Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning talks with reporters during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014, in Jersey City, N.J. The Broncos are scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo)
NEW YORK – Peyton Manning’s record-setting season gave him his record-setting fifth Associated Press NFL MVP award Saturday night, and he won in a landslide.
No other player has won more than three MVP awards, and it was nearly a unanimous vote.
Denver’s record-setting quarterback, who threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards in leading the Broncos to the AFC’s best record, received 49 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. New England quarterback Tom Brady got the one other vote.
Manning won his other MVPs with Indianapolis in 2003, `04, `08 and `09, coming in as the runner-up last season behind Adrian Peterson.
So how does the new NFL MVP award record fair next to other sports?
Manning still trails several Hall of Famers for total MVPs in their sport. Wayne Gretzky won 9 NHL MVPs, Barry Bonds won 7 in baseball, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won 6 in the NBA.
Peyton Manning also took the AP’s Offensive Player of the Year award for the second time. Carolina grabbed two major awards, with Ron Rivera winning AP NFL Coach of the Year and linebacker Luke Kuechly voted best defensive player.
Broncos executive John Elway accepted the Offensive Player award on Manning’s behalf.
“I can say I have never seen a better year played by a quarterback than Peyton Manning,” Elway said. “To see what he did this year, it was truly amazing.”
For the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year Award, Manning received 33 total votes. He also was runner-up last year to Peterson for Offensive Player.
Running back LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia was runner-up with 10 votes, followed by Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles with 4.
Rivera engineered the Panthers’ turnaround from a 7-9 record to 12-4, the NFC South title and a first-round playoff bye. Kuechly keyed a defense that allowed 241 points, second only to the NFC champion Seattle.
Green Bay running back Eddie Lacy and Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson were the top rookies for 2013, while San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers took the Comeback Player of the Year award at the NFL Honors show.
Rivera’s performance in his third season as head of Carolina earned him 21 1/2 votes, which beat out Kansas City’s Andy Reid, who received 13 1/2 votes, who took Kansas from 2-14 to 11-5 and an AFC wild-card berth.
“I do feel a lot of pride because it has been a long journey, but it also was a part of the process,” Rivera said. “Just like us getting to where we are winning 12 games was part of the process. We started, the team was 2-14 before I got there and we went to 6-10 and then 7-9, and this year we broke through at 12-4. It was part of the process of growing and developing.”
Rivera is the second Panthers coach to win the award. Dom Capers was AP Coach of the Year in 1996, Carolina’s second season in the NFL.
Kuechly also earned top defensive player in 2012, which sat up on the shelf with his defensive rookie award. Carolina’s All-Pro linebacker got 19 votes, beating out Indianapolis All-Pro linebacker Robert Mathis, who got 11 1/2. Kuechly had 96 tackles, 4 interceptions, 2 sacks and 8 passes defensed.
A second-round pick — 61st overall — from Alabama, Lacy rushed for 1,178 yards on 284 carries (4.1 average), with 11 touchdowns and 35 receptions. That record earned him 35 votes.
“I’m comfortable where I am, and my teammates believe in me, and they make me feel comfortable, so I’m able to play the way I’m capable of playing,” said Lacy, who came in ahead of San Diego wide receiver Keenan Allen, who got 12 votes.
Richardson was the 13th overall pick in April’s draft when New York traded star cornerback Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay, and won a close race over Buffalo linebacker Kiko Alonso. Richardson received 23 votes, while Alonso, a second-round choice who was 46th overall, earned 19.
Richardson found himself being double-teamed around halfway through the season, but still made 42 tackles and had 3 1/2 sacks, and he closed the running lanes so effectively that the Jets ranked number 3 against the run this season.
“I’m surprised,” Richardson said of beating Alonso and Arizona safety Tyrann Mathieu, who got just 2 votes. “Kiko and Tyrann most definitely had outstanding rookie years and it was a toss-up to me. Kiko made a lot of tackles and Tyrann made a lot of plays down the field. Unfortunately he got hurt, but it was a tight race.”
Richardson did quip regarding the possibility of winning both awards, as he scored two touchdowns as a fullback in goal-line situations.
“Eddie Lacy beat me out there,” Richardson said. “He had a few more touchdowns than I did.”
Rivers led the Chargers to a wild-card playoff spot with 4 consecutive wins to end the schedule, leaving them off with a 9-7 record. He led the league with a 69.5 completion rate and threw for 32 TDs against 11 interceptions.
He received 13 votes in balloting so widespread that 12 players got votes. He was not at the awards show at Radio City Music Hall.
Chicago cornerback Charles Tillman won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and was visibly emotional when he accepted the award, with tears in his eyes.
“As a Chicago Bear, this award has a special meaning to me,” Tillman said.
