Established superstars such as Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers grab all the attention when their teams do well.But a team's
success or failure can often be determined by which players make the biggest
jump from year to year.Key players such as Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and
Pittsburgh's James Conner have played major roles in their respective teams
being in first place through Week 9.And it isn't always offensive players. Of
the 32 teams
LeShaun Sims Jersey , nearly half (15) have featured a defensive player and one had a kicker among the most improved.At the halfway point of this NFL season,
here's a look at the most improved players for each team:AFC EASTNew England:
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The Patriots traded for Van Noy out of necessity two
years ago. He's grown into one of the most versatile players on New England's
defense. Used almost exclusively at outside linebacker last season, he's now
asked to play on the line at times, is an option in multiple blitz packages as
well as in zone and man coverages.Miami: Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil
is becoming a top-shelf left tackle in his third season. He was plagued by
penalties and other lapses, but has benefited from the mentoring of left guard
Josh Sitton, who signed with the Dolphins this year.Buffalo: Linebacker Matt
Milano. Milano is starting alongside first-round pick Tremaine Edmunds in
essentially a two-linebacker defensive formation. A fifth-round pick in 2017,
Milano was eased into the starting lineup and finished with five starts. This
year, he's has started all nine games, credited with 55 tackles.N.Y. Jets:
Linebacker Darron Lee. Lee was their first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2016
and has been slow to live up to his lofty draft status. He finished second on
the team in tackles each of his first two seasons, but big-time impact plays
were missing for a middle linebacker. He's off to the best start of his career
as a more consistent playmaker.AFC SOUTHHouston: Defensive back Kareem Jackson.
Jackson had a bad 2017 at cornerback, but has played both cornerback and safety
this season and has been strong in a secondary that has dealt with numerous
injuries.Tennessee: Linebacker Jayon Brown. A fifth-round pick out of UCLA in
2017, the second-year linebacker is leading the Titans both in total tackles and
with four sacks. The speedy Brown has started three of eight games this season
and has been a key piece of a defense currently allowing the fewest points in
the NFL.Jacksonville: Kicker Josh Lambo. Lambo has made a team-record 23
consecutive field goals in the regular season, including a career-best 57-yarder
in London. He had made 27 in a row, including the playoffs, and all 12 of his
extra points in 2018.Indianapolis: Quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck didn't just
miss all 16 games last season but 26 of 45 overall because of various injuries
(shoulder, lacerated kidney, concussion and then shoulder again). Luck has
completed 65.8 percent of his passes, is second in TD passes (23) and is on pace
to top 4,000 yards again. AFC NORTHPittsburgh: Running back James Conner. Conner
has seamlessly replaced Le'Veon Bell with four games with at least 100 rushing
yards, 50 receiving yards and at least one touchdown, the most such games by a
player in a single season in NFL history. Conner has 1,085 scrimmage yards (706
rushing, 379 receiving) and 10 total touchdowns (nine rushing, one
receiving).Cincinnati: Wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Boyd has been a solid
complement to star A.J. Green. He has 49 catches for 620 yards and five TDs and
will be counted on in the second half with Green dealing with a toe
injury.Baltimore: Quarterback Joe Flacco. Despite his team's recent slump,
Flacco has done well for the Ravens. He's got 12 TDs, six interceptions, 2,465
yards passing and an 84.15 QB rating. Last year, Flacco finished at 18 TDs, 13
INTs and 80.4. He had 3,141 yards.Cleveland: Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
Ogunjobi, a third-round pick in 2017, made one start as a rookie. The 6-foot-3,
305-pounder has developed into a stout run stopper. He also has quickness to get
to the quarterback. His presence inside has forced teams to adjust their
blocking schemes and given Myles Garrett some favorable one-on-one matchups.AFC
WESTKansas City: Quarterback Pat Mahomes. Mahomes started Week 17 last year, but
in his first full season as No. 1 QB he's breaking records all over the place.
Mahomes, who appeared in his 10th career game last Sunday against Cleveland, has
29 touchdown passes and 3,185 passing yards, both the most by a player in his
first 10 games.L.A. Chargers: Running back Austin Ekeler. The second-year
player, an undrafted free agent
Tajae Sharpe Jersey , is averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 12 yards a reception. Ekeler has teamed with Melvin Gordon to form one of the league's top running
back duos.Denver: Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. He was hurt most of 2017 and
caught two TD passes, both in Week 2 vs Cowboys. Last year, he had 47 catches
for 555 yards in 12 games. This year, he has 56 catches for 707 yards and three
TDs and even threw for a TD, hitting fellow SMU alum Courtland Sutton vs.
Arizona.Oakland: Running back Jalen Richard. Richard showed flashes his first
two seasons as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi, but has
emerged as a key part of coach Jon Gruden's offense.NFC EASTWashington: Safety
D.J. Swearinger. Swearinger is tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions as
a key part of a secondary that has Washington in first place.Philadelphia:
Running back Wendell Smallwood. Smallwood has a career-best 400 scrimmage yards
(257 rushing, 143 receiving) along with one rushing TD and two receiving TDs
after only playing eight games last year when he was inactive often.Dallas:
Linebacker Jaylon Smith. The former Notre Dame standout is finally showing his
college form almost three years removed from a devastating left knee injury in
his final game for the Irish.N.Y. Giants: Wide receiver Sterling Shepard.
Shepard has 40 catches for 542 yards and two touchdowns. Despite a porous
offensive line, he is on pace for career highs. NFC SOUTHNew Orleans: Defensive
tackle Sheldon Rankins. Rankins was a 2016 first-rounder who missed the first
half of his rookie season with a leg injury. Last season, he was solid, but
highlights were few. Through the first eight games, Rankins has four sacks and
21 total tackles, on pace for considerable increases in those
categories.Carolina: Defensive tackle Kyle Love. Love is a backup, but is making
some outstanding plays in the middle of the line, including a forced fumble in
Week 8 against Ravens RB Alex Collins that led to a TD and helped turn the
game.Atlanta: Free safety Damontae Kazee. Kazee is tied for the NFL lead with
four interceptions. He was forced into a starting role after Keanu Neal and
Ricardo Allen were placed on IR.Tampa Bay: Tight end O.J. Howard. The Bucs
attribute Howard's growth to being in his second year, being more comfortable
with the playbook and the offense in general. He has caught three touchdown
passes in the past two games.NFC NORTHChicago: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Trubisky has a 96.1 passer rating, 64.6 percent completion rate, 16 touchdown
passes, seven interceptions and a 5-3 record. Last year, he had a 77.5 rating,
59.4 percent completion rate, seven TD passes, seven interceptions and a 4-8
record.Minnesota: Defensive end Stephen Weatherly. Weatherly was a seventh-round
draft pick in 2016 who spent most of the season on the practice squad and mostly
was on special teams in 2017. But when Everson Griffen was sidelined, Weatherly
moved into the starting lineup and had seven tackles, two quarterback hits and
one sack in his first career start against the Bills.Green Bay: Defensive
lineman Kenny Clark. Clark, playing in his first-year of coordinator Mike
Pettine's system, already has four sacks in seven games, nearly equaling his
output (4?) last year.Detroit: Wide receiver Kenny Golladay. Golladay has
surpassed his rookie season production and that allowed the Lions to trade
Golden Tate to the Eagles at the deadline. He has 33 receptions for 523 yards
and three touchdowns.NFC WESTL.A. Rams: Linebacker Cory Littleton. After two
years as a backup linebacker and special teams guy, Littleton, an undrafted free
agent, earned the starting job when Alec Ogletree was traded in the
offseason.Seattle: Running back Chris Carson. Carson showed flashes last year
before getting hurt, but the combo of a better offensive line and a new running
scheme has fully displayed his skills.Arizona: Safety Budda Baker. Baker has
made a big impact after having his role greatly expanded after being a
first-team All-Pro on special teams as a rookie. Now he's a significant part of
the regular defense, not just a special teams ace.San Francisco: Tight end
George Kittle. Kittle was a pleasant surprise as a fifth-round pick last year
with 43 catches for 515 yards after being mostly used as a blocker at Iowa. He
now is one of the game's most well-rounded tight ends. He ranks third at the
position with 41 catches and second with 692 yards and is a powerful blocker in
the run game. While the Titans have won three straight, that doesn’t mean they
are without problems. These days the run game doesn’t matter as much as it used
to, but it hasn’t been able to get going in Tennessee. The logical explanation
might be that the Titans have faced defensive lines such as the Eagles and
Jaguars, two of the best in football, and the injuries to the tackles haven’t
helped either.Still, on the ground, it hasn’t been a successful year for Derrick
Henry and Dion Lewis, who are averaging a combined 32 yards per carry. It’s a
bigger issue for Henry because he’s a liability in the passing game, only
putting up 12 yards on 3 receptions. Lewis
Quinton Spain Jersey , on the other hand, is a much more reliable option in the passing game, and is coming off a 9-catch, 66-yard day against the Eagles. This
is no longer a rushing league; Things have changed. When your team is trailing,
you need to pass the ball, making Dion Lewis a much better fit for today’s NFL
than Derrick Henry. Does that mean Tennessee should pull the plug on the Henry
experiment and trade him? Not necessarily—not yet anyway—but Lewis, to me,
should be getting more touches in this offense.gamepass.nfl.comDevonta Freeman
and Tevin Coleman were able to thrive together in 2016 (when LaFleur was an
assistant with the Falcons) because both brought a lot to the passing game. To
this point, Henry has brought nothing as a receiving back, while Lewis has been
able to do that.Lewis’ quickness and shiftiness are massive for what Matt
LaFleur wants to run. Here, Lewis is able to use his size and agility to make a
2nd and 12 turn into a 3rd and 1. Whereas the Eagles’ defense would crowd
players in the box because they would know if a handoff to Henry was happening,
Lewis’ versatility allows him to be schemed in the backfield, in the slot, or
outside. gamepass.nfl.comLate in third quarter, the Titans trailed 17-3 when
facing a 2nd and 22. This 17-yard play from Lewis was one of the biggest of the
day; He’s one of the toughest backs to tackle due to his size and pad level, and
spins by an ankle tackle to create 17 yards and give the Titans offense a much
more manageable 3rd and 5. This was important because on the next play Marcus
Mariota converted the first down on a 16-yard pass to Tajae Sharpe. You don’t
call Henry in on these plays unless you want to get some chunk yardage. Sure,
Lewis got chuck yardage here, if by “chunk” you mean 17 of the 22 yards needed
to convert a first down on 2nd and 22. You want Lewis over Henry in moments
where the team is trailing because of his superior receiving ability.Finally,
let’s not forget the most important play of the entire game. 4th and, head coach
Mike Vrabel can elect to play for the tie and kick a field goal with less than
1:20 left, or he can go for the win and convert the 4th down. Vrabel chooses
wisely and picks the latter option, and LaFleur puts Lewis in the driver’s
seat.gamepass.nfl.comFirst of all, this is a phenomenal, gutsy call from Vrabel
that has no doubt earned him well deserved praise and has made him a possible
candidate for Coach of the Year. Second, plays like this show you how much the
Titans respect Lewis in these situations. While getting the first down itself
was easy, it’s what he does after that makes it count. Lewis spins and breaks by
a tackler while using blockers to pick up even more than a simple first down
conversion.Eventually, this set up the game winning touchdown from Mariota to
Corey Davis.While the backfield has faced some tough tests, one thing remains
clear: Dion Lewis is the better player than Derrick Henry. Henry is a big,
powerful back with an excellent cutback ability, but as a receiver he adds
little and has yet to impress this season outside of a certain touchdown run
that was called back due to holding. Lewis has also had his issues as a runner,
but his receiving ability has not disappointed. Henry certainly offers value
late in the game with the lead, but very little when Tennessee is trailing.
Whether leading or trailing, Dion Lewis adds value. The Titans model their
offense on a quick scheme that favors yards after the catch, and there’s little
doubt that Lewis fits that mold perfectly. And yet, it feels like he’s not
getting the ball as much as he should.I’ve said in the past that Lewis is a game
changer for the Titans offense, and he has been this season. Eventually the
coaching staff should recognize who the more reliable player is and use both in
the situations that put them at their best. Henry should be used to pound the
rock in the red zone and late in the game with the lead, while Lewis needs to be
featured on all three downs more prominently.In short, feed Dion Lewis.
