The NFL Power Rankings hate to tell you this, but the season is nearing its end. The playoff picture is coming into focus. Fans of the seven teams officially eliminated from the playoffs (the Jets, Browns, Patriots, Titans, Jaguars, Raiders and Giants) are digging into Dane Brugler’s NFL Draft content. Fans of the six teams with a 7 percent or worse chance of making the playoffs (the 49ers, Bengals, Cowboys, Saints, Bears and Panthers) are digging into our playoff projections to see if they can figure out how their team can work a miracle.
That’s 13 teams already eliminated or all but officially eliminated from the postseason with four weeks to go. That’s a bit of a downer, so this week we’re going to put a positive spin on things by pointing out a breakout player from every team. These are not team MVPs. We’ll get to that soon. These are the players you might not have heard much about but are making a big impact on their teams.
Last week: 1
Thursday: Beat Green Bay Packers 34-31
Breakout player: Wide receiver Tim Patrick
Patrick suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2022 preseason. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the 2023 preseason. He was cut by the Broncos in the 2024 preseason. And now the Lions have another weapon. Patrick, who began the season on Detroit’s practice squad, caught two touchdowns against the Packers, his first since 2021. “The journey was long, but it was worth it,” he said Thursday. “I’ve won the most games I’ve won in my career. I’ve got like 30 reporters in front of me right now. I’m very blessed and thankful for this team.”
Up next: vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Last week: 2
Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 22-16
Breakout player: Linebacker Nakobe Dean
A third-round pick in 2022, Dean had started only four games coming into the season. He played only five games total last year because of a foot injury, and now he’s second on the team with 94 tackles after adding a team-high 12 against the Panthers. He also has three sacks, six quarterback hits, four passes defended and two fumble recoveries.
Up next: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
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Last week: 5
Sunday: Beat Atlanta Falcons 42-21
Breakout player: Running back Aaron Jones.
Calling the eighth-year pro a breakout player is stretching the term, but the impact players in Minnesota are all known names, and Jones has added an element to his game this season. He has 37 catches for 302 yards to go with 893 rushing yards, already his second-best total since 2020. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry against the Falcons on Sunday.
Up next: vs. Chicago Bears, Monday, 8 p.m. ET
Aaron Jones puts the finishing touches on this one.
📺: #ATLvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/W1PR0o6MV3— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024
4. Green Bay Packers (9-4)
Last week: 4
Thursday: Lost to Detroit Lions 34-31
Breakout player: Quarterback Malik Willis
Yes, cornerback Xavier McKinney has a case with his career-high seven interceptions, and yes, Willis has started only two games this year, but don’t forget what he did in those games. He passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown, and Green Bay won both games. Willis had 350 passing yards and 144 rushing yards in two seasons in Tennessee, where he made three starts and played in 11 games.
Up next: at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
5. Buffalo Bills (10-3)
Last week: 3
Sunday: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 44-42
Breakout player: Safety Damar Hamlin
The player who survived cardiac arrest on the field in January 2023 is thriving this season. A sixth-round draft pick in 2021, Hamlin played in only five games last year, but this season has started all 13, is second on the team with 83 tackles and has recorded his first career interception and first career fumble recovery. He has two interceptions and five passes defended.
Up next: at Detroit Lions, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
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Last week: 6
Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Chargers 19-17
Breakout player: Cornerback Chamarri Conner
It’s mostly the old guard getting things done in Kansas City, but Conner could be the next really good cornerback developed by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick has a career-high 68 tackles and, more importantly, is filling up the stat sheet with impact plays — two interceptions, a fumble returned for a touchdown, a sack and four quarterback hits.
Up next: at Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Tight end Darnell Washington has been a surprising contributor to the Steelers offense this season. (Barry Reeger / Imagn Images)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)
Last week: 7
Sunday: Beat Cleveland Browns 27-14
Breakout player: Tight end Darnell Washington
Washington is not the Pittsburgh player most thankful Arthur Smith is now the offensive coordinator, but he’s high on the list. The 6-foot-7, 264-pounder is mostly a sixth offensive lineman, but he already has more than doubled last season’s catch total and has 18 catches for 192 yards under the tight end-loving Smith this year. Linebacker Payton Wilson, a risky third-round pick this year because of his injury history, gets a mention because he’s tied for fifth on the team with 55 tackles.
Up next: at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Last week: 8
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson
Oh, look, the Ravens found another pass rusher. This one started his college career at the University of Guelph in Canada. After recording 26 tackles and one sack as a rookie, Robinson has 3 1/2 sacks and 12 quarterback hits this season. The Ravens are third in the NFL in sacks with 41, but they are running out of time to catch the Steelers in the AFC North.
Up next: at New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
Last week: 12
Sunday: Beat Arizona Cardinals 30-18
Breakout player: Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
This is the player Seattle thought it was getting when it took Smith-Njigba with the 20th pick last year. He leads the Seahawks with 75 catches for 911 yards, which is 12 more catches and 283 yards more than he had all of last season. He had five catches for 82 yards Sunday, and he’s third in receiving yards per game (104.6) since Week 9.
Up next: vs. Green Bay Packers, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
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10. Denver Broncos (8-5)
Last week: 10
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto
A second-round draft pick in 2022, Bonitto had eight sacks last year so he’s not coming out of nowhere, but not many people thought he’d be tied for second in the league with 11 sacks, only 1 1/2 sacks behind Trey Hendrickson’s league lead. Wide receiver Devaughn Vele, a seventh-round pick this year, deserves a mention, too. He is third on the team with 33 catches and has 377 yards and a touchdown. Vele had a career-high 80 yards against the Raiders two weeks ago.
Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Last week: 9
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Safety Jeremy Chinn
After two down years to end his time in Carolina, Chinn is healthy and enjoying his new life in Washington. He has started all 13 games for the Commanders, which already tops his games played totals from the last two seasons, and he’s second on the team with 86 tackles, which is almost three times what he had a year ago with the Panthers. Washington may end up regretting it only signed him to a one-year deal.
Up next: at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
12. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)
Last week: 11
Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 19-17
Breakout player: Wide receiver Ladd McConkey
Even after missing Sunday night’s game with shoulder and knee injuries (and you could tell how much Justin Herbert missed him), McConkey is 20th in the league in receiving yards (815). Since Week 10, he is fourth in receiving yards per game (93.75). Not bad for the ninth receiver selected in the 2024 draft.
Up next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Last week: 13
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Cornerback Kamari Lassiter
The second-round pick doesn’t get as much attention as some of this year’s other rookie cornerbacks, but he’s looking like a player who is on his way to locking up pass catchers opposite Derek Stingley Jr. for a long time. Lassiter and Stingley are tied for second on the team with three interceptions and tied for sixth on the team with 41 tackles each.
Up next: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Rookie running back Bucky Irving is a big reason the Bucs are leading the NFC South. (Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)
Last week: 14
Sunday: Beat Las Vegas Raiders 28-13
Breakout player: Running back Bucky Irving
The fourth-round pick out of Oregon is Tampa Bay’s leading rusher with 735 yards. He’s also fifth on the team in receptions with 36 for 300 yards. And he’s probably the favorite player of most Buccaneers fans, who fill Raymond James Stadium with “Buck-y, Buck-y” chants after his darting runs. Irving has become popular with fantasy owners, too, although they were upset he produced only four carries for 3 yards Sunday after dealing with a hip injury all week.
Up next: at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
15. Los Angeles Rams (7-6)
Last week: 16
Sunday: Beat Buffalo Bills 44-42
Breakout player: Outside linebacker Jared Verse
The No. 19 pick from this year has 58 quarterback pressures, according to TruMedia. That’s fourth in the league and 18 more than second-place rookie Chop Robinson. In fact, it is 16 percent of the total pressures compiled by all defensive rookies this year, according to TruMedia. That has resulted in only 4 1/2 sacks so far, but more production looks like it’s on the way.
Up next: at San Francisco 49ers, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
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16. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
Last week: 20
Sunday: Beat New York Jets 32-26
Breakout player: Tight end Jonnu Smith
The eighth-year pro didn’t have a catch in the first 60 minutes Sunday, but he had three catches for 44 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He’s now third on the team with 61 catches, which is only four fewer than Tyreek Hill. His five receiving touchdowns are tied with Hill for second on the team and his 692 receiving yards are the most he’s had in any season in his career.
Up next: at Houston Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
17. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
Last week: 15
Sunday: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 30-18
Breakout player: Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr.
After signing a three-year free-agency contract, Wilson has started 13 games this year, which is more than he started in the last three seasons combined with the Patriots and Browns. He’s also third on the team with 67 tackles, which is more than he’s had since his rookie season in 2019. Plus, he has three sacks and a team-high seven quarterback hits.
Up next: vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
18. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)
Last week: 22
Sunday: Beat Chicago Bears 38-13
Breakout player: Wide receiver Jauan Jennings
In a season in which almost nothing has worked, Jennings has. The seventh-round pick from 2020 is second on the team with 774 yards after seven more catches and 90 yards against the Bears. He has 221 more receiving yards than Deebo Samuel. His six receiving touchdowns are second on the team to only George Kittle, and he has set career highs in both catches (57, previous high of 35) and yards (previous high of 416).
Up next: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
19. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)
Last week: 18
Monday: Beat Dallas Cowboys 27-20
Breakout player: Tight end Mike Gesicki
It’s tough to break out offensively in Cincinnati, where Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have nearly 2,000 receiving yards combined, but Gesicki has managed to have something of a bounce-back year with the Bengals. He didn’t top 32 catches in 2022 or 2023, which explains why Miami and New England let him leave, but this year’s 39 catches for 436 yards as the third option for Joe Burrow is not bad.
Up next: at Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
20. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
Last week: 19
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Safety Nick Cross
Cross has been inserted into the starting lineup in his third year and so far has responded with 125 tackles. That’s 69 more than he had in his first two years combined. He also has two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble. Six times this season, he’s had double-digit tackles.
Up next: at Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
21. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
Last week: 17
Sunday: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 42-21
Breakout player: Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III
After six seasons of mostly kick return duty, McCloud came to Atlanta wanting to prove he had been underutilized throughout his career. He has, and he’s already reached career highs in catches (53) and yards (574) after having a career-high eight catches for 98 yards against the Vikings. Unfortunately for McCloud, he also had a key fourth-quarter fumble on a kickoff return.
Up next: at Las Vegas Raiders, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
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22. Dallas Cowboys (5-8)
Last week: 21
Monday: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 27-20
Breakout player: Running back Rico Dowdle
Should the Cowboys have tried to sign Derrick Henry? Definitely, but at least it has worked out for Dowdle, an undrafted free agent who is having a career year in his fifth NFL season. Dowdle has gotten the first starts of his NFL career this year and leads the Cowboys with 731 yards. He had 385 in his career coming into the season.
Up next: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
23. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
Last week: 24
Sunday: Beat New York Giants 14-11
Breakout player: Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee
Last year’s first-round draft pick moved into a starting role this season, and he has 7 1/2 sacks after recording another one against the Giants. That wasn’t his most impressive or most important play of the day, though. It was his hurdling field goal block on the final play of the game. Bresee’s sack total leads the team and is 20th in the league, and he is second on the team in quarterback hits (13).
Up next: vs. Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Field-Level View of the Bryan Bresee blocked FG 👀
📺: Next Sunday vs Commanders (Noon CT – FOX) pic.twitter.com/vpOPlbNUHO
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 8, 2024
24. Chicago Bears (4-9)
Last week: 23
Sunday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 38-13
Breakout player: Punter Tory Taylor
Remember when everyone had a good laugh because Caleb Williams texted Taylor after the draft to tell him that he wasn’t going to be punting much? Oh, well. Taylor is punting 4.85 times per game, the second-most in the league this season and the 12th-most since 2015. The problem is he’s not doing it that well. He’s 19th in net punting (41.6 yards per kick). Still, he’s a standout on a team when nothing else is going right. He averaged 52.7 yards yards on six punts Sunday.
Up next: at Minnesota Vikings, Monday, 8 p.m. ET
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25. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Last week: 25
Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 27-14
Breakout player: Quarterback Jameis Winston
Cleveland’s quarterback situation has gone from the least fun to the most fun since Winston replaced the injured Deshaun Watson. Winston’s pregame speeches to the team and postgame talks with the media have become must-see TV, and he’s fourth in passing yards (1,892) and eighth in touchdown passes (12) since taking over as the starter for Watson in Week 8. He’s also first in interceptions (nine) in that span.
Up next: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
I need you to watch the video Jameis Winston recorded for this QB comp on ESPN 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5UOJw32JxK
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 3, 2024
26. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
Last week: 26
Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 22-16
Breakout player: Quarterback Bryce Young
Can someone win Comeback Player of the Year for an in-season comeback? If it’s ever going to happen, it should be Young because he has come back from the professional grave after being benched for ineffectiveness after Week 2. Andy Dalton’s thumb injury opened the door for Young to return to the starting lineup, and he’s played well enough that Carolina now might be considering giving him another shot next year. Young is 23rd in EPA per dropback (.02) since getting his job back in Week 5, which isn’t great but is a huge improvement over his pre-benching numbers.
Up next: vs. Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
27. New England Patriots (3-10)
Last week: 27
Sunday: Bye
Breakout player: Defensive lineman Keion White
Everyone other than Drake Maye is having a pretty quiet season, but White is becoming a consistent difference-maker on the defensive line. He has career highs in sacks (five), tackles for loss (seven), quarterback hits (15) and pass deflections (five) while playing all across the Patriots’ line.
Up next: at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)
Last week: 31
Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 10-6
Breakout player: Running back Tank Bigsby
Sunday’s Jags-Titans game had only one touchdown, and it was scored by Bigsby on an 8-yard run. He finished with 18 carries for 55 yards and has officially supplanted Travis Etienne as Jacksonville’s No. 1 back. He leads Jacksonville with 602 yards on 120 carries, and he also leads the NFL in yards per carry after contact (4.1) among players with more than 50 carries, according to TruMedia.
Up next: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
29. Tennessee Titans (3-10)
Last week: 28
Sunday: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 10-6
Breakout player: Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
The fifth-year pro has 21 catches this season. Eight of them have gone for touchdowns. His receiving yards total of 384 isn’t very impressive, but his 18.3 yards per catch average (which was boosted by a 98-yard touchdown catch earlier this season) is. It would rank third in the league if he had enough catches to qualify. Still, he received only two targets against the Jaguars.
Up next: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
30. New York Jets (3-10)
Last week: 29
Sunday: Lost to Miami Dolphins 32-26
Breakout player: Linebacker Jamien Sherwood
A rare bright spot in a dim season for the Jets, the fifth-round pick from 2021 is coming into his own in his fourth year. He had 18 tackles against the Dolphins, the most by a Jets player since 2007. His previous career high in tackles for a season was 46. He now has 125. He also has two sacks and two quarterback hits.
Up next: at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
Last week: 30
Sunday: Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-13
Breakout player: Running back Sincere McCormick
It doesn’t take much to stand out in Las Vegas, but McCormick has more going for him than just the best name in the NFL. An undrafted free agent in 2022, he hadn’t played in an NFL game until Week 5 this year. He didn’t get his first carry until Week 12. Now he has 175 yards on 32 carries after getting 15 chances and gaining a career-high 78 yards against the Buccaneers.
Up next: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
32. New York Giants (2-11)
Last week: 32
Sunday: Lost to New Orleans Saints 14-11
Breakout player: Wide receiver Malik Nabers
The rookie leads the league in targets per game with 11.45. His 74.45 receiving yards per game are eighth in the league. However, he has only three receiving touchdowns and his last one came in Week 3. When asked Sunday about the airplane banner over the stadium calling for team owner John Mara to fix the “dumpster fire,” Nabers replied, “I ain’t pay for the plane.”
Up next: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
(Top photo of Aaron Jones: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
