With the final NFL games of November in the books, it is time to look back at who has been the Player of the Month at their respective positions. In what has been a wild month in the NFL, have we seen players who stood out, or has it been a month loaded with close performances?
NFL Players of the Month for November
The last month in the NFL has left several people scratching their heads. The league is always full of surprises, but some of the performances by players and teams have been both eye-opening and enough to make even the most hardened fan put their head in their hands.
This article takes into consideration all of the games played in Weeks 9-12. The Giants vs. Chiefs game, while technically played in November, was included in October and is not considered here.
Quarterback | Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
This has been a really bizarre month for quarterbacks. Nearly all of the QBs that are considered to be the best in the league have struggled this past month. That has left an intriguing group of signal-callers as the best performers, including Kirk Cousins.
Cousins may not have had the efficiency of QBs such as Mac Jones, Taylor Heinicke, or Jimmy Garoppolo this month, but his numbers have been extremely impressive. Cousins completed 65.2% of his passes for 1,060 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
According to rbsdm.com, Cousins ranks eighth in average air yards at 8.4. Among the players to rank that high in air yards, he has been the most efficient. There have been other quarterbacks who produced more efficient performances in the last month, but none that have also had Cousins’ aggression.
Offense | Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
The historic nature of Jonathan Taylor’s recent run has been well documented. He tied LaDainian Tomlinson for the most consecutive games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Taylor’s numbers were outstanding as he earns recognition as one of PFN’s NFL Players of the Month.
In the running game alone, he had 556 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns this month. Additionally, he posted 71 yards and a touchdown through the air. All told, Taylor had 627 total yards and 9 touchdowns at an average of 156.8 yards and 2.25 touchdowns per game.
Defense | Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parsons makes it three months in a row that a Cowboys defender has taken home the Player of the Month award on defense. The month that Parsons has had might actually top his fellow Cowboy, Trevon Diggs.
What has been so brilliant about Parsons’ play is that he has contributed in a number of ways. The only thing he hasn’t done is intercept a pass. Over the past four weeks, Parsons had 6.5 sacks, 25 combined tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, and 2 forced fumbles.
Other NFL Player of the Month awards for November
Offensive Line
Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns
Defensive Back
J.C. Jackson, New England Patriots
NFL Rookies of the Month
Which rookies have stood out in the NFL among our Players of the Month for November? Do we have different winners after Ja’Marr Chase and Nick Bolton took home awards in October?
Offense | Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots
The last month has been a fantastic one in New England. They have gone 4-0, winning by an average of 26 points. The defense has been a large part of the success, but Mac Jones’ efficiency in that time has been impressive. When looking at Pro Football Network’s Offensive Value Metric, we can see how impressive Jones has been within the scope of what he is being asked to do.
Over the last three weeks, Jones has been the third-most valuable quarterback in the league according to OVM. His overall numbers are not that impressive, with 213.5 yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game. However, his efficiency has been impressive, including a 76.8% completion rate and a passer rating of 117.2 in the past month. Jones came very close to being named the quarterback winner in our NFL Players of the Month for November.
Defense | Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
It is no surprise that Parsons is the defensive rookie of the month given that he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Month award. However, it was a close contest, with two Dolphins players also impressing.
Defensive end Jaelan Phillips had a strong finish to the month with 4 sacks, 6 QB hits, and 7 combined tackles in the past two games. He didn’t quite have the all-around performance of Parsons, which is the reason he sits second.
Meanwhile, safety Jevon Holland was also excellent, with 2 interceptions, a sack, and 15 combined tackles. However, his numbers are not quite as eye-popping as Parsons’.