A couple weeks ago, we focused on the five-most surprising players in the NFL after about the first month of the season. In what can’t be considered a shocker, some of these players have fallen completely off the map since.
Now that we are inching towards the midway point of the year, the landscape of the league has started to clear up a bit more. And we figured it made sense to check in and see which players have surprised onlookers over the course of the first seven weeks of the season.
1. T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
Courtesy of ESPN.com: Hilton has been much more consistent this season.
Hilton has clearly taken over as Andrew Luck’s favorite target in the Colts’ passing game. He’s put up 47 receptions for 711 yards through seven games and is catching over 70 percent of the passes thrown in his direction this year. And while Hilton has caught just one touchdown on the season, he’s proven to be a much more consistent player than we have seen in the past. This is magnified by the fact that Hilton has dropped just two passes this year compared to 19 in his first two NFL seasons. He is currently on pace for 107 catches and over 1,600 yards.
2. Connor Barwin, Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles
https://twitter.com/ESPNMondayNight/status/524216026150359041
After struggling to get to the quarterback in the past two seasons (eight sacks total), Barwin has put up six sacks in as many games thus far this year with Philadelphia. The difference here is that the Eagles are using the former Houston Texans standout in more of a pass-rush role this season compared to his first year with the team in 2013. Playing to his strengths, Barwin has helped Philadelphia turn the corner as it relates to putting pressure on the quarterback. And that’s something it will need to continue in order to contend with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East moving forward this season.
3. Orlando Scandrick, Cornerback, Dallas Cowboys
Courtesy of USA Today: Orlando Scandrick is playing the best ball of his career.
Scandrick, who missed the first two games of the season due to suspension, has been an important cog in the Cowboys improved defense since taking over for the injured Morris Claiborne as a starter. Coming off a 2013 campaign that saw him go the entire year without yielding a touchdown, Scandrick has taken his overall performance to new heights.
He’s allowing just over seven yards par target, has intercepted a pass and just seems to be much more comfortable under new coordinator Rod Marinelli, who is scheming to a lot of his player’s strengths in Dallas. If Scandrick can continue this high level of play, the Cowboys defense should continue to surprise.
4. Justin Forsett, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens
Justin Forsett has seven runs of 20 or more yards, which is two more than the #Ravens had as a team for the entire 2013 season
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 19, 2014
Now the primary ball carrier in Baltimore, all Forsett has done is rack up 621 yards and three touchdowns in seven games (five starts). The veteran is coming off a Week 7 performance that saw him gain 95 yards on a season-high 23 attempts against the Atlanta Falcons.
It’s this type of balance on Baltimore’s offense that has enabled Joe Flacco to succeed a great deal through the air. After all, it’s not a coincidence that Flacco is averaging just 30 pass attempts per game since Forsett started seeing regular action. That’s a dramatic decline from the 62 pass attempts he put up in Week 1. And in reality, that’s also one of the primary reasons that Baltimore has won five of its last six games. Now through seven games, Forsett is on pace for nearly 1,500 total yards and has been more productive than both Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce were last season.
5. Joe Barksdale, Offensive Tackle, St. Louis Rams
https://twitter.com/tglangland/status/519150398666326018
The simple fact that Barksdale has not yielded a single sack in six games should be reason enough for him to be on this list. The former Oakland Raiders third-round pick in 2011 started just two games in his first two NFL seasons before starting 13 games between right guard and right tackle last season.
Looking to upgrade from Barksdale in the offseason, St. Louis spent the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft on Greg Robinson, who made his first NFL start against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. Interestingly enough, Barksdale remained the starter at right tackle with Davin Joseph moving to the bench. Still only 25 years old, Barksdale now has the position locked up and continues to improve on a weekly basis.
Photo: NFL.com