Tag: season in review

Vikings’ 2022 season in review: assessing the play of Minnesota’s receivers

The #Vikings don’t have much of a need to invest at receiver in the offseason given Justin Jefferson’s legendary production in 2022

Justin Jefferson has been an absolute gamechanger for the Minnesota Vikings since entering the league in 2020, and was far and away the most productive receiver on the team’s roster this season. His raw stats dwarfed those of his teammates throughout the year, and without his exceptional play, the Vikings’ offense would’ve been pedestrian, at best.

Only five wide receivers caught passes for Minnesota in 2022, though, and with important decisions set to be made regarding their roster construction in the coming weeks, the Vikings will need to take a hard look at the position in the offseason.

Here are our thoughts on the work that Minnesota’s receiving corps put in over the course of the 2022 season:

Vikings’ 2022 season in review: assessing the play of Minnesota’s running backs

Dalvin Cook’s production in the #Vikings’ offense was a major of the team’s success in 2022, but his cap number could present issues in 2023

In a season where everything seemed to go right for the Minnesota Vikings until they started competing in the playoffs, the team’s running game was a key part of their success through the regular season. With the help of star running back Dalvin Cook’s outstanding production, the Vikings’ offense was buoyed by no less than 18 rushing touchdowns on the year, which helped lift the team to a 13-4 finish in the regular season.

But with the offseason fast approaching and decisions to be made on both sides of the ball to get Minnesota under the NFL’s salary cap, they may need to make some sacrifices that could put their ability to replicate their outstanding performance on the ground in jeopardy.

Here is a look back at what the Vikings’ running backs accomplished this year, and what the team may decide to do at the position in the coming months:

Vikings’ 2022 season in review: assessing the play of Kirk Cousins

Though Cousins’ job is secure heading into the 2023, the #Vikings shouldn’t discount the idea of an investment at the quarterback position

The Minnesota Vikings are something of an enigma heading into the 2023 season, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After holding one of the NFL’s best records for the better part of the 2022 season, they floundered in the playoffs, losing to the upstart New York Giants due in no small part to the play of Kirk Cousins, who went cold in the fourth quarter.

Cousins has proven to be a rock-solid regular season signal caller in Minneapolis but is known to be a bit inconsistent when the lights shine the brightest. In a league where playoff wins and Super Bowl championships, mean more than anything else, the Vikings’ quarterback hasn’t yet shown that he can get the job done in January or February.

Ahead of the 2023 season, Minnesota will have some crucial decisions to make about their future at the position, despite the fact that Cousins is functionally un-cuttable on his fully guaranteed contract.

Here is a look at the state of the Vikings’ quarterback position ahead of free agency.

Chargers 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ edge defenders/linebackers

The Chargers’ linebacking corps was filled with talent in 2022, but the team faces key decisions at the position in the offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers were an enigma in 2022, sometimes looking like Super Bowl contenders, and at others, seeming to be remarkably average. The hot-and-cold play of their defense was best shown in their playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where a great first-half showing was met with utter collapse in the third and fourth quarters, sealing the team’s fate.

Their linebackers, notably superstar pass rusher Joey Bosa, were partially to blame for the loss. Bosa’s bizarre helmet throw incident late in the game gave Jacksonville the opening they needed to complete their improbable comeback, and to some degree, defined his season.

But 10 other linebackers also took snaps for the Chargers in 2022, making contributions big and small to help get them into the playoffs in January. Khalil Mack managed to secure a Pro Bowl selection despite an average season by his standards, and middle linebackers Kenneth Murray and Drue Tranquill made their presence felt consistently from their central spots in Brandon Staley’s defense.

Mack tallied eight sacks on the year, leading the team while Tranquill tied with veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy for third place with five behind standout defensive lineman Morgan Fox, who had six and a half. Tranquill was also the team’s leading tackler, combining for 146 tackles on the year, which was more than 30 more than Derwin James, who managed 115.

Bosa missed most of the season due to injury but secured two and a half sacks in five contests. Fans will have to wait for next season to see if he can get back to the elite production that characterized his first several seasons in Los Angeles.

The third-year linebacker Murray showed flashes of brilliance on his 76 combined tackles and may see his role grow next year as the Chargers’ defense faces some tough decisions due to salary cap constraints.

Among the others who saw snaps at the position were Chris Rumph, Derek Tuszka, Troy Reeder, Amen Ogbongbemiga, and Nick Niemann, none of whom made more than 20 tackles or two sacks. Though their production was modest by comparison, all proved to be valuable depth for the team and could find themselves in crucial roles in 2023 depending on what they show in OTAs and training camp.

All in all, the linebacking corps was a critical part of Los Angeles’ defensive success in 2022, and there is no doubt that the high-end talent they possess at the position made a huge impact for them all season. Now, the team will need to make decisions over the coming months that will determine whether they can afford to keep their stars around, or if they will opt to test their depth and rely on some unsung heroes to man the position in 2023.

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ defensive line

The Chargers were led by unsung hero Morgan Fox on their defensive line in 2022.

The Los Angeles Chargers pass rush has been one of their most useful strategic advantages on defense, and has the power and speed to overwhelm most offensive lines across the NFL.

But that strength is mostly bolstered by their elite edge defender corps, which hosts perennial Pro Bowlers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Their defensive line was comprised of 11 players who took snaps for the Chargers over the course of the 2022 season and accounted for just 11.5 sacks on the year.

Sixth-year lineman Morgan Fox accounted for six and a half of those sacks, leading the unit by a wide margin. Tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day notched two sacks on the season but led the team in combined tackles with 56 on the season, besting Fox by 18 in that category.

Among other key contributors up front for Los Angeles were Breiden Fehoko, Austin Johnson, Christian Covington, and Otito Ogbonnia, who combined for 71 total tackles but just one sack in the team’s 2022 campaign.

Tyeler Davison, Christopher Hinton, David Moa, and Joe Gaziano rounded out the Chargers’ depth on the line, but didn’t see much action as none in this group registered more than one sack or 10 total tackles.

Clearly, there remains a ton of room for improvement for the Los Angeles in this area, though they may find it difficult to upgrade their defensive line given the current state of their salary cap. Watch for the Chargers to look for a lineman in April’s draft, and for them to do their best to improve this group’s production in 2023.

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ offensive line

The Chargers offensive line was in the bottom 10 of the NFL in sacks allowed this past season.

In their effort to keep quarterback Justin Herbert upright throughout the 2022 season, the Chargers offensive line struggled mightily, giving up the seventh-most sacks of any team in the NFL.

One of the primary factors to their struggles was not having left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed 15 games due to a biceps injury he sustained in Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Slater’s replacement, rookie Jamaree Salyer, took over in Week 4 and remained there for the rest of the season, providing to be a viable pass protector to Herbert’s blindside.

There were more injuries, as center Corey Linsley and right tackle Trey Pipkins each missed three games. Pipkins showed signs of growth as a player, but there were moments when his sprained MCL hindered his play.

Left guard Matt Feiler proved to be a solid signing in 2021. But he regressed this past season significantly, allowing 38 pressures and five sacks.

Rookie Zion Johnson, who manned the starting right guard position, dealt with growing pains. While he was strong as a run blocker, Johnson had his fair share of struggles in pass protection, allowing 40 pressures and seven sacks.

When Pipkins missed time, Foster Sarell got the start at right tackle, and he did not show much to warrant the swing tackle job for the foreseeable future. Sarell allowed 18 pressures and two sacks on 186 pass-block snaps.

For once in a very long time, the Chargers won’t be in the market for starters along the offensive line, assuming that they re-sign Pipkins to remain as the starting right tackle. Feiler could be on the chopping block, but it’s presumed that Salyer is a candidate to be the starting left guard in 2023.

Nonetheless, Los Angeles still needs depth.

At center, Linsley’s backup from this season, Will Clapp, will be a free agent. Brenden Jaimes is the only backup guard. Also, bringing in competition for the swing tackle spot with Storm Norton and Sarell would be beneficial.

Ravens’ 2022 season in review: Special Teams

We analyze the Ravens’ 2022 special teams unit

Fundamentally sound play on special teams has been a core aspect of the Baltimore Ravens’ strategy over the years, and their 2022 campaign was no different. Though Lamar Jackson’s injury near the end of the season derailed the momentum that Baltimore had built earlier in the year, the Ravens’ special teams unit stepped up in a big way while the offense operated with backup quarterbacks, and helped keep the team in the playoff picture.

Over the course of 2022, kicker Justin Tucker missed just six field goal attempts and one extra point. He led the team in scoring by a wide margin, ending the season with over eight points scored per game, which was under six points more per game than running back Kenyan Drake, who managed two and a half per game.

On the other end of the special teams operation, punter Jordan Stout racked up 2,618 punting yards on 57 punts, good for an average of 45.9 air yards. Though the raw numbers seem impressive on the surface, his air yards per punt average was only good for 25th place across the league’s punters, which leaves plenty of room for improvement in 2023.

His coverage team allowed just 155 return yards on punts throughout the season, which ranked fifth in the league among punters who started 16 or more games over the course of their teams’ schedules.

Tucker’s job is secure as ever heading into next season, and his reputation as one of the NFL’s top kickers remains intact. Stout, on the other hand, may see his role challenged by competition if Baltimore decides to bring in another leg during training camp, and if he can’t show signs of improvement over the course of next season, could face major competition for his job.

Long snapper Nick Moore impressed as well, getting a bid to the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. He has performed admirably ever since stepping in for Morgan Cox a few seasons ago, and is one of the most consistent players at his position.

Punt and kick returns are also a big aspect of special teams, and Pro Bowl returner Devin Duvernay didn’t disappoint, showing his electricity in both aspects. He is one of the best return specialists in the league, and showed it on plenty of occasions before going down with a season-ending injury.

Ravens 2022 season-in-review: Safeties

We analyze the play of the Ravens’ safeties during the 2022 season

The Baltimore Ravens’ defense came up big for the Charm City in 2022 due in no small part to the exceptional play of their safeties in the back end of their secondary. Paired with Chuck Clark, rookie Kyle Hamilton, and first-year Raven Marcus Williams helped buoy Baltimore’s defensive effort with tenacious tackling and sticky coverage that affected their opponents in every matchup.

Clark, who has been with the Ravens since entering the league in 2017, combined for over 100 tackles in his 2022 campaign and forced one fumble. He was unable to secure an interception but recorded four passes defensed in another solid season

The rookie Hamilton had a hard time picking off passes as well, failing to record an interception in his first year with Baltimore. Hamilton made some gritty tackles, though, bringing down opposing ball carriers for a loss four times in his 62 combined tackles and looked more and more impressive as the season went on.

Williams was the Ravens’ most productive safety despite having the fewest tackles of any player in the position’s starting rotation. With four interceptions, he set the bar for Baltimore’s ball production, leading all defenders in the category in 2022. Despite notching just one less tackle than Hamilton on the season, Williams’ totaled just two tackles for loss.

Geno Stone and Ar’Darius Washington were the only other safeties to see the field for the Ravens in 2022, recording 40 combined tackles between them. Stone accounted for 38 of those and forced one fumble. Neither recorded an interception.

The Ravens should only consider an investment in a new safety if Clark decides to leave Baltimore. After selecting Hamilton with a high draft pick last year the team has already allocated considerable resources to the position, and should be able to focus on other parts of their roster heading into the 2023 season.

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ tight ends

The Chargers only managed to get production out of Gerald Everett.

The tight end position is as important as it has ever been in the NFL, and the Chargers hosted five players at the spot in 2022. Led by veteran Gerald Everett, the group played a vital role in the team’s offense as a security blanket for Justin Herbert.

Though relatively modest compared to other tight ends around the league, Everett’s production this season wasn’t without merit. He tallied 555 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 58 catches, which was good for fifth place in the team leaderboard.

Behind Everett was third-year pass catcher Donald Parham Jr., whose enormous physical stature has proven to be a valuable asset for Herbert in the red zone and down the seams. However, he was limited to just ten catches for 130 yards and one touchdown in 2022 due to a hamstring injury and a concussion that kept him sidelined in all but six games.

The last three tight ends were non-factors. Tre’ McKitty, Stone Smartt, and Richard Rodgers combined for 93 yards on 15 catches over the year and were held out of the end zone for the 2022 campaign. McKitty started eight games for Los Angeles, while Smartt and Rodgers both made one start apiece.

With Parham’s injury concerns looming and the stagnant status of McKitty, the Chargers would benefit from a complete player at the position to complement Everett in 2023 and take over as the No. 1 when Everett hits the free agency market after the upcoming season.

Chargers’ 2022 season in review: Assessing the play of Los Angeles’ wide receivers

Justin Herbert may have some fresh faces to throw to in 2023 despite the great work put in by the Chargers’ receivers this season

Quarterback Justin Herbert has turned heads around the league with his exceptional play under center for the Los Angeles Chargers. His group of wide receivers headlined by veterans Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have served him well since he entered the league in 2020, and have contributed a great deal to the early success he has found in his career.

In 2022, Herbert relied heavily on his receivers for passing production, particularly Allen, who racked up more than 700 yards and four touchdowns in just 10 games. Williams was heavily involved in the Chargers’ game plans too and led Los Angeles in receiving with 895 yards and four touchdowns on the season. The two were productive despite dealing with their respective injuries.

Perhaps the most surprising high-end contributor on the team was second-year receiver Joshua Palmer, who came out of nowhere to lead his position in receptions with 72. His 769 receiving yards were good for second on the Chargers’ offense and should bode well for his future in Los Angeles ahead of the 2023 season as he enters his third season.

Similarly, veteran DeAndre Carter quietly put up the best numbers of his career, tallying 538 yards on 46 receptions, which was good for nearly 12 yards per touch on passing plays

Outside of their top four wide receivers, though, the Chargers struggled to find consistent production. Michael Bandy, Jalen Guyton, and Jason Moore combined for just 158 total yards and were each held scoreless on the season. Guyton tore his ACL in Week 3, ending his 2022 season after a promising start.

Los Angeles needs to add a speedy receiver in the offseason, likely through the draft. Additionally, Keenan Allen’s future with the team is uncertain given his massive salary, so the Chargers’ front office will need to get creative when finding another player to come close to matching his production if they choose to trade him, release him, or restructure him.