ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked his top defensive and offensive triplets from 32-1 this week and last, and where Seattle landed with their respective big three's may surprise.
On the defensive side, the threesome of safety Earl Thomas, defensive lineman Michael Bennett and cornerback Richard Sherman stood atop the rankings, and who could argue. Thomas is if not the best safety in the game today, the best player on the defensive side of the ball. Bennett is the most versatile defensive lineman in the game, with the ability to play inside or outside, stop the run and rush the passer, and he can do it all with the same high level ability across the line.
What's even scarier is what Barnwell mentioned, he could easily swap out Bennett for Bobby Wagner, another Pro Bowler. Although what even scarier than being that scary is that one could easily slot in Kam Chancellor, the hardest hitting man in football.
Number two was the defensive threesome of the Denver Broncos: linebacker Von Miller, linebacker Demarcus Ware and cornerback Chris Harris Jr.
However the Broncos got revenge if you look at it that way, as their offensive triplets beat Seattle's. Somehow someway, an offensive big three led by Mark Sanchez is better than a three led by Russell Wilson, and supported by Thomas Rawls and Doug Baldwin. A three of Sanchez, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders is ranked 19th best in the NFL while the aforementioned Seahawks came in 23rd!
For all the hot air being spewed around the airwaves about the importance of quarterback play, how can a journeyman backup be ranked higher than a perennial Pro Bowler coming off his best statistical season? Sure Rawls is new on the scene, but he was among the best running backs in the league until he broke his ankle. Now Doug Baldwin will almost surely not replicate his 2015 statistics, so there's a clear cut advantage there for the Broncos.
What this signals is that the country still does not respect Wilson. No matter where they were ranked Baldwin would have used this to motivate him, but Russell can't be happy with where he's ranked, expect it to be bulletin board material for him next year. Even if he won't admit it.
It is baffling how the Seahawks were ranked so low. Lower than threesomes led by: Eli Manning (who's on a downward trend), Brock Osweiler, Jameis Winston and Alex Smith to name a few.I expect big things from Russell Wilson this year, things that will elevate not his game, but that will also elevate the status of the rest of the Seahawks offense.
Photo: Flickr/Keith Allison
