Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, Cowboys DE Micah Parsons highlight September Players of the Month

Tagovailoa is off to a hot start to the 2023 season, leading Miami to a 3-0 record and his offense to the highest point total (130) of any team by an almost 40-point margin. On his way to a league-leading 121.9 passer rating, Tagovailoa has accumulated 1,024 passing yards and eight touchdowns with a 71.3 completion percentage. He capped off his September with a 70-20 win over the Broncos in Week 3, throwing for 309 yards, four TDs and no interceptions.

It’s a new season, but it’s still the same old McCaffrey showing why he’s one of the best running backs in the game. McCaffrey leads all backs in scrimmage yards with 423, which includes a league-leading 353 rush yards on 60 carries (5.9 average) and a trio of touchdowns on the ground. And as has become customary from McCaffrey, he’s proven himself to be a dual-threat with 11 receptions for 70 yards, as well.

After recording 5.5 sacks in 2022 as he battled through injuries, Watt has already surpassed that total through just three games in 2023. Watt leads the NFL with six sacks and so far is easily on pace to match or surpass his record-tying 22.5 sacks from 2021. Watt also has 11 tackles (five for loss), two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries — including one returned for a touchdown in Week 2.

Parsons talked a lot in the offseason about his potential in 2023, and so far he’s backing up his words. With 12 tackles, four sacks, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits, Parsons is getting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. A forced fumble and fumble recovery were just the cherry on top of a sublime September.

Whenever the Bills have been unable to find the end zone, Bass is right there to make sure Buffalo doesn’t end the drive empty-handed. Bass is seven for seven in field goals through three games, including connecting on both of his two kicks from 50-plus yards. Add on a perfect 10 for 10 on extra point attempts, and Bass was responsible for 31 points in September.

Though punting doesn’t always get the most attention, it’s clear Camarda has been top-notch so far this season. He averaged a league-leading 54.9 yards per punt on 14 kicks in September, pinning the Buccaneers’ opponents within their own 20-yard line on seven of those punts. His longest boot of the month went for a whopping 74 yards, tied for the longest punt this season.

Of the highly touted group of rookie QBs who made their debuts this month, Stroud was the only one to remain fully healthy through three games, and also had the most consistent performance. Stroud had a 64.5 completion percentage, recording four touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 906 passing yards are the third-most by a rookie QB in their first three games, and his 121 pass attempts are the most without an interception in a player’s first three starts in league history. He finished up the month of September with his first career win, upsetting the reigning AFC South champion Jaguars with a 280-yard, two-TD performance in Week 3.

As part of a New England defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest total yards this season, Gonzalez has been a consistent presence in the Patriots’ secondary, taking on an increased role with injuries to players around him. Lining up opposite some of the most explosive WRs in the league, Gonzalez held his own, limiting the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill to one catch for eight yards in Week 2 and the Jets’ Garrett Wilson to three catches for 18 yards in Week 3 as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats. In his three starts, Gonzalez has recorded 16 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception.