Defense wins’ games, but offense sells tickets. Every great team in the history of the National Football League has had, either, an average, good, or great player at the helm lining up behind the center.
With MVP caliber quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, and Philip Rivers putting up monster stats this season, the real story of the league is the excellence of 39-year-old Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees has been nearly perfect this season with an outstanding passer rating of 123.2 and a QBR of 85.4. Brees has thrown 30 touchdowns and only three interceptions. His team has a 10-2 record and sitting comfortably in the NFC with the current, number two seed. This makes Brees’ case for MVP hard to ignore.
A standout running game can open up holes in the defense and make the quarterback’s job a lot easier and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has had an exceptional running game this season. Though he is not leading the league in rushing, he has the most rushing touchdowns with 15 total. This season, Gurley has rushed for 1175 yards and only fumbled the ball once. He also has racked up 254.4 Fantasy Football points this season. The last time an NFL MVP was a running back was in 2012 when Adrian Peterson won after a 2,097-yard season. With the season he’s having and his team being number one in the conference, he may very well end the drought.
Skill players bring flashiness and excitement to the game of Football, especially wide receivers.
Vikings Wide Receiver Adam Thielen has put the league on standby with the numbers he is putting up this year. He currently leads the league in receptions with 98. He has 1,166 receiving yards and caught nine touchdown passes.
“Adam Thielen is definitely like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and Odell Beckham Jr. when it comes to elite receivers in the league,” said by ex-pro Safety Ryan Clark said on NFL live.
The position referred to many as the “security blanket” is none other than the Tight End.
Arguably the NFL’s best tight end is none other than Kansas City Chiefs star, Travis Kelce. With rising star quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball, Kelce has already recorded 1082 receiving yards and has caught nine touchdowns. His 79 receptions are second amongst Tight Ends this season.
The offense is not complete and functional without the individuals to block for the skill and combo players. Offensive linemen get the least amount of recognition on a team, but they do most of the grunt work.
Notable offensive lineman so far this season are; Dallas Cowboys Tackle, Tyron Smith, Cowboys Guard, Zack Martin, and Philadelphia Eagles Center, Jason Kelce.
As the season progresses these individuals may be representing their Conferences in next year’s Pro Bowl and some may get the opportunity to play in the big game, the Super Bowl.
