VT’s Midseason MVP and Offensive MVP: Sam Bradford

VT's Midseason MVP
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

He wasn’t supposed to lead the Minnesota Vikings to five straight wins. He wasn’t supposed to be a top-10 quarterback this season. Heck, Sam Bradford wasn’t even supposed to be in Minnesota this year.

But here we are, and Bradford’s earned his title (fan-voted, thank you very much) as Vikings Territory’s most valuable player and most valuable offensive player. Halfway through the season, Bradford’s play has been, for a lack of a better term, remarkable.

This is a quarterback that landed in Winter Park just two weeks before the season opener, absorbed a large chunk of the playbook, and won his first game in purple and gold — a thrilling Week 2 victory to open U.S. Bank Stadium against the Green Bay Packers.

Despite losing their last three games, the Vikings remain atop the NFC North, firmly in control of their own playoff destiny. And despite the massive trade that brought Bradford to Minnesota, the Vikings’ newest quarterback is proving to be a worthwhile return on investment.

Our readers aren’t the only ones who agree, though. ESPN’s Ben Goessling, a familiar name for Vikings fans, declared Bradford his own midseason MVP:

[quote_center]”Bradford has thrown only one interception all season and has posted a 99.0 passer rating even while playing behind a leaky offensive line. The Vikings’ fortunes, for this year and possibly beyond, are in his hands.”[/quote_center]

He’s right; with the uncertainty of Teddy Bridgewater’s future, it’s a relief Bradford is playing so well. There’s no telling when Bridgewater will return to the field, but having a quarterback of Bradford’s caliber on the roster is a comfort for an organization this close to making a Super Bowl run.

And like Goessling, Sports Illustrated’s Austin Murphy sees Bradford as a key reason for Minnesota’s 2016 success. Before the Vikings’ loss to the Detroit Lions last week, he wrote this on “Sammy Sleeves:”

[quote_box_center]”In his six starts, Bradford has completed 66.5% of his passes, and thrown eight touchdowns against a single pick. He’s displayed a deep-ball accuracy Bridgewater lacks and defibrillated the career of kick returner/wideout Cordarelle Patterson. He’s done all this despite shoddy protection and feeble production from a rushing attack that has lacked Adrian Peterson since Week 2.”[/quote_box_center]

Bradford’s first half of the season was encouraging, but if he can continue to grow in Minnesota’s offense, he’ll take the Vikings to new heights.

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