The Professional Football Writers of America (PWFA) has voted the Denver Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year for 2013. Additionally, the St. Louis Rams’ defensive end, Robert Quinn, has been voted Defensive Player of the Year.

Manning threw for NFL records in both passing yards (5,477) and touchdown passes (55); and led the Broncos to the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs

Quinn led the NFC with 19 sacks and led the NFL in sack yards with 145.

Currently in his 16th NFL season, Peyton Manning is the 39th NFL MVP honored by the PFWA. With this latest honor, he has extended his record haul of NFL MVP awards from the PFWA to four in his career (2004, 2008, 2009 and 2013). He is the second Bronco player to be named MVP by the PFWA (Terrell Davis, running back, received the honor in 1998). Manning was also named to his seventh PFWA All-NFL team in his career this season.

The Broncos quarterback has had an amazing 2013 season, holding numerous leads and records. Starting all 16 games in 2013, he completed 450 of 659 passes (68.3 completion percentage) for 5,477 yards, 55 touchdowns, a 115.1 passer rating and only 10 interceptions as he led the Broncos to 13-3 in the regular season. Along with his league marks for passing yards and touchdowns, Manning also broke the NFL record for passing first downs with 289.

He threw for seven touchdown passes in the season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens to tie a NFL record and actually, the season-high 462 yards against the Ravens were the second-highest single-game yardage totals of his career. Manning threw for four or more touchdowns in nine games in 2013 and set an NFL record by throwing 20 touchdown passes before his first interception of the season. Twice in 2013 he was named the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Month.

In his third season, Robert Quinn recorded sacks in 11 of 16 games, including five multi-sack games. He posted a season-high three sacks three times in 2013 and he broke the Rams’ single-season record for sacks (previously held by defensive lineman Kevin Carter, who had 17 in 1999). Quinn led the NFC in forced fumbles with seven, and two of them resulted in St. Louis touchdowns, including his own 31-yard return versus the Chicago Bears in Week 12. The defensive end was credited with 57 total tackles (41 solo), 36 quarterback pressures and 33 quarterback hits on Rams coaches’ tape review. He also led St. Louis, according to coaches’ tape, with a team-high 18 tackles for losses. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week One after three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Rams’ season-opening victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

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Past PFWA NFL Most Valuable Players: 1975 – QB Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings; 1976 – QB Bert Jones, Baltimore Colts; 1977 – RB Walter Payton, Chicago Bears; 1978 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1979 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1980 – QB Brian Sipe, Cleveland Browns; 1981 – QB Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals; 1982 – QB Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers; 1983 – QB Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins; 1984 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1985 – RB Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders; 1986 – LB Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants; 1987 – WR Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers; 1988 – QB Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati Bengals; 1989 – QB Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers; 1990 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1991 – RB Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills; 1992 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1993 – RB Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys; 1994 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1996 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1997 – RB Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions; 1998 – RB Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos; 1999 – QB Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams; 2000 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2001 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2002 – QB Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders; 2003 – RB Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2005 – RB Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks; 2006 – RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers; 2007 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2009 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2010 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2011 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos.

Hail.

By Diane Chesebrough

Diane Chesebrough is an NFL reporter for Sports Journey and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Accredited media with the NFL, she has been a feature writer for several national magazines/periodicals. Follow her on Twitter: @DiChesebrough

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