JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The days are getting short, the weather is getting cooler, and we are officially halfway through this year's NFL season. Nine weeks in, and the picture is starting to shake out - who's good, who's less good and how the game of football has looked different this fall. NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan is here in the studio. Hey, Becky.
BECKY SULLIVAN, BYLINE: Hi, Juana.
SUMMERS: So Becky, maybe the biggest story this season has been the way that these teams are playing offense.
SULLIVAN: Yeah.
SUMMERS: Tell us what's changed.
SULLIVAN: I mean, running the ball, Juana, is so back. I mean, if you've been watching football for a while now, you know that having an offense centered around your running backs is something that, like, had fallen out of favor over the past decade or so. Plays - all the highlights were these, like, big, long passes. But ultimately, the NFL is like a pendulum - things go back and forth. When one thing starts working, everyone starts doing it, then defenses adjust to stop it, and that opens up a new thing that starts working. And sometimes, the new thing is an old thing.
SUMMERS: Exactly. And like you said, running the ball - it is back.
SULLIVAN: It is. So yeah, so for a while, as you know, it was, like, this universal truth that running backs weren't worth investing in with big contracts. This season has totally turned that wisdom on its head. The league's two biggest stars at the position - Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens, Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles - they changed - those teams are new for them this offseason - or this season, and they have been so good on the new squads. Both of those teams are serious contenders, especially Baltimore. It's been amazing to see what they're doing.
SUMMERS: Yeah, the Ravens have been so fun to watch this season. I got to say, at the end of every season, we see all of these awards come out, like the MVP - Most Valuable Player. If you voted right now, who would you hand out that award to?
SULLIVAN: Well, I think we'd stick with the Baltimore Ravens. We'd say Henry's teammate, Lamar Jackson...
SUMMERS: Yeah.
SULLIVAN: ...The quarterback of that team. Just to tick through some stats, he's third in passing yards, second in passing touchdowns, only two interceptions. Obviously, what makes Lamar Jackson so amazing is what he adds to that when he's running with the ball. He leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards per game. And the Ravens, of course, are excellent. So this would be his third time winning that award. Only six other players have won MVP at least three times. That's a Hall of Fame crowd. It'd be really cool to see if he can.
SUMMERS: Absolutely looking forward to see what they do at Thursday Night Football. Moving on - what about Rookie of the Year?
SULLIVAN: Well, I think in that one, there is almost no doubt that that award will go to Jayden Daniels. He's the 23-year-old quarterback of the Washington Commanders. There had been this, like, hot debate before the draft about the rookie quarterback class. There were a bunch of them. They all looked good, but people wanted to know who would be the best. And I think through nine weeks, there's been no contest. The Commanders have one of the league's best offenses.
Jayden Daniels threw this, like, electrifying Hail Mary touchdown a couple of weekends ago that sent Washington into a complete madhouse frenzy - the city of Washington, but also the NFL, the whole NFL community. So he has this team on track to make the playoffs for the first time in a few years. But really, they haven't made a deep playoff run in, like, three decades, and Washington is very hungry for that.
SUMMERS: Oh, yeah.
SULLIVAN: They're really hoping Daniels can lead them there.
SUMMERS: All right. Nine weeks left to play at this point - who else are you seeing in the postseason?
SULLIVAN: Well, I'll just name two other teams that we haven't talked about yet. The Detroit Lions look just great. They are scoring nearly 40 points per game over their past five games, which is crazy high. They look unstoppable on the offensive side of the ball.
And then, Juana, you and I both being from Kansas City - you know very well that we can't have this conversation without mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs. They are the only undefeated team in the National Football League so far right now. They're a little confusing this year because they're not, like, blowing anybody out. They often find themselves behind in the second half of games. And yet somehow, it never feels like a surprise when the Chiefs and their quarterback Patrick Mahomes pull off the win. So listeners might groan because the Chiefs have won the last two Super Bowls, but they are looking to become the first team in the league's history to win three consecutive Super Bowls. We'll see if they can do it.
SUMMERS: And if they get back in, I will be taking the day after off.
SULLIVAN: (Laughter).
SUMMERS: Thank you, Becky.
SULLIVAN: You're welcome.
SUMMERS: That's NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan.
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