Could This Be The Year Russell Wilson Becomes An MVP?
In the quiet Pacific Northwest, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is putting together one of the best preseason campaigns of his career. Does the preseason always translate into regular season success? No, but adjustments to his offseason regiment have made it clear that the 28-year-old All-Pro has the chance to bring home Most Valuable Player honors this upcoming season.
This preseason, there has been a tremendous amount of media focus on the ever-unfolding Colin Kaepernick situation, Jay Cutler’s return from a brief retirement stint, not to mention several other intriguing storylines. Falling between the cracks is the elite precision and efficiency that Russell Wilson has demonstrated in limited action.
Through preseason week 3 Wilson has completed 70.7 percent of his passes, tossed 3 touchdowns with no interceptions and a passer rating of 130.8. Despite having won a Super Bowl, it’s always been hard to consider Wilson elite, but this may be the precursor to a season in which he cements himself as a top-tier quarterback.
Following a season in which he ran for a career-low 259 yards, Wilson has repeatedly expressed a commitment to switching up his offseason regiment to better prepare himself for 2017. The early signs show that Wilson’s offseason was a success, a positive sight for any faithful Seahawks fans hoping to see their team return to the promised land.
The 2016 campaign was one marred by injuries for Wilson. As a result, his mobility was sapped and the two-dimensional quarterback became a sitting duck, easy for opposing defenses to contain. He finished last season weighing 225 pounds and losing in the divisional round of the playoffs to the eventual NFC champions, the Atlanta Falcons.
Over the offseason, Wilson enlisted the help of renowned nutritionist Philip Goglia, to help cut weight, become leaner, stronger, and more agile. Wilson has also continued to train with longtime personal trainer Decker Davis
Because of that he enlisted in nutritionist Philip Goglia to help him cut weight and become leaner, stronger and even more agile. Wilson also brought aboard person trainer Decker Davis to help him get ready for the season.
Fast forward to the fourth week of the preseason and it seems that his adjustments are paying off. Three preseason games is a relatively small sample size, but it is giving a clear indication that Wilson is in peak shape.
With a receiving corps that he believes to the best he’s had in his NFL career, Wilson is setting his sights high for 2017.
“The talent we have at the receiver position is super exciting,” Wilson said. “We have so many guys that have played a lot of football. You think about, obviously, Doug Baldwin, you think about Jermaine Kearse, you think about Paul Richardson… there are just so many guys.”
A return to feeling 100% has been evident so far and the return of his mobility has allowed Wilson to make big plays with his feet in addition to his arm. The ability to make defenders miss has been one of the key skills that has allowed Wilson to be so successful when his protection breaks down and he has to move outside the pocket.
With what could be the most potent offense of his career at his disposal, Wilson is a major contender to be the league’s MVP.
During the first five seasons of his career, Wilson never truly had a number one target on the field, let alone an alternative threat. The emergence of former practice squad receiver Kasen Williams and continued growth of Doug Baldwin as a top option demonstrate how deadly Seattle can be in the air this season.
When you factor that in to a formidable running game, the possibilities are scary. Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls and Chris Carson have all shown why they deserve to be the week one starter. That type of talent in the backfield will take a significant amount of pressure off of Wilson and allow him to do what he does best, play action.
Granted, this is all preseason so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Wilson has clearly put in the necessary work and has the leadership skills necessary to lead this team very far.
Be prepared to see Wilson’s best year, potentially featuring an MVP award, as well as see the Seahawks offense taking major strides to become one of the NFL’s best.
