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One benefit from the New Orleans Saints' otherwise forgettable 23-10 loss at Carolina on Sunday: It might have boosted quarterback Drew Brees' chances of winning the NFL's MVP award.
Brees might have bolstered his case by NOT playing.
Consider it Exhibit A in how valuable he is to New Orleans' offense.
With Brees on the sideline, the Saints posted season-low totals of 10 points and 213 yards against the Panthers.
With Brees under center in two previous starts against the very same Panthers, the Saints averaged 30.5 points and 473 yards.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 70.6 percent of his passes this season.
The play caller was the same. The receivers were the same. The offensive line was the same, and the running backs, with the notable exception of Pierre Thomas, were the same.
The only difference was the quarterback, and the results.
"He's had a great year, " New Orleans Coach Sean Payton said Sunday. "He's done a great job of leading this offense, and he's been very consistent in doing so. He's been special."
By all accounts, Brees once again will finish a distant runner-up to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning when the league announces the MVP winner Saturday.
That's a crime.
By nearly every measurement, Brees deserves the honor.
First and foremost, he has completed one of the greatest regular seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. His raw numbers are significantly better than any other quarterback in the league, and he faced better competition.
Seven teams in the NFL won 11 or more games. Five of them are in the NFC, and Brees has posted his numbers once again without a Pro Bowl teammate at any skill position. Can Manning or San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers say that?
Brees led the league in passer efficiency rating (109.6), completion percentage (70.6) and touchdown passes (34). He ranked in the top five in several others, including passing yards per game (292.5, second), completions of 25 yards or more (39, second) and average gain per pass play (8.54, third).
More on Drew Brees
The completion percentage mark broke an almost three-decade-old NFL record, set by the Cincinnati Bengals' Ken Anderson in 1982 -- and Brees did it while throwing the ball down the field at an unprecedented rate.
"Looking at his season overall, one thing you can pay attention to is his ability to get the ball down the field, " Payton said. "That doesn't necessarily go hand in hand with completion (percentage), but he's been accurate down the field."
Watching Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell repeatedly fail to connect on deep balls to open receivers against the Panthers on Sunday made you appreciate Brees' downfield brilliance.
While the completion percentage is impressive, Brees' most compelling argument might be his club-record 109.6 passer efficiency rating. Only five quarterbacks in the modern era have posted higher season ratings.
Moreover, every quarterback who has recorded an efficiency rating of 107 or better has won the MVP. The lone exception was Daunte Culpepper in 2004. He had the misfortune of recording a career-best 110.9 mark the same year Manning set the NFL record with a ridiculous 121.1 rating.
Otherwise, every quarterback has been rightfully honored:
Manning in 2004.
The Patriots' Tom Brady in 2007 with a 117.2.
The 49ers' Steve Young in 1994 with a 112.8.
The 49ers' Joe Montana in 1989 with a 112.4.
The Rams' Kurt Warner in 1999 with a 109.2.
The Dolphins' Dan Marino in 1984 with a 108.9.
If those were MVP-worthy seasons, why isn't Brees' 2009 campaign similarly worthy?
"Touchdowns, wins, completion percentage, you name it, " Payton said. "He's done a great job, and he's been very consistent. As accurately as he throws, it helps us all have success."
The centerpiece of Brees' season was his 18-of-23, 371-yard, five-touchdown masterpiece in a 38-17 victory against the Patriots on "Monday Night Football" on Nov. 30 at the Superdome. Not only did Brees earn a "perfect" 158.3 passer rating, one of 22 recorded by an NFL quarterback, some statistical gurus believe it was the best passing performance in league history.
Kerry J. Byrne of ColdHardFootballFacts.com, a web-based statistical research house, pointed to Brees' average of 16.1 yards per pass attempt against New England as one of the great statistical achievements in recent NFL history. It had been done only four other times and not once since Charley Johnson did it for the Broncos in 1975. Three of the four quarterbacks who did it before Brees are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"Quarterbacks simply do not average 16 yards per attempt in today's NFL, " Byrne said. "It hadn't happened in 34 years. It doesn't happen on the big stage of 'Monday Night Football.' It doesn't happen against (Patriots Coach Bill) Belichick. It doesn't happen against the mighty New England victory machine. It doesn't happen for an 11-0 team that has never won a Super Bowl. But it all came together for Drew Brees Monday night in the single greatest regular-season passing performance in modern NFL history."
As important as the numbers are Brees' intangibles.
He's the embodiment of a leader. His offseason and post-practice passing sessions with receivers are a major reason for the Saints' unstoppable aerial attack. He motivates teammates by distributing T-shirts, bracelets and books with inspirational messages. He serves as a goodwill ambassador not only for the team and organization but for the entire city and Gulf Coast region.
And he enhances the community through the tireless efforts of his Brees Dream Foundation.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb cited Brees' four-year body of work in New Orleans when he told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Ashley Fox last week that Brees deserves the MVP.
"For where they've been to where they are now, it speaks for itself, " McNabb said. "Nothing against Peyton. I mean, Peyton's a friend of mine, but I didn't think Peyton should've won it last year. I mean, and that's nothing against Peyton, I thought Drew would've won it last year, for what did he did, almost breaking Dan Marino's record (for yardage in a season).
"I guess they (the voters) kind of look at what your team is doing instead of the individual. MVP changes every year what it really means. I think Drew should win it."
Indeed, this in no way is a knock on Manning, the heavy favorite to become the first four-time winner of the award. Ultimately, Manning might be the best player in NFL history, and he could win the award every season -- and you could probably justify it.
But this season, Brees' efforts -- on and off the field -- deserve to be rewarded. No player in this league is more valuable to his team.

Rugby Saint II

I'm still drinking the kool-aid.