Who is the Seattle Seahawks’ MVP?
The Seahawks concluded their regular season Sunday with a 27-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and oh what a season it turned out to be. Before the season began national pundits were predicting collapse for Seattle following the offseason dismantling of the defense that carried the Seahawks to prominence. But here we are, with the Seahawks having 10 wins and being back in the playoffs.
So which player do you think had the biggest impact on that?
Here are the leading candidates:
Russell Wilson: Seattle’s quarterback was 280-for-427 for 3,448 yards with 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The 35 touchdown passes broke his own franchise single-season record, and his passer rating of 110.9 was a career high, which isn’t bad for a player who ranks second all-time in the NFL in career passer rating. The volume of his numbers isn’t as high as leading MVP candidates Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Drew Brees of New Orleans, but that’s in large part because of Seattle’s emphasis on running the ball.
Perhaps most importantly, the Seahawks placed the team firmly in Wilson’s hands following the mass exodus of high-profile defensive players during the offseason, and Wilson showed he was up to the task of being the team’s focal point.
Chris Carson: Seattle’s No. 1 running back carried the ball 247 times for 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns, helping the Seahawks finish first in the league in rushing. He also caught 20 passes for 163 yards. His 1,151 rushing yards ranked fifth in the NFL, and he became the first Seahawks running back to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a season since Marshawn Lynch in 2014.
But Carson was more than just about the numbers. He ran with a power and an attitude that Seattle’s run game had been missing for some time, constantly keeping his legs churning and gaining yards after contact, allowing the Seahawks to play the way coach Pete Carroll wants. He also proved he can stay healthy under a heavy load, playing in 14 games after having most of his rookie year wiped out by a broken leg.
Bobby Wagner: The Seahawks’ middle linebacker and defensive captain finished with 138 tackles, one sack, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovered, 12 passes defensed and a memorable interception returned 98 yards for a touchdown. He finished fourth in the league in tackles, and he would have moved up to second had he not missed a game. He’s in the discussion for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Wagner’s performance was critical this year, as for much of the season he was the last man standing from Seattle’s glory-days defense, and he made play after play in big situations.
Others are also worthy of consideration. Maybe you prefer receiver Tyler Lockett (57 catches, 965 yards, 10 TDs), who had a perfect passer rating in balls thrown his direction. Or perhaps defensive end Frank Clark (14 sacks) or defensive tackle Jarran Reed (10.5 sacks), both of whom stepped up into star territory this season. Safety Bradley McDougald (78 tackles, three interceptions) played a vital role in holding the secondary together following the disintegration of the Legion of Boom.
Make your choice here. If you choose “other,” let us know who in the comments section:
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