| Authored by Andrew Perna - 8th September, 2009 - 10:07 am
 We are in the home stretch, as the final matchup is now less than a week away. As you recover from the final weekend of summer, Adrian Peterson faces off against Drew Brees.
We have two more Elite Eight matchups, the Final Four (on Friday and Saturday) and then we'll crown our 'Be The GM' winner on Monday, Sept. 14th.
How They Got Here
Peterson sped past Titans running back Chris Johnson, accumulating 83% of the vote in their Sweet Sixteen battle. Brees surpassed Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan with 59% of the vote one day later.
Why Peterson Is A Franchise Player
A small essay could be written about why you should choose Peterson, but I don't think a lengthy explanation is needed. He's one of the game's best players, and just two years into his career many believe that he will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever take the field.
Peterson is a powerful runner, but also possesses an extra gear that allows him to break off exceptionally long runs. Watching him break one is similar to listening to your band's favorite song -- no matter how many times you hear it, it never gets old.
He sees developing holes well, cutting in and out of spots without losing much speed. There were questions about his durability heading into his second season, but he appeared in all sixteen regular-season contests in 2008. He carried the ball at least 17 times in each of those games en route to 1,760 yards and ten touchdowns.
Why Brees Is A Franchise Player
There is no doubt that Brees is a franchise-caliber player. He is sometimes left out of the conversation involving the game's best quarterbacks, but is right up there with the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league and throws a very catchable ball. The Saints haven't always had the greatest offensive line or set of receivers, but Brees simply keeps on ticking. After missing a few games early in his career, he's answered questions about his durability by playing a full slate in four consecutive seasons.
Brees threw for 5,069 yards in 2008, coming within 16 yards of breaking Dan Marino's single-season record. His average production over the last four years is 4,400 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In addition, his touchdown and yardage numbers have increased in each of the last three seasons.
Click here to cast your vote and here to read the opening article
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7. |
