In this week's edition of the "No Debate" series, the folks from Gillette ask us who the league's Offensive MVP is and why.
Well, most fans of the Minnesota Vikings already know full well who it is. . .or, at least, who it should be. Running back Adrian Peterson is no doubt the Vikings' offensive MVP, but he is definitely in the discussion of being the MVP of the entire league, as well as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year (an honor he was given by the SB Nation football blogging community). So, for our version of this question, since to just ask it normally would give an obvious response, we're going to go in a bit of a different direction.
Who is the Vikings' next Most Valuable Offensive Player?
As far as I see it, there are numerous candidates for this honor. Let me list them here quickly.
Jerome Felton, fullback - Jerome! Jerome! Where's my mirror!? One of the truly unsung heroes of the offense this season, Felton has been blasting open holes for Adrian Peterson this season, and was rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Percy Harvin, receiver - On the plus side, he was leading the NFL in receptions when he got hurt, and is a threat every time he touches the ball regardless of where he lines up on the field. On the down side, he won't play the whole year, and the Vikings have gone 4-2 without him.
Matt Kalil, tackle - Remember how bad the offensive line was in 2011? Have you seen how bad it's not in 2012? A lot of that is attributable to moving Charlie Johnson away from the left tackle spot and plugging Kalil in there.
Kyle Rudolph, tight end - Rudolph is, obviously, Christian Ponder's favorite target, and is quickly developing into one of the league's most dependable tight ends. He currently has more touchdown receptions than any tight end in the NFL not named Rob Gronkowski.
John Sullivan, center - The man who has anchored the offensive line, Sullivan is widely regarded as one of the best centers in the NFL. Except among Pro Bowl voters, where he apparently isn't as good as a guy that isn't even the best center on his own team right now. (Yeah. . .the Jeff Saturday pick is still stupid.)
There are the candidates as I see them, ladies and gentlemen. . .have at it!