Jauan Jennings, Kerby Joseph amongst NFL Secret Superstars for Week 11

As any NFL season progresses, there shall be extra unheralded gamers who stand up from humble beginnings to turn out to be components, and guys whose careers have gone sideways who one way or the other discover the street again to relevance.

We prefer to rejoice these gamers each week in “Secret Superstars.” This week, we now have a working again who’s lastly thriving with a clear invoice of well being, two pass-rushers who’re essential to defenses shifting in numerous instructions, and two defensive backs who’re displaying up in extremely surprising methods.

J.Okay. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Dobbins was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens within the second spherical of the 2020 draft out of Ohio State, and he spent his first 4 NFL seasons as a part of Baltimore’s steady of pre-Derrick Henry working backs. Accidents restricted his potential with the workforce, particularly the torn ACL he suffered within the 2021 preseason that put him out for that complete common season, and Dobbins gained simply 22 yards and scored one speeding landing on eight carries in 2023.

However former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who grew to become Jim Harbaugh’s sidekick with the Chargers earlier than the 2024 season, didn’t neglect what Dobbins would possibly deliver to the sector when wholesome. The Chargers signed Dobbins to a one-year, $1.6 million contract this offseason, and that’s was one of many NFL’s greatest bargains. By way of 10 video games and eight begins this season, Dobbins already has 726 yards and eight speeding touchdowns on 152 carries. He’s compelled 32 missed tackles, tied for twelfth within the league with Detroit’s David Montgomery, and he has 9 speeding makes an attempt of 15 yards or extra.

Dobbins made all of the distinction within the Chargers’ thrilling 34-27 Sunday win over the Cincinnati Bengals – a victory that put the workforce at 7-3 on the season. He had simply 56 yards on 11 carries, however he additionally ran for 2 touchdowns – a one-yard vertical particular within the second quarter, and the game-winning 26-yarder with 26 seconds left on the clock.

Like a variety of Chargers gamers this season, Dobbins is benefiting from a great mixture of circumstance and training, and after a number of unlucky false begins to his profession, he’s taking advantage of it.

Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers

It’s exhausting to maintain monitor of all of the 49ers’ offensive playmakers. Between Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk, anybody else is perhaps minimized simply because there are such a lot of forward of them on the listing. This has been the case for receiver Jauan Jennings, the 2020 seventh-round pick of Tennessee. Final Sunday, San Francisco couldn’t fairly get by the Seattle Seahawks in a 20-17 loss, however Jennings did all the things he may for a extra optimum consequence. He caught 10 passes on 11 targets for 91 yards and a landing, successful on all the things from fast pivot routes to zone-busting slants.

Anquan Boldin is a possible Corridor of Famer primarily based totally on his work with the Arizona Cardinals from 2003 by 2009. However later in his profession, each with the Baltimore Ravens beneath John Harbaugh and the 49ers beneath Jim Harbaugh, Boldin remained a beast to cowl although he didn’t have the identical pace and athletic separation potential. How? He adjusted to being a bully on the catch level, a route chef par excellence, and somebody you actually didn’t need to sort out. Whereas the remainder of Kyle Shanahan’s stars had been struggling by the hands of Seattle’s immediately stout move protection, Jennings did what he does – he went full late-career Boldin, and received again and again with pure bodily dominance.

Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers

With head coach Brandon Staley as the first shot-caller, the 2023 Chargers protection ranked twenty sixth in Defensive DVOA. Now, with new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter working issues, they’ve moved as much as tenth. It’s a pleasant soar, and there are a variety of causes for it. One is the play of second-year edge-rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, chosen within the second spherical of the 2023 draft out of USC.

It’s not that Tuipulotu wanted Minter to get on the great foot within the NFL – he had eight sacks and 51 complete pressures in his rookie season. However now, on this drastically improved protection, Tuipulotu has upped his recreation to a wholly new degree. This has been very true over the Chargers’ final three video games, by which he’s led all the NFL in each sacks and complete pressures. He’s already matched his rookie sack complete.

At 6-foot-4 and 266 kilos, Tuipulotu combines the ability of a 280-pound man with the speeding pace and suppleness of a 240-pound man. It’s an estimable combine, and one the Chargers’ opponents are studying to really feel – and concern.

Odafe Oweh, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens haven’t precisely thrived within the transition from Mike Macdonald to Zach Orr as defensive coordinator. They’ve dropped from first in Defensive DVOA in 2023 to thirteenth this season, and the tape reveals a protection that appears extra weak than even the metrics present.

(In 2024, that is what is named Reverse Chargering).

Baltimore’s protection was respectable sufficient in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers final Sunday — the Ravens misplaced the sport 18-16 — however additionally they turned Russell Wilson right into a pumpkin, and Baltimore’s weirdness was totally on offense and particular groups.

Within the matter of the Ravens’ defensive enchancment this time round, we will start with Odafe Oweh, the fourth-year pass-rusher from Penn State who has loved three fairly good seasons, and goes all the best way off the hook in 12 months 4. Oweh already has a career-high seven sacks, and three of these got here within the Steelers recreation. Neither Dan Moore Jr., Pittsburgh’s left sort out, nor Brderick Jones, Pittsburgh’s proper sort out, had any solutions for him.

If the Ravens are to reverse their defensive points, they’ll want constant quarterback stress, and Oweh is on level to offer it.

Mike Sainristil, CB, Washington Commanders

The Commanders’ 2024 draft is about extra than simply quarterback Jayden Daniels, although Daniels has been the plain centerpiece. Defensive sort out Johnny Newton, tight finish Ben Sinnott, left sort out Brandon Coleman, and receiver Luke McCaffrey have all made contributions. However the greatest shock of this draft class is perhaps Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Sainristil was taken with the fiftieth general choose within the second spherical as a result of he was an absolute demon with the Wolverines. However at 5-foot-10 and 182 kilos, Sainristil was perceived as restricted to the slot by a variety of analysts, and that bore out from his collegiate profession – he had 985 slot snaps, and 178 exterior. However beneath new head coach and defensive mastermind Dan Quinn, the Commanders have had greater than their share of points with their present exterior cornerbacks, and Sainristil began to get extra reps there in Week 3.

The transition has been a clean one, and this was particularly the case in Washington’s Week 11 recreation in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles. Sainristil allowed two catches on 5 targets for 31 yards, 17 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two move breakups, and an opponent passer ranking of 61.3.

The Commanders not too long ago traded for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore to shore up their exterior deficits, however Lattimore isn’t but wholesome sufficient to take the sector. Within the interim, Sainristil – who has by no means allowed an opponent passer ranking greater than 100.0 in 9 video games as an out of doors cornerback – appears to have discovered his area of interest in a means few anticipated.

Kerby Joseph, Security, Detroit Lions

Since we’re with reference to defensive backs who’ve risen in surprising methods, how about Kerby Joseph? The Lions took Joseph within the third spherical of the 2022 draft out of Illinois, and Joseph’s rookie season was fairly tough. He did have 4 interceptions and 4 move breakups, however he additionally allowed 5 touchdowns and an opponent passer ranking of 89.2.

Since then, although, Joseph has been about as lockdown as you’ll discover amongst NFL safeties. He hasn’t allowed a landing in every of the final two seasons, and teamed with fellow security Brian Department, who the Lions stole within the second spherical of the 2023 draft, Joseph mans half of the league’s finest and most opportunistic deep-third duo. No participant no matter place has extra interceptions over the past three seasons than Joseph, and he may also drive down from the field or the slot to take working backs proper out of their rhythms.

He confirmed that after once more in Detroit’s 52-6 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars final Sunday.

Everyone talks concerning the Lions’ offense, and for good cause. However Detroit at present ranks second in Defensive DVOA, and first in Weighted Defensive DVOA, which takes current video games extra into consideration. That wouldn’t be the case with out Joseph, who has allowed 10 catches on 20 targets for 144 yards, 42 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, seven (!!!) interceptions, a move breakup, and an opponent passer ranking of 34.2.

That Lions protection is stuffed with Secret Superstars as a result of the offense is so vivid. However beginning with Kerby Joseph, you’ll be able to guess that it’s by no means a secret to the remainder of the NFL.