We are firmly in the teeth of football season right now and it has never felt so good. College football and the NFL have spoiled us with incredible action through the first month of the 2022 season. From mind-boggling upsets, to awe-inspiring individual efforts, to NFL Draft speculation… there has been no shortage of things to talk about.
As such, allow me to present the weekly edition of our 5 for 5 here at NFLMocks. The topics today include NFL Coach of the Year leaders, potential college coaches that could make the leap to Sundays, and much more! Let’s dive in.
Headline No. 1: Biggest Surprises of the Week
•No. 1: Seattle Seahawks Improve to 2-2 Behind a 48-Point Explosion
The Seattle Seahawks traded away superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos early this year for multiple NFL Draft picks. The offense has not missed a beat in his absence. New starter Geno Smith has surpassed the 300-yard mark each of the past two games. He has also thrown two touchdowns in three of his four starts in 2022. Maybe they already have their answer at QB?
•No. 2: Oklahoma Sooners Embarrassed by the TCU Horned Frogs
When the Sooners hired former Clemson defensive coordinator Will Venables, optimism spread around the college football world for one reason. The idea of Oklahoma with a proper defense is tantalizing. We all knew it would take a couple of recruiting cycles for Venables to get his guys, but no one saw the last two weeks unfolding the way that they have.
Oklahoma was defeated by a touchdown at home last weekend behind a superhuman effort from Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez. The problems were exacerbated this weekend against TCU with a 31-point drubbing on the road. It was never going to be a breeze to fill his shoes in Norman, but seeing the instant success that Lincoln Riley is having at USC has to sting.
•No. 3: Star NFL Running Backs Injured
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor missed the first practice of his entire life this past week and suffered a high ankle sprain in last Sunday’s bout with the Tennessee Titans that will likely force him to miss his first game as well. Javonte Williams was dealt a devastating knee injury with multiple ligament tears. He will miss the remainder of the 2022 season.
Alvin Kamara and D’Andre Swift failed to suit up for their teams in week four. Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffery, James Conner, and a handful of other top-tier ball carriers appeared on the injury report throughout the week but ultimately ended up playing. Injuries happen at running back every year, but this season feels particularly odd at the position.
•No. 4: Washington Gets Exposed by UCLA
The Washington Huskies got off to a blazing hot start to their 2022 season, rattling off four straight victories and looking dominant. The good times came to an abrupt halt Friday night. Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins were victorious and knocked Washington down six spots in the most recent AP Poll.
•No. 5: Zach Wilson Plays Out of His Mind in the 4th vs. the Vaunted Steelers Defense
Broadway Zach returned to the starting lineup this weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Things got off the rails for the first few quarters, but the second-year quarterback righted the ship in time to lead a comeback in the final frame.
Wilson completed 10-of-12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The performance of Zach Wilson could be the jolt that the Jets need to finally get over the hump and contend for a postseason appearance.
Headline No. 2: NFL Coach of the Year Leaders
•No. 1: Nick Sirianni (Eagles)
Nick Sirianni inherited a four-win team and led them to the playoffs in year one, but failed to receive a single vote for Coach of the Year. This year, the Philadelphia Eagles look like the best team in football; it is time for their head coach to reap the benefits. The NFC playoffs will likely go through the city of Brotherly Love, and they may have Coach of the Year and the NFL MVP in their corner.
•No. 2: Mike McDaniel (Dolphins)
The Miami Dolphins are coming off a crushing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Not only did their undefeated run end, but they also lost their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
A gruesome injury midway through the second quarter will keep the QB out for at least a week, if not much longer. Who knows what the rest of the season will look like, but Mike McDaniel deserves credit for all his achievements in his first month as a head coach.
•No. 3: Kevin O’Connell (Vikings)
This offseason, the Vikings moved on from head coach Mike Zimmer and hired Sean McVay’s protege, Kevin O’Connell. Their performance has been shaky in 2022, but Minnesota does have a win over the Packers under their belt.
Both NFC North teams are sitting at 3-1, meaning that the week one victory could be the tiebreaker for the Vikings’ division title chances. O’Connell is in a great spot to challenge for the award if he can keep Kirk Cousins dialed in.
•No. 4: Doug Pederson (Jaguars)
Doug Pederson brought Philly their first ever Lombardi Trophy in 2017, but after a sour ending, both sides agreed to move on. The Eagles found a great replacement in Nick Sirianni, but Pederson landed on his feet.
Pederson took 2021 off before eventually signing on to be a mentor for former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick, Trevor Lawrence. The group looks unrecognizable from the team we saw last year, and although an influx of talent helps, the credit starts and ends with Doug Pederson.
•No. 5: Brian Daboll (Giants)
Brian Daboll deserves praise for helping turn Josh Allen into an NFL MVP-caliber player during his time in Buffalo. After four seasons with the Bills, Daboll departed to become head coach for the New York Giants. Under the leadership of Joe Judge, the team only won four games in 2021.
So far in 2022, Daboll has his squad sitting at 3-1. These are the types of turnarounds that typically garner interest from voters. It would be quite the story if he could find a way into the playoffs in year one.
Headline No. 3: 2023 NFL Draft Stock Watch (QBs)
•No. 1: Jaren Hall (BYU)
Jaren Hall is steadily climbing up NFL Draft boards after being a popular pick to breakout heading into the 2022 season. His performance Thursday evening against Utah State further solidified his ascension. Hall completed 17 of his 27 pass attempts with three touchdowns through the air, securing a 38-26 victory for his No. 16 ranked BYU Cougars. Keep an eye on Hall, because a Zach Wilson-type rise is within the realm of possibilities.
•No. 2: Cam Ward (Washington State)
Cam Ward is a former member of Incarnate Word, an FCS program that extended him his only scholarship offer out of high school. He transferred to Washington State before the 2022 season and won the starting role. Ward’s play has been a roller coaster ride, but the highs have been worth the lows thus far.
The Cougars improved to 4-1 on the season behind 343 passing yards and three touchdowns from their star quarterback Saturday against the Cal Golden Bears. He threw two interceptions, which continues his trend of turning the ball over. Scouts will want to see this cleaned up before the 2023 NFL Draft.
•No. 3: Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina)
Grayson McCall appeared in the sleeper section of last week’s 5 for 5. This week, he shows up on the QB stock watch after a magnificent showing versus Georgia Southern. McCall completed 23 of his 34 pass attempts, recording 379 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns on the day.
The offense he runs for the Chanticleers is a night and day difference from what he’ll be asked to do in the NFL. McCall has had an illustrious career for Coastal Carolina, but his workouts prior to the NFL Draft will hold as much weight — if not more — than his tape.
•No. 4: Bo Nix (Oregon)
After getting the brakes beat off of them by the Georgia Bulldogs in week one, Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks have quietly been on a charge since then. In the last four weeks, Nix has posted the following stat line: 72.6% completion rate, 1088 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 224 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns.
The best part? Bo has only thrown one interception after tossing two in the opener. Nix still has much to prove, but the Oregon signal-caller is trending in the right direction.
•No. 5: Cameron Rising (Utah)
Entering the year, the Utah Utes were a popular pick to win the Pac-12 and challenge for a playoff berth. Quarterback Cameron Rising performed poorly in the season opener in Gainesville, but is quickly turning things around. Rising has completed 68% of his passes in games 2-5, throwing 12 touchdowns to only one interception.
According to an NFL scout, Rising performed incredibly during his time at Manning Camp. The Utah field general is built like an NFL quarterback, although there is skepticism about how tall he actually is. Cameron Rising is another name to watch as the 2023 NFL Draft process plays out.
Headline No. 4: Five Bold Predictions for the Remainder of the NFL Season
•No. 1: The Patriots and Steelers Both Finish with a Top 5 Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
Throughout the last 17 seasons, both Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin have served as the head coaches of the Patriots and Steelers, respectively. In 34 combined seasons, the duo has suffered only one losing season and even that was a 7-9 campaign from the Patriots in 2020. Things have changed around the NFL, though.
The Patriots and Steelers sit at 1-3 with holes on the roster and lackluster QB play thus far. Two fanbases that are used to winning will likely have a long season ahead. It’s not all bad; the 2023 NFL Draft is loaded, so one player could be enough to shift these teams into the playoff picture again.
•No. 2: Tariq Woolen Receives Defensive Rookie of the Year Votes
The Seattle Seahawks got the steal of the draft when they selected cornerback Tariq Woolen at No. 159 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. The former UTSA Roadrunner should have never fallen that far; the speedy cornerback is showing the 31 teams who passed on him exactly why.
Woolen already has two interceptions, even getting a chance to showcase his 4.2 speed when he returned one for a pick-six in the Seahawks’ week four victory in Detroit. He has yet to allow a touchdown as a rookie and deserves recognition if this play continues.
•No. 3: The Jacksonville Jaguars Win the AFC South
The Jacksonville Jaguars have won the AFC South once since the turn of the millennium. The run came in 2017 when their defense — still led by Jalen Ramsey — carried the team to an AFC Championship Game vs. the New England Patriots. The Jags fell short of making their first Super Bowl, but they are building something special in Duval again.
The rest of the division is playing uninspired football and has dealt with a bevy of injuries. The state of the division bodes well for Trevor Lawrence. He will make good on his sky-high expectations and take his squad to the postseason with a division title.
•No. 4: The San Francisco 49ers Win the NFC West
We keep going with the division-winning predictions here. The Niners lost Trey Lance for the season, and while he offers more upside than Jimmy Garappolo, one could argue that the veteran is better suited to lead the roster as it’s currently constructed.
He was a Jaquiski Tartt dropped interception away from making it 2-for-2 in his attempts to make a Super Bowl as a full-time starter. They are a bit older now, but the key pieces still reside in the Bay Area, and Jimmy G is steering the ship again.
•No. 5: Dameon Pierce Claims Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors
During his time with Florida, Dameon Pierce was criminally underutilized. The lack of usage resulted in too many folks sleeping on Pierce when he entered his name into the 2022 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans wisely snagged the gifted running back in the middle of the draft and are already benefiting greatly from this decision.
Dameon Pierce’s fresh legs and elite vision have already lifted him into the upper echelon of running backs through four weeks. The bell-cow running back is top 10 in the league in rushing yards (313). Pierce is a leading candidate to take home the award.
Headline No. 5: College Coaches that Could Make the Leap to the NFL
•No. 1: Luke Fickell (Cincinnati)
The Cincinnati Bearcats have gone from relative obscurity to becoming the newest member of the Big 12 Conference. Luke Fickell pioneered the program to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2021. He will lead them to their new conference in 2023… maybe.
Fickell recently re-upped on a lucrative deal that is good through 2028, but this has never stopped a coach from leaping if the right opportunity comes up. It remains to be seen how things unfold if the right team comes knocking.
•No. 2: Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
Certain coaches were born to coach at the collegiate level. Dabo Swinney is one of them. Everything said about Fickell as a bricklayer for the Cincinnati program can be said ten times over about Swinney’s success with the Clemson Tigers.
Swinney is in year 15 as head coach. Under his watch, the team has won seven ACC titles and two National Championships. Swinney is a legend in Carolina but the college game looks like it has passed the veteran coach by at times. Perhaps the time is here for a new challenge; one that consists of chasing a Lombardi Trophy.
•No. 3: Matt Campbell (Iowa State)
Matt Campbell’s name comes up every year and it will be no different this coming offseason. The Cyclones’ head coach has held his position as the leader of the program since 2016 but Campbell has had a difficult time breaking through the 9-win barrier.
With the Big 12 losing its footing following planned expansions for the SEC and Big Ten, now might be the best time for Campbell to dip. His stock is still strong, but that could change quickly. One of these days, Campbell will be a head coach in the NFL. I would venture to guess that time will come sooner rather than later.
•No. 4: Rich Scangarello (Kentucky)
The only non-head coach on this list is Kentucky offensive coordinator, Rich Scangarello. Another thing that sets him apart from the rest on this list is that he has extensive experience at the NFL level. Scangarello served as a quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers on two separate occasions and has a stint as offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos on his resume.
Scangarello took over the role for the Wildcats after Liam Coen departed for a coordinator position with the Los Angeles Rams. The Kentucky offensive coordinator has done well keeping the momentum with NFL Draft prospect Will Levis, and there is at least a chance that they end up with the same NFL franchise in half a year.
•No. 5: Dave Clawson (Wake Forest)
Wake Forest’s offensive firepower made them a sudden contender in the ACC in 2021. Dave Clawson won Coach of the Year for the conference and guided his squad to an 11-win campaign capped off by a Gator Bowl victory. Clawson will lose his starting quarterback Sam Hartman following the 2022 season, and considering his name is the hottest it has ever been, now could be the perfect time for Clawson to pursue other endeavors.