A Look at 4 Standout NFL Players in October

Every month, the National Football League (NFL) honors players who have had the best offensive and defensive performance in both the AFC and NFC. It also gives monthly awards to the top offensive and defensive rookies. Here's a look at some of the winners for October 2024.

1. Lamar Jackson (AFC Offensive Player)

A candidate to win NFL MVP for the second consecutive season, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a standout month in October, leading his team to a 3-1 record with wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Commanders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had a completion percentage above 60 in each of Baltimore's four games in the month and threw for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 193 yards.

Jackson had his best game of the month against the Buccaneers, throwing for a season-high five touchdowns with 281 passing yards and 52 rushing yards. This was his fourth AFC Offensive Player of the Month honor. He also won in December 2023, September 2022, and November 2019.

2. Jared Goff (NFC Offensive Player)

The Detroit Lions finished October with a perfect 3-0 record due in part to the impressive play of quarterback Jared Goff. The first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft threw for a season-high 315 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on October 13 and finished the month with 680 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and no interceptions. He had just 13 pass incompletions.

3. Bo Nix (Offensive Rookie)

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, selected 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, completed 66.7 percent of his passes in four games and had 870 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and only one interception. He also rushed for 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Nix is only the third Bronco to win Offensive Rookie of the Month and first since Clinton Portis in 2002. His performance in October was much better than during September, when he had just one touchdown and four interceptions.

4. Chris Boswell (AFC Special Teams)

Chris Boswell, the kicker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, won his second consecutive AFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in October. Boswell won the award following a perfect month in regard to field goal attempts. He made all 12 attempts, including one from beyond 50 yards and converted all 10 of his extra points. Through the end of October, the 33-year-old Pro Bowl kicker had missed just one field goal and was a perfect 16-for-16 in extra point attempts.

The Last 4 Non-QBs Selected First in the NFL Draft

The National Football League (NFL) Draft has taken place every year since 1936. At the event presents NFL teams with an opportunity to improve their rosters by selecting the top college players in the United States. Unlike some other professional sports leagues in North America, the NFL doesn't have a draft lottery. Instead, the team that finishes in last place in the prior season is awarded the first overall selection. 

Most franchises choose a quarterback with the first overall pick. Since the first-ever draft, teams have drafted a quarterback first overall 39 times, including in 19 of the last 26 drafts. Below are the last four non-quarterbacks selected first overall. 

1. Travon Walker - DE (2022) 

The Jacksonville Jaguars held the first overall pick for the second consecutive year in 2022 and selected Georgia defensive end Travon Walker. The team drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence first overall in 2021. Walker, the 13th defensive end chosen first in the draft since 1967, recorded 33 tackles, six quarterback sacks, and one fumble recovery in his junior year with Georgia in 2021. The 6-foot-5, 272-pound native of Thomaston, Georgia, finished his rookie season in the NFL with 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. 

2. Myles Garrett - DE (2017) 

Myles Garrett, a 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive end, was the last non-quarterback selected first overall prior to Walker. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Garrett spent three seasons at Texas A&M. While there, he accumulated 141 tackles, 31 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and one interception in 34 games.  

Now in his seventh season in the league in 2023, Garrett is a four-time Pro Bowl player and finished fifth in Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022. He finished that season with a career-best 60 tackles and 16 sacks.  

3. Jadeveon Clowney - DE (2014) 

The Houston Texans selected defensive end Jadeveon Clowney first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6, 274-pound All-American, who also played defensive lineman in college, spent three seasons at the University of South Carolina and accumulated 129 tackles, 24 sacks, and nine forced fumbles. The three-time NFL Pro Bowl player spent his first five seasons in Houston and has since played for the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens. 

4. Eric Fisher - T (2013) 

One of only five offensive tackles to ever be selected first overall in the NFL Draft, Eric Fisher played seven seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He retired in 2021 after one year with the Indianapolis Colts. He won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2019 and participated in the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2020. 

These 4 NFL Players Earned Monthly Honors in September 2023

The 2023 National Football League (NFL) season began on Thursday, September 7, with a showdown between the Detroit Lions and defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. Three weeks later, on September 28, the league announced the top performers of the first month of the season. The following are the four winners of the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Month in the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). 

1. Christian McCaffrey (NFC Offensive Player) 

A two-time Pro Bowl running back from Castle Rock, Colorado, Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers was the most impressive offensive player in the NFC in September. The 27-year-old Stanford alumnus, selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL Draft, led all running backs with 423 scrimmage yards through the season's first three games. 

McCaffrey, who is in his first full season with the 49ers after a midseason trade in 2022, averaged 5.9 yards per carry (353 total rush yards) and scored three touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 70 yards. 

2. Tua Tagovailoa (AFC Offensive Player) 

Selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, fourth-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looked like an MVP candidate through the season's first three games, leading the Dolphins to a 3-0 record with a league-leading 130 points. Tagovailoa finished September with a league-best 121.9 passer rating to go along with 1,024 passing yards and eight touchdowns. 

Tagovailoa was particularly impressive in Miami's 70-20 Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos, recording 309 passing yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. 

3. Micah Parsons (NFC Defensive Player) 

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons placed immense pressure on himself before the 2023 NFL season, saying he wants to be remembered as "one of the greatest Hall of Famers" in the sport. His impressive play in September proved that may be possible. The 24-year-old native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, already a former AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Pro, recorded 12 tackles, five of which were for a loss, and four quarterback sacks in three games in September. He also forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery. 

4. T.J. Watt (AFC Defensive Player) 

A three-time All-Pro linebacker and 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt remains one of the best players at his position in his seventh year in the league. Watt played just 10 games last season due to injury and recorded only 5.5 sacks. He surpassed that already with a league-leading six sacks in his first three games. He also forced and recovered two fumbles, one of which he returned for a touchdown. 

The Last 4 NFL AP Defensive Players of the Year

In 1972, National Football League (NFL) defensive tackle Alan Page made history as the first-ever winner of the Associated Press (AP) Defensive Player of the Year award and the first defensive player to win NFL MVP. Only one other defensive player, Lawrence Taylor in 1986, has since won both awards in the same year. Page, who played for the Minnesota Vikings, finished the 1971 season with 109 tackles, nine quarterback sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two safeties. 

Below are the four most recent winners of the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. 

1. Nick Bosa 

San Francisco 49ers EDGE rusher Nick Bosa won the 2022 AP Defensive Player of the Year award with 46 of the 50 first-place votes for 237 total vote points. Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys was the runner-up with 101 vote points. Bosa, who also finished sixth in MVP voting, recorded a season-leading and career-best 18.5 sacks in the 2022 season. He also had 51 tackles and two forced fumbles. 

This wasn't the first time the AP recognized Bosa for his on-field achievements. Selected second overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Bosa won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 after finishing his first season with 47 tackles, nine sacks, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble, and one interception. He signed a five-year, $170 million contract extension with the 49ers ahead of the 2023 season, making him the highest-paid defensive player in league history. 

2. TJ Watt 

TJ Watt, brother of three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year winner JJ Watt, won the award for the first time in 2021. A five-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, TJ finished the season with a season-leading and career-best 22.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss of yards. He also had five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Watt received 42 of the 50 first-place votes. 

3. Aaron Donald 

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald won his third AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, beating out runner-up TJ Watt by seven first-place votes. Donald, who also won the award in 2018 and 2017, recorded 45 tackles, 13.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 2020. An alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh, he won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons. 

4. Stephon Gilmore 

One of only two cornerbacks or safeties to win AP Defensive Player of the Year since 2010, Stephon Gilmore of the New England Patriots received 21 of 50 first-place votes in 2019. He finished that season with 53 tackles and a league-best six interceptions and 20 defended passes. 

These 4 Head Coaches Won the Most Games in NFL History

Since the National Football League's (NFL) inception in 1920, more than 500 people, mostly former players, have had the privilege of being an NFL head coach. Ten coaches have won more than 200 games, including the following four who are the all-time leaders in coaching victories. 

Don Shula (347) 

Don Shula is the NFL's all-time leader in wins (347) and total regular and postseason games coached (526). The legendary coach compiled a regular season record of 328-156-6 through 33 seasons from 1963-95. A two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Associated Press (AP) Coach of the Year, Shula began his coaching career with the Baltimore Ravens and, in 1970, was hired to coach the Miami Dolphins.  

Shula led the Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973. The 1972 Dolphins were the first and remain the only team to finish the regular season and playoffs with an undefeated record. Shula coached the Dolphins for 26 years before retiring in 1996. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and passed away in 2020.  

Bill Belichick (329) 

The only active coach in the top-10 list for career victories, Bill Belichick began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1991 and was fired following the 1995 season, after compiling a 36-44 record. He was hired by the New England Patriots prior to the 2000 season and has since become the most successful coach in modern NFL history. 

Belichick has won a record six Super Bowls as head coach of the Patriots and leads all coaches with 31 career playoff victories. No other coach has more than 22. Belichick has a 262-108 regular season record in 23 seasons with the Patriots. 

George Halas (324) 

George Halas, who coached during the inaugural NFL season and retired in 1967, held the all-time regular season coaching victories record with 324 until Shula passed him in 1994. Halas was 72 years old when he coached his final game.  

He founded the Chicago Bears and owned the team until 1983. He coached the Bears during four separate stints and compiled a career regular season record of 318-148-31. He had a playoff record of 6-3 and won five NFL Championships. Halas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. 

Tom Landry (270) 

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990, Tom Landry won a combined 270 regular season and playoff games through 29 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-88. He led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl championships and was AP Coach of the Year in 1966. 

These 5 NFL Wide Receivers Scored the Most Touchdowns in 2022

More than 20 players recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in the 2022 National Football League (NFL) season. Yet, only five players scored double-digit receiving touchdowns. Eighteen others scored at least seven touchdowns.  

Here's a look back at the top-five leaders in receiving touchdowns for the 2022 NFL season. 

1. Davante Adams — 14 touchdowns 

A second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft, Davante Adams led all NFL players with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2022. He finished fourth in the category with 11 touchdowns in 2021 and led the league with 18 receiving touchdowns in 2020. Adams, in his first year with the Las Vegas Raiders, also recorded 1,516 receiving yards, the second most in his career, on 100 receptions. He was named a first-team All-Pro for the third consecutive season. 

Adams finished third among all receivers with 24 catches of at least 20 yards and was tied for first place with seven receptions of at least 40 yards.  

2. Travis Kelce — 12 touchdowns 

Travis Kelce, an eight-time Pro Bowl tight end and two-time Super Bowl champion, scored a career-best 12 touchdowns with the Chiefs in 2022. Playing in his 10th NFL season, Kelce also registered career-best marks in receptions (110) and receiving yards (1,338). He was named a first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career and finished sixth in the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year voting.  

Kelce has now recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in seven consecutive seasons. He had 19 catches of at least 20 yards in 2022, while 70 of his 110 receptions were for a first down. 

3. A.J. Brown — 11 touchdowns 

Acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles from the Tennessee Titans in April 2022, A.J. Brown had a breakthrough campaign in Philadelphia last season. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound receiver from Starkville, Missouri, recorded career-best marks in receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,496) and tied his career high with 11 touchdowns.  

4. Stefon Diggs — 11 touchdowns 

Playing in his third season with the Buffalo Bills, Stefon Diggs scored a career-best 11 touchdowns on 108 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards in 2022. He caught 70.1 percent of the passes directed his way, including a 53 yard reception. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season. 

5. George Kittle — 11 touchdowns 

A 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end from Madison, Wisconsin, George Kittle scored a career-high 11 touchdowns with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 despite recording his third-fewest receiving yards (765) in a single season. Kittle was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his six-year career. 

New York Jets Acquire Aaron Rodgers: 3 Things You Need to Know

Aaron Rodgers, a four-time National Football League (NFL) MVP, will play for a team other than the Green Bay Packers for the first time in his 18-year career in 2023. Following weeks of trade negotiations during the offseason, Green Bay dealt Rodgers and two draft picks to the New York Jets for picks No. 13, 42, and 207 in the 2023 NFL Draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

The Jets haven't qualified for the postseason in 12 years, while Rodgers has led Green Bay to the playoffs 11 times in 15 seasons as the team's starting quarterback. He won the Super Bowl with Green Bay in 2010. 

Tumultuous Ending in Green Bay 

Green Bay missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons in 2022 and, rather than going all-in for another attempt at winning a title with Rodgers in 2023, general manager Brian Gutekunst wanted to reshape the roster. Rodgers, 39, recorded his fewest passing yards (3,695) since 2017 and had the second-most interceptions (12) he has ever had in one season. The Packers, meanwhile, were impressed with the development of quarterback Jordan Love, whom they selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. 

After telling Gutekunst that he needed time to contemplate his future, Rodgers, who was still under contract, went on The Pat McAfee Show in March and announced his intention to play for the Jets in 2023. It took Green Bay and New York six weeks to work out a deal. 

Following Brett Favre 

In going to the Jets, Rodgers is following the same path as Brett Favre, whom he replaced as the Packers starting quarterback in 2008. Green Bay faced a similar scenario then with a young Rodgers poised to take over for the veteran Favre and shipped Favre to the Jets for a third-round draft pick. New York cut Favre after just one season.  

Rodgers is the Packers' all-time leader in passing touchdowns (475) and ranks second in passing yards (59,055) behind Favre. 

The Jordan Love Era Begins in Green Bay 

Green Bay selected Love 26th overall out of Utah State in the 2020 NFL Draft. The organization at one point had worries about his development but was impressed with how he looked starting on two days’ notice against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 and how he showed improvements in pre-snap and post-snap command during training camp in 2022. 

Love has appeared in just 10 games in the last two seasons, completing 50 of 83 pass attempts for 606 yards. He has three touchdowns and three interceptions.  

4 of the Most Important 2023 NFL Off-Season Transactions

The 2023 National Football League (NFL) season calendar officially began on March 15, at which point teams were allowed to make trades and sign free agents. Below is a look at four of the most notable player acquisitions through the first three weeks of the 2023 off-season.  

Bears Acquire D.J. Moore 

Even before the official start of the 2023 calendar year, the Chicago Bears made arguably the biggest move of the off-season. The team traded the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 and No. 61 picks in 2023, a first-round pick in 2024, and a second-round pick in 2025. 

By trading the first overall pick, Chicago made it clear they were sticking with young quarterback Justin Fields, who they selected 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fields had a breakthrough campaign in 2022 with 2,242 passing yards, 1,143 rushing yards, and 25 passing and rushing touchdowns. He'll have another weapon on offense next season in Moore, who scored a career-best seven touchdowns last season and has 5,201 career receiving yards in 80 career regular season games. 

Detroit Signs Cameron Sutton 

Detroit desperately needed an upgrade at the cornerback position and addressed that in the off-season by signing Cameron Sutton to a three-year, $33 million contract. A six-year veteran, 28-year-old Sutton will be among the Lions' most experienced defensive players in 2023. "I wouldn't even say I'm old, man. ... I'm forever young," he told reporters. 

Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Sutton accumulated 168 tackles, 38 defended passes, and eight interceptions in 84 career regular season games with Pittsburgh. He had a career-best three interceptions last season. 

Bengals Find Protection for Joe Burrow 

Cincinnati has one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Joe Burrow, but its offensive line protection was a problem in 2022. The Bengals were tied for 11th in most sacks allowed with 44 last season. The team signed Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64 million contract on March 15 to give Burrow added protection from his blind side.  

Cowboys Waive Ezekiel Elliott 

In a move to free up cap space for free agent spending, the Dallas Cowboys released three-time Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott. A 27-year-old native of St. Louis, Missouri, Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cowboys in 2019. He led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018, but recorded a career-low 876 rushing yards and just 3.8 yards per attempt in 2022.