NFL Prediction League

[Onyxmeth]

Sqrl said:

Eh...have you watched Rice this season?  He has been rapidly getting better as the season has gone on, so while I think at the beginning of the Season your statement was correct, it really is out of date at this point.  NFL wide he is sitting at 3rd in yards, tied for first in 20+ catches, tied for 2nd in 40+ catches, etc...  His only real short spot is TDs, but that has a lot to do with the fact that the Vikings can spread it out as evidenced by having 4 guys with 4 TD catches or more (Harvin-5, Rice-4, Berrian-4, Shiancoe-8), the only other team in the league that can say the same is Indianapolis.

Really though I don't see how you come to the conclusion that Rice is fortunate to be in the NFC to get consideration.  I think just being in the top 3 on receiving yards gets you consideration no matter what conference you are in, especially when you came out of nowhere to do it.  A guy would have to have something major counting against him not be considered for the pro-bowl with almost 1,000 yards in week 13.

As for AP not making it in the AFC...sorry I can't take that comment very seriously...Peterson has been extremely impressive this season, you need to go back and look at what Peterson has been running against.  Almost half of the Viking's games have been against top 6 run defenses, every one of their games involves an opponent who has had tape put together on how to stop AP since the schedules were announced months ago, and yet he is still on pace for a 1500+ yard season and has a legitimate shot at the rushing TD title for the year sitting in 2nd in the NFL behind only 1 TD.  All of this despite being on pace for 10% fewer carries from a season ago....

He may not be having the kind of Season Chris Johnson is having but outside of Johnson there isn't a back in the league who has had as impressive a season as Peterson has had, including fumbles and all. At the end of the day its not just about how far a back runs, it also makes a big difference who a guy runs it against and how much those teams have committed to stopping him.

PS - Don't be a conference snob, the top 2 scoring offenses in the NFL are in the NFC. Of the top 10 the NFC lays claim to 7 of the 10...so they have easily their fair share, if not more, of the offensive talent in the league. You could however say the AFC has a lot of defensive talent as they do have 7 of the top 10 teams for fewest points allowed.

You get to make one of two arguments. Either make the case for Rice or make the case for Peterson. You can't tell me Peterson is having a great season even with all the fumbles by telling me defenses are committed to stopping him, since that means those same defenses aren't committed to stopping the pass, which gives Rice, Berrian, Shiancoe and Harvin far too much credit. So which is it? Are the WRs that good and are breaking defenses looking to stop them, or is Peterson the one that is getting stuck with the load and making them look good?

I think it's Peterson that's getting stuck with the attention, giving the WRs and TE much less coverage than other top talents like Wayne, Moss, Welker, Fitzgerald, D. Jackson, V. Jackson, A. Johnson, and Marshall. Not a single one of the guys I just mentioned is on a top 15 rushing team. These are guys that get schemed against every week and still deliver, big time. I still give Rice the Pro Bowl nod, but as a WR3 or WR4. There's no way he's ahead of Fitz and D Jax. I'd make the argument that Rice is in the argument for 3rd or 4th best with Donald Driver and Miles Austin. These are other guys having really great years but are on teams that command respect for their running game. I personally give Driver the nod over Rice and Austin doesn't get the bid, but it could go any of the three ways and I wouldn't argue it. My point was that if Rice had to compete with the AFC WRs, I'd put in Moss, Wayne, A. Johnson, Welker and V. Jackson all before him, leaving him out a bid to the Pro Bowl. These guys are on stingy running teams and the games rely on their ability to perform (or get enough safety coverage to let someone else perform).

Now regarding Peterson himself, I gave him the RB1 nod over Steven Jackson, who has slightly more rushing and receiving yards than Peterson does, and has to fight just as hard if not harder to get anything at all because he's on a team with a shitty QB and shitty WRs and no TEs to bother speaking of. You know every team that faces the Rams has one goal in mind to stop them, and it doesn't have much to do with Donnie Avery or Marc Bulger, trust me. Steven Jackson is 100% of the St. Louis Rams offense. If I gave Peterson the nod over S Jax even though Peterson has 5 lost fumbles, it should tell you I think very highly of him. 

Regarding my only gripe with AP, it's those damn self inflicted fumbles. These are not situational fumbles that just happen to occur because every defender is trying to stop them. They're happening because as he has gone on record to say, he has trouble switching the ball to his other hand to protect it when he runs to the left. He just says if he keeps this up he's worried he'll be benched (just like Steve Slaton was). That is a real issue, and there's a few guys in the AFC that don't have this issue protecting the ball. If you must know, if AP was competing in the AFC, here's how I'd rank it: 

Chris Johnson-No brainer. CJ is just more talented than AP is right now. I don't need to argue this.

Ricky Williams-RB #2 on the Dolphins until Ronnie Brown got injured mid season. Pulling in incredible yards in receiving and rushing on less attempts than most RBs, on a team known for the run and with a stingy, conservative passing game (29th in the league) that doesn't scare anybody.

Thomas Jones-The Jets are 30th in the league as a passing team. TJ has had to carry that team on his back ever since Leon Washington went down and Sanchez was found out to be nothing more than a rookie, as opposed to the second coming of Joe Namath. He's proposed to do better than last year even thought the team is in a worse situation now than then.

Ray Rice-I can make an argument that he's a top 10 back and I can make an argument he's a top 20 receiver. That combination puts him in a unique position that no other RB or WR can say they have. He deserves a Pro Bowl nod for his versatility. Combine the two and he's second in yardage behind Chris Johnson. That has to count for something.

AP would fall in the range of Thomas Jones, Ray Rice and MJD in the AFC and DeAngelo Williams and S. Jax in the NFC. I'm sure I could make a strong argument for any of them, but ultimately they're all about equal. Ricky is in a league of his own at second. CJ is in a universe of his own at first. This is the way I see it. There are just stronger individual players at the top of the AFC. 

Next time read between the lines and try not to be such a Vikings fan when you look at my criticisms. I think the Vikings are a great team this year and deserve a fair share of players in the Pro Bowl. Just because I don't think 11 or more should go, and that I don't think every Pro Bowl Vikings player is the absolute best at his position does not mean I don't think highly of their skills. I do think there is an imbalance at the top favoring the AFC in the two positions I mentioned, and I think that as a Giants fan, not as a fan of the AFC. It's just the way it is this year. Hey, I still think Jared Allen and Percy Harvin are the pinnacle of their positions in either conference, and having two players at the top is none too shabby for one team. Favre is close also, but I have to give the edge to Peyton Manning, who is doing so much with so little help in the running game.