NFL Week 14 Star Performers
Week Fourteen came and Week Fourteen went. The Texans ran the Cowboys within a razor of a Texas upset, the Jets made the Bills think twice and the Eagles… yeah, they crushed it. But with all the top teams picking up wins who made the difference?
Matt Milano
LB, Buffalo Bills, W 20-12 vs Jets
There were a few guys who were super on the defensive side of the ball on Sunday but one tackle left me wincing and it came from upstate New York where Matt Milano went through Mike White like an actual train.
Credit to White for dusting himself off and getting on with it after being folded like a cheap deckchair but it was an inch perfect display of how to take a QB down. Brutal. To be fair he ended the day with seven solo tackles and a brace of assisted tackles with that monster hit, which should have been worth about ten by my reckoning, so all in all, maybe he did earn his way on here.
Jared Goff
QB, Detroit Lions, W 34-23 vs Vikings
Yes, there were players who threw more yards – literally in the same game. Yes, there were players who threw more exciting passes (see one P. Mahomes II with his playground shovel pass / scramble). Yes, there were players who turned up with the GOAT walking into town and put a spanking on his opponents (hello there, Brock Purdy) but I’m giving the kudos to Goff this week.
He’s been so much the maligned man under center the last few seasons and he’s really pulling together a run of good quality ball. The former number one overall was expected to go out to pasture with the Motor City Kitties but I really think he’s revitalised his career potential. If he maintains a solid end to the season, it would take a miracle for him to not be there next season. More of this please, sir.
Evan Engram
TE, Jacksonville Jaguars, W36-22 @ Titans
Ja’Marr Chase had a great come back, Justin Jefferson collected more than 200 yards through the air but it was the man who has frustrated more fantasy owners than I’ve seen sunrises that did it for me today. Perhaps he’s turned a corner. Perhaps Doug Pederson has unlocked something they never managed over five seasons in the Big Apple.
Perhaps he just had a good day against a Titans pass D that couldn’t stop Trevor Lawrence carving them up like fine tuna sushi. Either way 162 yards on 11 catches and a brace of touchdowns is good enough in my books to grab a slot on my stars of the week.
A week to forget… Russell Wilson
It was a weird one for Russ. Begin the day getting humped 27-0. Orchestrate an unanswered 21 point streak in Mile High and toning down the home crowd boos only to get KTFO on a rush and head off to hospital. It’s been a bad season for Russ, it didn’t get much better on Sunday night however I do hope that the is OK and that, if he doesn’t make it to Week 14, that it’s not serious.
