Russell Wilson the 2018 MVP Adrian Peterson in perfect spot

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Ru sell Wilson the 2018 MVP? Adrian Peterson in perfect spot Published: Aug 24, 2018 at 09:34 AM NFL.com Analyst ***** If you're looking for an early favorite in the NFL MVP race, you should consider . While the four-time quarterback didn't receive a vote for the award last year, he was certainly worthy of it after he single-handedly kept the in playoff contention. Wilson will deserve the award if he gets Chris Sabo Jersey his team into the playoffs this season. Wilson is unquestionably the face of the franchise as the ' QB1, but he is playing an even bigger role on the squad this season. The team is no longer defined by its star-studded defense with , , and Cliff Avril out of the equation. On offense, the squad is devoid of A-level playmakers outside of . In addition, Wilson is playing behind an offensive line that has struggled to keep him clean in the pocket for the past few years and he doesn't have a dominant running game to lean on. Throw in a new play-caller without a distinguished resume of succe s, and Wilson will need to overcome long odds to guide the 'Hawks to a playoff berth at the end of the season. That's not a slight to any of the coaches or players referenced with those comments, but the facts are the facts. Seattle's coaching and personnel changes have put more on No. 3's plate and he will have to be exceptional to produce fireworks for the team. Think about that. I'm suggesting a guy who led the NFL in touchdown pa ses (34), accounted for 95 percent of the offense's scores and led the team in rushing yards (586) is going to need to do to keep the 'Hawks in contention this season. While there are only a handful of quarterbacks in the league capable of shouldering such a heavy load ( , , , and a few others), Wilson has proven that he is an MVP-caliber player over the past three seasons, when the team gradually shifted from a run-first, defensive-oriented squad to a QB-centric team that increasingly relied on the talents of the quarterback to create big plays on the perimeter. From his explosive runs on a variety of zone-reads and designed QB runs to his impromptu scramble to ses, Wilson's playmaking skills make the ' offense go when things don't go according to plan. Those skills could be needed with the team adjusting to coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and his intricate version of the West Coast offense built around a physical running game. "It's a commitment to that's the style of play and that fits," head coach Pete Carroll said earlier this offseason in . "You go back to a couple of years ago when back there and they ran the football like crazy, and they won a couple of championships there really with a young quarterback based on the commitment to the run and playing defense. Well you know us, that's something that we do understand about how you play the game of football. He's committed to it. He gets us." The idea is to get back to a balanced attack that leans on a 50:50 run-pa s ratio instead of the pa s-heavy premise the team has relied on for the past few years. The team pa sed on nearly 60 percent (59.4) of its snaps a season ago, when it mi sed the playoffs, compared to the 53:47 and 52:48 run-pa s ratios from their back-to-back appearances earlier this decade. While I remain a big believer in the running game as a crucial component of an offense, I'm not nece sarily convinced the are equipped to thrive in that area with their current personnel, even after the selection of in Round 1. The lack of a marquee running back could put the team in more long-yardage pa sing situations, which puts more pre sure on Wilson to make plays against a loaded defense. Now, a talented offensive line can elevate the play of an average running back, but the ' front line has been a liability in recent years. That sentiment might change with the team bringing back four starters from a season ago. and are back as the starting tackles, with returning at center and slotted at guard. "I think that we actually have a consistency up front right now with the ones in particular, which we've never really had," earlier this summer. "We always kind of trade places and put people in, which is good, but then at the same time, there's no consistency. And with the line in particular, those five guys, you need that consistency, you need the nucleus of those five." If the front line can create a push at the line of scrimmage while also providing better protection for Wilson in the pocket, the Seattle offense can become more potent, particularly when the play-action pa sing game gets going on the perimeter. Looking at the team's current personnel, Baldwin certainly can win as the team's No. 1 receiver, but the 'Hawks need another playmaker or two to emerge on the outside to alleviate the pre sure on Baldwin to make every play. With an A1 quarterback capable of elevating a pa s catcher with pinpoint throws to every area of the field, the ' pa sing game could be dynamic with Wilson at the helm. The improvisational wizard can extend plays and make magic happen outside of the pocket when he has a group of receivers capable of uncovering on scrambles and broken plays. Considering how has won games and earned "G.O.A.T" accolades as a run-around playmaker, Wilson could also earn another acronym (MVP) if he is able to win games and spark another playoff run with uncertainty and change on each side of the ball. RENAISSANCE MAN: Adrian Peterson can be the spark for Redskins When the signed to for the veterans minimum, the football world appeared to dismi s the four-time first-team All-Pro's chances of making a significant contribution to the team as a bell-cow runner. Despite ranking 12th on the NFL's all-time rushing list after a stellar career that includes three NFL rushing crowns and an NFL MVP award, Peterson's subpar production and performance since 2016 has observers questioning whether he can even make the roster as an RB2 or RB3 for a squad that employs a group of runners with a combined 2,683 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 6.6 cumulative seasons. I know Peterson's numbers have drastically declined since his prime years in Minnesota, as evidenced by his 4.9 yards per carry with the from 2007 to 2016 and his 3.4 yards per carry with the and in 2017. However, I believe the offer the perfect situation for him to regain his dominant form. The team has an A-level offensive line with and ranking among the top-five players at their respective positions. The duo earned recognition for their work in 2017 and became the first ' offensive line duo collectively selected to the in consecutive seasons since Ru s Grimm and Joe Jacoby earned four straight selections following the 1983-86 seasons. Tucker Barnhart Jersey "I've always been a fan of the offensive line," Peterson told reporters at . "... I've always talked about playing behind a good offensive line. The last couple of years, kind of struggled in that department. Great head coach, a top-notch organization, so it made sense." To that point, Peterson certainly didn't play behind a stellar offensive line with the or , and his small sample size of work in New Orleans makes it hard to evaluate his tenure with the . That's why we should ignore Peterson's disappointing rushing average (3.11 yards per carry) since 2016 due to the suspect play of the offensive lines in front of him. Say what you want about Peterson losing a step or falling off a cliff as a runner, but he's only two seasons removed from his third NFL rushing title with 1,485 rushing yards at the age of 30. Studying the tape from 2017, particularly Peterson's play with the , the seven-time selectee is still an effective runner between the tackles. He still has enough quickne s to shoot through creases at the point of attack and his combination of vision, balance and body control allows him to spot gaps in muddy waters. Although Peterson lacks some of the explosivene s and home run ability that made him the most feared runner in the game for a 10-year period, he is a grinder who still has the potential to rack up 100-yard rushing games in a run-heavy game plan built around his talents as a power rusher. Remember, Peterson posted a pair of 100-yard games with the (26 rushes for 134 yards with two touchdowns ; 37 rushes for 159 yards ) with 25-plus rushing attempts in each of those games. In addition, he finished with at least 20 rushing attempts in two other games, including a 20-carry, 79-yard effort against the in Week 12. For a runner over the age of 30 to handle that kind of heavy workload speaks volumes about his stamina and conditioning, which is why head coach Jay Gruden was excited about Peterson's potential after watching him work out. "He's actually a physical freak if you want to say that," after the team signed Peterson. "Like I said before, at the start of the workout Randy Jordan put him through to the end of the workout and he didn't even break a sweat, hardly. He's in great shape, explosive, and that is really what sold us. Sometimes these backs come in for workouts and they haven't been doing anything, and you can tell they're out shape. Some of the backs we had in here were huffing and puffing, keeling over and he's standing straight up. He could have gone for another two hours. That played mostly into it -- his great physical condition." Given his superb conditioning and stamina, the could use Peterson as an early down runner to soften up the defense and create big-play opportunities in the pa sing game off play-action pa ses. Although it might take a couple of reps in the team's final two preseason games to determine his role, the certainly have an idea of what they're getting in the rugged running back. "I'd like to see where he is after contact, want to see the explosion in the hole. His vision. All that good stuff," Gruden said. "I don't think he's going to lose that; it's just a matter of taking hits play after play after play and see where he stands as far as stamina goes. "You have a good idea of what he's good at based on his career, and we have all those runs he's been succe sful with. It makes our play-action game a little better ... and your play-action bootleg game a little better. We understand the skill set Adrian has." With that in mind, I believe we could see Peterson enjoy the kind of renai sance in Washington that will remind longtime 'Skins fans of John Riggins. The one-time All-Pro helped the team win XVII as the bell-cow of the offense and he led the league in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons (1983-84), when he was in his mid-30s. I know that's a big statement based on Riggins' place in lore, but Peterson could be the mi sing piece on an offense that sparks a surprising run in the NFC East. TWO-POINT CONVERSION: Quick takes on developments acro s the NFL 1) Jerry Jones adamant ' offense be "Dak-friendly." I don't know why the football world is up in arms with Jones after the inductee recently suggested the ' offense will be more in 2018. Most teams build around the talents of their franchise quarterback, and the are finally stealing a page from Chapter 1 of the NFL's team-building manual to help their young quarterback thrive in his third season. "The quarterback has the toughest job on the field," an NFL head coach told me in the offseason. "You want to do everything in your power to lighten the burden on his shoulders. Whether it's putting him in a scheme that allows him to play fast and effective or surrounding him with enough playmakers to spread the responsibilities throughout the team. You want to make sure he is comfortable because he is the only player who touches the ball on every play, and how well he plays typically decides how well the team performs." With that in mind, I applaud the for building around Prescott's talents as a QB1. Despite the narrative surrounding his play, the third-year pro has been one of the most impre sive young players at the position, as evidenced by his 22-10 career record and 95.5 pa ser rating. Sure, No. 4's game took a dip in 2017 when mi sed six games due to , but his 16 games with a pa ser rating of at least 100.0 since 2016 puts him on par with (16) and ranks only behind (20) in terms of pa s efficiency. Considering how Brady and Brees are viewed as the gold standard at the position, the would be wise to build a system around a young quarterback showing enough promise to be mentioned in the same conversation as the greats, right? "You are trying to have a system that is comprehensive enough and flexible enough that you can fit players in it and play to their strengths," head coach Jason Garrett told reporters this offseason. "No position does that apply to more than the quarterback position. We have always felt that way whether a quarterback is comfortable throwing certain routes or doing certain things in his drop. If he is better outside the pocket or inside the pocket, you always want to play to his strengths and in some way minimize things he doesn't do quite as well." To that point, the have made a concerted effort to tweak the offense to better suit No. 4's game. The team has shown a number of spread and empty formations in preseason games with a number of cro sing routes and quick-rhythm concepts designed to get the ball into the hands of the team's playmakers within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. In addition, the sprinkled in a few bootlegs and naked pa ses to get the young pa ser some easy completions on the move. Granted, the defense hasn't overreacted to the run (yet) with Elliott on the sidelines, but the sight of No. 21 in the backfield will create more movement from the defense when the regular season begins. The will also sprinkle in some zone-read and quarterback designed runs (QB draw) into the game plan to take advantage of Prescott's athleticism and running skills. They've typically utilized these plays in the red zone in the past, but we could see more of these plays in the middle of the field when defenses aggre sively come after Elliott with loaded boxes. We will see if Garrett and coordinator Scott Linehan can get it done schematically, but Jones is certainly pushing for a more approach when he explains his vision of the ' offense to the ma ses. "It's an offense that lets him be unpredictable. It gives him the best way to be hard for the defense in the sense of game-planning for him," Jones said earlier in the offseason. "I'd certainly love for him to be able to hurt them from the pocket. We'd love for him to be able to hurt them on the run -- and to run. We're not nece sarily interested in increasing the number of runs. I think we've got a lot more options as far as how to get him on the run in the pa sing game, and giving him a better pocket and having better blocking. You might say protection, but the way to get that done is to be imaginative in the running game. Some of the college stuff needs to be thought about here. That's a big part of the conversation that's going on at the office." In a quarterback-driven league where QB1s decide games each and every week, it's sensible for the to build the offense around a young playmaker who has shown some promise as a franchise player. Like it or not, No. 4 has earned that right from "America's Team" and we will soon find out if it helps the make an unexpected run in the NFC. 2) Can Pat Shurmur teach an old dog new tricks? That's the question fans should ask the head coach when they bump into him at a local coffee shop or grocery store after he suggested 's completion rate could . Although it is commonplace for coaches to set lofty goals for their star players to help them raise their level of play, I think Shurmur might have his work cut out for him when he attempts to transform a career sub-60-percent pa ser into a "gold standard" playmaker at the position. No disrespect to the two-time MVP, but he's never been an efficient pa ser in regular-season play. In 14 NFL seasons, Manning has only posted a completion rate of 60 percent or better eight times and his career high (63.1 percent in 2014) is well below the goal set by the offensive guru. In addition, No. 10 has led the league in interceptions three times and he's never posted a pa ser rating above 100.0 for a season. In fact, he's only finished a season with a 90-plus Scott Feldman Jersey pa ser rating on four occasions, which is ridiculously low for a veteran quarterback with a pair of wins on his resume. Given Manning's history as a scattershot pa ser, I'm a little surprised he set the bar so high for his new QB1. Sure, Shurmur has enjoyed succe s with topping the 70-percent mark (71.6) in 2016 with the and posting a 67.6 percent completion rate after being a sub-60 percent pa ser for most of his career, but Manning hasn't sniffed that rarified air as a player and it is hard to imagine an older quarterback becoming more efficient when it has been a part of his game. That said, the certainly have put together an all-star supporting cast with the talent and playmaking ability to elevate Manning's game in a system that will feature a number of catch-and-run concepts underneath coverage. Jr., and are spectacular playmakers on the perimeter with the speed, quickne s and explosion to turn short pa ses into big gains. is also a game-changer as a hybrid running back with receiver-like skills out of the backfield. He will give Manning a dependable but explosive option to target on check-downs and screens to take advantage of the soft coverage opponents might use when attempting to slow down OBJ on the outside. Shurmur will look at the talents of his playmakers and the strength of his QB1's game to create a playbook that puts everyone in the best position po sible to make the kind of plays that suit their skills. He was part of a coaching staff in Philadelphia that made look like a legitimate MVP candidate in 2013 and he recently helped Keenum become a big-money quarterback by creating a system that maximized his talents as a pop-gun thrower from the pocket. Shurmur also helped Bradford stay clean in the pocket behind a shaky offensive line that struggled mightily against traditional rushes and blitz pre sures. If Shurmur can elevate those journeymen through scheming, he can certainly put Manning in a position to succeed, right? It really comes down to No. 10's discipline and judgment. If he leans on his playmakers and avoids the "hero" throws that routinely result in interceptions, Manning could make his coach look like a prophet this season. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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