Parzych's 2009 NFL MVP: Preseason Week Three

This article was originally posted at FantasyPros911.com

As the last week of the 2009 NFL preseason approaches, there are high expectations for the 2009 NFL regular season. Who was the Most Valuable Player in Week Three of the preseason at each key position?

Quarterback: Matt Leinart

Even though he is one of the highest paid players on the roster, rumors swirled regarding Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart's job as a backup this offseason.

Leinart's job as QB Kurt Warner's backup was in question after an impressive offseason from QB Brian St. Pierre. After a solid Week Three performance, it doesn't seem like Leinart will have to worry about his job as a No. 2 quarterback anymore.

The Cardinals found themselves down 38-10 at halftime against the Green Bay Packers. Despite their 44-37 loss, the Cardinals were satisfied with Leinart's performance, who finished 24-of-38 for 360 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

What's even more impressive is that Leinart's three touchdowns all came in the fourth quarter for the Cardinals. It may have been a preseason game against the Packers' backups, but with his impressive performance, it seems the Cardinals feel a little better about their quarterback of the future.

Running Back: Adrian Peterson

It's hard not to give this award to Cardinals RB Beanie Wells (seven rushes for 46 yards and two touchdowns), but Minnetsota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson showed us why he is one of the top players in the NFL at his position.

In a game where all eyes were focused on Vikings QB Brett Favre, Peterson took all the pressure away by rushing for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game against the Houston Texans.

Peterson finished the game with 117 yards rushing and a touchdown on just 11 carries for the Vikings. Even though most of his yards came from the first play of the game, some will argue that Peterson's touchdown run was the reason why the Vikings beat the Texans 17-10.

Vikings head coach Brad Childress knows the type of pressure he is facing this upcoming season with the Vikings. His desire to bring Favre out of retirement for the second time is a move that will be analyzed each week of the 2009 season.

If Peterson performs as well as he did against the Texans, it will take an enormous amount of pressure off Favre at quarterback. In other words, life is always easier when a team has a player like Peterson to hand the ball off to.

Wide Receiver: Jason Avant

Forget all the news stories surrounding Philadelphia Eagles QBs Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick; the Eagles have decisions to make at the wide receiver position.

After this weeks performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles WR Jason Avant made a strong case for why head coach Andy Reid should make him the team's third or fourth wide receiver. Avant may be one of the top wide receivers at the slot position in the NFL this upcoming season. Against the Jaguars, he led all Eagles' receivers by hauling in five receptions for 92 yards, including a few key first-down receptions.

Eagles WRs DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis will most likely be the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receivers when the team opens up Week One in Carolina against the Panthers. If Avant plays well this week against the New York Jets, look for him to move up to the No. 3 spot ahead of WRs Jeremy Maclin, Hank Baskett, and Reggie Brown.

Tight End: Chris Cooley

Washington Redskins TE Chris Cooley is sometimes seen as a wide receiver in a tight end's body. Against the New England Patriots, that's exactly what he looked like. Even though Cooley finished with only two receptions against the Patriots, one of them was for 73 yards that eventually led to a four-yard run by Redskins QB Jason Campbell.

Despite losing to the Patriots 27-24, the Redskins have to be satisfied with their performance on offense, especially from Cooley. Even though he only recorded one touchdown last season, Cooley caught 27 touchdowns during his first four seasons with the Redskins before 2008. If he can have as much of an impact as he did against the Patriots, expect big numbers from Cooley in '09.

Defense: Pittsburgh Steelers

There is a reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers were crowned Super Bowl Champions last season: Their defense.

In a game where Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens sat out due to a toe injury, the Steelers managed to record a 17-0 shutout in Week Three of the 2009 preseason. Not only did the Steelers' defense limit the Bills to 145 yards of total offense, but they managed to record two sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery too.

After giving up just 27 points the first two preseason games, the Steelers recent shutout brings their opponent's average to nine points per game during the 2009 preseason. If defense wins championships, this could be a great sign for the Steel City as we approach Week One of the 2009 season.