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Offensive Player Rankings, Week 10: Patrick Mahomes No. 1 at midseason

Each week in the 2022 campaign, former No. 1 overall pick and NFL Network analyst David Carr will take a look at all offensive players and rank his top 15. Rankings are based solely on this season's efforts. The Week 10 pecking order is below.

NOTE: Arrows reflect changes from Week 7's rankings.

Rank
1
1
Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City Chiefs · QB

The Chiefs have faced playoff contenders in their last two games, earning victories over the 49ers on the road in Week 7 and the Titans at home on Sunday night. The Chiefs' run game has been lackluster for much of the season, but luckily they have this guy named Mahomes to cover up any offensive deficiencies. Mahomes threw for over 400 yards in both of those victories, but he's also getting it done with his legs. Against the Titans, Mahomes led the Chiefs with 63 rush yards, including a 20-yard scramble to convert on third-and-17 and a 14-yard TD run. He converted the game-tying two-point try, too. There's nothing this guy can't do.

Rank
2
9
Tyreek Hill
Miami Dolphins · WR

Thanks to his ability to slice through opposing defenses, Hill has the most receiving yards (1,104) through a player's first nine games in a season in the Super Bowl era, topping Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson's mark of 1,083 yards (2013). Hill is helping Tua Tagovailoa's development in Year 3 and proving a boost to the rest of Miami's offensive playmakers by forcing the defense to game plan around him. 

Rank
3
5
Jalen Hurts
Philadelphia Eagles · QB

Last week, Hurts played in his hometown of Houston for the first time since high school and he left with a predictable win. The MVP candidate had his fifth game this season with a 100-plus passer rating (one shy of his 2021 total) to help the Eagles reach 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. He did, however, have his third giveaway of the season on a second-quarter fumble, but his ability to bounce back from a turnover shows how Hurts has improved in 2022. 

Rank
4
3
Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills · QB

Allen's play has dipped since the last installment of these rankings in Week 7. In Weeks 8-9 (Bills had a Week 7 bye), Allen completed just 52.5 percent of his passes, posting a 2:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 58.8 passer rating while adding 135 yards and two TDs on the ground. He still has the Bills sitting at the top of the conference, but "bad decisions" could come back to haunt him in the MVP race and/or the postseason, and his elbow injury is obviously something to monitor.

Rank
5
1
Nick Chubb
Cleveland Browns · RB

This season, the Browns have lived and died by the amount of touches Chubb has in a given game. The Browns are 3-0 when Chubb has at least 20 carries this season and 0-5 in games with fewer than 20 attempts. With Chubb averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 105.1 rush yards per game at the midpoint, the Browns must stick to their strength down the stretch if they intend to make playoff push. 

Rank
6
NR
Derrick Henry
Tennessee Titans · RB

Henry might have had a slow start to the season but he's rattled off five straight 100-plus-yard rushing performances, including having 219 rush yards in the Titans' Week 8 win. Since Week 4, Henry has 678 rush yards and seven rush TDs, and he is one of only two players this season who have topped 1,000 scrimmage yards (Tyreek Hill is the other) heading into Week 10.

Rank
7
2
Justin Jefferson
Minnesota Vikings · WR

Jefferson has been Kirk Cousins' go-to target as he sits second in the NFL in receiving yards (867). Minnesota's WR1 finally saw the end zone for the first time since Week 1 in Sunday's comeback win over Washington. On the opening drive, he caught all four of his targets for 48 yards, including an impressive 9-yard touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. Looking ahead to next week's road contest against the Bills, the Vikings will need Jefferson to show out against the Bills' top-10 pass defense. It'll be a tough test.

Rank
8
2
Travis Kelce
Kansas City Chiefs · TE

Without Tyreek Hill in the fold this season, Patrick Mahomes has gotten everyone -- and then some -- involved in the Chiefs' passing attack. In Sunday's OT win over the Titans, 11 different players recorded a reception, but Kelce remains the apple of Mahomes' eye. The star tight end had 106 yards on 10 catches in Week 9; it's a recipe for success, as Kansas City is 6-1 in Kelce's career when he has at least 10 catches in a game.

Rank
9
Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens · QB

After trading off wins and losses through the first six weeks, the Ravens have won three straight. Jackson is arguably asked to do more than any quarterback in the league, and his steady play -- along with recent improvement from the defense -- has the Ravens sitting atop the AFC North heading into their Week 10 bye. There is still room to improve in the pass game as Jackson adjusts to new faces in the lineup, but right now, the Ravens have to be feeling pretty good about how their quarterback is playing.

Rank
10
7
Cooper Kupp
Los Angeles Rams · WR

The Rams had one of the most explosive offenses in 2021. Now, they are a one-man band as Kupp appears to be the only big-time performer on a weekly basis for this offense. He has six of Los Angeles' eight TD receptions this season, including a 69-yard score in Sunday's loss thanks to busted coverage by the Bucs' defense. Given how poor the Rams' offense is performing in 2022 (31st in yards per game), it's pretty impressive that Kupp still remains in the top five in receiving yards at the midway point.

Rank
11
4
Saquon Barkley
New York Giants · RB

Barkley has strung together one of the best starts to a season in his career, averaging 97.4 rush yards per game and ranking third in rushing (779 yards) at the midway point. He's been a tremendous asset to an up-and-coming Giants team that's become a sure-fire playoff contender at 6-2. A lot of the team's offensive success is attributed to Barkley, as he's forced defenses to honor the run game, giving Daniel Jones and the pass game a chance to make plays. 

Rank
12
2
Stefon Diggs
Buffalo Bills · WR

The Bills' star receiver is tied for the league lead in touchdown receptions (seven) through Week 9. And despite being held to 93 receiving yards in Sunday's loss to the Jets, Diggs is still averaging a career-high 107.1 yards per game and ranks third in receiving yards (857) this season. 

Rank
13
NR
Geno Smith
Seattle Seahawks · QB

It's time Smith enters my rankings after leading the 6-3 Seahawks, who've now won four straight, to the top of the NFC West at midseason. There was one moment in Sunday's game against the Cardinals where I thought all the Seahawks' magic was going to unravel. Smith threw a poor screen pass that was picked and returned 30 yards for a TD by Zaven Collins. But Smith's response to that play helps explain why Seattle is in such a good position, as he led the team on a 13-play, 75-yard TD drive to retake the lead. Smith leads the NFL in completion percentage (73.1) and has a career-high 15 pass TDs entering Week 10.

Rank
14
2
Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders · WR

The Raiders are going through some growing pains under new head coach Josh McDaniels, but Adams is still one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. He's coming off his best performance of the season with nine catches for 146 yards, including a pair of touchdowns -- which ties him for the league lead in TD catches heading into Week 10.

Rank
15
Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals · QB

The Bengals' success starts with Burrow. As expected, Cincinnati ends up on the right side of the numbers when he protects the ball. 

Table inside Article
Burrow in 2022 In five wins In four losses
Pass yards/game 309.8 246.5
Pass TD-INT 12-0 6-6
Passer rating 123.0 80.3
Giveaways 0 8
Sacks taken/game 2.0 5.0

Burrow has what it takes to lead the Bengals to the postseason for the second straight season, but he has to stay upright (with help from his offensive line) and make good decisions.

JUST MISSED: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers (Previously No. 13); Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers (No. 14); A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles, Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins.

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