Each NFL team’s best offensive skill player so far
Detroit Lions — Matthew Stafford, QB
Stafford almost singlehandedly won the Lions a lot of games a year ago, and the trend is continuing. In five games, he has nine touchdowns to just one interception, a 65 percent completion percentage, and 1,112 yards so far. He could use some better protection — he’s been sacked 18 times in five games — but he’s still been able to step up and make plays. So far, Stafford is justifying the massive new contract he received.
Green Bay Packers — Aaron Rodgers, QB
Rodgers is still the man who makes the Packer offense go, and he’s living up to his reputation in 2017. His 13 touchdown passes lead the league, and his 1,367 yards are fourth. It’s not a stretch to say that he is the primary reason the Packers are 4-1 and atop the NFC North. One need only look at the comeback he led against Dallas in Week 5 to see he has not lost a step. He’s also done this despite having multiple injuries along the offensive line. Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams deserve a mention for their 10 combined receiving touchdowns this season.
Houston Texans — Deshaun Watson, QB
As optimistic as the Texans must have been about Watson, they surely couldn’t have expected him to be this good this quickly. Only Aaron Rodgers has more touchdown passes than the rookie, who has racked up 12 in just four starts since taking over for Tom Savage in the season opener. They’d like to cut down on the interceptions — he’s thrown four — but they’ll take those growing pains. Watson is already over 1,000 yards passing, has added 179 rushing yards, and he’s only getting better.
Indianapolis Colts — T.Y. Hilton, WR
Hilton is showing just how good he is by putting up big stats despite his QBs being Scott Tolzien and Jacoby Brissett. After leading the NFL in receiving yards last year, Hilton is still third in 2017 with 466 despite having to work with two sub-par quarterbacks. He only has one touchdown so far, but he’s actually racking up a higher yards per game average (93.2) than he did a year ago. Hilton remains an elite receiver no matter who’s throwing to him.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Leonard Fournette, RB
No disappointment from the rookie running back here, who comfortably sits second in the league in rushing yards. His breakout 181-yard rushing performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers may firmly entrench him in the upper tier of NFL backs already, and his 466 yards and five touchdowns in as many games is evidence that he’s already quite comfortable in this league. On top of those numbers, he also has 128 receiving yards and a receiving score. He even broke off a 90-yard rush after bemoaning his lack of big plays, so that last flaw — if you could even call it that — looks to have been addressed.
Kansas City Chiefs — Kareem Hunt, RB
Hunt’s remarkable rookie season started with a bang when he scored three touchdowns against the New England Patriots, and he hasn’t slowed down much since. He’s leading the league in rushing with 609 yards, and he’s racked up at least 100 rushing yards in all but one of his games so far. To add to that, he’s also proven to be a threat catching the football as well with 166 yards and two receiving touchdowns, though the bulk of that damage came in the season opener. It doesn’t matter much. The Chiefs have been great, but Hunt has been nothing short of a revelation. Special mention also must be made for Alex Smith, who has 11 touchdowns and no picks, as well as Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who have combined for nine receiving touchdowns.
Los Angeles Chargers — Keenan Allen, WR
Finally healthy again, Allen is getting back on track, though he’s still working out some kinks with quarterback Philip Rivers. Even in spite of that, his 401 receiving yards put him fourth in the NFL, and while the touchdowns (1) aren’t coming yet, the big plays are. The rest is likely a matter of time. As long as he can stay healthy and consistent, he looks like he has a very good chance to cross the 1,000 yard threshold for the first time since his rookie season of 2013.
Los Angeles Rams — Todd Gurley, RB
After a down year in 2016, the third-year running back is putting it all together again and looking much more like the electrifying rookie he was in 2015. Gurley is third in the NFL in rushing with 405 yards, and his four rushing touchdowns are tied for second. What’s more is that he’s really beginning to make his mark as a receiver, with 241 yards overall and the first three receiving touchdowns of his career. In fact, he’s only 11 yards off the team lead for receiving yards. He’s truly become a complete back. The one area he needs to improve is with his fumbles — he has five this season, losing two of them.
Miami Dolphins — DeVante Parker, WR
Miami’s offense has been pretty brutal — they have yet to score a rushing touchdown, for instance — but Parker, at the very least, has occasionally popped up to make a big play. His 236 yards on just 19 catches leads the team — as does his 12.4 yards per catch total. Though he only has one touchdown, he’s been able to make some plays for a Miami offense that hasn’t made a lot of them — they’d surely like to see more going forward.
Minnesota Vikings — Stefon Diggs, WR
Diggs hasn’t been targeted as much — or made as many catches — as teammate Adam Thielen, but he’s made more plays. He has four touchdowns in five games and 395 yards receiving, both of which are enough to lead the team. The same goes for his 17.2 yards per catch. Though the Vikings have had injury issues at quarterback and vacillated between Sam Bradford and Case Keenum, both signal-callers have had a steady option in Diggs. Only three players have more touchdown receptions than he does.
New England Patriots — Tom Brady, QB
Without Brady, there’s a good argument to be made that the Patriots would be a middling offensive team and a downright bad defensive one. The veteran quarterback, though, means they have a chance in every game, even the ones where they shouldn’t. His 1,702 passing yards leads the rest of the league by about 150 total yards, his 11 touchdowns are tied for third, and he’s only thrown one interception. Maybe he really can play until he’s 45.
New Orleans Saints — Drew Brees, QB
Brees is still going strong at 38, with eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the team’s first four games. The once-gaudy passing yards are down to a more pedestrian 1,135 this season following another 5,000-yard season in 2016. But make no mistake — the cast around him has changed a lot, but Brees is still at the heart and soul of any of New Orleans’s success. Other than the yardage, his numbers still compare favorably to his prime.
