Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
Mack has been a famous person since he first stepped foot within the league. However the future Corridor of Famer has been requested to reimagine his recreation this season on the age of 33. As pass-rushers wind down their careers, their reps are normally restricted. They turn into pass-rush specialists, placed on the sector on passing downs solely to crush opposing quarterbacks. Name it the Von Miller path.
Final season, Mack was extra of a specialist. He completed the season with 17 sacks, however there have been indicators {that a} decline was on the way in which, that he could be pushed right into a pass-rush-only function because the Chargers tried to squeeze the ultimate drops out of his profession. As an alternative, they’ve made Mack the bedrock of the league’s prime protection.
Beneath Brandon Staley, who was fired in direction of the top of final season, the Chargers fielded a ropey protection that didn’t sluggish the run. New defensive coordinator Jessie Minter has revamped the Chargers’ construction this season, constructing the highest protection within the NFL by EPA per play with none vital additions within the offseason and turning the Chargers, on a dime, from a sieve in opposition to the run to the league’s stingiest unit.
Stopping the run takes everybody. This yr, no protection has been as air-tight and well-coordinated because the Chargers. And Mack has been the cornerstone. As soon as the league’s pre-eminent pass-rusher, he has now turn into extra of a run-down thumper. The Chargers have shuffled him tighter to the road of scrimmage, limiting a few of his influence as an edge rusher on early downs to assist tighten up the protection as an entire.
Mack has delivered. He has embraced the drudgery of bashing away inside, main all edge defenders in run stops this yr. And whereas tweaks to his alignments have restricted the variety of alternatives he has to chase quarterbacks, he has nonetheless posted 31 complete pressures and 4.5 sacks by 9 weeks.
Two years in the past, Disney paid $100m to accumulate the Buck and Aikman from Fox. On the time, Monday Night time Soccer was in a funk, with the community bouncing from one ill-considered sales space to a different. Within the NFL broadcast standings, ESPN’s Monday providing had slipped from flagship manufacturing to a nationwide embarrassment.
Buck and Aikman have been employed to revive credibility and to ease issues on the community that the league would transfer the Monday evening package deal elsewhere – whereas preserving ESPN’s slot within the Tremendous Bowl rotation. It’s been a house run.
Buck has lengthy been synonymous together with his dry (OK, boring) tone. However now, 35 years into his profession, he vibrates with pleasure. Aikman, who had slipped down the pecking order as an in-game analyst after Tony Romo and Greg Olsen arrived on the scene, has rediscovered his fastball, shortly keying in on matchups and traits that may resolve a recreation. Above all, they let the sport do the speaking, with simply sufficient extracurricular enjoyable to carry your consideration by drab stretches.
With the pair on the peak of their powers, ESPN’s manufacturing has slotted into pole place within the broadcasting conflict. Romo’s caffeinated, underprepared power on CBS can grate, regardless of how a lot Jim Nantz tries to tamp issues down. With Olsen relegated to Fox’s second group, the highest analyst within the recreation has been moved out of primetime matchups, splitting up his partnership with the incomparable Kevin Burkhardt. As a rookie, Tom Brady remains to be, to be sort, discovering his voice. Over at Amazon, Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit have all of the chemistry of a pair of spouses tossed collectively by their different halves at a celebration. I promise you’ll like him. You may have tons in frequent!
Nearly all announcers are replaceable – and the MNF crew has been lucky to name a number of the finest and closest video games this season. However the really nice asserting duos have a manner of creating any recreation really feel huge. Buck and Aikman have hit the mark this yr.
The Commanders’ offensive line
The Commanders’ offense has shattered data this season. A lot of the credit score ought to go to Jayden Daniels and a savvy offensive scheme, however the group’s o-line has been a revelation. Getting into the season, they regarded like a bottom-five unit. Halfway by the yr, they’re nearer to the highest 5. Heart Tyler Biadasz and proper guard Sam Cosmi have been the difference-makers, however the group makes its hay as a collective.
No offense within the league calls for extra from their line than Washington. They run essentially the most idiosyncratic offense within the NFL to offer a system that tailors to Daniels’ strengths. It’s positioned a heavy burden on the road, significantly within the run recreation, the place they’re requested to tug and transfer to crush defensive fronts on the highest price within the league.
There are few tips to assist conceal the road within the passing recreation, both. Defenses throughout the league proceed to seek out new, inventive methods to frazzle offensive strains in go safety. However the Commanders have hit on a gaggle – even whereas rotating their left deal with! – that may decide up any wackadoo look. And in the event that they do blow a safety, Daniels is athletic and clever sufficient to bail the group out.
Washington’s offense is electrical. Daniels would be the key purpose, however the New Hogs are shut behind.
Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
Issues have been bleak for the Raiders on offense this season. They’ve cycled by woeful quarterbacks and fired three key workers members this week. However one participant has provided a glimmer of hope for the longer term: their rookie tight finish, Bowers.
Sometimes, it takes three years earlier than a good finish finds their footing within the league. Having to choose up the intricacies of the blocking mechanics within the run recreation and the nuances of the passing recreation is rather a lot to deal with, significantly given the bifurcation between faculty and NFL techniques. Early on, a good finish normally flashes their upside with out the sort of down-to-down consistency that separates the nice tight ends from the league’s finest.
Not Bowers. His recreation has instantly transferred from faculty to the professionals. He’s already closing in on 600 receiving yards in 9 video games, at 10.2 yards per reception. As a go catcher, no tight finish has ever had a faster begin to their profession.
There may be such profound, easy energy in Bowers’ mixture of peak, pace and energy. He has run over and round defenders each week. In a single-on-one matchups, he’s working up the rating in opposition to opposing linebackers and safeties. Defenses have tried to allocate additional sources to sluggish him down, however even a number of the league’s prime, man-coverage corners have struggled to maintain tempo. Then there’s the after-the-catch work, the place Bowers’ dynamism shines. 9 weeks in, he’s the one tight finish within the league with greater than 300 yards after the catch.
The Raiders roster is a multitude. However in Bowers, they’ve one thing particular.
The Chiefs’ inside offensive line
As KC’s offense has moved to a ground-and-pound method, the point of interest of the assault has tilted to their offensive line. Make no mistake, the Chiefs nonetheless go as Patrick Mahomes goes. However the shift from a down-the-field, vertical offense to at least one constructed on methodically shifting the chains has elevated the burden on the offensive line.
It’s uncommon for any offensive line to function two All-Professional caliber gamers. It’s rarer nonetheless to have these two gamers concentrated in a single spot. The Chiefs have three – they usually stand subsequent to one another. Left guard Joe Thuney and middle Creed Humphrey have been one of the best gamers at their positions within the league this season, whereas proper guard Trey Smith is on observe to be one of many highest-paid gamers at his place when his contract runs out within the offseason.
The inside line is crushing opponents within the run recreation and placing up a brick wall in entrance of Mahomes in go safety. As a trio, they’ve conceded a 2.7% stress price, by far the bottom price of any inside within the league. Thuney has conceded solely seven pressures all season and hasn’t allowed anybody in Mahomes’ zip code since week three. If not for Humphrey, who has coughed up simply 4 pressures all yr, Thuney could be working away with ‘finest inside linemen’ honors.
The Chiefs’ line remains to be weak on the two deal with spots. However the inside has allowed the group to maneuver into its ball-control period, grinding out outcomes to take care of their unbeaten begin.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow, one of many greatest names within the NFL, clearly isn’t a sleeper star over his whole profession. However the truth that he’s enjoying one of the best all-around ball of his profession this season has gone slightly unnoticed due to the Bengals’ 4-5 begin. After stumbling out of the gates in opposition to the Patriots in week one, Cincy’s offense has caught hearth. If not for putrid defensive performances, the group could be neck-and-neck with the Ravens and Steelers on the prime of the AFC North – and Burrow could be knocking on the MVP door.
Since week two, the Bengals offense ranks sixth within the NFL and continues to climb the standings. Individually, Burrow is now third within the RBDSM composite, one of the best particular person measure of quarterback play, behind solely Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels.
As a passer, Burrow continues to evolve. The years of the Bengals’ passing recreation clubbing fools over the pinnacle is a factor of the previous; the group’s explosive play price has fallen away this yr, and even these deep passing performs have been arduous work, counting on Burrow to create off-schedule for Ja’Marr Chase to fabricate one thing out of nothing.
As a substitute, Burrow has turn into a mannequin of effectivity. At this stage of his profession, he has seen each protection; he is aware of the place our bodies will likely be, and when. That intuitive understanding has led to the bottom turnover-worthy play price of his profession and the quarterback kicking his dependancy to chunk performs.
With a flaky protection, a nonexistent run recreation and a scarcity of simple solutions within the passing recreation, the Bengals want Burrow to be good to stay aggressive. To this point, he’s held up his finish of the deal.
