4. Miami Dolphins — Tua Tagovailoa/Tyreek Hill
If you polled defensive coordinators around the league, a fair amount might list this tandem as the most troubling to game plan for. That’s partly due to the nature of Miami’s top wideout — the speediest pass-catcher in the league, Tyreek Hill. Hill is virtually unstoppable given his elite wheels. Teams are forced to revamp their defensive strategies to contain Hill. Even then, he still manages to burn coverages on a weekly basis. Last year, Hill proved that he could still be among the league’s best away from the Chiefs’ infrastructure. Still, some credit should be given to the quarterback Hill named the “most accurate QB in the NFL”. Tagovailoa wasn’t too far off that title last year, as he led the league in several advanced passing categories despite being limited by injuries. While his health is a concern, Tagovailoa’s accuracy, touch and anticipation make him an ideal deliverer of the football for a player with Hill’s skill-set.
3. Buffalo Bills — Josh Allen/Stefon Diggs
There’s no doubting Buffalo’s production. Since being paired together, both players have stepped their games up. Stefon Diggs has been on the team for three years. In those three years, Allen has finished top-3 in MVP voting twice, and Diggs has had his three most productive seasons (Pro Bowler each year). Though, could there be trouble on the horizon? Last year’s postseason flameout was accentuated by an argument on the bench between the two teammates. While the team has tried to squash any rumors, Diggs’ training camp absence has been puzzling. Does he just want to send a message to a team that has routinely come up short in the postseason? Or could Diggs be looking for a new passer to get him the ball?
2. Philadelphia Eagles — Jalen Hurts/A.J. Brown
Philadelphia caught lightning in a bottle with this duo. Though the Eagles were stacked roster-wise at virtually every level, it was the Hurts/Brown combo which really made the offense difficult to stop. Hurts became a real dual-threat last season, burning teams on the ground as well as through the air. After spending his first three seasons in Tennessee, Brown was traded to the Eagles last offseason. He immediately enjoyed the best year of his career, finishing with 88 receptions, 1,496 yards and 11 TD. Hurts finished second in MVP voting while Brown finished ninth — the only set of teammates to finish in the top-10. Even scarier for NFC opponents, that was after just one offseason together. Imagine what they’ll do for an encore.
1. Cincinnati Bengals — Joe Burrow/Ja’Marr Chase
When factoring in every duo, no team boasts the level of chemistry, timing and sheer dominance over their competition quite like Cincinnati’s star pairing. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase demolished defenses in the SEC together while playing for LSU. After taking Burrow first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Bengals reunited the combo by selecting Chase fifth overall a year later. To resounding results. Burrow has quickly ascended into the elite tier of quarterbacks, and Chase is arguably a top-5 player at his position as well. Not to mention, having somebody like Tee Higgins on the other side to disrupt defenses doesn’t hurt as well. Until another pair knocks them off, Cincinnati’s battery reigns supreme.
