| 1 |
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| He’s playing some of the best football since his 50-touchdown MVP breakthrough in 2018. It doesn’t matter who plays on the wing. Hey, Andy Reid and Travis Kelce are modern day Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Rob Gronkowski. |
| 2 |
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| Hurts and Mahomes are the clear MVP frontrunners. The former is very good in every aspect of his game; even his most devoted fans couldn’t have predicted the leap as a passer. His unimpressed demeanor is just a bonus. |
| 3 |
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| The work he’s done without Joe Mixon and Ja’Marr Chase is a reminder of his incredible high floor. Burrow is arguably the biggest reason Cincinnati even bothered to consider the AFC North title. Now imagine the fireworks when Chase returns. |
| 4 |
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| In the past month, he’s kind of back down to earth, returning to some of the erratic tendencies he had earlier in his career. However, without his monster arm and aggressive approach, the Bills wouldn’t be 8-3, at least with the ability to match a superpower like the Chiefs. |
| 5 |
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| He may never be the consistent passer we want him to be, either by himself or his personnel, but few QBs are critical to their teams moving the ball. Only 11 players — not quarterbacks, players — have more rushing yards than him this year. |
| 6 |
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| Just because the Seahawks couldn’t stop anyone on the defensive end doesn’t mean his Comeback Player of the Year award has lost its luster. Even when Kenneth Walker III wasn’t running, Smith was able to stand tall, stay accurate and feed his elite wide players. (+1) |
| 7 |
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| The Dolphins did all the right things to ensure his growth, as did the Hawks’ injuries. His timing with such an elite WR duo helped him easily lead the NFL in yards per attempt (9.0) and completions (12.9). We’re all eagerly anticipating his first real run to the playoffs. (-1) |
| 8 |
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| If you just look at the five-game sample size since his return from injury, Prescott has been one of the game’s best and most effective signalers, completing nearly 72 percent of his pitches, averaging 8.2 YPA and Two points per game. Dallas is a wild-card contender to beat. (+1) |
| 9 |
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| The 49ers offense wasn’t necessarily at full strength in their Week 12 win over the Saints, but Garoppolo has been particularly consistent as the caretaker of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. In addition to overall ball control, he looked more alive than usual in extended minutes. (+2) |
| 10 |
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| Cousins is still down a bit this year by his standards, but that doesn’t show because of his determination against such a scrappy contender. His Thanksgiving game against the Patriots was particularly encouraging, as he hit a strike with all of his top weapons with a laser to beat Bill Belichick. (+2) |
| 11 |
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| It was the Chargers, not Herbert. It was the Chargers, not Herbert. Keep repeating this, because Los Angeles probably would have lost to the Cardinals in Week 12 had it not been for the young Gunner’s steady upward spiral. Haunted by an injury-riddled offense that refused to let off steam, he found a way to post solid numbers. (+2) |
| 12 |
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| Rodgers was actually picking up momentum, showing off some of his signature extended-game magic, before injuring a rib against the Eagles. Green Bay has multiple reasons to let him heal while watching Jordan Love further, but he’s determined to fight with the season hanging in the balance. How much can he freestyle in this situation? (-2) |
| 13 |
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| He said this week that he “would rather lose than not play at all,” which is the right attitude for a quarterback, but it’s indicative of this Bucs season. Brady has control of the ball, but he’s struggled to move it as Tampa Bay has endured one injury-related hiccup after another. (-5) |
| 14 |
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| Lawrence quietly bounced back in a feel-good rebuild story in 2022, retaining some of his sharpest stuff in crunch time, pairing with Doug Pedersen to beat the Ravens and giving Jaguar fans a look real hope for the future. When he’s on the floor, he’s just as energized on the ball as Justin Herbert. (+3) |
| 15 |
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| After Jacoby Brissett played in 11 games, it was Watson’s turn in Cleveland. Off-court issues aside, it’s interesting to see how comfortable he’ll be playing for the first time in two years. But his natural mobility and frontcourt touch should give him a relatively high floor. |
| 16 |
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| His performance in the low-scoring loss to the Bengals represented where he was at Tennessee: Totally capable and completely dependent on Derrick Henry, his inability to turn over Cincy’s front line kept the Titans cool offensively not hot. (-3) |
| 17 |
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| He’s never been one to do things halfway, and you could tell that was on display in the shootout win against Seattle in which Josh Jacobs was instrumental. Overall, Josh McDaniels has looked more decisive and breathed new life into Vegas since his infamous loss to the interim-led Colts. (-1) |
| 18 |
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| Imagine his frustrating Thanksgiving performance if he beat Josh Allen and the Bills in Detroit. Too many times this year, Goff’s data has been improved by catching up. But he did fight to keep the Lions motivated, showing great chemistry with Amon-Ra St. Brown. |
| 19 |
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| As we head into December, it’s not enough for Jones to just handle the ball; he’s done most of it under Brian Daboll. He needs to show he can consistently get the ball up in the air and over the stick. Is he capable of doing so? (-4) |
| 20 |
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| Talk about unmet expectations in Arizona. With each passing week, it feels more and more inevitable that Murray will soon have a new coach, not just because Cliff Kingsbury can’t get his offense into rhythm, but because Murray hasn’t really helped , sparkling athleticism but working hard within the structure. |
| twenty one |
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| The definition of a fringe wild-card QB, Mariota doesn’t have the passing acumen to be trusted in tight spots or long stretches, but as long as his legs are in working order, Arthur Smith’s Falcons will hang on. (-2) |
| twenty two |
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| Considered a veritable nuisance to Bill Belichick’s own contenders for the defensive lead, Jones came back to life on Thanksgiving, tearing the Vikings apart in a close game. As we saw in his rookie year, he can play point guard pretty well when he has time to read the “D.” (+3) |
| twenty three |
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| It’s a safe bet that he has at least one turnover per week; his energy is more consistent than his decision-making. But you can’t deny that his confidence has seeped through the lineup, and with just a punch or two from Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr., Ron Rivera will be a serious contender. is also working. (-1) |
| twenty four |
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| Hello, QB1. White, who made his first start in 2022 for Zach Wilson, did all the little things well and unleashed young talent for the Jets. Better defense would have exposed his lack of mobility, but you can do much worse in New York. His arm talent can be seen in the way he carries the ball up the frontcourt. (+5) |
| 25 |
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| Is it Ryan, or the Colts? Both. The longtime Falcon has been a fighter all year, battling poor circumstances up front and with organization, but his days as a QB who can outrun so-so are over. (-4) |
| 26 |
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| Alright alright. Darnold’s return brought a real spark to Carolina’s offense, but it was nothing. He’s shown before that one bad swing can be emotionally unstable, but for now, you like to see poor talent lingering, and that bodes well for DJ Moore. (+2) |
| 27 |
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| Unless he immediately returns to his prime in Seattle in the ensuing period, he could switch to a new coach in 2023. Regardless, he and anyone in charge will have to find a way to rebuild his fundamentals and confidence as the elusive ability he once prided himself on is slipping from the repertoire. (-3) |
| 28 |
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| For him, every start is an opportunity to do one thing better, because the real test will come in 2023, when hopefully he will have better routes and schemes to maximize his talent. In Week 12, even when the game got tense, he remained calm, flashing precision on key points. (-1) |
| 29 |
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| If you’re Dennis Allen, why don’t you try to bring James Winston back, or, dare we suggest, develop a Wildcat-centric game plan with Tyson Hill? Dalton might be the safest option out there, but he’s been either hot or cold all year. (-6) |
| 30 |
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| By the end of the season, Perkins could be passing the ball to players who aren’t even on the roster right now. Consider how that phrase would sound after the Super Bowl. The Rams are completely drained. (+1) |
| 31 |
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| His debut in place of Davis Mills was far from inspiring, but the staff could get more blame for failing to get Damon Pierce on the floor. (-1) |
| 32 |
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| Siemian is experienced and nearly sidelined before his own emergency start with an oblique injury, but he’s a seismic drop from Justin Fields’ dual threat. |
