EWB Best Season: (11) 2012 R.A. Dickey vs. (22) 2015 Brandon Marshall

The next matchup in the Empire Writes Back best season of the 2010’s tournament features the 11th seeded 2012 season of R.A. Dickey vs. the 22nd ranked 2015 season of Brandon Marshall.

The Empire Writes Back tournament is back, as (11) 2012 R.A. Dickey faces off against (22) 2015 Brandon Marshall in a battle of two very underrated season of the past New York sports decade.

We’ll first start off with the season Brandon Marshall had for the New York Jets in 2015.

Marshall was traded to the Jets prior to the 2015 season, and he had high expectations going into the year. As you will see in a second, he certainly met the calling. He caught 109 passed for 1,502 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns in 16 games for the Jets that year.

His 14 touchdowns also led the league for touchdowns from scrimmage, meaning nobody had more total touchdowns than Marshall. He also led the league in scrimmage yards per touch at 13.8.

For his efforts that year, Marshall was named to the 6th pro bowl of his career. Marshall had a phenomenal season for the Jets, and it stands as arguably the greatest season for a wide receiver in Jets history.

Speaking of historic season, the one R.A. Dickey had for the New York Mets in 2012 was one for the ages.

Dickey posted a 2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and a 20-6 record for the Mets that year, while leading the National League in several different categories.

He was at the top of NL pitching in games started (33), innings pitched (233.2), complete games (5), shutouts (3), strikeouts (230), and batters faced (927).

Dickey’s most memorable games of the season came in back-to-back starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles, respectively, when he pitched one hitters and let up 0 earned runs over 9 innings in both games.

Dickey was named an all-star for the Mets that year, the first and only selection of his career. At the end of the season, he was awarded with the NL Cy Young Award, also the first and only time he won the award in his career.

While Brandon Marshall had a terrific year for the Jets in 2015, the year R.A. Dickey had for the Mets in 2012 is better in my opinion and that’s why I’m picking him to win this matchup.

Dickey had a dominant season with a dying art form, the knuckleball, and took home the award for best pitcher in the NL. That’s what does it for me here.

Do you agree that Dickey should be the winner? Or do you think that Marshall should move on to the next round? Either way, be sure to vote on our Twitter, @empirewritesbck, to decide on who you think should be advancing in the tournament.

Also, be on the lookout for future matchups in the tournament, which are released every morning for the duration of the tournament.

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