Aspiring Pro-Bowlers, MVPs and Super Bowl Challengers: The Surprising Faces of 2021-22 Season

Read Edward’s list of the breakout stars so far this NFL season.

As we approach the latter stages of a regular season that has already offered us so much, we can more confidently identify the serious challengers for Super Bowl LVI and the athletes who have played key roles in securing wins. It’s a sport and a league that is so heavily characterised by its athletes and big names, and the sheer volume and charisma of the NFL’s superstar athletes is arguably one of the most exciting aspects about the sport. Week to week, season to season, followers of the league are constantly witnessing the development of great players.

The most inspiring part about the NFL is that anyone can make it big. Perhaps the greatest player to ever do it, Tom Brady himself, was the 199th pick of the 2000 Draft. This only goes to show that the NFL is nothing if not a game for the underdogs and this season has been no different.

The midpoint of the season is a great time to herald some of the biggest surprises of the campaign thus far. Whether they are a rookie pick who has outperformed their draft position or an established player who has stepped up for their team, there has been a host of surprise developments this year. Here are some of the most standout players of the season:

5. RB Cordarrelle Patterson: Atlanta Falcons

Cordarrelle Patterson – Photo [Michael Reeves – Getty Images]
The Falcons have been one of the league’s most unimpressive teams for a few years now, and their offence has become notably unproductive in recent games with blowout losses to the Cowboys and Pats meaning they have rarely reached the 20-point mark at all this year. However, one bright spot will be the resurgence of veteran Cordarrelle Patterson, the former Minnesota first-round pick and Bears returner who was picked up in free agency. Despite not even being the Falcons first RB pick up before the 2021-22 season (former Panther Mike Davis), Patterson has shone spectacularly all season taking most of his snaps at RB despite operating as a WR and on special teams and has even been listed as a third-string safety on their most recent depth chart.

Patterson has averaged 12.2 yards per reception and has 4 TDs to his name, and his deployment all over the field and high production rate has rapidly established him as a fan favourite. Although the Falcons will not be contending for a Super Bowl anytime soon, the Falcons will look to Patterson in the absence of Calvin Ridley and the loss of Julio Jones to set a positive tone for a regressing offence in the games to come. If he maintains rushing and receiving consistency, he should be a strong Pro Bowl shout.

4. WR Ja’Marr Chase: Cincinnati Bengals

Ja’Marr Chase – Photo [Stripe Hype]
Ja’Marr Chase has exploded onto the scene and is a primary reason why the Bengals are in the playoff picture this season. The fifth pick overall of this year’s draft has already established himself as a leading candidate for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award with the best seven-game start to a season for a WR since 1954, and so far, has racked up 958 yards and eight scores in just twelve games.

Whilst some doubted whether Chase would be able to connect with his former LSU teammate Joe Burrow to the same degree of success that they felt in their college years, their numbers speak for themselves. Chase has become instrumental to a Bengals organisation that has struggled to gain momentum in recent seasons, with his on-field presence opening the field for his receiving corps teammates as well as providing a reliable target for his QB who is also having himself a prominent sophomore season.

3. CB Trevon Diggs: Dallas Cowboys

Trevon Diggs – Photo [Icon Sportswire – Getty Images]
The return of star QB Dak Prescott who has ignited the Cowboys offense this season has certainly caught the attention of the press and NFL fans. But second-year CB Trevon Diggs is quietly having one of the best seasons a cornerback has ever had, achieving 41 combined tackles and a staggering 9 interceptions (as well as two pick-sixes) prior to Week 14. Even more impressive is the fact that he has only allowed a 56.9 completion percentage despite being targeted 75 times this season

Diggs has placed himself at the forefront of the Defensive Player of the Year award debate with his defensive performances so far and has shown vast improvement in his sophomore year. Opposing QBs averaged a passer rating of 85.8 when targeting Diggs last season, but this has already improved to 45.0 this year. His stats combined with the game-changing nature of his plays have distinguished Diggs as a player to watch for the rest of the season.

2. WR Cooper Kupp: LA Rams

Cooper Kupp had always been in and around discussions of the top wide receivers in the league, but he had never really been considered as one of the best. However, he has become one of the NFL’s most statistically dominant wideout athletes thus far this season. In his fifth season as a Los Angeles Ram third-round draft pick, Kupp has caught 100 receptions for 1,366 yards and 11 TDs.

These performances across the board have earned him an elite PFF rating of 91.0. Although this is only just surpassed by the Packers’ Davante Adams, he leads the league in snaps, receptions, 40+ yard plays and targets. If he can maintain this production rate, he’ll have the Rams offense excellently set up for a tough playoff run as well as having himself a season for the ages.

Cooper Kupp – Photo [Sporting News]
1. RB Jonathon Taylor: Indianapolis Colts

Jonathon Taylor – Photo [AJ Mast – Associated Press]
Jonathon Taylor has been quietly enjoying himself one of the most impressive breakout seasons the NFL has seen in recent years and has surely established himself as a top-three running back. Over thirteen regular season games, Taylor has amassed 1,348 yards and 16 scores from 241 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He also leads the league’s top backs in rushing yards, touchdowns, first downs and 20+ yard plays.

Putting aside his statistical resurgence, JT enjoyed a productive season in his rookie season last year. However, he has truly proven himself to be an MVP candidate by helming a Colts offense that is proficient in both the running and passing game, which will delight head coach Frank Reich. After Week 14, Taylor will have a significant opportunity to make his case for the MVP award in his matchups against the Patriots and the Cardinals who have arguably fielded the best and the second-best defences in the NFL all season. Two big performances combined with the numbers that he has run up so far could cap off a monster season with multiple award shouts for the young running back.

Comments

comments

57 thoughts on “Aspiring Pro-Bowlers, MVPs and Super Bowl Challengers: The Surprising Faces of 2021-22 Season

  1. After looking into a number of the articles on your website, I honestly like your way of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please check out my web site too and tell me your opinion.

  2. I’m blown away by the quality of this content! The author has undoubtedly put a tremendous amount of effort into researching and arranging the information. It’s exciting to come across an article that not only provides valuable information but also keeps the readers captivated from start to finish. Kudos to him for creating such a remarkable piece!

  3. Hello, Neat post. There is an issue along with your website in web explorer, could check this? IE still is the market chief and a good portion of other folks will leave out your wonderful writing due to this problem.

  4. Hey there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform. I would be fantastic if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.

  5. Good web site! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified when a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS which must do the trick! Have a nice day!

  6. Generally I do not learn post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do so! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great article.

  7. Can I just say what a comfort to discover an individual who really understands what they’re talking about on the web. You certainly know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular given that you certainly possess the gift.

  8. Good post. I study one thing more difficult on completely different blogs everyday. It’ll all the time be stimulating to learn content from other writers and apply somewhat something from their store. I?d desire to use some with the content material on my blog whether you don?t mind. Natually I?ll offer you a link in your net blog. Thanks for sharing.

  9. We’re a gaggle of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable info to paintings on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole neighborhood can be thankful to you.

  10. When I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thank you.

  11. Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Thanks

  12. I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100 positive. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. Kudos

  13. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Many thanks, However I am having troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody else getting the same RSS problems? Anyone who knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!

  14. Hello there! This blog post could not be written much better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a good read. Thank you for sharing!

  15. Holy cow! I’m in awe of the author’s writing skills and ability to convey complicated concepts in a straightforward and precise manner. This article is a true gem that merits all the applause it can get. Thank you so much, author, for providing your wisdom and giving us with such a valuable resource. I’m truly grateful!

  16. My brother recommended I might like this web site.
    He was totally right. This post truly made my day. You
    cann’t imagine just how much time I had spent for this info!
    Thanks!

  17. Hi there, There’s no doubt that your web site could be having browser compatibility problems. When I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, wonderful blog!

  18. Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this web site.

  19. Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return yet again since i have bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.

  20. I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my trouble. You are wonderful! Thanks!

  21. I do believe that a foreclosures can have a significant effect on the applicant’s life. House foreclosures can have a 8 to several years negative effect on a applicant’s credit report. The borrower that has applied for a mortgage or virtually any loans even, knows that the actual worse credit rating will be, the more challenging it is to get a decent financial loan. In addition, it may affect a new borrower’s capacity to find a decent place to let or rent, if that results in being the alternative housing solution. Interesting blog post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THE STAND