NFL Week 15 Star Performers
(Credit: AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Week 15 proved to be one of the craziest of the season. With comebacks galore and a whole lot of drama, there were plenty of star performers to choose from this weekend.
Kirk Cousins
QB, Minnesota Vikings, W/OT 36-33 vs Colts
A tale of two halves if such a thing exists in the NFL (it clearly does). The Vikings were abject against a poor Colts team where Matty Ice was running the show for thirty minutes and they were leading 33 – 0 at the half. Then Patrick Peterson walks into the locker room and states, apparently with no hint of irony, “FIVE TOUCHDOWNS, WE JUST NEED FIVE TOUCHDOWNS”.
And just like that, the biggest comeback in NFL history was complete and Kirk Cousins was at the heart of it. He was almost perfect. He threw for 460 yards. Just let that sink in. He didn’t score in the first half, and he threw for 460 yards. FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY. The man is truly a fourth quarter specialist. Mench goes out to his supporting cast of weapons, JJ doing his things, Dalvin Cook looking like a top five RB again and KJ Osborn turning up and looking like a guy.
George Kittle
TE, San Francisco 49ers, W 21-13 @ Seahawks
Mention for JuJu Smith-Schuster for getting up off the turf and having a really solid game after a big hit earlier on in his game against the Texans but my shout goes to George Kittle who helped his rookie QB with both superb blocking and exquisite route running.
He only needed four catches to reach 98 yards and a brace of touchdowns. But it was the speed and strength on display that I found so profoundly impressive. This season Kittle isn’t the same player he has been in years gone by but he turned back the clock with a beast-mode performance.
Rayshawn Jenkins
S, Jacksonville Jaguars, W/OT 40-34 vs Cowboys
Rayshawn who? That was pretty much my reaction before watching his highlight real from this weekend. He absolutely crushed the stuttering Cowboys who relinquished any remaining influence they had on the outcome of the NFC East. Involved in EIGHTEEN tackles, two INTs and a pick-six. What a night for the former UoM Safety.
The Jags have gotten spicier as the season has gone on and deserved this win. Trevor Lawrence is having at least one God-like section in a game but when those around him step up (I’m looking at you too, Zay Jones) you can honestly believe that the Jags could beat anyone out there on any given Sunday.
A week to forget for… Tom Brady
Like the opposite of what Kirk Cousins dealt with, Tom Brady had a near perfect first half and he wasn’t awful in the second half but chalk up two bad interceptions, one fumble that he was definitely responsible for and a second which will be chalked up to him but probably shares it with Lenny Fournette.
The NFC South should be a walkover at this point, but the Bucs keep letting themselves being drawn back into a slugfest with the other NFC rejects. He should be rising above it.
