The NFC South was supposed to be one of the most competitive divisions in football this season, however, the Falcons and Bucs haven’t done their part.
We are now roughly halfway through the year, and since Atlanta is on a bye week, let’s take a look at the division’s top offensive players at the midway point.
Best QB: Matt Ryan
Ryan is again showing a quarterback can only do so much. The former MVP has 15 touchdown passes in the seven games he’s played — good for the fifth-most in the NFL. It hasn’t been Ryan’s best season, but averaging the NFL’s second-most passing yards per game (310), while completing 70.9 percent of his passes, it’s clear that Ryan is the top choice in a division with injuries to two of its four starting QBs. He missed Week 8 against the Seahawks, but Ryan will be back next Sunday when the Falcons take on the Saints in Week 10.
Best RB: Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey has taken the mantle as the NFL’s best running back, and could possibly even be in the running for MVP if the Panthers win some games down the stretch. Cam Newton has been out, and while quarterback Kyle Allen is getting most of the headlines, McCaffrey has basically put this team on his back. He has 1,078 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns in just seven games. Continuing to prove his pre-draft doubters wrong, McCaffrey has become arguably the most complete back in football.
Best WR: Chris Godwin
This list is based on the first eight weeks of the 2019 season. So while Julio Jones and Michael Thomas may be better players, Godwin’s got the most touchdowns (6) and averages more yards per catch (15.0) than both. Plus, he’s played one less game but isn’t far behind the others in receiving yards (705). Godwin’s 41 first-down catches ranks second in the league. We knew Mike Evans was great, but Godwin has really taken off since head coach Bruce Arians took over.
Best TE: Austin Hooper
Hooper is one of the few bright spots for the Falcons in 2019. The fourth-year tight end is having a career year. His 52 catches are the fifth-most in the entire league, and the most of any tight end this season. Hooper is second at his position in receiving yards — with 591 — and has four touchdowns in eight games. If the team wasn’t sure about re-signing him prior to the year, he’s made the decision a no-brainer — if Atlanta can afford to keep him.
Best OL: Saints
Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater deserves credit for playing well in Drew Brees’ absence, but so does the team’s offensive line. Without Brees, the big guys up front have led the way for New Orleans to be a top-15 offense in both rushing and passing yards. Defensively, the Saints are much improved, but that wouldn’t mean much if New Orleans wasn’t consistently putting up points without its Hall-of-Fame quarterback. The Saints offensive line is the primary reason the team hasn’t missed a beat in 2019.
Biggest surprise: QB Kyle Allen
Kyle Allen has been a pleasant surprise for the Panthers with starting quarterback Cam Newton out due to a foot injury. Allen has thrown for seven touchdowns to just three interceptions, helping keep Carolina alive in the NFC South with a 4-3 record. The 23-year-old cooled down considerably in last week’s blowout loss to the 49ers. Still, with Newton’s status up in the air, Allen’s above-average play along with McCaffrey’s dominance, have helped the Panthers stay afloat.
Check back tomorrow for our NFC South defensive midseason awards.
