As we descend into the home stretch of the NFL season, the playoff picture has really begun to take shape. Obviously, there have been some standout performers, some of whom will be highlighted in this week’s edition of POTW.
Gus Edwards
Unfortunately, the Keaton Mitchell hype died on Thursday Night, but Gus Edwards showed up as usual. Edwards ran for 62 yards and two touchdowns as the Ravens completed their sweep of the Bengals in a 34-20 win, a performance ultimately and unluckily overshadowed by Joe Burrow’s wrist injury.
Ogbo Okoronkwo
Opposite Myles Garrett was Ogbo Okoronkwo, whose 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and five total tackles proved crucial in a defensively dominant slugfest of a matchup. When the clock reached zero, the Browns ultimately squeaked out a 13-10 win over the Steelers.
Aidan Hutchinson
In a game dominated by solid offensive displays from both the Bears and the Lions, defensive powerhouse Aidan Hutchinson walked off the field with the biggest play of the game. After the Lions took a late lead, Hutchinson sacked Justin Fields, forcing a fumble. He then pushed tackle Darnell Wright toward his own end zone, causing him to kick the ball out of the back of the end zone, which resulted in the game-sealing safety and brought the final score to 31-26 in favor of Detroit.
Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Ramsey’s return from injury is a welcome sight to all Dolphins fans, as reflected by his performance against Vegas. Ramsey broke up two passes and intercepted two others, including the game-clincher in the 4th quarter as Miami crawled to a 20-13 win at home.
Tommy DeVito
Out of seemingly nowhere, Tommy DeVito burst onto the New York scene and cemented his name in the concrete jungle. The undrafted rookie quarterback went 18/26 for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading the Giants to a 31-19 win over the Commanders. The road win completed the G-Men’s season sweep over Washington.
Trevor Lawrence
After a dismal performance against San Francisco, Trevor Lawrence performed at the highest possible level against the Titans. Lawrence passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more touchdowns as Jacksonville demolished Tennessee 34-14.
Tank Dell
Another week, another Tank Dell masterclass. Dell hauled in eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Texans scraped together a 21-16 win over Arizona. It wound up being CJ Stroud’s worst game thus far, but Dell can be proud knowing he is sitting on 659 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season, four of which have come in his last three games.
DaRon Bland
On paper, Daron Bland’s singular interception does not look like a lot, but it was historic. Bland returned the interception for a touchdown, his fourth pick-six of the season, tying an NFL single-season record with six games left for Bland to break that record and make more history.
Jordan Love
Jordan Love’s performance against the Chargers was nothing short of stellar. With 322 yards and two touchdowns through the air, Love kept the Packers in the game the whole way, which eventually resulted in a 23-20 win over the Chargers, reviving Green Bay’s slim playoff hopes and damaging the Chargers’ playoff hopes in one fell swoop.
Brock Purdy
While discussing the topic of historic performances, it would be a crime to not mention the first perfect QB rating game (158.3 rating) by a 49ers quarterback since 1989. Purdy completed 21/25 passes for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns as the 49ers dominated Tampa Bay 27-14 and solidified first place in the NFC West.
Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua looked like his “old self” again in the Rams’ 17-16 comeback victory against the Seahawks. Nacua caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, the ultimate momentum switch in the Ram’s favor en route to a win.
James Cook
In a battle against his faltering brother Dalvin, James Cook showed why he is so important to the Bills’ offense. Cook touched the ball a total of 20 times, gaining 102 yards and a touchdown that contributed to the Bills’ 32-6 domination of the collapsing Jets.
Russell Wilson
For the second straight game, Russell Wilson led a game-winning drive in primetime. On this occasion, Wilson tossed the game-winning touchdown to Courtland Sutton in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the Broncos eked out a 21-20 win over the hot Vikings, extending their unprecedented winning streak to four.
Jalen Hurts
On paper, it was not the best game for Jalen Hurts, with only 150 yards passing on 14 completions. However, he made plays when he needed to, and scored both of the team’s second-half touchdowns as the Eagles rallied from behind, overcoming a 10-point deficit to beat the Chiefs 21-17 and exact revenge for their Super Bowl loss.