NFC players projected to feast down the stretch

With running back Saquon Barkley rocking, the Philadelphia Eagles have won seven straight games. But who else will feast down the stretch? 

Ahead of Thanksgiving Day games and the rest of the Week 13 schedule, Yardbarker NFL writers project who will stay on a roll in the NFC.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS (4-7) | WR CeeDee Lamb | Like a heaping helping of mac and cheese, Lamb has become the comfort food of an otherwise distasteful Cowboys offense in 2024. Lamb is the NFL’s third-leading receiver with 841 yards, and with an average of 76.5 yards per game, he’s on pace for 1,300 yards, a number that would have ranked eighth among wide receivers last season.

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-9) | QB Tommy DeVito | Averaging 16.4 points per game, the Giants’ 32nd-ranked scoring offense has hardly been a cornucopia of points this year, but at least the man they call “Cutlets” gets to gobble up all the snaps as the team’s new starting quarterback. Assuming he can fight through the forearm soreness that has limited him in practice, DeVito has the table set to make all the throws as the team looks to make reservations at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-2) | RB Saquon Barkley | Barkley made a meal of the Los Angeles Rams’ defense on Sunday night, setting a franchise mark with 255 yards rushing, the ninth-most rushing yards in a game in NFL history. With 1,392 yards rushing after 11 games, he has already run for more yardage than 21 teams. With the league’s four worst run defenses still on the table (Commanders, Cowboys, Giants and Panthers), he has an excellent chance of breaking Eric Dickerson’s season rushing record of 2,105 yards.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (7-5) | QB Jayden Daniels | With 332 passes, the talented rookie is the active leader in attempts among NFC East quarterbacks. Daniels has already served up 2,613 passing yards and 12 touchdowns with a team-high 556 yards rushing on the side, numbers that should only get better with just two winning teams (Eagles, Falcons) left on his plate. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West 

ARIZONA CARDINALS (6-5) | TE Trey McBride | The Cardinals are still fighting for the NFC West crown, and McBride is going to play a key role as one of the rising stars in their young offense and one of quarterback Kyler Murray’s go-to security blankets. He has really come on in recent weeks (28 catches and 353 receiving yards in four games).

LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-6) | WR Puka Nacua | Now that he is back healthy, Nacua is proving that his rookie season was not a fluke and that he is one of the best wide receivers in football. He has caught at least seven passes and topped the 90-yard mark in four of his five games since returning to the lineup.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-6) | RB Christian McCaffrey | McCaffrey, who has only 149 yards rushing on 43 carries, has not yet hit his stride since returning to the lineup, but he is too good and talented to keep struggling. Only two of the remaining opponents (Detroit and Miami) have a run defense that ranks higher than 14th in the NFL, so there should be plenty of opportunities for him to get back on track.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-5) | WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Smith-Njigba has become the go-to target for quarterback Geno Smith in recent weeks. He has topped the 100-yard receiving mark in two of Seattle’s past four games, with 29 catches for 436 yards and three touchdowns during that stretch. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS (4-7) | QB Caleb Williams | Williams has been one of the league’s best QBs over the past two weeks, posting a 95 or better passer rating and 200+ passing yards in both games. With three of Chicago’s six remaining opponents ranking in the top eight in passing yards allowed per game — Detroit Lions (227.2) twice and Minnesota Vikings (242.5) — Williams will have plenty of opportunities to finish his rookie season on a high note.

DETROIT LIONS (10-1) | WR Jameson Williams | Williams has become an integral part of Detroit’s high-powered offense recently, seeing at least five targets in each of his past three games — his first time getting such volume over a three-game span. The Lions will play their fair share of formidable defenses over the final six games, but WR Amon-Ra St. Brown will attract enough attention for Williams to continue to build on his successful stretch.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-3) | Safety Xavier McKinney | With seven interceptions, McKinney is looking to join Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs (2021) as the only player to reach 11 interceptions in a season since 1981. He’ll have a favorable schedule to do so, given four of Green Bay’s six remaining opponents are led by QBs who have thrown three or more interceptions in a game this season (Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, Detroit’s Jared Goff, Seattle’s Geno Smith, Minnesota’s Sam Darnold).

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9-2) | TE T.J. Hockenson | Since making his season debut in Week 9, Hockenson has built strong chemistry with QB Sam Darnold, evident by his two games with at least seven receptions and 70 receiving yards. In Minnesota’s overtime win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12, Hockenson hauled in three receptions for 48 yards in the extra period — a sign the Vikings are once again fully confident in relying on him to break open any game. — Josh Eaton

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS (6-5) | RB Bijan Robinson | Four of the final six opponents rank 24th or worse in yards allowed per rush attempt, beginning in Week 13 against the Chargers, who allowed Ravens running back Derrick Henry to rush for 140 yards on 24 carries in Week 12’s “Monday Night Football.” Robinson has 167 carries for 783 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) and six touchdowns and should be able to exploit his apparent mismatches.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-8) | WR Xavier Legette | Undrafted free-agent wide receiver Jalen Coker could have been an option here, but after a quad injury sidelined him against the Chiefs in Week 12, we’ll take Carolina’s 2024 first-round pick. Legette has been a steady contributor with Bryce Young at QB (15 receptions for 163 yards and two TDs over the past four games), and his role could expand as the duo’s chemistry grows.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-7) | TE Taysom Hill | Injuries to wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have increased Hill’s importance in the offense. The eight-year veteran had a monster game against the Browns in the Saints’ last game, rushing for 138 yards and three touchdowns and adding eight receptions for 50 yards. He should have more opportunities with the ball in his hands because of New Orleans’ thin playmaker options.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-6) | Defensive tackle Vita Vea | Among the Bucs’ remaining opponents, the Chargers (13th) rank the highest in ESPN’s pass-block win-rate rankings. With favorable matchups against the Panthers (twice), Raiders, Cowboys and Saints, Vea, who leads Tampa in sacks (six), will end the season with a compelling case for a second Pro Bowl appearance. — Eric Smithling