42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII: #1 - You Can't Deny the MVP, Can You?

The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.

New England's Tom Brady is the 2007 Associated Press MVP. Quite the honor. However, it doesn't ensure postseason success. Twenty MVP's failed to get their team to the Super Bowl. Of the 21 that did, just 10 won the game.

Yes, the NFL MVP is just 10-11 in Super Bowl play. The last two MVPs to make the Super Bowl ... Oakland's Rich Gannon and St. Louis' Kurt Warner ... lost the game.

This doesn't mean that those 11 losing MVPs had bad games. Brett Favre threw for 256 yds and 3 TDs against Denver in Super Bowl XXXII. Several others just had marginal games that weren't enough.

Some did stink up the joint. Gannon threw five interceptions against Tampa. Thurman Thomas rushed for just 19 yds against Washington. Boomer Esiason completed just 11 of 25 passes for 144 yds and a pick against the Niners. John Elway was just 14-of-38 and threw 3 interceptions against Washington.

After the jump, check out the history of the MVP in Super Bowls:

2002: Oakland's Rich Gannon lost Super Bowl to Tampa Bay

2001: St. Louis' Kurt Warner lost Super Bowl to New England

1999: St. Louis' Kurt Warner beat Tennessee in Super Bowl

1998: Denver's Terrell Davis beat Atlanta in Super Bowl

1997: Green Bay's Brett Favre lost Super Bowl to Denver

1996: Green Bay's Brett Favre beat New England in Super Bowl

1994: San Francisco's Steve Young beat San Diego in Super Bowl

1993: Dallas' Emmitt Smith beat Buffalo in Super Bowl

1991: Buffalo's Thurman Thomas lost Super Bowl to Washington

1989: San Francisco's Joe Montana beat Denver in Super Bowl

1988: Cincinnati's Boomer Esiason lost Super Bowl to San Francisco

1987: Denver's John Elway lost Super Bowl to Washington