10 NFL Players Who Will Turn Up the Heat for the Rest of the Season

Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton are the early-season favorites to be crowned league MVP and rightly so.

But that’s not to say there won’t be other contenders. After all, the season is just seven weeks old.

Who cares if you got off to a slow start. In 2006, LaDainian Tomlinson had just one game over 100 rushing yards through the first seven weeks.

The 2006 MVP? Tomlinson.

The San Diego Chargers running back rushed for 1,342 yards in the final 10 games, and we’ve picked 10 players who, like Tomlinson nine years ago, are set for an almighty second half.

Andrew Luck

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

“Who are you and what have you done with Andrew Luck?” is the question currently circulating around Indianapolis.

The person playing quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts certainly doesn’t bear any resemblance to the Andrew Luck we came to admire in his first three seasons.

Per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, Luck is on pace for 25 interceptions, a 76.3 passer rating and 6.66 yards per attempt, all career lows. He has completed 56.2 percent of his throws, a number Colin Kaepernick, EJ Manuel and Brian Hoyer can all better.

Luck certainly can’t blame a lack of weapons for his ineptitude. What he can blame, though, is an offensive line that has allowed 50 quarterback hits, the fourth-highest total in 2015.

But the offensive line is not the sole reason for Luck’s regression. Tom Brady is flourishing behind an offensive line that is playing musical chairs each week.

Next up on the schedule is the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos, both of whom boast great defenses.

Luck should relish the next two weeks. If he can solve his issues against the Panthers and Broncos, who sit eighth and first, respectively, in passing yards allowed, then his confidence will return for an end-of-season run-in that includes games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons, who rank 27th and 25th in pass defense, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars, who sit tied for 31st and 30th, respectively, in points allowed per game.

Matthew Stafford

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions’ season has been an unmitigated mess, and on Monday the team fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi along with offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan.

Something had to change. The offense has committed more turnovers than any other team and scored the fourth-fewest points. Only Sam Bradford and Peyton Manning have more interceptions than Matthew Stafford’s nine.

In his seventh season in the NFL, it might be time to start wondering if we’ve already seen the best of Stafford. The reason why we shouldn’t, however, is due to Lombardi’s replacement.

Jim Bob Cooter has been Stafford’s quarterback coach the last two seasons and though that doesn’t guarantee success, it does mean the one person with an extremely close connection to Stafford is now calling the plays.

Their tight-knit relationship seems to have played a part in the decision to appoint Cooter the new offensive coordinator, per NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal. 

With the offense under new leadership, a schedule that includes games against four of the 10 worst passing defenses and tight end Eric Ebron back after a knee injury forced him to miss Week 5 and 6, Stafford can get back to his gunslinging best.

Marshawn Lynch

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Before last Thursday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, running back Marshawn Lynch’s best game of the season was in Week 1, where he rushed for 73 yards.

A hamstring injury forced Lynch out of Week 4 and 5, but his 122-yard, one touchdown showing against the 49ers proved that Beastmode is back. And, if history is anything to go by, he’s only going to get better.

Season	YPG in Week 1-8	TD's in Week 1-8	YPG in Week 9-17	TD's in Week 9-17
2014	68.9	3	91.6	10
2013	75.1	6	82	6
2012	94.6	3	104.1	8
2011	43.8	3	104.6	9
2010	43.4	1	48.1	5
2009	43.4	1	29.1	1
2008	64.3	6	73.3	2
2007	76.7	4	96.3	3

All stats rushing.

YPG - Yards Per Game

Alfred Blue

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Alfred Blue will get the chance to spearhead the Houston Texans’ ground game after Arian Foster suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Blue is still finding himself in the league after a disappointing 2014 season that culminated in 528 rushing yards at 3.1 yards per carry.

But in the two games Blue has received an extended number of snaps—in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season—he has put up incredible numbers.

Season	vs.	Carries	Yards	Yards Per Carry
2014	at Cleveland Browns	36	156	4.3
2015	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	31	139	4.5

Blue will be looking forward to the Week 8 and Week 16 bouts against the Tennessee Titans. The Texans’ divisional foes rank 29th in rushing defense, relinquishing an average 129.2 yards per game.

According to NFL media insider Ian Rapoport, the Texans aren’t expected to bring in another running back, so the onus is on Blue to give the Texans hope ahead of next season. The second-year back has a genuine opportunity to make the top spot on the depth chart his own not just for this season, but in future years too.

Sammy Watkins

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

From complaining about his number of targets to ankle and calf injuries that have forced him to miss three games, Sammy Watkins’ sophomore season has been nothing less than a disaster.

Through seven weeks of the 2014 campaign, Watkins, the fourth overall pick in that year's draft, had 433 receiving yards. Not a great figure by any stretch, but a significant improvement on the 147 yards he has in 2015.

Watkins travelled but didn’t play in the 34-31 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. With the Bills on a bye in Week 8, it’s expected Watkins will be ready for the divisional clash against the Miami Dolphins on November 8.

We’ve yet to see the best of the Bills’ offensive triumvirate of Watkins, Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy, but each will benefit when all are healthy and on the same page.

Especially Watkins. McCoy had 17 carries against the Cincinnati Bengals and 18 against the Jaguars. Feed McCoy early and often, and the opportunities for Watkins will quickly arise.

At full health, Watkins can ignite a Bills team that has lost its spark in the past fortnight. There’s no doubting the talent—the 22-year-old was named NFL Rookie of the Week three times in 2014.

He was 18 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards from just 65 receptions last year. Watkins may not see as much of the ball as he would like, but the only thing standing between him and the Pro Bowl is his health.

Eli Manning

Al Bello/Getty Images

Eli Manning is on pace for his best-ever season in terms of completion percentage and interceptions.

His passer rating of 92.4 ranks third in his career, behind the campaigns of 2009 (93.1) and 2011 (92.9).

And those numbers are set to improve when Manning’s top weapons get healthy.

Odell Beckham Jr. is currently playing with a hamstring injury, while Victor Cruz, who hasn’t played a snap in 2015, is optimistic about returning from a calf injury soon, per NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan. 

Manning’s lack of weapons—Rueben Randle is currently the Giants’ second-best receiver with 329 yards—means opposing teams can put double coverage on Beckham Jr. without too much risk. If Randle or Dwayne Harris can step up, Manning won’t need to wait for Beckham Jr. or Cruz to get healthy.

Manning deserves credit for leading his team to the top of the NFC East without a great deal of help. The ground game hasn’t been a reliable asset—the Giants rank 25th in rushing yards.

At 4-3, the Giants have winnable games against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers next before a home clash against the New England Patriots. If they enter their Week 11 bye with a 6-4 record, and get Beckham Jr. and Cruz back for the final six weeks, the Giants will expect to extend their season beyond Week 17. And two of the last three times Manning has reached the playoffs he’s left with a Super Bowl ring.

Brandon Boykin

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Brandon Boykin’s tenure in Pittsburgh hasn’t been as fruitful as Boykin hoped it would be.

Traded by the Philadelphia Eagles in August, nobody expected Boykin to play just 21 snaps through seven weeks, per SportingCharts.com.

Ten of those snaps came when William Gay and Antwon Blake left the field due to injuries in the Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The status of Gay’s shoulder injury is unclear but if he does miss this Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Boykin will step in.

Boykin didn’t miss a single game in three years for the Eagles, and in 2013 he recorded six interceptions. Steeler Nation has been calling for Boykin to play, and it may get its wish this week.

Brandon LaFell

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Brandon LaFell’s inclusion on this list may seem a little harsh given that the Patriots wide receiver has started just one game, but to say that one game was abysmal would be to understate.

The Patriots waived defensive lineman Khyri Thornton to make room for LaFell, who was activated from the PUP list for the game against the New York Jets, but Thornton would have been more use to Tom Brady on Sunday.

LaFell was targeted eight times and had six drops. Rusty or not, that’s a horrendous return. The receiver graded his performance an "F," per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. 

But there’s no doubt LaFell will turn it around. The receiver had 953 receiving yards in 2014, and the guy throwing to him is the best in the business.

Thanks to the stellar performances of Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots don’t need to rush LaFell back. The 28-year-old, who missed all of training camp due to an ankle injury, can be eased back into the mix, his snap count increased with each passing week until he returns to his best.

The Patriots are getting a serious weapon back in LaFell. Now, that’s a scary thought.

Joe Flacco

Norm Hall/Getty Images

At 1-6 (the sole win coming in fortuitous circumstances) the Baltimore Ravens can forget about 2015 and begin offseason preparations.

Part of those plans will include giving Joe Flacco a host of new weapons. Steve Smith Sr., the team’s best receiver, expects this to be his last season. Behind Smith, Flacco is throwing to Kamar Aiken and Crockett Gillmore. Combined, their receiving yards for the season is still 83 yards behind Smith’s 588.

Flacco’s situation hasn’t been helped by the absence of Breshad Perriman, the team’s first-round pick in 2015, and tight end Dennis Pitta.

Perriman suffered a sprained PCL in training camp, and the chances of him returning before season’s end appear slim based on Rotoworld's estimation that he seems headed for injured reserve. 

Pitta, on the other hand, practiced for the first time in 2015 on Oct. 21, and the Ravens have two weeks to activate him or keep him on the PUP list.

If the Ravens take the former option, the once-reliable tight end will quickly become Flacco’s most trusted option.

It’s a big ask for a player recovering from a second dislocated and fractured right hip but, as the Ravens’ season flutters into nothingness, the return of the 30-year-old Pitta is about as good as it gets.

Eddie Lacy

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Eddie Lacy doesn’t do fast starts.

In his rookie season, the Packers running back averaged fewer than four yards per carry in three of his first six games. In 2014, Lacy averaged 40.25 rushing yards through the first four weeks.

2015 paints a similar picture. Lacy is yet to run for more than 90 yards, and in a Week 6 bout against the San Diego Chargers he had just three rushing yards from four carries.

Lacy’s struggles can be attributed to a sprained ankle sustained in Week 2. Rather incredibly (or stupidly, depending on your viewpoint), the third-year back hasn’t missed a game, playing through the injury.

The Packers had a much-needed bye in Week 7, and it is hoped the extended break will allow Lacy to be at full health for Sunday night’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Lacy doesn’t do fast starts, but he certainly finishes strong.

In Week 15 of the 2013 season he rushed for 141 yards in the Packers’ dramatic 37-36 win over the Dallas Cowboys. A week later he scored two touchdowns and had 5.6 yards per carry against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Last season he averaged 98.67 yards in the final six games of the regular season, including a 125-yard display against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12.

It’s a similar rhetoric year after year for Lacy: As the temperature drops, Lacy gets hot.

Lacy vs. the Minnesota Vikings:

Games	Carries	Yards	Yards Per Carry	Touchdowns
4	92	434	4.72	5

He has rushed for at least 1,100 yards in each of his two seasons in the league, and he needs 840 more yards to achieve the feat in 2015. With 10 regular-season games left, it would be foolish to bet against him.