The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
158 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS 1. QB Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks After a one-year absence from the playoffs, Wilson led the Seahawks back to the postseason while shouldering more of the load than ever before. Seattle no longer leans on a stellar defense (it ranked 16th in 2018, allowing 353.3 yards per game), and it is Wilson who the team is built around now. Wilson's incredible efficiency was also on display with an average of just 26.7 at- tempts per game, which ranked 35th in the league, but 35 touchdowns, which tied for third. All this was achieved despite playing behind the No. 18 offensive line in the league according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). It's just Wilson continuing to pull the most out of what is placed around him, a trend that started back during his career in Raleigh, where he turned Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and George Bryan — none of whom ever appeared in an NFL game — into players who rank among the top seven pass catchers in school history. Many still debate Wilson's standing among the NFL's best players, but a quarterback should be judged by wins more than any other statistic — and the only signal-caller with more regular-season victories than Wilson's 75 since he entered the league is the legendary Tom Brady. Wilson's total is also unmatched by any QB in his first seven NFL seasons. It's easy to see why the Seahawks agreed to make Wilson the game's highest-paid player this offseason. 2. QB Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers Wilson and Rivers could have been listed 1A and 1B, because there is no wrong answer — almost every team in the league would benefit from having either under center. Wilson posted a higher traditional passer rating and edged out Rivers by three- tenths of a point for sixth among quarterbacks in offensive grade from PFF, but Rivers came out on top in ESPN's proprietary Total QBR, which "incorporates all of a quarterback's contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties … and accounts for a team's level of success or failure on every play." Rivers' Total QBR of 70.0 ranked seventh in the league, while Wilson checked in at No. 11 with a 65.6. Rivers also posted more wins and passing yards, and despite having a lower PFF grade the outlet ranked him higher (No. 34) in its countdown of the top 101 players from 2018 than Wilson (No. 42). Only four quarterbacks checked in higher than Rivers on that list, and NCSU was the only college with two QBs among the top 50. 3. LG Joe Thuney, New England Patriots The first player in NFL history to start the Super Bowl in each of his first three professional seasons continues to amaze in the shadows. The left guard has never missed a game in his pro career, and last year he was the only player on the Super Bowl champs to not miss a snap. PFF rated the Patriots' front the NFL's fourth-best offensive line during the 2018 campaign, and Thuney — graded as the seventh-best guard in the league by the out - let after not allowing a sack — played a huge role in that success. The website even dubbed him and teammate Shaq Mason the league's best guard tandem entering the 2019 season. Individually, Thuney ranked second among all guards last fall as a run blocker (behind only Mason) and fifth as a pass blocker. Thanks to the play in the trenches, the Patriots allowed the third-fewest sacks (21) and fourth-fewest QB hits (68) of 41-year-old Tom Brady, while also finishing in the NFL's top five for scoring (fourth), average total offense (fifth) and total rushing yards (fifth). 4. OLB Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos The No. 5 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft finished just 2.5 sacks shy of matching the NFL's rookie record, set by Jevon Kearse in 1999. He flawlessly transitioned from college defensive end to professional outside linebacker and shined while learning from All- Pro outside linebacker Von Miller. He was good enough in his debut that he was named a Pro Bowl alternate, and media covering the league are predicting big things ahead. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks dubbed Chubb and Miller the NFL's best pass rushing tandem heading into the 2019 season. "The thought of new head coach Vic Fangio creating pass-rush schemes for Miller and Chubb should lead to plenty of sleepless nights for offensive coordinators around the league," he wrote. "The wily defensive architect not only inherits a pair of pass rushers who have proven they can produce big numbers together [they combined for 26.5 sacks in 2018], but he gets to build his 3-4 defense with two elite edge rushers who have complimentary games." 5. K Stephen Hauschka, Buffalo Bills There was no shortage of contenders for this spot — first-year running back Nyheim Hines accounted for 739 yards from scrimmage on a playoff team, fellow rookie B.J. Hill was graded as an above-average defensive tackle by PFF and emerged as a starter, and veteran guard J.R. Sweezy started all but one game for a playoff squad while lining up on both the left and right sides. However, Hauschka gets the nod for another quality season despite residing in a tough place to kick with an anemic offense (the Bills' 16.8 points per game ranked 30 of 32 teams) and working with three different holders during the year. His consistency and big leg were both evident, once again, in 2018. He tallied 91 points, which despite being his lowest total when kicking a full season still ranked 26th in the league, and only four kickers had more than his four successful tries from 50 or more yards. He also enjoyed 17 consecutive makes at one point. The veteran, who was blindsided on a hit after a blocked field goal late in the season that drew a $10,000 fine from the NFL and forced him to play the final three and a half games with a hip contusion — after which he went 4 of 7 — also continued an incredible streak that is not well known, going 11 of 11 on the year from inside of 40 yards, extending his string of makes from that distance to 48 straight, the longest active streak in the league. Top Five Seasons In 2018 Russell Wilson's four-year, $140 million contract extension signed this offseason made him the NFL's highest-paid player with an average annual salary of $35 million. PHOTO COURTESY SEATTLE SEAHAWKS