Drew Brees Named Offensive Player of the Year
SportingNews.com
Jan 12, 2010
For the second straight season, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is Sporting News' NFL offensive player of the year, as selected by a panel of 636 players, coaches and executives.
Brees received 299 first-place votes from the 583 players polled. Titans running back Chris Johnson was second with 166.
Brees in 2009 didn't come close to matching his 5,069 passing yards from 2008, but he did throw just as many touchdowns (34) and six fewer interceptions. He also led the league in passer rating (109.6), set an NFL record for completion percentage (70.6) and became a local legend in a city not known for winning football.
"He's a big deal," Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson says in the new issue of Sporting News Magazine. "When you think of Louisiana, people automatically think of 'down South,' maybe Cajun stuff and all that. And here in New Orleans you may think of Mardi Gras, the French Quarter and the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees."
Not since Fran Tarkenton in 1975 has a QB 6-0 or shorter led the NFL in TD passes, as Brees did in '09.
"My height was of no consequence for me, and obviously it was of no consequence for Drew," Tarkenton says in the new issue of Sporting News Magazine. "Because if you know how to play, if you know how to find receivers, read defenses, be accurate with the football and make good decisions -- and he knows how to do all those things -- it doesn't matter whether you are 6-9 or 6 feet. You don't throw over defensive linemen, you throw between them.''
Not since Bobby Hebert was New Orleans' starting quarterback in 1992 have the Saints won 12 games. Brees has led New Orleans to a franchise-record 13 wins heading into Saturday's divisional round showdown with Arizona.
"He's a franchise player," Hebert tells SN. "Locally, what Chris Paul means to the Hornets, Drew means to the Saints. You look at market value, but it even goes beyond that. Look at Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers, whoever has been consistent in that position -- look at the supporting casts. Drew is going to the Pro Bowl, and, realistically, who else is going to the Pro Bowl from that offense?"
----
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
Copyright 2012 by SportingNews.com
