Romeo Doubs, Cole Kmet amongst Week 6’s Secret Superstars

Because the 2024 NFL season rolls merrily alongside, we begin to see developments and tendencies we will depend on to take us by the remainder of the marketing campaign. We additionally see extra unheralded gamers who’ve seized their alternatives to come back out of seemingly nowhere and grow to be main elements for his or her groups.

There have been a number of such gamers in Week 6, and listed below are our Secret Superstars now that the week is over, and we’ve all survived it!

Tampa Bay’s backup operating backs

Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is a reasonably good dude, and coming into Sunday’s sport in opposition to the New Orleans Saints, he was most likely effectively conscious that Dennis Allen’s Saints protection had one deadly flaw – their incapability to cease anyone’s run sport.

Although the primary 5 weeks of the 2024 season, the Saints ranked 21st in Adjusted Line Yards allowed, twenty second in operating again yards allowed, twenty ninth in energy success allowed (share of runs on third or fourth down, two yards or much less to go, that obtain a primary down or landing), lifeless final in stuff charge (share of runs the place the operating again is tackled at or behind the road of scrimmage), 18th in second-level run yardage charge (yards which an opponent’s operating backs earn between 5-10 yards previous the road of scrimmage, divided by whole operating again carries), and seventeenth in open-field run yardage charge (yards which an opponent’s operating backs earn greater than 10 yards previous the road of scrimmage, divided by whole operating again carries).

Per Subsequent Gen Stats, the Saints protection had used dime personnel (six defensive backs) on 23.2% of performs this season, the third-highest charge within the NFL.

In Weeks 1-2, the Saints allowed simply 3.8 yards per play in dime personnel, fewest amongst defenses that used dime on a minimum of 10 performs. In Weeks 3-5, the Saints allowed 8.7 yards per play in dime personnel, fourth-most amongst defenses that used dime on a minimum of 10 performs.

Coen seemingly computed all of that, put it in a blender, after which despatched his operating backs onto the sector to place New Orleans’ protection in a blender – which is strictly the way it turned out.

The Buccaneers grew to become the primary staff because the 1962 Inexperienced Bay Packers to achieve greater than 300 passing yards and greater than 275 dashing yards in the identical highway sport on the best way to a 51-27 thrashing. They usually did it with out major operating again Rachaad White, who was out with a foot harm.

Sean Tucker, the 2023 undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, who had by no means gained greater than 15 yards in an NFL sport, amassed 136 yards and a landing on 14 carries.

And Bucky Irving, the fourth-round rookie from Oregon, put up 81 yards and 14 carries and his personal dashing landing.

Sure, the Saints have been tackling terribly, and as soon as once more have been overwhelmed bodily. However that doesn’t negate what the Bucs’ operating backs did.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Inexperienced Bay Packers

The Inexperienced Bay Packers don’t have a No. 1 receiver, and they don’t seem to care that they don’t. However getting Romeo Doubs again in motion in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals after Doubs was suspended for the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams for conduct detrimental to the staff for lacking practices turned out to be a fairly large deal.

Doubs had been a relative non-factor in Inexperienced Bay’s offense within the first 4 video games of the season, with 12 catches on 19 targets for 169 yards and no touchdowns. However in opposition to the Cardinals’ struggling protection, Doubs got here again in a giant approach with three catches on 4 targets for 49 yards, and his first two touchdowns of the season.

“It’s big,” quarterback Jordan Love mentioned of Doubs after Inexperienced Bay’s 34-13 win. “Simply having Rome again on the market on the sector was superior. It was big and he went on the market and made some big-time performs with the 2 landing catches and a few extra performs earlier than that. But it surely’s superior to have Rome again on the market.”

Head coach Matt LaFleur additionally talked about Doubs’ first catch of the day with 6:37 left within the first quarter – a 19-yarder wherein Doubs went vertical after which crossed the sector.

“Yeah, he made some nice performs. Definitely, the primary reception he had was a 19-yarder over the center. That doesn’t occur until your O-line offers Jordan all day to make that throw. The preliminary play must be hit lots wider, however the O-line allowed us to permit that path to develop and go throughout the sector. It was a 3rd window throw, which generally doesn’t occur on this league. It’s a big-time credit score to the road. It’s a big-time credit score to Rome to maintain occurring the route, after which Jordan made throw.”

It might seem that each one is forgiven.

Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears

The Bears have loved the companies of tight finish Cole Kmet since they chose him within the second spherical of the 2020 draft out of Notre Dame. But it surely’s secure to say that no one within the Windy Metropolis anticipated Kmet to be as successfully versatile as he was on Sunday in a 35-16 takedown of the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

Kmet didn’t simply catch 5 passes on 5 targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to the Jags, he additionally served because the staff’s emergency lengthy snapper after Scott Daly suffered a knee harm on an early punt.

“Somebody came upon that I did it in highschool,” Kmet mentioned postgame. “These guys know every little thing about you. They came upon I did it in highschool. My uncle did it. I keep in mind my dad, simply me and my brother could be messing round doing it within the yard on a regular basis and it was form of just like the more-you-can-do factor. Pondering, like, in the event you ever wanted to make a staff, in the event you’re a man that’s the 54 or 55 man, and they’re deciding between two guys, that you already know, having that capability, they’re going to hold you on the roster for these kind of issues. Clearly, I’m not likely in that place proper now, however that was form of the mindset of studying the way to do it, I wished to play within the NFL at some point, and that was form of the factor behind it and paid off right this moment, I assume. So was glad that I may simply assist out the place I may.”

As they are saying, the extra you are able to do…

As well as, Kmet availed himself as a top-notch blocker on this Caleb Williams 10-yard run within the second quarter.

And Kmet was greater than efficient when Williams was throwing him the ball.

Kmet was helped by scheme, and a few nice throws from Williams, however this was his star flip as a lot as anyone else’s.

“Nice play idea,” Kmet mentioned of the double flat route faux. “[Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron] had run it in Seattle earlier than. They offered protection for us to run that. We had run a bunch of screens the place we’re flying the man behind and pulling these backers out. So simply form of blocked my man on the road for a second there and Caleb gave faux after which good up the chute and was capable of break a sort out and get into the tip zone.”

Rapidly, the Chicago Bears have an fascinating offense, and a dynamic quarterback. Will miracles by no means stop?

Dominick Puni, OG, San Francisco 49ers

It’s not simple to come back into the NFL enjoying a place you’ve by no means performed earlier than. Left tackle Tyler Guyton and center Cooper Beebe of the Dallas Cowboys are taking that problem on as rookies, and the outcomes have been combined within the common season. Joe Alt of the Los Angeles Chargers was doing alright at proper sort out after a Notre Dame profession at left sort out earlier than he was upended by a sprained MCL in Week 3. And Taliese Fuaga of the New Orleans Saints has achieved a reputable job at left sort out after enjoying nothing however proper sort out three straight seasons at Oregon State.

After which, there’s proper guard Dominink Puni of the San Francisco 49ers, who’s taking his adjustment from left sort out, left guard, and occasional inline tight finish at Kansas to the professionals at proper guard with an surprising degree of authority.

Towards the Seattle Seahawks final Thursday evening in a 36-24 win, Puni was totally dominant within the run sport, and allowed no sacks or quarterback hits in 33 pass-blocking reps. Which is constant together with his season – Puni has shut out all opposing pass-rushers in these two classes by San Francisco’s first six video games.

“It’s exhausting at first, however then, getting a complete coaching camp undoubtedly helps,” Puni instructed me postgame concerning the transfer to proper guard. “The extra reps you’ve gotten with it, the extra snug you may get, and the higher you’re with it. Clearly, you’ve gotten Coach [run game coordinator/offensive line Chris] Foerster, who does a very good job. It’s nonetheless a transition, however I believe I’m getting the grasp of it.”

He’s getting the grasp of it sufficient to impress future Corridor of Famer Trent Williams, who expressed some fairly fascinating ideas in regards to the rookie after I introduced him up. Williams didn’t even know that Puni had by no means been a proper guard till he was Williams’ teammate.

“It’s wonderful. Which is loopy, as a result of he has the makings of a Professional Bowl or All-Professional participant on the place. He’s a godsend, man. A extremely, actually good child. Actually skilled. He’s gained his teammates’ respect simply by the best way he carries himself.”

The 49ers’ rookie class has been fairly wonderful up to now, and Puni has been the very best of the lot.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, Tennessee Titans

Within the 2024 offseason, Titans basic supervisor Ran Carthon made it abundantly clear that he wished his protection to play extra press protection. Not that it will be simple to play much less – the 2023 Titans had no cornerbacks enjoying press on 63% of their snaps, the fourth-highest charge within the NFL.

So, Carthon relieved defensive coordinator Shane Bowen of his duties, changed Bowen with former Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard WIlson, traded for Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, signed Sneed to an enormous new contract, signed ex-Cowboys and Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, and chosen Louisville cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. within the fifth spherical of the draft.

To date, it’s labored fairly effectively. The Titans have had a minimum of one cornerback in press protection on 70% of their defensive snaps, third-most within the league behind the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars, and so they’ve risen as much as 10th in Defensive DVOA from 18th in 2023.

In that loss to the Colts (which had largely to do with Tennessee’s dysfunctional offense), Brownlee was the star of these coverages. The rookie has seen a rise in snaps since Awuzie suffered a groin harm in Week 3, and he shut down Indy’s usually explosive passing sport with Joe Flacco when the ball got here his approach. Brownlee allowed three catches on seven targets for 12 yards, 13 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, two cross breakups, and an opponent passer ranking of fifty.3. When he was requested to press the Colts’ receivers, Brownlee was nearly unimaginable to beat.

One other member of Tennessee’s protection instructed me on Monday that he knew Brownlee was going to be a dawg from the second he walked into the ability. It has actually appeared to take a look at.