default-cbs-image

Kurt Warner in 2001. Rich Gannon in 2002. Shaun Alexander in 2005. Tom Brady in 2007. Peyton Manning in 2009. Peyton Manning in 2013. Cam Newton in 2015. Matt Ryan in 2016.

What do they have in common? If you read the headline of this post and clicked on the page, you already know, but it's still pretty stark to see them all listed out in a row. The last eight NFL MVPs to reach the Super Bowl in the year they won Most Valuable Player are 0-8 in those Super Bowls.

Let's be clear: more than anything else, this is just a fluky coincidence. But it is weird. Our very own John Breech even warned Matt Ryan about the curse before Saturday Night's NFL Honors. One thing all those players' teams have in common, though, is that they were all held to scoring totals below their season average in those Super Bowls. Some of their defenses didn't do so hot, either, but the streak appears to be related to the MVPs' units not performing up to par.

Even Ryan's Falcons failed to reach their season average in points, even after putting up 28 points midway through the third quarter. The Atlanta offense fizzled after halftime, and the tired Falcons defense let the Pats back into the game.