Every win matters more and more as we near the end of the regular season, so winning performances will be much more coveted. Some of those performances will be highlighted in this week’s POTW for Week 14.
Zappe/Henry
The Patriots shocked everyone by putting up 21 points in a 3-point win against Pittsburgh. The main factor was Bailey Zappe, who tossed for 240 yards and 3 TDs, two of which went to Hunter Henry. The result brings the Patriots to 3-10 and blows the AFC playoff picture wide open.
Jake Browning
Apart from a pick-six, Jake Browning had another stellar game. Browning passed for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as rushing for a third. The Bengals blew out the Colts 34-14 and improved their record to 7-6, staking their claim in the AFC Wild Card race alongside the other teams in their division.
Baker Mayfield
The Bucs needed a win to keep alive their hopes of winning the NFC South and got just that with a 29-25 victory over the Falcons. Baker Mayfield passed for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner, helping Tampa complete a season sweep of Atlanta and improve their record to 6-7.
Justin Fields
The Lions’ bid for the top seed in the NFC was hampered in Chicago with a 28-13 loss to Justin Fields and the Bears. Fields led the way on offense, passing for 223 yards and a TD whilst also rushing for 58 yards and another TD. The Bears remain in the playoff talks (barely) whilst the Lions fall to 9-4.
Jordan Howden
Jordan Howden was drafted late by New Orleans but proved his worth this past week, breaking out with a productive showing in the Saints’ 28-6 demolition of the Panthers. Howden recorded 10 tackles, 1 sack, and a pass breakup, playing his part in an all-around stellar performance by the New Orleans defense.
Zach Wilson
What a way to recover from being benched. In his return to the field, Zach Wilson completed 75% of his passes for 301 yards and 2 TDs. In the most pleasantly surprising performance of the week, the Jets offense scored 30 points, all in the second half, and demolished playoff contenders Houston 30-6 at MetLife, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.
Tylan Wallace
The Rams v Ravens game was a crucial game in both playoff pictures, with the Ravens contending for the one seed in the AFC and the Rams fighting for a Wild Card spot. The game went to OT, tied 31-31. OT began with both offenses making a 3 and out, first Baltimore, then Los Angeles. After, the LA punt was fielded by a backup return man, Tylan Wallace. What happened? Wallace fielded the punt, bounced to the sideline, broke several tackles, and scored the game-ending TD.
Ivan Pace Jr.
The Vikings’ 3-0 win over the Raiders will be remembered for a while and not for positive reasons. Well, unless you’re Ivan Pace Jr. The undrafted rookie linebacker posted 13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 tackle for loss, and the game-sealing interception. And the backflip to celebrate was pretty nice too, as is the fact that the Vikings are above .500 again.
Deebo Samuel
For the second week in a row, Deebo Samuel absolutely shredded the opposing defense. The Seahawks had no chance of stopping Samuel, who had 7 catches for 149 yards and a TD through the air, plus a second touchdown on the ground, propelling the 49ers to a 28-16 W and becoming the second NFC team to ten wins.
Javonte Williams
The Broncos were aided by a Justin Herbert injury, sure, but they did put up a solid offensive performance. A big contributor was Javonte Williams, who gained 91 total yards through both the air and ground game and also scored his first rushing touchdown in two years. Denver won 24-7, enough to bring them within one game of the AFC West lead.
James Cook
The other reason Denver is now a division contender? James Cook and the Bills. Cook torched the AFC West leading Chiefs for 58 rushing yards, 83 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The Bills held off a late Chiefs rally to win 20-17 and cement themselves in the Wild Card race.
Brandon Aubrey
We as NFL fans are always up for a good story. Brandon Aubrey’s story is just insane. This season, Aubrey has yet to miss a single field goal attempt, and entering Sunday Night Football against the Eagles, Aubrey’s career-long was 57 yards. He broke it twice, hitting from 60 and 59 yards, plus making two more field goals, extending his record-breaking start to 30/30, the best start by a rookie kicker in NFL history. His outstanding night was a major factor in a dominant 33-13 Dallas win.
Harold Landry
The Titans, at this point, are just trying to play spoiler, but they played the role well in Miami. The defense managed to hold off the Dolphins’ high-powered offense on several occasions, and the pressure was relentless. Harold Landry in particular balled out, sacking Tua Tagovailoa three times, including one on a fourth down during the Dolphins’ final drive that completed the Titans’ 28-27 comeback win.
Tommy DeVito
Tommy Cutlets truly is a thing. In his biggest game of the season, DeVito turned up and made several clutch plays. DeVito passed for 158 yards and a touchdown, gaining 71 more on the ground, including a big 26-yard run that set up a Saquon Barkley touchdown. At the very end of the game, DeVito completed a huge pass that put the Giants in perfect position for the game-winning field goal. The Giants knocked off the Packers 24-22 to bring them within one game of the Wild Card spots in the NFC.