If the MVP voters vote for the best player in the NFL this season, there is no question that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady deserves those votes. But if the voters want to pick the player that is most valuable to his team, then their votes should go to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Seattle Seahawks sit at 8-4 and one game behind the surprising Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West entering Week 14. But if it were not for Wilson, the Seahawks would be a .500 team, or potentially worse. Wilson has been the sole reason the Seattle offense has been able to score points this season.
The Seahawks rank tenth in the league in total offense with 4,304 total yards. Wilson accounts for 85.7 percent of that total with 3,688 total yards this season. That is an absurd number for a single player. It is so high because the Seahawks have had no run game this season outside of Wilson chips in.
Wilson has rushed for 432 yards this season, and has three of the Seahawks’ four rushing touchdowns in 2017. He currently sits as the team’s leading rusher, ahead of all Seattle running backs. Chris Carson, who has not played since Week 4, is second on that list with 208 rushing yards. He is the team’s leader in rushing attempts as well. And most of these runs were not designed runs, it was Wilson was improvising.
Prior to the trade deadline, the Seahawks had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Wilson was getting pressured on what appeared to be every one of his drop backs. He has been forced to scramble out of the pocket all the time, trying to buy time for his receivers. But Wilson is not afraid to do it himself. He is willing to sacrifice his body to try and get yards by running the ball.
Now let’s take a look at Wilson’s passing numbers. On the season, he has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,256 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He has thrown the most pass attempts in the NFL, he sits sixth in the league in passing yards, and is tied for second with Brady for most passing touchdowns.
Wilson has done so much for a team that would not be where they are right now without him. He has even made CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco, who has been one of Wilson’s biggest doubters since he came into the league, a believer.
If the Seahawks make the playoffs with all the injuries to the secondary and the troubles the offense has had outside of Wilson, he is going to be one of the top three candidates for the MVP. But if the Seahawks win the NFC West, Wilson should be the front runner for the award.