD and 7 INT's. (In every other reg. season game that '78 MVP season, his TD-INT ratio outside of those games was 27-13. Those 2 games made the ratio look worse than his play really was

Earl Morrall, Super Bowl III 6 for 17, 71 yards and three interceptions.

Super Bowl III doesn't qualify as Morrall had already been named MVP. But the Colts' final game of the previous season does. Johnny U didn't have horrible stats in the 1967 finale against LA, but he could only put 10 points on the board, and missing the playoffs after not having a single loss all year qualifies as bad moment.

Speaking of Colts' quarterbacks, Peyton Manning had a horrible game in GB in 2008. He completed half his passes and had two touchdowns. Unfortunately, both touchdowns were to Packer defenders.

conace21 wrote:Super Bowl III doesn't qualify as Morrall had already been named MVP. But the Colts' final game of the previous season does. Johnny U didn't have horrible stats in the 1967 finale against LA, but he could only put 10 points on the board, and missing the playoffs after not having a single loss all year qualifies as bad moment.

Speaking of Colts' quarterbacks, Peyton Manning had a horrible game in GB in 2008. He completed half his passes and had two touchdowns. Unfortunately, both touchdowns were to Packer defenders.

I always thought Manning's MVP in '08 was skeptical.

But it was a perfect storm- Rivers/Warner/Brees had better passing stats, but unimpressive W-L records.

I agree. Manning's passer rating of 95 that year was the second lowest of the stretch between 2004 (when officials started enforcimg the 5 yard rule more dilligently) and 2014, his last great year.

If only voters had looked beyond quarterbacks.
James Harrison was the DPOY.
DeMarcus Ware had 20 sacks.
Ed Reed had 9 interceptions for 265 yards and a pair of scores. He added a third with a scoop and score of a fumble.
Adrian Peterson ran for 1760 yards
Andre Johnson had 115 catches for 1575 yards.
If those two didn't score enough for your taste, then...
Michael Turner had 1699 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Larry Fitzgerald had 96 catches for over 1400 yards and a league leading twelve touchdown receptions.