Have you ever wondered who the smartest quarterback in the NFL is? How about who the, er, least smart is? Well, apparently the folks over at NFL-IQ-Quizzes.com and IQ-QuizYou.net have figured out at least three player’s intelligent quotients.*

Yes, according to this advertisement (found at FantasyPlayers.com), Drew Brees is a genius and Brett Favre is slightly above the United States national average of 98. Now, I wasn’t sure exactly what these scores mean or where it puts the players, so I figured I’d check out a source to see how the players stack up with other people and professions.

Enter Wikipedia and some GeoCities site that just seemed too well put together to be false. According to the former, Brett Favre is smack dab in the middle of the “average intelligence range,” Tony Romo, who can do a darn good Favre impression, is “moderately gifted,” and Drew Brees is “highly gifted.” But what do those arbitrary classes mean? I want names to compare them with. Evidently, Brett Favre has the intelligence of someone between a high school graduate. Tony Romo, on the other hand, fits in with just one percent of the population with his intelligence (so he’s in the 99th percentile), and is on the same level as an emiment professor. (I always knew Jessica Simpson loved him for his mind.) Okay, that might be tough for me to top. But Drew Brees takes the cake, with a 146 IQ, which basically puts him on the level of a leading math or physics professor.

As for tying their scores to fantasy football, this does explain why Brett Favre tends to throw more interceptions than Drew Brees in any given season. Brees is evidently a better decision maker, but who would have guessed he’s qualified to teach quantum physics at MIT?

*Yes, I do know these are not the actual scores of these players.

In recent seasons it has been relatively easy to pick the league’s MVP, since record-breakers often get the nod, especially when the record is significant (i.e., throwing 50 touchdowns in one season is usually worthy). This season, however, it doesn’t seem quite so clear-cut. I think it’s fair to suggest the league MVP will be a quarterback or running back because that is the trend in the NFL. Offensive skill positions are in for two reasons: one, in the era of fantasy football, few fans care enough about individual players on defense to argue for them a case as the league’s “most valuable player.” You will never see an offensive lineman win the award because that offensive group is, well, a group. As far as wide receivers or tight ends are concerned, it’s difficult to point to one as being the reason for a team’s success since their success depends heavily on the quarterback.

With that “narrowing” concluded, here is my list of candidates (four quarterbacks and two running backs) and my pick, which is probably obvious if you caught the drift of my article’s lame clever title. I encourage you to also take advantage of the comments section to voice your opinion. Who do you think deserves the league’s most prestigious individual award?

Quarterbacks

1. Brett Favre - New York Jets

His individual numbers warrant some attention: 2,461 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. But the most telling stat isn’t on Favre’s NFL.com page. Instead, let me point to the New York Jets’ record without Brett Favre (last season): 4-12. Since acquiring Favre, New York is 8-3 and on top the AFC East. Might I also mention they just beat the NFL’s only remaining undefeated team? The Jets are serious Super Bowl contenders, and I would argue that Brett Favre is the catalyst of the surge.

2. Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers’ numbers might not be gaudy (2,351 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions through ten games), but his play has been more than impressive this season. The Packers remain in the postseason hunt, and it sure isn’t because the running game has led it. Rodgers has showed incredible poise in the pocket and is the single biggest reason Green Bay’s offense is clicking. Now, normally he might not be worth an MVP bid, but consider the pressure he is playing under: he replaced Brett Favre in the offseason, much to the dismay of a good many Packers fans, and has spent the entire season gaining the respect of them and his teammates. I think he’s earned it.

3. Kurt Warner - Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals (7-4) have emerged this season as a contender in the NFC, something that is sure to have made fans believers in Ken Whisenhunt. The team hasn’t been perfect, and Arizona has had trouble running the football this season, which has led to Warner throwing 40-50 passes per game. His response can be described, in a word, as admirable. Warner was impressive in 2007, as well, but he has been in the zone this season. Through eleven games he has thrown for 3,506 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 8 touchdowns and has put the Cardinals’ offense, which ranks 3rd in points per game and 2nd in passing yards per game, on the map.

4. Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints

The Saints (5-5) have struggled this season - mostly because the defense can’t shut down anyone - but the team’s passing game has not. In ten games this season, Drew Brees has passed for 3,251 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 touchdowns. The number in that group to watch is his passing yards - he’s averaging 325 yards per game. That puts him on pace for 5,200 yards, enough to easily snag a record. He hasn’t thrown fewer than 30 passes in a game this season, and only twice has he passed for fewer\ than 300 yards.

Running Backs

1. Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings

No running back means as much to his team as Adrian Peterson. While the Vikings have had their ups and downs this season with a pair of ill-suited quarterbacks and a disappointing corps of wide receivers, Adrian Peterson has kept the team afloat through his undying determination. Against the Green Bay Packers I saw a running back take command of an offense in the final minutes to lead a scoring drive. Rarely will we witness a player rush for 40 yards and catch 2 passes for 24 yards to directly account for 64 of an offense’s 69 yards on a scoring drive that puts his team ahead with less than three minutes to play. The dependence on Peterson has been tremendous all season long, and his numbers reflect that: 1,180 yards rushing and 8 rushing touchdowns.

2. Michael Turner - San Diego Chargers

Describing Michael Turner’s numbers in one word is simple: remarkable. Turner has rushed for 1,080 yards and 13 touchdowns through eleven games, taking much of the pressure off rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons are 7-4 right now for a number of reasons, but I don’t think anyone would deny that Turner has played a very significant role.

My Pick: If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m going with Favre. He’s the biggest reason New York has turned it around so dramatically this season, and with him at the helm it’s not hard to envision a Super Bowl run for the Jets.

Maybe I’m right (I like to think so), maybe I’m wrong. Put your pick in the comment, and let’s get some discussion going!

The NFL season is now fast approaching, which means your fantasy football draft is probably right around the corner. To better prepare you for that, I’m releasing my fantasy football pre-draft rankings. Remember, these are to be used as a guide on draft day, so feel free to move players around and stray from the list when draft day actually arrives. (more…)