Travis Kelce – Fantasy owners received frightening news on Tuesday that Kelce went down with an apparent knee injury. We are still waiting on the results on how serious it is. This injury puts Kelce’s status in doubt for Thursday night against the Detroit Lions. **Update** Kelce has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

George Kittle – There is a possibility that Kittle may miss the week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kittle is still dealing with a groin injury which has his status in doubt.

Cooper Kupp – Kupp’s status is also in doubt for the Rams opener. Kupp is dealing with a hamstring injury which has him seeing a specialist in Minnesota. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kupp misses a few weeks. **Update** Kupp has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

Few defensive tackles have been as dominant as Aaron Donald over his 9-year career. The 7x All-Pro is a surefire Hall of Famer when he decides to hang it up. In the meantime like McVay, Donald considered walking away but in the end, decided to come back after a disappointing 2022. Although out of his prime Donald is still a force on the defensive line regularly blowing up offensive plays. The Rams will need all they can get from Donald in order for them to have a chance to rebound in 2023.

When healthy, Cooper Kupp is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Kupp had a dominant 2021 season with the Rams where he amassed 1,947 receiving yards. 2022 was a different story as Kupp was only able to play in 9 games due to injury. He is currently still dealing with a hamstring injury that the Rams are calling day-to-day. While this is troubling I don’t expect him to miss much time this season and LA will need him to be in top form.

The Bad

Other than Aaron Donald the Los Angeles Rams defense is lacking star power. This is due to the team moving on from Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey who was traded to the Miami Dolphins. The Rams will now rely on rookies and several unproven players on a defense that will have a tough time stopping anybody. Teams will be able to double-team Donald regularly and attack the young cornerbacks on the outside. It’s clear the Rams have decided to invest in the offensive side of the ball rather than the defense. If the offense struggles this could be another long year for LA.

The Prediction

It’s looking more like the Rams are in for another tough season. This may be the final year we see Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald in a Rams uniform. There are just too many questions on the defense and not enough weapons on offense for them to be successful.

2023 Record: 5-12 (3rd in the Division)

The post Los Angeles Rams Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Before we look at next season, let’s take a look at the NFL target leaders from 2022. In the table below are the top 5 leaders in targets from last year. The first four finished in the same exact order in terms of total fantasy points amongst wide receivers (Half PPR). The only anomaly was A.J. Brown who jumped CeeDee Lamb and finished 5th in total fantasy points. Brown finished with 2 more touchdowns and 137 more yards.

2022 NFL Target Leaders

Predicting the Target Leaders for 2023-2024

Looking ahead to next season we can almost guarantee the top 5 target leaders will look different. For instance, in 2021 Cooper Kupp was the NFL target leader by a large margin +22. As we know Kupp suffered a serious ankle injury that cut his 2022 season short. Injuries aren’t the only factor to consider. Quarterback changes, coaching changes, free agency and the NFL Draft are all factors. Let’s now look at who I predict will be the NFL target leaders for next season.

2023 NFL Target Leaders (Projected)

Justin Jefferson will once again be the king of targets. I slotted his targets down but only slightly. This is due to the Minnesota Vikings adding Jordan Addison in the draft. It will take some time to get Addison up to speed but once he’s ready he should be productive in this offense. Also, keep in mind that Adam Thielen is no longer with the team.

Stefon Diggs will make the jump from #4 to #2 overall in targets. I am predicting 14 more targets for Diggs as he and Josh Allen continue to develop their chemistry. If somehow the Buffalo Bills end up grabbing DeAndre Hopkins I may re-adjust Diggs’ total targets.

Tyreek Hill‘s targets will drop but not by much. He will once again be the focal point in the Miami Dolphins offense. One major thing to keep an eye on is the health of Tua Tagovailoa. Can he stay healthy the entire season?

Next up it’s our first newcomer on the list. Garrett Wilson finished just outside the top 5 last year in total targets. Now with the addition of Aaron Rodgers, I expect his numbers to climb. I am not worried about Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb taking targets away. Wilson is the Jets #1 WR and they will continue to lean on him.

Last on the list is the always reliable Travis Kelce. Kelce finished 6th last season in total targets with 152. I expect him to hover around this range again in 2023-2024. The Chiefs no longer have JuJu Smith-Schuster and still lack a true #1 receiver. All that means is more target share for the great tight end.

The post Predicting the NFL Target Leaders for Next Season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Arizona Cardinals: How Will They Perform With All The Chaos?

It was a messy season for the Arizona Cardinals, and they are glad it ended. It was leaked that Kyler Murray‘s extension had a “homework clause”. A $230M extension for your star player to watch film definitely made it to all shows and podcasts. Firing HC Kliff Kingsbury after another disappointing end of the season was a move that was expected. The worst thing that happened was Kyler Murray tearing his ACL. Sportsbooks have them winning about four and a half games and a shot at the top pick in the next draft. Having the top overall pick in the next draft could make it very noisy for Kyler’s future. Add in the DeAndre Hopkins rumors and nothing feels right in this organization. A rebuild could come sooner rather than later.

Los Angeles Rams: Is This The Final Season Of Multiple Key Players?

There was a Superbowl hangover for the Rams after they sacrificed their future for a Superbowl ring. There were key injuries to multiple players such as Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. The offense looked non-existent if you weren’t Kupp as well. They looked slower and older and it felt that a blowup was impending, especially with the lack of assets they had. This offseason showed us this as they waived multiple key players such as Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner, and Jalen Ramsay through trade. For a couple of offseasons, Aaron Donald has contemplated retirement. Currently, this team looks very different from the past few seasons. Notable holdovers to mention are Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald. It may also sadly be their last year in LA as the Rams might trade them for future assets and begin anew.

San Francisco 49ers: Who Will Be The Starting Quarterback?

Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, and Sam Darnold all hold the key to the future of the 49ers. One of them will be the starting QB and it will affect how the team goes. Purdy had a successful surgery to fix his elbow after injuring it against the Eagles. He was the starter to end last season and he looked perfect for the role. Trey Lance was the Week 1 starter last season but he had a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. His performance was Incomplete because it was just his first few starts. Sam Darnold has been a disappointment as a former top 3 pick. He has the most experience but I don’t think he’s starting QB material anymore. The 49ers have a difficult choice with everything they have. The right move can put them among the favorites to win the Superbowl. The wrong move will waste another season for this talented team.

Seattle Seahawks: How Far Can Geno Smith Lead This Team?

The Seahawks were the surprise of the season when Geno Smith led the team to the playoffs after many projected them to be the worst team in the division. It wasn’t just Geno that made all the difference. The Seahawks had a draft where multiple rookies played like veterans. Kenneth Walker, Coby Bryant, and Tariq Woolen led the way for the rookies and they all played a major part in Seattle’s rise. Now, they retooled and have a chance to win the division. Signing Devin Bush and Bobby Wagner improved the defense while drafting Jaxson Smith-Njigba gives them an elite WR trio. If Geno can even play better than last year, Seattle is a team to watch out for in the NFC.

The post NFC West: Biggest Question to be Answered Per Team appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

It isn’t a secret by One Republic that the Buffalo Bills will battle the Los Angeles Rams tonight. The last time that the Bills sparred with the Bills was in 2020 – which ended with the Bills winning a (very) close battle by a score of 35-32. Allen impressively threw 4 touchdowns, ran for 1 TD, and threw an interception, while the current Detroit Lions signal-caller in Jared Goff unveiled 2 passing TDs to 1 int. The slot machine Cole Beasley dazzled with 100 receiving yards & the slightly less robotic version of Cooper Kupp notched 107 receiving yds and 1 TD.

Let’s not forget that AD was alive and well against BUF two years ago.

In 2016, the Bills also had a glamorous fight and victory by a score of 30-19 against the Rams. It may also seem amusing to hear that each team didn’t exactly possess a tenacious QB. In the contest, the Bills showcased Tyrod Taylor at QB1, while the Rams gave the keys to the starting offense to Case Keenum. Furthermore, the Bills head coach was the aggressive, eccentric Rex Ryan and the Rams HC was Jeff Fisher. Some may have thought that Genesis was being written when these two HCs were last shown in the league.

LeSean McCoy ran for 150 yards against the Rams in 2016.

The Rams defeafted the Bills in 2012, while the Bills had a monster victory against LAR in 2008 and 2004. The Aaron Donald and Sean McVay-less Rams also went to war on eight other occasions prior to the 21st century with the Bills (and winning four of those show-downs). The Rams first-ever match-up against the Bills took place on September 9th of 1970 – which resulted in the Rams winning 19-0.

The Bills lead the series 8-5 against the Rams.

The Bills and Rams are both at extremely impressive points in the history of their franchises. In this age of television with color, the NFC and AFC team carry juggernut QBs and greek-god-like defenders. The ultimate question is: which team will ride off with a pivotal win in the first NFL game of 2022?

The post History of the Bills vs Rams showdowns appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams crisp wide receiver Cooper Kupp will seek to win the triple crown (receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns) for the second season in a row. Kupp should also feel delighted that Davante Adams is no longer a Green Bay Packer.

Kupp signed a three-year contract extension that was worth $80 million in early June. Les Snead didn’t lose his touch – as the Rams also gave Aaron Donald a hefty new deal – which also made him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.

Kupp was of course joined by Allen Robinson this off-season. It already appears that he will have a very unique role. Per PFT, the Rams OC Liam Coen stated, “I think his route tree is extremely expanded from probably years ago, or maybe what we’ve had our other receivers do.” It’s clear that Sean McVay had a crystal-clear vision of A-Rob in the Rams offense – who had 102 receptions, 1,250 yds, and six touchdowns in 2020.

His QB has already been impressed with Robinson’s growth this off-season, as well. Per NFL.com, Stafford stated, “I’ve been very, very impressed with his ability to grasp our offense, his role in our offense”. After Stafford and A-Rob squared off against each other in the NFC North, it’s obvious that the two sides are excited to be on the same unit.

Van Jefferson will be a sleeper WR in the league next season, to say the least. Jefferson recorded 50 receptions, 802 yds, and six touchdowns in his sophomore season. He should be a 1,000+ yd WR with more development and excellent match-ups across the two big WRs in LA. As Fantasy Pros mentioned, he should also really blossom if an injury to Kupp or Robinson (five missed games last season) occurs.

The post Los Angeles Rams WR outlook right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Raina Rutschka

It wasn’t long ago that Jared Goff was the man to beat. He had just led his team to an NFC Championship and a Super Bowl appearance. His relationship with Sean McVay seemed to be in a strong place, and the Rams looked like a force to be reckoned with.

Fast forward four years and life couldn’t be more different for Goff. His relationship with his former head coach crumbled beneath him, leading to the downfall of his playing career in Los Angeles. After a rocky 2020 season, Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions. Goff and the Lions ended last season with the second-worst record in the league at 3-13.

Detroit has made a lot of upgrades this season, but they chose to stick with their guns at quarterback, keeping Goff around for another year. For 2022, that seems to be the best option. But is Goff a long-term solution for the Lions?

The arguments to keep Goff

The biggest draw to Goff is his experience. He’s been a part of almost everything that the NFL has in store, including the game of all games. Goff was also a key part of the development of Cooper Kupp, the NFL’s reigning triple crown receiver. If previous success is a determining factor in future success, Dan Campbell and the Lions may be leaning on their quarterback to aid in the development of rookie receiver Jameson Williams.

Goff has already proven he has good chemistry with the Lions’ young receivers. In 2021, rookie wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown showed glimpses of being a star receiver in the not-so-distant future. If Goff’s connection with Williams is as immediate and meaningful, it may give the Lions a reason to keep him around.

Why the Lions should move on

Despite Goff’s previous success, he hasn’t shown much promise for the future. He seems to be past his peak, with stats declining steadily the previous three seasons. In 2021, Goff threw for just 19 touchdowns to eight interceptions. His 332 completed passes for 3245 yards were the lowest of his starting career per Pro Football Reference.

His declining stats are just one piece of the puzzle, however. There aren’t many people that expect the Lions to excel this year, leaving the door open for another high draft pick in 2023. Unlike the 2022 draft class, the 2023 class is stacked with first-round talent at quarterback. Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke are all highly regarded as the top talents at QB in next year’s draft.

If the Lions find themselves with a high pick and these exceptional quarterbacks on the board, they would be remiss to not consider taking them. Jared Goff has tried his hand at being a franchise quarterback, and it didn’t lead the Rams where they hoped. Young, Stroud, and Van Dyke are the next generational talents with the makings of a franchise quarterback.

The Lions’ core pieces on offense, D’Andre Swift, Jameson Williams, and Amon Ra St. Brown, are all young talents. Joining them with a young, up-and-coming quarterback might be the spark the Lions need to get out of the bottom tier of the league once again. That being said, there aren’t many reasons the Lions should consider keeping Goff around much longer. A rebuilding team deserves an upgrade at every position, including quarterback.

The post Could Jared Goff actually be the long-term QB? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple was a pleasant surprise for the Bengals in 2021. In Apple’s first season as a Bengal, Pro Football Focus pointed out that Apple allowed the lowest passer rating allowed in man coverage. Furthermore, he also notched two interceptions and 10 pass deflections last season. It’s clear that Apple proved to be a late bloomer and potent shutdown corner at 26 years old for Cincy.

It may be easy to attack Apple on social media with a million other critics after he struggled to contain Cooper Kupp in Super Bowl LVI, but it doesn’t change the fact that Apple was a superb player from the 2021 season as a whole. It’s worth noting that Cooper Kupp wasn’t only prolific against Apple, but he was a rockstar against every team in the playoffs. Here is a closer look at how Kupp performed in the Super Bowl compared to how he performed in the two playoff contests prior to facing the Bengals.

• Against the Bengals: 8 receptions – 92 yards – 2 touchdowns

• Against the Buccaneers: 9 catches – 183 yards – 1 touchdown

• Against the 49ers: 11 receptions – 142 yards – 2 touchdowns

It’s clear that Kupp wasn’t only magical against Apple when he scored a touchdown against him out wide in man coverage and another score against the Bengals CB from the slot (while it appears Apple thought Kupp was run blocking), but the “2021 Offensive Player of The Year” was superb against every competitor he faced in the playoffs last season. If anyone believes Apple is a poor ballplayer for his battles against arguably the top WR in the NFL, they would have to be more silly than one of the baseball scouts not named Peter Brand (aka Jonah Hill) from the movie “Moneyball”.

The “keyboard warriors” were quick to virtually sacrifice Saints safety Marcus Williams for giving up the Minneapolis Miracle in the 2018 playoffs and now countless fans want to make Apple walk the plank for his rough moments against the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Apple really was a quality contributor for his AFC home in 2021 and he could most likely choose to reunite with the Bengals as a free agent this offseason. Expect the talented and somewhat unpopular NFL CB to likely be even a better version of himself in 2022.

The post Why Eli Apple is very underrated appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl 56 two Sundays ago, the second in franchise history. However, there was a Facebook post from NFL memes that went around suggesting whether this was bad for the NFL. It stated that it sets a new way for Super Teams, makes the draft picks not be as important and allows for short-lived success, and eliminates dynasties. 

Meme pages are often used as a light-hearted way to interact with fans, but this raised a good point as to whether it was bad that the Rams won the Super Bowl. 

The NBA Effect

 We have seen NBA players in recent years request trades in order to win a Championship and as a result, form a ”˜Super Team’. Lebron James did it with the Miami Heat, Kevin Durant moved to the Golden State Warriors to form one and James Harden tried this when he went to the Brooklyn Nets. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did this last year and it worked. This has now set a precedent which the Rams followed, and other teams could also do.

Tom Brady arrived in March 2020, which then set off an influx of star players. They already had Mike Evans and Chris Godwin prior to the arrival of Brady, but soon added Rob Gronkowski and Leonard Fournette as well as adding Antonio Brown midseason. All three scored touchdowns in their Super Bowl 55 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.  Fournette developed the nickname ”˜Playoff Lenny’ after his performances in the postseason.

The Rams were already assembling a great team, going completely against their recent method when in St Louis. Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp, who both had big roles in the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, were drafted. Since moving to L.A and building a new stadium, the intention to win now was clear from head coach Sean McVay and owner Stan Kroenke. 

They sacrificed first-round picks when traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 season, a signal of their intent. Quarterback Jared Goff, who was drafted first overall by the then St. Louis Rams, was seen as holding the team back. During 2021, the Rams ramped up their intention.

In January 2020, a week before Super Bowl 55, they gave the Detroit Lions two first-round picks and Goff in order to get Matthew Stafford. The 2009 first overall pick was the man they chose to take this team over the edge. A trade for Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller and signing Odell Beckham Jr after clearing waivers, showed this team was ”˜all-in’. They went on to win the Super Bowl. 

With two seasons in a row that have seen so-called super teams win it all, this has the potential to inspire teams to do the same every season.

We have seen players already start to receive more and more money, most notably the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in recent years. This has resulted in Dak Prescott requesting more money despite less reason to deserve it. We are also likely to see Lamar Jackson request more money during the final year of his contract despite questions over his arm. The same may apply to Kyler Murray when his rookie deal expires, another player with questions.

Players will want more money if other players are getting paid more than them, as was evident when Xavien Howard wanted more money because fellow Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones was getting paid more. This will lead to more trade requests. There definitely appears to be an NBA-like shift going on in the NFL.

Killing Off Cinderella Stores Such As Cincinnati 

The Bengals reached the Super Bowl with a completely opposite method to the Rams. They acquired Mike Hilton and Trey Hendrickson to free agency, but their other star players were drafted. Quarterback Joe Burrow was taken first overall in 2020 and Tee Higgins was taken in the following round. Joe Mixon was a second-round pick in 2017, as was Tyler Boyd in 2016 and Jessie Bates in 2018.

Ja’Marr Chase was taken fifth overall in 2021, a position the Bengals only fell down to due to Burrow’s ACL injury mid-season. This immediately helped the team, and their connection was instant, further showing the value of draft picks and how if you draft well, the method works. This Rams win can potentially prevent any teams from doing something similar, even if the Bengals were a good offensive line away from winning the game and completely killing off this article in the process. 

Stopping Dynasties May Be The Only Positive

Let’s be honest, unless it’s your own team, no one wants the same team winning year after year whatever sport it is. No one wanted Federer winning Wimbledon and everyone was ecstatic last season when Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain didn’t win their respective leagues.

The Rams’ method ultimately stops that unless they absolutely nail their future late-round picks. Then we are in trouble. The salary cap is likely to take a hit, which again could be derailed for neutrals if players take the Brady method and play for less money.

However, players are likely these days to want that cash. Therefore, the Rams’ success may be for a few more years, they are unlikely to have a Patriots’ style dynasty. 

Could We See Draft Picks Devalued?

This win has the potential to devalue the worth of having multiple first-round picks. A team giving another team two or three first-rounders, which may happen with Deshaun Watson, could mean that teams receiving these selections will make their team better for the future. 

On the other hand, we have seen teams time and time again make bad selections and ultimately waste their capital. This is why the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins have not won a playoff game in over 30 years. Why use a draft pick on someone who could be great when you can get someone who instantly improves the team. Teams will definitely look to do this, especially when their team is not a million miles off playoff contention or are one piece away. 

The Denver Broncos are the most likely team to do this, with an already good defense and choice of offensive weapons. All they really need is a good quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is heavily linked and with Davante Adams a pending Free Agent, could we see Rodgers do what Brady did and arrive in the offseason and bring talent such as Adams with him? Expect the Broncos to use multiple draft picks if they need to.

We could also see the Minnesota Vikings do this through getting a quarterback. Kirk Cousins isn’t a bad player but isn’t enough to take this team towards the next step. The likes of Russell Wilson and Watson are two players they could add to an exciting offense. 

Whichever way you look at this, the Rams are setting a bad example and have all the capabilities to ruin the pureness of the NFL parity. 

The post Is the Rams Super Bowl blueprint bad for the NFL? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies, Jake Rajala, and Jeremy Trottier

The 2021 NFL season is almost over. We now know the Super Bowl 56 matchup as the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams in L.A.

This is one of the more refreshing quarterback matchups in recent Super Bowl history, with neither the Bengals’ Joe Burrow or the Rams’ Matthew Stafford having won a Super Bowl. In fact the Bengals have never won it and the Rams have only done so once.

NFL fans who have gotten so used to seeing the newly retired Tom Brady in the game and the frustration of seeing the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game every season, this offers fans a nice changeup and one that guarantees someone to win their first ring.

It has been one of the best NFL seasons in recent memory. From the brilliant Week 18 overtime clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders to the game of the year between the Buffalo Bills and Chiefs, it has been a campaign for the ages. Here at Pro Football Mania, a few of us have decided to give you our end of season awards.

Best Game: Buccaneers vs Bills in Week 14 (Jake Rajala)

There were many special football games in the 2021 regular season, but the clear winner has to be the Buccaneers matchup with the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen was prolific with 417 total yards and three touchdowns, while TB12 had 369 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Each team had 460+ total yards and roughly 32 minutes of possession. 

The Bucs claimed a massive victory in overtime. The Bills won the coin toss, but the Bucs defense forced a punt and awarded Brady a chance to lead his team down the field. On 3rd and 1, Leonard Fournette picked up the first down by inches. After that play, Mike Evans drew a pass interference call near midfield. It seemed like the game would be over at that point. The Bucs dink and dunked into good field goal range and the Bucs kicked a field goal to win in overtime. 

Biggest Disappointment- Baltimore Ravens (Jake Rajala)

I’m not sure if enough fans know that the Baltimore Ravens and NOT the Cleveland Browns were the last team in the AFC North last year. The Ravens took a sad step back in 2021 after reaching the playoffs in 2020. The golden opponent for the Kansas City Chiefs was once the Baltimore Ravens and now it seems clear that it’s the Cincinnati Bengals or Buffalo Bills. 

The 8-9 squad has turned a blind eye to the aid of Lamar Jackson in the passing game. If Aaron Rodgers threatens a vacation to Hawaii with the help he’s given at wide receiver, Lamar Jackson should contemplate backpacking Europe for the talent he’s supplied at the WR position. The 25-year-old Jackson is slowly fading away from the cream of the crop QB position and Jon Harbaugh needs to figure out how he can help Jackson and the Ravens before his clout for winning Super Bowl XLVII dies off. 

MVP: Aaron Rodgers- QB- Green Bay Packers (Jake Rajala)

Aaron Rodgers needs to be the MVP favorite after his 2021 performance. Rodgers may have thrown for fewer touchdowns and yards than Tom Brady, but he was more efficient and more impressive in big moments than the Buccaneers seven-time Super Bowl champion. Sports Illustrated nicely noted how Rodgers would have thrown for more touchdowns and passing yards if he had the same passing attempts as TB12. The Packers and Buccaneers both accumulated a 13-4 record, but the two QBs don’t share the same record as starting QBs in 2021. Rodgers only lost two games as a starting QB, while Brady lost four games as a starting QB. The Buccaneers ageless QB was also shut out against the Taysom Hill-led New Orleans Saints on December 19th. 

Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp- WR- Los Angeles Rams (Andy Davies)

A huge honorable mention goes to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. He had an excellent season, with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. However, Kupp has been pivotal in the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl. Someone who was dearly missed in their Super Bowl 53 loss to the New England Patriots, he caught for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season as well as 386 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason. He is also an MVP candidate and he has been a key part in the Rams’ season. The MVP is a QB’s award, which is worth noting.

Defensive Player of the Year- T.J. Watt- LB- Pittsburgh Steelers (Jake Rajala)

It’s time for J.J. Watt’s little bro to claim his prolific glory and carve a fine path for Canton. Watt should be the clear winner for the 2020 Defensive Player of The Year. Watt was barely edged out by Aaron Donald in 2020, but he made sure that didn’t happen to him in 2021. 

Watt tied Michael Strahan’s sack record (22.5 sacks) in 15 games, which might surprise people. He also had five forced fumbles and he was a fierce run-stopper routinely. I don’t think there’s a close competitor for the 2021 DPOY award. The Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons was a menace against the run and pass, but he wasn’t playing on a historic level. Expect the Watt brother who plays defense for the Steelers to win a DPOY trophy next weekend.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ja’Marr Chase- WR- Cincinnati Bengals (Andy Davies)

When the Bengals took Chase fifth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, many felt that they should have gone down the offensive line route, notably Penei Sewell. However, this season has proved that Chase was absolutely the right pick. The offensive line is definitely a position they need to upgrade in the offseason but they have reached the Super Bowl in Chase’s first season whilst he also broke records for most yards in a rookie campaign. Chase is a special football player and he is the clear favorite to win OROY.

Mac Jones and Jaylen Waddle performed excellently but Chase has been on a different level. He has been one of the best wide receivers in the league, rookie or not.

DROY: Micah Parsons – LB – Dallas Cowboys (Jeremy Trottier)

The defensive rookie of the year in our award predictions is Micah Parsons, to essentially no ones surprise.  The heavy odds on favorite at -10000 from the Dallas Cowboys is as clear cut as it gets for awards, after a phenomenal rookie season overall.  The rookie linebacker out of Penn State had one of the most impressive defensive rookie seasons in recent memory and was an absolute force on the Dallas defense.  After being drafted to be a true linebacker at the time, Parsons proved his utility as an edge was also extremely effective, racking up a huge sack total of 13 on the season.  His stat line looked like the following:

16 games played (all 16 started)

84 tackles (64 solo, 20 assisted)

20 TFL, 30 QB hits, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbled, 3 passes deflected

All-pro first team & pro bowler when it comes down to it, Micah was far and away from the best rookie defender this season, despite strong performances from Patrick Surtain and Odafe Oweh.  If this success continues, Dallas could have a perennial pro bowl talent on their roster for years to come.

Best touchdown: Deebo Samuel 83-yard house call @Chicago (Jeremy Trottier)

The best touchdown of the year is one that could be seen as a few different ones, three other plays in consideration were:

Derrick Henry’s 76 yard run against Buffalo

Jonathan Taylor’s 78 yard run against New York. 

Jakeem Grant’s 97 yard punt return touchdown against Green Bay

However, Deebo Samuel had an insanely impressive 83 yard touchdown against the Bears, which was the third-longest reception of the year, and second-longest receiving touchdown as well.  Overall this was just one of the most exhilarating plays to watch all season, from one of the more impressive players all season as well.  It seems easiest just to let the play do the talking.

Biggest Surprise: Deebo Samuel – WR – San Francisco 49ers (Jeremy Trottier)

This award came down to two players, and I am sure we all know who they are.  Deebo Samuel, WR of the 49ers, and Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR of the Atlanta Falcons.  While Cordarrelle Patterson was certainly a surprise and was a great player all season for Atlanta, Deebo just exceeded expectations a little bit more and was the catalyst to the 49ers deep playoff run this season.

Deebo had a total of 1405 receiving yards this season, averaging a league high 18.2 yards per catch and ended up with 6 receiving touchdowns.  On top of that, he also had 59 rushing attempts for 365 yards (6.2 YPA) and 8 touchdowns, making him one of the most lethal players from scrimmage all season.  For a receiver who only had 1193 receiving yards combined in his first two seasons, he really broke away this season and became a true top receiver in the NFL.  

Comeback Player of the Year: Dak Prescott – QB – Dallas Cowboys (Jeremy Trottier)

This award on our list is comeback player of the year, which came down to two players as well, and mostly was a grade on the word comeback more than anything.  The other option for this award is Joe Burrow, who obviously had a phenomenal season and has led his Bengals to the Super Bowl in 2021-2022.  However, this is not necessarily a “comeback” as he did not play in the NFL before the 2020-2021 season, so we did not really see it as a comeback but more a beginning.  

Dak Prescott on the other hand continued to be one of the best QBs in the NFL, producing 4,449 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, on 68.8% completion percentage and a 104.2 quarterback rating.  Overall, an amazing season coming off what was one of the more gruesome injuries of the 2020-2021 season, and an awe-inspiring feel good story to go along with it. 

Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel (Andy Davies) 

The Bengals’ Zac Taylor and Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur deserve huge credit but Vrabel did something quite remarkable. The Titans head coach lost star running back Derrick Henry in Week 8 but still managed to win games and earn the number one seed in the

Vrabel managed to guide this team to the division and top seed despite injury after injury that saw them have the most players used in a single season.

You have to credit the job done by Vrabel, who may have guided Tennesee further had he had Henry fully healthy and a roster that hadn’t suffered injury after injury.

The post 2022 NFL award predictions: who will win MVP? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.