Top performers from Week 13
A threesome stood out above all others yesterday.
Another chaotic Sunday has come and gone in the NFL. Like every other before it, there was upsets, blowouts and of course, nail-biting finishes. With just four weeks remaining, the consequences from 60 minutes of football grow immeasurably.
Without further ado here are just some of the men who dragged their team toward victory. In most cases they walked away with a W, but there were a select few stars who fought valiantly in the face of defeat.
TOM BRADY
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady led the Bucs to a thrilling 33-27 overtime win vs. Buffalo, passing for 363 yards and two touchdowns. Crucially, the seven-time Super Bowl winner threw no interceptions, amassing a 105.6 rating. In a rare feat, Brady added a rushing touchdown in as the Bucs soared to 10-3.
Brady — already the league's all-time leader in passing yards (83,338) and passing touchdowns (617) — surpassed Drew Brees (7,142) for the most completions in NFL history, adding another record to a list longer than St. Nicholas’
TB12 has 4,134 passing yards through 13 weeks, his 13th career season with at least 4,000 passing yards, surpassing Brees (12 seasons) and Philip Rivers (12) for the second-most 4,000-yardage seasons all-time.
PATRICK MAHOMES
Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes shone brightly in Kansas City’s 48-9 demolition of AFC West rival Las Vegas. The Raiders never stood a chance as Mahomes completed 20 of 24 pass attempts — 83.3% completion rate — for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes’ zero turnovers will please Andy Reid to no end, as the Chiefs claimed their sixth win in a row.
Kansas City is the first defense since Seattle’s 2014 legion of boom to allow fewer than 10 points four times across a five-game stretch. Including yesterday’s victory, the Chiefs have held their opponents to nine points in three straight games (Cowboys, Broncos & Raiders) from Weeks 11-13. Their defensive hot streak began with a blanketing of an Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers back in Week 9.
Mahomes has 10 career games with a passer rating of 130-or-higher (minimum 20 attempts), taking the mantle from former Ram & Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and current quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson for the most during their first five seasons.
JUSTIN HERBERT
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert put on a show during his team’s 37-21 blitzing of the lowly New York Giants. The sophomore passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns for a 133.1 quarterback rating.
The 23-year-old is the fourth-youngest player to reach 8,000 passing yards in NFL history. Only the Saints’ Jameis Winston (22 years, 361 days), Panthers’ Sam Darnold (23 years, 212 days) and former Patriot Drew Bledsoe (23 years, 236 days) reached the mark at a younger age.
The Oregon product is the second-youngest player to reach 60 career touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Hall of Famer Dan Marino (23 years, 78 days) reached the mark at a younger age.
Herbert is the first player ever in the National Football League to throw for 30 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons.
Week 1 AFC players of the week announced
The 4-0 AFC West is well represented with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby chosen.
After a pulsating start to the 2021 NFL season, three players were selected as a class above the rest in the American Football Conference.
The 4-0 AFC West is well represented with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby chosen. Alongside, game-winning Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. Each were respectively voted the offensive, defensive and special teams players’ of the week.
Mahomes helped his Kansas City Chiefs to another miraculous hometown comeback, defeating the Cleveland Browns 33-29 despite trailing by two scores in the final quarter. The 25-year-old completed 27 of 36 pass attempts for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Tom Brady’s heir apparent threw no interceptions, amassing a 131.4 QBR. What’s more, Mahomes got himself a rushing touchdown too.
The Chiefs’ No.15 has now achieved six Offensive Player of the Week Awards, overtaking Joe Montana for the most by a Kansas City quaterback.
Mad Maxx Crosby was an integral component to the Raiders’ gutsy overtime victory against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Eastern Michigan alum had two sacks, six tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss as the Raiders christened Allegiant Stadium.
Crosby has won the award twice previously, once as a defensive player (Week 11: 2019) and the other for his Special Teams work all the back in Week 17, 2020. In what is sure to be a humbling moment for the resilient 24-year-old, Crosby has now accrued more Player of the Week Awards than any Eastern Michigan player in history.
Fairytales can come true, right? If you’re a non-believer, just find rookie kicker Evan McPherson. The Alabama-born specialist slotted a 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and wasn’t close to being done there. McPherson followed it up with a 33-yard game-winning field goal as time expired in Cincinnati’s overtime victory over Minnesota.
The Bengals’ newest hero is only the second rookie kicker in NFL history to make a game-winning field goal with no time remaining in overtime. Miami’s Jason Sanders (October 14, 2018) is the co-owner of the prestigious record.
At 22 years and 53 days old, McPherson also became the youngest kicker in NFL history to kick a game-winner in overtime. Want another record?
McPherson is the first rookie kicker to win Special Teams Player of the Week since Indianapolis’ Rodrigo Blankenship in Week 11 of the 2020 season.
NFL announces Preseason TV schedule
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel…this includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The NFL announced this week there will be a record number of preseason games will be shown on NFL Network.
Let’s hope we’ll see more of this!
Importantly, all preseason games will be shown on NFL GamePass, which is fantastic news for international and American fans alike.
An enormous 23 games will be shown on the league’s broadcast channel will show eight games through Weeks 1-2 before a final seven during the third and final week of preseason.
This includes to quadruple-headers in Weeks 1 and 2 before two doses of triple-headers in Week 3.
The Football Team kick off NFL Network’s coverage on August 12 at New England, where we should get our first official look at Mac Jones in a Patriots uniform.
Trevor Lawrence is likely to hit your screens on August 14 as Urban Meyer and the Jags host AFC rivals, Cleveland.
Media and fans alike will be hoping to get a glimpse of Jordan Love too, which may come as early as Week 2 (August 21) at home to Zac Wilson and Gang Green.
Below is a full list of the games to air on NFL Network across the preseason:
Week 1
Thursday, August 12
7:30 PM ET – Washington Football Team vs. New England Patriots
Friday, August 13
7:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
10:00 PM ET – Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals
Saturday, August 14
1:00 PM ET – Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears
4:00 PM ET – Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings
7:00 PM ET – Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 15
1:00 PM ET – Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts
Week 2
Thursday, August 19
7:30 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Friday, August 20
8:00 PM ET – Cincinnati Bengals vs. Washington Football Team
Saturday, August 21
1:00 PM ET – Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears
4:25 PM ET – New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers
7:30 PM ET – Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
10:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, August 22
1:00 PM ET – New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns
7:30 PM ET – San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 3
Friday, August 27
8:00 PM ET – Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, August 28
1:00 PM ET – Green Bay Packers vs. Buffalo Bills
7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bears vs. Tennessee Titans
10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Chargers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, August 29
1:00 PM ET – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys
4:00 PM ET – Las Vegas Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers
6:00 PM ET – New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
For American fans — NFL Network will blackout live games shown concurrently in local markets.
NFL announces joint practices - Who your team is playing and why
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
Joint practices aren’t a new phenomenon in the NFL. They essentially act as an opportunity for teams and players to go through scrimmages against different personnel.
After practicing against your own same players throughout OTAs and training camp, it is a great opportunity to move through different plays, schemes against foreign opponents.
Not all 32 teams are participating in joint practices though. Only 21 teams are will involve themselves with another organization.
New Orleans and Jacksonville were set to meet in Louisiana on August 20, but since the release of the schedule both teams have confirmed otherwise.
Teams NOT involved in joint practices this offseason:
Arizona Cardinals
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Seahawks
Washington Football Team
Some teams will engage in two bouts of joint practices; the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles, and both the New York clubs (Jets and Giants).
Arguably, the most famous joint practice moment of recent memory involved then-Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins and Washington’s DeAngelo Hall getting into it. Things got interesting, real quick…
Thankfully for DB’s everywhere their ankles won’t be tested by D-Hop until preseason at the earliest.
Full list of this year’s joint practices:
Courtesy of NFL Communications
LeSean McCoy open to another super bowl tilt before retirement
Fresh off a second Super Bowl ring in two years, LeSean McCoy is hungry to make it a three-peat.
The former Eagle won’t be with Tom Brady and Tampa Bay this season and have one last run at the Lombardi Trophy.
What will a team get in the 33-year-old running back? “A veteran that wants to win, knows how to win and how to be a great teammate and leader,” McCoy said when speaking to NFL Network on Tuesday.
There were thoughts, about hanging up the cleats, McCoy admits, though teams’ interest in his services has relit the fire.
I was contemplating retirement. I’ve had some teams reach out. I think right now it’s just all about being in shape, being ready for the call and also the right road, the right fit,” he said.
“I want to go to a team where I can compete. I want to go to a team where I can contribute and make a playoff, hopefully championship run.That’s the biggest thing, I think from winning two championships it’s hard to go to a team where you don’t see anything happening.
“That’s something that I think about winding my career down and I’m about to finish out. I want to go somewhere so I can have some fun and win.”
We also can’t mention LeSean McCoy without throwing to this incredible story from his days with the Buffalo Bills…
‘Grinding my tail off’ - Tyreek Hill desperate for Super Bowl redemption
Chiefs star wideout Tyreek Hill is still feeling the effects of Kansas City’s demoralizing Super Bowl loss to Tom Brady and the Bucs in February.
The three-time All-Pro struggled to impact the game in a way similar to his performance against San Francisco a year earlier. Hill managed 7 catches for 73 yards. Critically, his longest reception was 23 yards — 21 yards short of the famous Jet Chip Wasp play in Super Bowl LIV.
“Man, you know what, man?” Hill said to TMZ recently.
“I’ve been grinding my tail off ever since that loss. . . . I feel like we was kind of embarrassed on national TV during the biggest game, you know, in the last game of the year.”
After reaching the promise land just two years ago, Hill wants to return to the feeling of euphoria and abolish the anguish of a Super Bowl loss.
“We definitely don’t want to go down that route again,” he said. “We’ll be back.”
Most don’t doubt it one bit. The AFC West is the Chiefs to lose, even if Jon Elway manages to lure another all-time great quarterback to Mile High. We’re looking at you Aaron Rodgers.