Barnwell's midseason NFL awards: Picks for MVP, top coach, best comeback player, elite rookies

We've made it to the halfway constituent of the NFL season! Your absorption to that quality mightiness beryllium connected which squad you support. If you're a Jets oregon Vikings fan, it mightiness consciousness similar the play has flown by. If you're a Packers oregon Steelers fan, well, you mightiness beryllium wishing that it was already over.

The halfway constituent is simply a earthy clip to bespeak connected what we've seen, and truthful I'm going to springiness my grant picks for the archetypal fractional of the NFL season. These aren't my picks for who volition triumph the existent hardware astatine the extremity of the season, but my (hopefully informed) opinions based connected what I've seen from the archetypal 9 weeks of the season. In each case, I'll enactment who I chose for the class successful question successful my quarter-season awards and springiness my apical 3 candidates successful order.

Let's commencement with Comeback Player of the Year and enactment our mode to MVP:

Jump to an award:
MVP | Top comeback | Best coach
Best rookies: Offense | Defense
Players of the Year: Offense | Defense

Comeback Player of the Year

After Week 4: Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants

This felt similar a one-person contention successful the archetypal 4th of the season, with Barkley emerging from years successful the wilderness to play similar 1 of the league's champion moving backs. Barkley hasn't fto up, but there's much contention astatine the midway point.

It's unsafe to trust connected escaped bureau to adhd talent, but 2 of the 3 players connected this database would beryllium considered among the champion signings of the offseason.

3. Za'Darius Smith, EDGE, Vikings

I don't privation to accidental Smith was written off, but determination were morganatic concerns that the erstwhile Packers prima was past his prime. He played lone 18 snaps past play earlier missing the remainder of 2022 with a genu ailment, and erstwhile the Ravens wanted to motion him this offseason, their doctors wouldn't motion disconnected connected the deal. The Vikings ended up inking him to what is fundamentally a one-year woody for little than $7 million.

Even if Smith spent the 2nd fractional of the play crystal fishing, helium already has delivered much than what the Vikings paid. He has 8.5 sacks and 12 knockdowns done 8 games, including 3 sacks against the Cardinals successful Week 8. Minnesota has been capable to usage him connected the borderline and isolate him connected the interior against overmatched guards and centers. With a constricted secondary, helium has been indispensable for the 7-1 Vikings.

2. Geno Smith, QB, Seahawks

I'm not truly definite what Smith came backmost from too radical penning him disconnected arsenic a replacement-level passer, but successful presumption of astonishing veterans, helium has to beryllium connected this list. As overmuch arsenic the Seahawks would similar to unreal they knew this would hap each along, helium wasn't adjacent connected the Seattle roster erstwhile the squad traded backmost Russell Wilson successful March, netting Drew Lock arsenic portion of the return. Anyone could person signed Smith successful escaped agency, but the erstwhile Jets starter returned to Seattle close earlier the draught successful April.

After winning a preseason contention against Lock for the job, Smith has exceeded adjacent the wildest expectations. He leads the league successful completion percent (73.1%) and completion percent implicit anticipation (plus-7.1%). He's averaging astir 8 yards per effort and ranks ninth successful expected points added (EPA) per dropback.

The Seahawks person thrown much aggressively than I expected, and Smith has rewarded them. His play is much of a delayed breakout than a comeback, but either way, helium has been 1 of the champion stories -- and astir invaluable players -- successful the NFL.

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants

A much accepted candidate, Barkley looks similar a transformative subordinate aft 3 years of being slowed by ankle and genu injuries. He looks overmuch person to the subordinate we saw arsenic a rookie, but this clip around, he's the focal constituent for a Giants squad that is really winning games and competing for a playoff berth.

We tin thin connected the precocious metrics from NFL Next Gen Stats to assistance archer the story. Let's usage Rush Yards implicit Expectation (RYOE), which measures however galore yards a moving backmost gains versus what an mean backmost would expect to summation with the aforesaid blockers against the aforesaid players connected defense. Barkley averaged 1.1 RYOE per transportation arsenic a rookie. After dropping to 0.6 RYOE successful 2019 and posting minus-0.3 RYOE successful some 2020 and 2021, he's each the mode backmost up to 1.1 RYOE successful 2022.

Of course, Barkley has managed to clip immoderate of his biggest plays for cardinal fourth-quarter moments. He broke a tackle connected the 2-point effort which gave the Giants a triumph implicit the Titans successful the opener. His biggest drawback of the season, a 41-yarder against the Packers, helped acceptable up his game-winning touchdown. Runs of 13, 18 and 20 yards successful the last 4th against the Jaguars acceptable up a comeback victory. It's intolerable to ideate the Giants thriving successful the NFC East without Barkley.

Coach of the Year

After Week 4: Nick Sirianni, Eagles

The bully quality is determination are lone six realistic candidates for this award. The atrocious quality is they could each credibly win. I was acceptable to enactment Mike Vrabel successful the Hall of Fame, arsenic his Titans were winning for astir of the crippled successful Kansas City with Malik Willis astatine quarterback, lone for Patrick Mahomes to yet pull retired the victory with his legs. His Titans, riddled with injuries and near for dormant aft an 0-2 start, are 5-3 and proceed to find ways to vie each week.

Guys similar Vrabel -- fantabulous coaches who person been astir for extended periods of clip -- astir ne'er triumph this award. It's besides wherefore Pete Carroll astir apt won't get overmuch consideration, but who thought the Seahawks would beryllium 6-3 aft Week 9? The discourtesy has led the way, but Carroll is getting the astir retired of players specified arsenic cornerback Tariq Woolen and borderline rusher Uchenna Nwosu, and helium deserves recognition for being forward-thinking and pass-friendly connected discourtesy with Geno Smith astatine quarterback. The Seahawks look similar a morganatic playoff team.

3. Robert Saleh, Jets

It's adjacent much hard to support retired Kevin O'Connell, who has the Vikings astatine 7-1 with a prohibitive pb with the NFC North. O'Connell is the nonstop benignant of manager who would typically triumph this grant successful existent life, too. Given that the Vikings person fundamentally spent the full play winning coin flips successful one-score games, though, I'm not rather arsenic taken by Minnesota arsenic their grounds suggests.

Instead, I'll spell for the manager who was past seen slowing down the much-vaunted Bills discourtesy successful the Meadowlands. Saleh and the Jets benefited from playing a drawstring of backup quarterbacks earlier successful this season, but Gang Green manhandled Aaron Rodgers successful Lambeau, and they conscionable took retired the rival Bills successful New Jersey connected Sunday.

After a unsmooth commencement to the season, Saleh has the Jets' defence playing highly well. From Week 3 onward, it ranks fig 2 successful EPA allowed per drawback (minus-0.10), 4th successful points per thrust allowed (1.47) and 3rd successful reddish portion possessions allowed per crippled (2.4). I'm not definite astir second-year backmost Zach Wilson -- and the discourtesy sorely misses its injured unit -- but Saleh has turned astir this defense.

2. Mike McDaniel, Dolphins

McDaniel's 6-3 Dolphins aren't undefeated, but they've won each crippled backmost Tua Tagovailoa has some started and finished this season. Tagovailoa is playing amended than helium has earlier successful the NFL by a important margin, and portion adding wideout Tyreek Hill to the premix goes a agelong way, retrieve that helium could hardly enactment upright down Miami's violative enactment earlier McDaniel arrived. Miami would person the league's second-best discourtesy by EPA per play if we lone see the games Tagovailoa has started.

The Dolphins' astir caller three-game winning streak has travel against middling contention successful the Steelers, Lions and Bears, but Tagovailoa & Co. besides picked up melodramatic victories earlier successful the play against the Ravens and Bills. I'm not definite immoderate different manager successful this tier has 2 arsenic awesome wins, though the Jets joined the Dolphins successful beating the Bills connected Sunday.

1. Nick Sirianni, Eagles

I'm simple. Until the Eagles suffer a game, I don't deliberation it's imaginable for anyone to sound Sirianni retired of the apical spot. The erstwhile Colts adjunct was a viable campaigner past season, erstwhile helium helped pb an Eagles squad that had gone 4-11-1 successful 2020 to a 9-8 grounds and a playoff berth. After an progressive offseason, galore apt expected them to instrumentality different measurement guardant successful 2022.

An 8-0 commencement wasn't anticipated, though. Quarterback Jalen Hurts continues to flourish nether Sirianni's tutelage, and successful a play with truthful galore one-score games, it's a testament to Philadelphia's dominance that it hasn't been progressive successful galore adjacent contests. The Eagles person had lone 2 games decided by 7 points oregon fewer; 1 was a crippled against the Lions that required 2 fourth-quarter touchdowns to get close, the different was a 20-17 triumph implicit the Cardinals.

Some factors retired of Sirianni's power person helped. The Eagles person been 1 of the league's healthiest teams. They've played the easiest docket successful the league, per ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) and task to look the easiest docket moving forward. At the extremity of the day, though, 8-0 is 8-0. When you're the manager of the league's lone undefeated team, you're the Coach of the Year.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

After Week 4: Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars

The antiaircraft awards usually favour pass-rushers implicit players astatine different positions, but the lone campaigner who figures into the treatment for Defensive Rookie of the Year successful that class is Aidan Hutchinson, whose 4.5 sacks connected the play were supplemented by a captious goal-line interception of Aaron Rodgers connected Sunday. I volition admit that the thought of nominating idiosyncratic from the Lions defense, arsenic bully arsenic they were against the Packers connected Sunday, seems a small excessively aggressive.

After Week 4, my third-place finisher was Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, who misses retired this clip around. I kept a large sanction retired of the voting then, but I person to get him backmost successful the premix arsenic some helium and his squad person rounded into form:

3. Devin Lloyd, LB, Jaguars

The Jaguars person struggled connected defense, but Lloyd looks similar a gathering block, on with borderline rusher Josh Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell. Lloyd already looks comfy successful walk defence and successful moving to instrumentality distant passing lanes successful portion coverage. After defending six passes successful 2 games earlier this season, helium didn't person different walk breakup until Sunday, erstwhile helium astir intercepted Derek Carr successful the archetypal 4th against the Raiders.

Lloyd besides came up with his 2nd backmost knockdown successful arsenic galore weeks and recovered the fumble connected Vegas' "pitchy pitchy woo woo" effort connected the game's last play, sealing Jacksonville's archetypal triumph successful much than a month. Lloyd has besides been arsenic advertised arsenic a tally defender; his 30 stops (plays which make antagonistic EPA for the offense) are tied for 4th astir successful the league.

2. Tariq Woolen, CB, Seahawks

If you're wondering wherefore DeAndre Hopkins disappeared from Sunday's crippled for astir of the last 3 quarters, you've travel to the close place. While it was a squad effort against Arizona's prima wideout, Woolen is the superior cornerback connected the close broadside of the defence for the Seahawks, which meant plentifulness of Hopkins. Hopkins caught a touchdown walk connected a crosser portion Woolen was successful portion sum connected different player, but helium finished with conscionable 4 catches connected 5 targets for 36 yards.

Teams person been much assertive challenging Woolen, but they haven't liked the results. The 6-foot-4 country has the magnitude to situation immoderate contestable walk and the velocity to tally with conscionable astir immoderate wide receiver. He's allowing lone 6.8 yards per effort successful his direction, per NFL Next Gen Stats, which is beneath league average. He already has 4 interceptions and 8 walk knockdowns, with the erstwhile people 2nd successful the NFL down Philadelphia's C.J. Gardner-Johnson. It's a enigma however the subordinate retired of UTSA fell to the 5th circular of April's draft, but the Seahawks aren't complaining.

1. Sauce Gardner, CB, Jets

Maybe it's recency bias, but I find it intolerable to support Gardner retired of the apical spot. Since a dilatory commencement to the season, the Jets person been wildly awesome connected defense. While portion of that owes to a bid of games against backup quarterbacks, you evidently can't marque that aforesaid assertion aft seeing what Robert Saleh's squad did to the Bills connected Sunday. Buffalo mustered conscionable 17 points connected 9 drives, with the Jets forcing him into 2 interceptions.

Gardner gave up a large play aboriginal successful the crippled to Stefon Diggs, but the rookie country lured Allen into a spread changeable that Josh Allen instantly regretted. Gardner's 2nd interception of the play acceptable up the Jets with a abbreviated field, which turned into a important 2nd touchdown.

What Gardner has done arsenic a rookie is special. He leads the league with 13 passes defensed. As the nearest defender successful coverage, per NFL Next Gen Stats, helium has generated 26.3 EPA. The lone different cornerback successful the league supra 20 EPA is Philadelphia's James Bradberry, who is hardly up of Gardner. If the anticipation is the No. 4 wide prime is the adjacent Darrelle Revis, well, he's up of the curve; Gardner is playing amended than Revis did arsenic a rookie.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Pick aft Week 4: Chris Olave, WR, Saints

I thought determination was going to beryllium immoderate churn successful the apical 3 here, but the aforesaid 3 players I highlighted aft Week 4 are successful the premix astatine the halfway point. Breece Hall would person made his mode into the apical three, but the promising young Jets moving backmost tore his ACL successful Week 7 and volition miss the remainder of the season. If Hall had stayed healthy, helium would person been successful the moving to pb this group.

Likewise, Kenneth Walker could beryllium the prime astatine the extremity of the year. Few backs of immoderate vintage person been amended than the Seahawks standout implicit the past 4 weeks of the season, during which helium has tally for 424 yards and a league-high six touchdowns. At the aforesaid time, though, helium was fundamentally a backup for the archetypal month. If Walker keeps this up, those archetypal 4 weeks won't look similar a large deal. Here, since we're looking backmost from the halfway point, that archetypal period represents astir fractional of the year.

I would emotion to see an violative lineman, but I'm not definite anybody is arsenic awesome as, say, near tackle Rashawn Slater was for the Chargers past season. Center Tyler Linderbaum has been amusive for the Ravens.

Tight extremity Greg Dulcich has been awesome since returning from injured reserve for the Broncos. Wideouts George Pickens (Steelers) and Romeo Doubs (Packers) person flashed, though Doubs was hurt successful Sunday's loss to the Lions. In presumption of first-half production, however, there's a wide large 3 among the rookies:

3. Dameon Pierce, RB, Texans

Pierce has been Houston's champion subordinate connected discourtesy for astir of this season, which is uncommon for fourth-round picks to propulsion disconnected successful their rookie campaigns. He has succeeded contempt the struggles of the passing attack, which makes his accumulation adjacent much impressive. Consider Thursday's crippled against the Eagles, erstwhile backmost Davis Mills struggled and needed garbage clip to get to 154 yards. Pierce's 27 carries produced 139 yards, and the Texans had much archetypal downs connected the crushed (10) than they did done the aerial (eight).

The Texans are a amended run-blocking enactment than you mightiness think, but Pierce is getting much than what's blocked. The 22-year-old has generated 118 RYOE and 5 archetypal downs implicit anticipation (FDOE). The second people ranks 3rd among moving backs, down lone Nick Chubb and Josh Jacobs. The 75-yard run Pierce broke disconnected against the Chargers is astir apt a spot of an outlier fixed his speed, but Pierce is carnal betwixt the tackles and has offered much successful the passing crippled than his assemblage illustration would person suggested. He's a morganatic gathering artifact for the Texans.

2. Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets

Wilson appears to beryllium heating up. After his unthinkable crippled successful the comeback triumph implicit the Browns successful Week 2, helium went quiescent for a fewer weeks earlier turning backmost connected implicit the past 2 weeks. The No. 10 wide prime had six catches for 115 yards against the Patriots past week, past followed with 8 catches for 92 yards connected 9 targets against the Bills connected Sunday. Over the past 2 weeks, the lone wideouts who person averaged much yards per way tally than Wilson are superstars: Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle and Cooper Kupp.

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Matt Bowen breaks down Garrett Wilson's show against the Bills successful Week 9.

There aren't galore wide receivers who person Wilson's footwork and alteration of absorption successful cramped quarters. He already is simply a play menace to bash thing embarrassing to a cornerback that ends up going viral. Across the full season, contempt playing with Joe Flacco and Zach Wilson, helium has averaged an adjacent 2.0 yards per way run, which is tied with DK Metcalf for 18th among wideouts. Wilson already is simply a bully subordinate for what looks similar a promising Jets draught class.

1. Chris Olave, WR, Saints

Even without Monday night's crippled against the Ravens connected the books, Olave rates arsenic the champion rookie wide receiver from this class. His 2.5 yards per way tally places him seventh among each wideouts, nestled betwixt Cooper Kupp and CeeDee Lamb. And portion Wilson has been moving with Wilson and Flacco, Olave has been targeted by Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Better, maybe, but it's not arsenic if Olave has been moving with premier Drew Brees.

What's truly striking astir Olave is however rapidly helium has go a multilevel menace successful the passing game. We've been spoiled successful caller years by Odell Beckham Jr. and Justin Jefferson and however rapidly they were capable to crook into No. 1 receivers during their rookie seasons, but Olave has been an enactment for everything from third-down slants to contested catches down the sideline. With Michael Thomas retired for the season and his Saints aboriginal successful question, Olave has taken implicit arsenic the pb receiver.

There are tons of just questions astir whether the Saints should person been truthful assertive this offseason, but Olave is everything they could person hoped for truthful far.

Defensive Player of the Year

Pick aft Week 4: Nick Bosa, EDGE, 49ers

Whether you privation to blasted the grant jinx oregon the bittersweet realities of playing for the 49ers, Bosa instantly went down injured successful Week 5. He missed astir of the Panthers crippled and the pursuing week's nonaccomplishment to the Falcons. He has travel backmost with 2.5 sacks implicit the ensuing 2 games, but helium doesn't person rather the aforesaid benignant of edge-rushing pb implicit the contention helium possessed aft Week 4. Steelers information Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was 2nd connected that list, besides missed his team's crippled successful Week 6.

All this does, sadly, is marque an intolerable ballot adjacent much difficult. New England's Matthew Judon has spent the past period surviving successful opposing backfields and present leads the league with 11.5 sacks. Myles Garrett has been devastating erstwhile healthy. Aaron Donald continues to alteration games connected a play ground and astir won the crippled connected Sunday for the Rams. Za'Darius Smith has sparked the Vikings. Trey Hendrickson's precocious numbers basal out. Quinnen Williams is having a vocation year. Sauce Gardner could beryllium a rookie candidate. There are 3 oregon 4 Eagles having All-Pro seasons. This 1 isn't fair.

3. Pat Surtain II, CB, Broncos

With apologies to Gardner and Jalen Ramsey, nary cornerback is playing amended close present than the second-year superstar successful Denver. Burdened by their disastrous offense, the Broncos' antiaircraft show has been mislaid successful the shuffle. Despite losing cardinal players specified arsenic Randy Gregory and Justin Simmons for stretches, they pb the league successful defensive DVOA and walk defence DVOA. They fertile 2nd successful EPA per play and QBR allowed. Coordinator Ejiro Evero's portion is much than holding up their extremity of the bargain.

Their champion subordinate is Surtain, who has been locking down his wideouts. Per Pro Football Reference, Surtain is allowing lone 4.0 yards per target, which ranks down lone James Bradberry among cornerbacks. NFL Next Gen Stats suggest Surtain has allowed lone 0.6 yards per snap, which is the third-best mark. Teams don't similar targeting Surtain, and erstwhile they do, they don't get much. About the lone spread you tin poke successful his show is simply a deficiency of takeaways; helium has nary interceptions and conscionable 1 forced fumble arsenic the Broncos deed their bye.

2. Nick Bosa, EDGE, 49ers

Without the missing crippled and a half, Bosa would inactive beryllium No. 1 connected this list. As it is, helium is inactive tied for 2nd successful the NFL with 8.5 sacks and paces the NFL with 20 knockdowns. Doing this with the missing clip and a bye week nether his loop makes Bosa adjacent each that much remarkable. He besides is an fantabulous tally defender, which makes his beingness connected this database essential.

1. Micah Parsons, EDGE, Cowboys

Outside of Donald, I'm not definite immoderate antiaircraft subordinate scares opposing teams much than Parsons. You tin recognize why. The earthy numbers are great, arsenic his 8 sacks and 14 backmost knockdowns fertile among the league leaders. Parsons besides has 9 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and the fumble betterment helium took to the location against the Bears successful Week 8. That unsocial would beryllium capable to get Parsons successful the discussion.

The precocious metrics marque a lawsuit that Parsons is adjacent much valuable. He leads the league with 36 pressures. Among the guys with astatine slightest 15 pressures, the lone subordinate who creates their mean unit arsenic rapidly arsenic Parsons is Donald, who isn't expected to beryllium connected a level with anybody else. Parsons besides is coming from astir the borderline much often than Donald, which makes that examination adjacent much impressive.

Nobody has a amended pass unreserved triumph rate connected the borderline (32.4%) oregon against single-teams (42.7%) than Parsons, who typically draws double-teams, chips oregon violative lines slid successful his direction. This creates opportunities for different pass-rushers. Parsons has managed to marque a quality connected plays wherever helium doesn't get home, arsenic the 18 incompletions he's forced are 2nd successful the league down Hendrickson. I started this investigation reasoning Parsons was successful the premix astatine borderline rusher, but aft a person look, I don't deliberation anybody is making much of an interaction successful arsenic wide of a assortment of ways.

Offensive Player of the Year

Pick aft Week 4: Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins

As always, since quarterbacks person a stranglehold connected the MVP award, I usage the Offensive Player of the Year trophy to grant a subordinate who doesn't propulsion (too many) passes. And here, it's casual to commencement by eliminating immoderate options. There are sadly nary violative lineman I consciousness comfy nominating, and injuries to virtually each notable choky extremity person kept them from dominating implicit the full archetypal half.

Travis Kelce is the lone holdout, arsenic the aboriginal Hall of Famer continues an intolerable tally of wellness astatine 1 of the league's highest-attrition positions. The Chiefs prima conscionable misses retired present to a brace of wide receivers and the champion moving back.

3. Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills

Diggs falls from 2nd to third, arsenic his ratio metrics person slipped ever truthful somewhat toward Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. There's thing incorrect with being up of stars, of course, and Diggs continues to beryllium incredible. While Sunday was a frustrating crippled for the Bills, helium helped make Buffalo's archetypal scoring accidental of the time by beating Sauce Gardner connected a treble determination for 42 yards. (Josh Allen past threw an interception to destruct that scoring opportunity.

The scary happening is that a five-catch, 93-yard show mightiness suffice arsenic a down day from Diggs, who already has 5 100-yard games nether his loop done the archetypal 8 games of the season. In an discourtesy which throws the shot arsenic overmuch arsenic anybody successful the league and hasn't seen secondary players specified arsenic Gabe Davis and Dawson Knox instrumentality different measurement guardant into stardom, Diggs is often asked to beryllium the solution for Allen. He comes done much often than not.

2. Nick Chubb, RB, Browns

I person Chubb conscionable up of the 2 runner-up candidates astatine moving back, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs. Henry leads the league successful rushing yards aft a 115-yard crippled against the Chiefs connected Sunday night, but it has taken him 34 further carries to rack up his 29-yard lead. Jacobs has been astir arsenic businesslike arsenic Chubb, but Chubb has 98 further rushing yards connected conscionable 11 much attempts than his Raiders counterpart. Chubb besides leads the league with 10 rushing touchdowns.

By precocious metrics, it's little of a contest. Chubb's 276 RYOE are 78 much than immoderate different subordinate and mode up of some Henry (113) and Jacobs (119). Chubb's quality to interruption down loaded boxes and short-yardage situations are the worldly of legend; his 12 FDOE are doubly that of immoderate different player. Henry has looked similar the premier mentation of himself implicit the past 2 weeks, but Chubb has looked and played similar highest Henry each season.

The lone spread you tin poke successful Chubb's crippled is simply a deficiency of receiving work, but cipher compares to the 26-year-old arsenic a runner.

1. Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins

The occupation for Chubb is that Hill mightiness person an adjacent larger pb implicit the remainder of the competition. While helium has played 9 games and astir of his competitors are astatine eight, Hill's 1,104 receiving yards are 237 up of the next-nearest receiver, Jefferson. Hill besides leads the league successful catches (76) and archetypal downs (48), though his leads successful those categories aren't rather arsenic dramatic.

Where Hill truly separates, though, is efficiency. Halfway done the year, helium is commanding the league's second-highest people stock (36.0%) and generating a whopping 4.0 yards per way run. To enactment that successful context, ESPN has information going backmost done 2007 connected receivers. No qualifying receiver has ever averaged much than 3.6 yards per way tally done the archetypal fractional of the season. The lone feline to mean much than 3.5 yards per way tally implicit the archetypal 9 weeks of the play is Rob Gronkowski successful 2016, and helium missed 2 games with injuries. Hill averages much yards each clip helium runs a way than Randy Moss did successful 2007.

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Tyreek Hill celebrates 3-yard touchdown with a roundoff backmost tuck.

If there's immoderate spread you tin poke, it's touchdowns, arsenic Hill has lone three. He added his 3rd to that database with a people against the Bears connected Sunday. As it stands, helium already has 4 150-plus yardage games this season, which is 1 down the NFL grounds of five. With each apologies to Roy Green, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Antonio Brown, Hill mightiness beryllium mounting a grounds by the extremity of the campaign.

Most Valuable Player

Pick aft Week 4: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

I don't deliberation determination are immoderate non-quarterbacks who marque this MVP race, though Tyreek Hill and Micah Parsons could travel close. When I drew this database up past time, I had to conflict with 7 candidates. Two of them played their mode disconnected the list, arsenic Trevor Lawrence has been a messiness successful the reddish portion earlier Sunday's triumph implicit the Raiders, portion Lamar Jackson hasn't been accordant arsenic a passer implicit the past month. Jackson and Lawrence fertile 17th and 22nd, respectively, successful QBR from Week 5-on.

Geno Smith's accuracy remains his vantage connected the competition, arsenic helium leads the league successful astir accuracy-related statistics. He besides is 4th successful the league successful QBR (68.0) and sixth successful yards per effort (7.8) among qualifying passers. As a passer, I don't cognize if there's anyone throwing the shot rather arsenic good arsenic Smith has this play with possibly 1 objection that I'll get to successful a moment.

The lawsuit against Smith conscionable narrowly keeps him retired of the apical three. He takes sacks astatine a complaint somewhat supra league average, and the pick-six helium threw connected a plaything walk Sunday helped propulsion his EPA per dropback to 0.06, which ranks ninth among qualifying passers. He can tally and has picked up a fig of cardinal archetypal downs connected the crushed implicit the past fewer weeks, but helium doesn't connection the aforesaid benignant of rushing interaction arsenic the apical 3 candidates.

If we're talking astir backmost play connected a snap-by-snap basis, Tua Tagovailoa has been the league's champion passer. It's not adjacent close. Tagovailoa leads the league successful QBR (79.1), yards per effort (9.2), EPA per dropback (0.34), passer standing (115.9) and archetypal down complaint (43.1%). Those are 5 important measures of backmost play with varying levels of complexity oregon modernity, and Tagovailoa leads the mode successful each. Throw successful the late-game heroics successful the comeback triumph implicit the Ravens and helium adjacent has a signature win.

The occupation is that Tagovailoa missed 2½ games aft suffering a concussion against the Bengals successful Week 4. That's the equivalent of missing astir 5 games implicit the people of a 17-game season, and it's not realistic for a subordinate to miss that benignant of playing clip and inactive triumph MVP. Odell Beckham Jr. missed 4 afloat games successful his rookie play successful 2014 and came backmost to triumph Offensive Rookie of the Year, but adjacent 1 other crippled mightiness person been excessively gangly of a span to cross.

If Tagovailoa continues to play astatine this level and stays steadfast the remainder of the way, helium could triumph MVP contempt those gaps connected his résumé, particularly due to the fact that the Dolphins went 0-3 portion helium was sidelined. And portion helium has raised his level of play dramatically from erstwhile seasons, extracurricular of a fewer dropped interceptions, there's thing successful his show suggesting it's a fluke oregon unsustainable.

3. Josh Allen, QB, Bills

It mightiness look similar a absorption to Sunday's nonaccomplishment to the Jets, but arsenic bully arsenic Allen has been astatine times, turnovers and sloppy play are morganatic concerns for the Buffalo offense. The Bills went done these aforesaid issues successful the Week 8 triumph implicit the Packers, erstwhile Allen threw 2 interceptions connected Green Bay's broadside of the tract successful the 4th quarter, including 1 connected the 3-yard line. They had already done capable that time to bushed an overmatched Packers team, but the Jets were bully capable connected defence to support things close. Allen's 2nd interception acceptable up New York with a abbreviated tract for what ended up becoming a important touchdown.

Allen has 8 interceptions and 7 fumbles this season. The second people is the 5th astir of immoderate quarterback. The erstwhile means Allen's interception complaint ranks 26th retired of 35 passers. He has thrown interceptions much often this play than the likes of Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz. It's not a occupation successful the broader sense, since immoderate manager would evidently commercialized a fewer interceptions for what helium tin bash arsenic a player, but it does animate antagonistic comparisons betwixt Allen and the different players successful this stratosphere.

Obviously, Allen is susceptible of generating obscene amounts of worth done his limb and legs. With the Jets slowing down the passing onslaught Sunday, helium ran for 7 archetypal downs, including some of Buffalo's touchdowns. Nobody successful the league has his upside, and helium realizes that upside much often than ever earlier these days. It's besides just to enactment that turnovers person been an issue, they outgo the Bills a triumph successful Week 9.

2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles
1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

Allen had the top Year 3 leap successful caller shot history, but Hurts is opening to situation that title. As a passer, helium tin credibly situation the feline up of him connected this list. He has a amended completion percent and much yards per effort than Mahomes. Hurts' Eagles are the astir businesslike discourtesy successful shot earlier they unopen down successful garbage time; erstwhile some teams successful a crippled person a triumph expectancy of astatine slightest 10%, the Eagles people 3.3 points per possession, which is much than immoderate different team. Hurts is the maestro of that attack, and the discourtesy is built astir his talents.

So, wherefore is Hurts 2nd and Mahomes first? Let's commencement connected the ground. Hurts has astir doubly arsenic galore rushing yards (326) arsenic Mahomes (176), and portion the Chiefs prima conscionable ran successful his archetypal touchdown of the play successful the win implicit the Titans, Hurts already has six rushing scores connected the books. This is simply a immense country of vantage for Hurts, right?

Not quite. Mahomes doesn't tally anyplace adjacent arsenic often arsenic Hurts, but helium has been a much businesslike runner erstwhile afforded the opportunity. Hurts has generated 22.2 rushing EPA and 326 rushing yards connected 88 carries. He averages conscionable 3.7 yards per rush. While Mahomes has tally lone 27 times, helium averages 6.5 yards per transportation and has generated 17.1 rushing EPA, which is astir arsenic overmuch arsenic Hurts has made connected much than 3 times arsenic galore carries.

As a passer, meanwhile, Hurts has been somewhat much businesslike by completion percent and yards per attempt, but Mahomes has generated acold much volume. Mahomes has thrown 330 passes to Hurts' 239. That's partially due to the fact that the Eagles person held large leads successful the 2nd fractional and person chosen to tally the ball, but the added measurement generates further worth for Mahomes. Hurts besides takes sacks astatine 1 of the league's highest rates, portion Mahomes is overmuch amended astir getting escaped of the football.

In presumption of passing EPA, Mahomes has generated much than doubly arsenic overmuch passing EPA (88.7) successful 2022 arsenic Hurts (42.0). Hurts is simply a tenable prime arsenic the starting backmost of the league's past undefeated team, and helium is producing precisely what the coaching unit wants from him connected a week-to-week ground this season. Mahomes, however, has been the astir invaluable backmost successful the league.