We are now four weeks into the NFL season and that means a month’s worth of games are in the book. Rather that hang on for the ride of the rest of the season, I thought I’d spare a few minutes to hand out some awards for the first quarter of games.
I’m just that kind of guy.
So sit back, relax, and take a look at who I have deemed worthy based on their performances in September.
AFC
Offensive Player of the Month
There have been some fine performances over the first four games of the season but none better in the AFC than that of second year receiver A.J. Green (+9.9). We were always big fans of the ability Green had, but as a rookie his season was marred by silly penalties. This year he has yet to draw a flag and is second in the NFL in receiving yards with 428, jumped this week by Brian Hartline’s ridiculous game against the Cardinals. Green has scored three times, dropped just one catchable ball and has also blocked well on the edge for the Bengals as they try and get their running game going.
Honorable mention: Tom Brady (NE), C.J. Spiller (BUF)
Defensive Player of the Month
Let’s face it, while there might be many deserving candidates on the offensive side of the ball only one player was taking the plaudits on the defensive side, J.J. Watt (+28.6). The Texan has sacked the quarterback eight times in four games (we don’t award half sacks), batted five balls down, and made 18 defensive stops. His grade is more than double the next best 3-4 defensive end and would be the fourth best mark last season, after just four games! Watt has put together the kind of start to a season you rarely see.
Honorable mention: Cameron Wake (MIA), Von Miller (DEN)
Special Teams Player of the Month
The NFL likes to give its awards to the return men but I’m going to focus on the ridiculous crop of rookie kickers that seem to have arrived this season. In the AFC Justin Tucker (+14.7) is currently our highest graded kicker overall, thanks to hitting on 8 of his first 9 field goal attempts, six of which sailed through from 40+ yards. He is also booming the ball deep on kick offs, averaging 70.5 yards on each one and giving teams an average start position of the 20.6 yard line.
Honorable mention: Darius Reynaud (TEN), Bryan Anger (JAX)
Rookie of the Month
It’s always easy to look at the quarterbacks when it comes to rookies, but in truth the best performances often come from other positions that find the transition easier to take. For the first month the best rookie in the AFC has been Patriots DE Chandler Jones (+8.2), and they needed him to be with their losses on the D-line. Jones rarely comes off the field (played 90.5% of Patriots snaps so far), is currently our 5th ranked 4-3 DE and makes the Patriots defense better. Not bad for a rookie.
Honorable mention: Cordy Glenn (BUF), Kevin Zeitler (CIN)
Bench Threatener of the Month
Awards are always too positive, too back-slappy and congratulatory, so we’re going to throw in a bit of negative to go with the positive. Some players have had awful first quarters, and it’s only fair that we highlight the players whose play has them staring a warm spot on the bench in the face. This time it’s Mark Sanchez (-5.8) who sits 31st in our QB rankings, ahead of only rookie Brandon Weeden. The reason Sanchez beats Weeden to this award is because he should know better by now, and the masses are going to be clamoring for Tim Tebow to replace him if he doesn’t improve sharply.
Honorable mention: Brandon Weeden (CLV), Michael Griffin (TEN)
NFC
Offensive Player of the Month
The NFC makes it a clean sweep for the receivers for this award with Roddy White (+10.5) answering the critics who expected to see his role diminish now Julio Jones was in town. White is currently our top ranked receiver thanks largely to cutting out the drops that have characterized his career. He has just one of them through four games but he has caught 27 balls for 413 yards and three touchdowns. His display against Carolina was the difference between winning and losing that game, including coming up huge on the final drive.
Honorable mention: Matt Ryan (ATL), Vernon Davis (SF)
Defensive Player of the Month
Sometimes the light goes on for some players than it does for others. Tim Jennings (+8.8) is experiencing that right now. Since moving to the more aggressive Bears defense he has been a vast improvement on his time in Indianapolis, but this season he is playing at a different level, adding incredible ball skills to his solid play. He has four interceptions, four passes defensed and has yet to give up a touchdown. All this despite being targeted 33 times. Those targets have yielded a QB rating of just 15.9, suggesting teams should think again about going after him.
Honorable mention: NaVorro Bowman (SF), Ryan Kerrigan (WAS)
Special Teams Player of the Month
Again there is a good case for a return man in the form of the Vikings Percy Harvin, but it would be wrong to ignore the performance of the rookie kickers, this time Greg Zuerlein (+12.3) of the Rams. The rookie is easily our highest graded kicker when kick offs aren’t included, nailing all twelve of his kicks so far. Three of those have been from 50+, another five from over 40, and only a relatively modest kick off distance has seen him from being well out in front of our rankings overall.
Honorable mention: Percy Harvin (MIN), Blair Walsh (MIN)
Rookie of the Month
There’s no way of looking beyond Robert Griffin III (+11.6) in this award. Others have had good starts to their careers, but RGIII has instantly transformed the Redskins and is running one of the most entertaining offenses in the league. He has completed 69.4% of his passes through four games, thrown four touchdowns and just a single interception, and brought the Redskins’ running game to life with the threat of his athleticism in the option attack. It will be fascinating to see if he can keep it up over a season but right now he is the best rookie around.
Honorable mention: Harrison Smith (MIN), Mychal Kendricks (PHI)
Bench Threatener of the Month
It’s strange to think that in 2008 Corey Webster (-7.6) was one of the best corners in football. He finished that year second in our rankings to Antoine Winfield and easily our highest graded corner in coverage, beating out a young Darrelle Revis for that honor. This year he has already given up 336 receiving yards and two touchdowns, is allowing 72.7% of balls thrown his way to be complete, and passers throwing in his direction currently have a rating of 126.1
Honorable mention: Kyle Vanden Bosch (DET), D’Anthony Batiste (ARZ)
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