Steve McNair was named 2003 NFL co-MVP this week, sharing the honor with his partner in fraudulence, Peyton Manning.
With such lofty status attributed to Herr Air McNair, I thought his performance late in the season warranted a closer examination through the prism of truth known as the Cold, Hard Football Facts.
You may be surprised to learn that McNair, like Manning, struggled in the last month of the season, turning in some very mediocre performances. You may be shocked to learn that the Titans actually fared better late in the season with NFL co-MVP Steve McNair sitting on the bench.
I get this information from my good friends, the Cold, Hard Football Facts.
McNair's performances since November 30:
- At NY: 21 for 35, 272 yards, 2 TDs/2 Ints, 79.7 rating (lost 17-24)
- Indy: 22 for 38, 235 yards, 2/0, 93.6 rating (lost, 27-29)
- Buffalo: did not play (won 28-26)
- At Houston: 17 for 36, 268 yards, 2/1, 79.4 rating (won 27-24)
- Tampa Bay: did not play (won 33-13)
- At Baltimore: 14 for 23, 159 yards, 1/3, 56.5 rating (won 20-17)
Totals: 74 for 132 (56.1%), 934 yards, 7/6; passer rating, 77.0
In Tennessee's six games since November 30, the Titans:
- Are 4-2 overall
- Are 2-2 in games that McNair did play
- Are 2-0 in games that McNair did not play
- Have turned in their most prolific offensive outputs (28 points and 33 points) with McNair on the bench. Ironically, these two McNair-less offensive outbursts came against the two toughest defenses on Tennessee's schedule since November 30.
You may be interested to see how Tom Brady, McNair's opposing quarterback in this weekend's divisional playoff game, compares in contests over the same period. Interestingly enough, Brady has played his best football of the season since November 30, according to the Cold, Hard Football Facts. His totals:
* 100 for 157 (63.7%), 969 yards, 10/2; passer rating, 96.8.
The Patriots are 5-0 in that period and have outscored their opponents by an average score of 25.8 to 12.6.
Thanks to our friends, the Cold, Hard Football Facts, we can reasonably conclude the following:
- Over the stretch run of the NFL regular season, Tom Brady has outperformed NFL co-MVP Steve McNair in EVERY statistical category.
- The Titans, meanwhile, have performed better as an offense and as a team with McNair on the bench.
- Like his partner in fraudulence, Peyton Manning, McNair earned co-MVP honors because of great play early in the season, not because of late-season heroics.
