Cordarrelle Patterson
Better known for his kick return prowess than any other offensive role, Atlanta Falcons running back and utility man Cordarrelle Patterson has embraced a more extended role in an offense for the first time in his career since his days as a Minnesota Viking.
Midway into the 2021 season, Patterson ranks 15th in the league in scrimmage yards (737), accounting for 278 rushing yards and 459 receiving yards. He has also scored seven touchdowns, highlighted by a three touchdown effort against the Washington Football Team in Week 4.
He has had at least five receptions in six games and has topped 60 scrimmage yards in every game in 2021, providing aging quarterback Matt Ryan with a reliable target in an offense that is riddled with uncertainties.
Despite hitting the 30 year old milestone, which would typically mark the end of the prime year for a running back, Patterson’s multidimensional role on offense has kept him relevant when many have deteriorated.
Cooper Kupp
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was always a respected receiver, catching for over 900 receiving yards in each of the previous two seasons, while a season-ending injury cut his promising 2018 campaign short. However, few would’ve put him in the conversation for best receiver in the league, or even in the top 20 conversation for that matter.
His performance so far in 2021, however, should propel him into the conversation among the league’s best. With an upgrade at quarterback, going from the inconsistent Jared Goff to the strong-armed Matthew Stafford, Kupp has reached new heights, eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark in just nine games, and has also matched for his career high for touchdowns (10).
Kupp has eclipsed 90 receiving yards in eight out of nine games, and over 100 in five. He’s currently on pace to lead the league in receptions (74) , receiving yards (1,019), and receiving touchdowns (10), which would be the first time someone has won the receiving triple crown since 2005 (Steve Smith Sr.), and just the fourth time overall.
Harold Landry
The Tennessee Titans were infamous for their lack of pass rush in 2020, ranking in the bottom four of the league, compiling a measly 19 sacks over the course of the season. This deficiency contributed to the Titans’ fifth worst defensive ranking in 2020, as well as pressuring the offense to consistently put up high-scoring efforts to keep the team in games.
The team’s signing of Jadeveon Clowney for the 2020 season panned out horrendously and their offseason splash signing of Bud Dupree has shown little value so far. Fortunately, the Titans may have finally found their blue-chip pass rush threat in fourth-year linebacker Harold Landry.
Landry has been the driving force for the Titans’ pass rush resurgence, as the team has eclipsed their 2020 total in just nine games. He’s contributed to the sack total in eight of nine games and currently has an active sack streak of seven games (as of Week 9). His nine sacks is tied for the second-most in the league and matches his career high.
While the defense has given up 30 plus points in four games, it’s also held powerhouses such as the Chiefs and Rams to three and 16 points, respectively. The presence of a pass rush along with Tennessee’s potent offense makes the team a strong contender in a convoluted AFC that’s featured no true contender.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Injuries slowed down the start of Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr’s career in 2020, but he showed flashes throughout the season, and ended off the season with a five catch, 90 yard performance in the playoffs. Hopes were high headed into the offseason of a potential sophomore year breakout and Pittman has made those hopes into reality.
He established a new career high in receiving yards in a game in just the second week of the 2021 season, with an eight catch, 123 yard effort against the Los Angeles Rams. Over the last three weeks, he has compiled 19 catches, 255 yards, and four touchdown catches, legitimizing himself as a true top target. He’s tied for tenth in the league in receptions (50) on the season and ranks ninth in receiving yards (658).
Following the footsteps of Colts legends Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, receiver TY Hilton was a legit threat for Indy over the 2010s, and closes in on the prestigious 10,000 yard mark. However, he has clearly lost a step, and injuries have hindered him as of late. While he is a shell of his former self, Pittman has filled his void nicely, and looks to be next in a long line of Colts mainstays at receiver.
Deebo Samuel
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel flashed his potential with three 100-yard performances and 802 receiving yards in his rookie season, but a foot fracture cut his sophomore season prematurely. He’s more than made up for the loss of time in 2021, smashing his rookie mark by the midseason mark, and becoming the explosive receiving threat the 49ers have lacked since Terrell Owens in the early 2000s.
Samuel began the season with a ballistic nine catch, 189 yard performance against the Detroit Lions. He proved that the game was no fluke soon after, with an eight catch, 156 yard effort in Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks, where he also chipped in two touchdown catches. Remarkably, he chipped in a third 150 plus yard effort in Week 8, with six catches and 171 yards.
Samuel currently ranks second in the league in receiving yards (882), and has carried the load in an offense that has missed tight end George Kittle to injuries and has seen a disappointing campaign from second-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Article by Kevin Zhang of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo Courtesy of Parker Anderson via Creative Commons