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Maybe it's just another year of naming Peyton Manning the MVP? I mean, the guy is playing without a neck, right? He's in Denver too, so high altitude has to be factored in...
To my mind, 2012 may be the year of the medical miracle. Stem cells, cold healing, Adderal and Viagra... The NFL has it all, except for leak-proof specimen cups. Manning is playing with an injury, that decades ago would've had him retired and playing with his Buick. Adrian Peterson recovered from a severe knee injury faster than most people recover from a weekend in Las Vegas.
It's the year of the rookie quarterback too. Robert Griffin III is more popular than anyone in the city he lives in, and he lives in Washington D.C. Andrew Luck carried a team on his rookie shoulders into the playoffs, when the world in general thought they'd be asking for a Mulligan for 2012. Way out in the rainy Pacific Northwest, there's a hobbit sized quarterback - Russell Wilson - who's a bigger hit than Peter Jackson's last Lord of the "Wrings". You can only squeeze so much out of Tolkien, but in Seattle, they've found a way to make an after thought 3rd round quarterback into an instant legend. Let's face it, the kid can play.
There's a few other rookies who at least deserve mention too. Alfred Morris - a late round draft pick - stormed into the Redskin's training camp as nothing more than a long shot, and became one of the league's leading rushers. The Vikings Matt Kalil came out of USC as a highly touted left tackle, and has exceeded expectation at one of the toughest positions in the NFL. Tampa Bay drafted a hamster named Doug Martin, and all that time on that little wheel seems to have paid off.
I guess we should mention Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson and Tom Brady... Nah! We know they can dance, but the music has changed this year. This year's offensive player of the year is going to earn it by his talent and the story that comes with him.
To my mind, the offensive player of the year is a tie between Adrian "What limp? Peterson, and Alfred Morris. In his rookie season, Morris has1,413 yards on 302 carries for a 4.7 YPC. "Peterson the Mighty" has 1,898 yards on 314 carries for a 6.0 YPC. Yes, Adrian's numbers are higher, but think about how tough it's been for Morris to gain that much yardage with RGIII as his quarterback, versus Christian "take the ball, please" Ponder.
So who do you think is the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year? Let me know who you think is the best choice in the comments, and be sure to visit Gillette's "No Debate" site.