Broncos CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Lions’ defensive position stepped up for his or her groups in Week 16

As any NFL season progresses, there will likely be extra unheralded gamers who stand up from humble beginnings to turn into elements, and guys whose careers have gone sideways who one way or the other discover the highway again to relevance.

We wish to have fun these gamers each week in “Secret Superstars.” This week, we now have two younger operating backs who outlined wins for his or her groups, a guard enjoying deal with, a whole defensive position, and a rookie afterthought who has turn into a lockdown cornerback.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Don’t look now, however the Carolina Panthers’ offense is beginning to turn into a factor. Quarterback Bryce Younger’s improvement is the large story, and justifiably so – the Panthers have risen from thirty first in Passing DVOA in Weeks 1-9 to twenty first since — however we must always not overlook the efforts of operating again Chuba Hubbard, the 2021 fourth-round select of Oklahoma State. 2024 marks Hubbard’s first 1,000-yard season, although he got here shut in 2023 with 902 yards in an offense that couldn’t bust a grape. Now, and particularly towards the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday’s 36-30 extra time win, Hubbard is the epicenter of an offense that may credibly bust a lot more durable fruit regularly.

In opposition to Jonathan Gannon’s protection, Hubbard ran 25 occasions for 152 yards, two touchdowns (together with the game-winner), 109 yards after contact, six compelled missed tackles, and 4 yards of 10 or extra yards. The Panthers did a very nice job of setting Hubbard up for achievement by aligning guard Chandler Zavala up as a sixth offensive lineman on a number of performs, and when the specter of two tight ends was added to the equation, the mathematics actually didn’t work for the Cardinals.

“That’s my dawg,” Younger mentioned postgame of his function again. “The factor that folks don’t see is how laborious he works all through the week. I can’t even inform you when he leaves this place. He’s continually doing additional issues, doing little issues, continually watching movies, taking good care of his physique. He cares and provides a lot to this sport. On high of the participant he’s, the particular person he’s, the dedication that he has, the issues he exhibits me that nobody will get to see, that the surface public doesn’t get to see, that continues to construct on all of us and the way a lot we belief him.”

Extra persons are beginning to see the unseen issues at this charge. Since Week 10, Hubbard’s 530 speeding yards ranks seventh within the league.

De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has lengthy been generally known as one of many NFL’s most various and explosive offensive play-designers, and that’s nonetheless true even in a season that has been a reasonably epic disappointment for the group. Sunday’s 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers put Miami at 7-8 on the season, however the further vivid spot along with the win over Kyle Shanahan – for whom McDaniel coached from 2017 by 2021 – was the play of operating again De’Von Achane. Put merely, this was every thing the Dolphins may have hoped for from the 2023 third-rounder out of Texas A&M when he joined the group with the pre-requisite observe velocity and gobsmacking versatility.

Miami’s quarterback conundrums with and with out Tua Tagovailoa have been a significant a part of these aforementioned disappointments, however towards San Francisco’s protection, Achane blew that every one aside. He gained 120 speeding yards and scored a 50-yard landing on 17 carries, and added 70 receiving yards on six catches.

That’s the factor about Achane’s worth to the Dolphins – he’s a advantageous runner, with 761 yards and 5 touchdowns on 182 carries – however it’s as a receiver with all varieties of routes that he supplies the sort of juice one would possibly anticipate from a wholesome Christian McCaffrey. Maybe Achane is growing into McDaniel’s personal model of his mentor’s finally versatile function again.

Joe Thuney, LT, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs

To place it mildly, the Chiefs’ offensive deal with scenario this season has been a catastrophe. Left tackles Wanya Morris, Kingsley Suamataia, and D.J. Humphries have mixed to permit 9 sacks and 51 whole pressures, and proper deal with Jawaan Taylor (he of the four-year, $80 million contract with $60 million assured) has been a turnstile with extreme penalty points ever since he put pen to paper in 2023. There’s solely a lot Patrick Mahomes can overcome, particularly as he’s coping with ankle points led to by that lack of safety.

Going up towards a Houston Texans protection with edge-rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter seemed to be a horrible matchup for the defending champs, so Andy Reid and his employees made some modifications. Morris was moved to proper deal with, and star left guard Joe Thuney (among the finest within the enterprise for years) kicked out to left deal with – a place at which Thuney has seen precisely 237 snaps in his nine-year profession. 75 of these snaps got here in Week 15 towards the Cleveland Browns, and in that sport, Thuney allowed 10 whole pressures towards Myles Garrett and his crew. So, it appeared just like the Thuney experiment was another occasion of the Chiefs throwing it towards the wall at a extremely weak place.

Thuney appeared rather a lot higher towards Houston’s livid go rush. He gave up 4 pressures to Anderson and Hunter, and whereas he’ll in all probability by no means appear to be a textbook deal with on tape, he tailored sufficient to get the job completed. Furthermore, the transfer to proper deal with appeared to make Morris a extra comfy participant, because the third-year man performed totally on the appropriate aspect at Oklahoma.

“I assumed Wanya did a pleasant job coming in,” Reid mentioned postgame. “I assumed Joe [Thuney] did a pleasant job on the opposite aspect, too – stepped in there. Wanya’s, , gone again to the drafting board, labored on it and is getting higher on daily basis. I do know I say that, however each of these two younger guys [Morris and Suamataia] are going to be okay. They’ve been working like loopy to get themselves again to the place they must be.”

Ideally, the not too long ago acquired Humphries will return with a clear invoice of well being from the hamstring damage that’s not too long ago been an issue, and Thuney can return to dominating as a left guard. And it’s not as if the Chiefs’ safety matchups get any simpler; they shut out the common season towards the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, and towards the Denver Broncos on January 5. However because it stands, Thuney offers his group one possibility that isn’t an entire debacle on the surface, and that represents an improve.

The Detroit Lions’ “no-name” defensive position

David Bada. Derrick Barnes. John Cominsky. Marcus Davenport. Aidan Hutchinson. Nate Lynn. Alim McNeill. Kyle Peko. That, in alphabetical order, is the listing of Detroit Lions defensive linemen at present on injured reserve. Total, Detroit had 21 gamers on IR proper now, so it’s not precisely a secret simply how banged-up the defensive entrance is.

Nonetheless, the Lions are sporting a 13-2 document following their 34-17 Sunday win over the Chicago Bears. And whereas the Bears’ offense is unwatchable as a rule (actually, I assumed Caleb Williams may need half an opportunity to flee this group’s 75-year Quarterback Curse), however whenever you’re lacking this many guys, something you do effectively towards any offense is a worthy endeavor.

On this case, it was the Replacements – the recently-acquired ZaDarius Smith, and rotational guys Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, and Patrick O’Connor – who stepped up and made the Lions’ go rush look as if it hasn’t missed a beat. Williams was pressured on 17 of his 46 dropbacks, and when pressured, he accomplished 4 of 11 passes for 46 yards and a passer ranking of 49.8. Smith had six pressures, and Paschal, Onwuzurike, and O’Connor every had 4.

That’s what you name teaching, children. And for these not aware of the “Kick Out the Jams” reference… you’re welcome.

Kyle Van Noy, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens

The 2024 Ravens appear to be a possible Tremendous Bowl champion on offense in that you must decide which man between Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry when discussing 2024 NFL MVP candidates. The protection underneath first-year coordinator Zach Orr has been a special story, although. This unit was the NFL’s finest in 2023 underneath now-Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, however the transition was tough at first. That very same protection that clowned each opponent final season completed the primary half of the 2024 marketing campaign ranked 14th in Defensive DVOA, and twenty second towards the go. That’s rotated since Week 10 for a few causes. First, the transfer to make Kyle Hamilton extra of a pure free security versus a do-it-all man, and veteran Kyle Van Noy’s ascent as a pass-rusher.

Van Noy, now in his eleventh NFL season, has completed a little bit of every thing for 5 totally different groups – every thing from off-ball linebacker to fit defender to edge-rusher to stand-up three-technique disruptor in nickel and dime packages. In his second season with the Ravens, Van Noy now has 11 sacks (his first 10-plus sack season), and he’s nonetheless getting it completed from nearly all over the place. In Baltimore’s pivotal 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers final Saturday, Van Noy had a sack and 4 whole pressures.

Not unhealthy for an outdated man, and as former New England Patriots teammate Tom Brady identified, actually not unhealthy for a man who’s principally enjoying with a damaged face.

“[I’m] simply grateful for the fellows which were within the locker room and [pass rush coach] Chuck Smith, [assistant defensive line coach/outside linebackers] Matt [Robinson] and Coach [John] Harbaugh [for] simply permitting me to be me right here, and it’s been enjoyable,” Van Noy mentioned after the win over the Steelers. “I’ve put in a whole lot of laborious work. Lots of people wrote me off final 12 months, and I consider I’m enjoying at a Professional Bowl degree. So, the entire voters on the market, vote on your boy.”

It’s not a nasty concept, actually.

Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Denver Broncos

The 2024 Broncos are 9-6 and competing for a wild card playoff spot, which might characterize the franchise’s first postseason look since its Tremendous Bowl 50 win on the finish of the 2015 season. It’s a substantial uptick over 2023’s 8-9 debacle in Sean Payton’s first season as head coach, which was led by the unhealthy match that Russell Wilson was, and a protection that was among the many worst in NFL historical past early within the season.

Issues are typically extra in tune on the quarterback place with rookie Bo Nix, and the protection has been an absolute revelation. The Broncos have been probably the most blitzy defenses, and this has allowed them to get a ton of efficient strain. And the addition of second-year cornerback Riley Moss as a real starter has given Patrick Surtain II the bookend he has wanted.

However when Moss went out in Week 12 towards the Las Vegas Raiders with an MCL damage. That spelled hassle. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and defensive backs coach/passing sport coordinator Jim Leonhard weren’t nervous about it, as a result of they knew what fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine needed to provide. Solely they’d know, nonetheless, as a result of Abrams-Draine didn’t play a single snap on protection till the 11 he put up at exterior cornerback towards the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. The coaches favored what they noticed sufficient to offer Abrams-Draine beginning reps in Week 15 towards the Indianapolis Colts after the group’s Week 14 bye, and as soon as once more final Thursday towards the Los Angeles Chargers

In his three NFL video games, Abrams-Draine has allowed 5 catches on 15 targets for 74 yards, 24 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, one interceptions, two go breakups, and an opponent passer ranking of twenty-two.6. For a 5-foot-11, 178-pound rookie to come back in and play exterior cornerback at this degree with no earlier skilled expertise is kind of uncommon.

The Broncos misplaced that Chargers sport 34-27, however it actually wasn’t Abrams-Draine’s fault. He was focused 4 occasions on vertical passes and fast comebacks, and he gave up one catch for sis yards. He additionally bagged his first NFL interception on a deep put up from Justin Herbert to receiver Josh Palmer.

“I really feel like I belong, however actually, it was simply enjoyable to be on the sphere enjoying with my teammates,” Abrams-Draine mentioned after his first profession begin towards the Colts.

Properly, it’s enjoyable when you possibly can come into the NFL as a lockdown man out of nowhere, and that’s precisely what Abrams-Draine has completed.