DG155

Until now my only coverage of the 2013 NFL season was of the final week of the regular season and the playoffs - and that brief post I did when Cardinals rookie Andre Ellington lost some of his dreads while he was tackled. So in dread gallery #155, let's take a look at some of what happened in the first 16 weeks of the season. Obviously one DG doesn't do justice to the NFL. I mean, I checked maybe 5% of all of the NFL photos available on the internet yet still saved enough to do several dread galleries. Picking the best of the best of that 5% for DG155, there were more than 150 photos I wanted to post; but I have cut that down to about 100.

This review of the 2013 season won't be as complete as last year's review of the 2012 season (in DG149) because I still haven't gone over the defensive stats in all the games (and I'm not going to either); so I don't have the whole list of the dread stars and head dreads from each week. Also, I'm going to try to wrap this up in record time, so I'm not going to check the game situations for most of the photos. Also, I have to apologize to all the O-linemen in the league with sick dreads, because there won't be any photos of you. Sorry about that. Anyway, let's begin DG155 with some of last season's interceptions.

PICKS

1. Falcons rookie CB Desmond Trufant intercepts a pass intended for WR Pierre Garcon at the Washington 39-yard line with 5:38 remaining in the game in Week 15, setting up a FG. It was the 2nd and last INT of the season for Trufant. A lot went wrong for the Falcons during their 4-12 season, but Trufant wasn't one of them. Drafted in the 1st round, he started all 16 games, finishing with 70 tackles, 2 INT, 15 PBU, 1 FF, and 1 FR.


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2. At about the same as Trufant's interception, Bills CB Stephon Gilmore also was getting is 2nd INT of the season, picking off a 3rd and goal pass intended for Jaguars RB Jordan Todman in the end zone with 3:15 remaining at Jacksonville, preserving Bills' 27-20 lead. Due to injury Gilmore played in only 11 games in 2013, finishing with 35 tackles, 2 INT, 8 PBU, and 1 FR.

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3. Making his debut in a Colts uniform (after 4 years with the Cardinals), CB Greg Toler puts an end to the Raiders' first drive of the season, intercepting a deep pass intended for WR Rod Streater in the end zone on 2nd and 9. Toler would go the entire rest of the season with no more INT. Greg missed 7 games due to injury, and his season ended with that horror show he put on in the Colts' first playoff game against the Chiefs. He finished with 25 tackles, 1 INT, and 6 PBU. 

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PICK SIX

4. Rookie DE David Bass was pretty much unknown to Bears' fans until Week 11, when Ravens QB Joe Flacco failed to loft a pass high enough, and Bass picked it off and returned it 24 yards to the house, tying the game at 10 during 2nd quarter. Bass had a season high 4 tackles (2-2) as Bears won 23-20 in overtime.

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5. CB Tim Jennings, one of four players with dreads on the Bears' defense to get an INT, takes an INT return 48 yards to the house for his 2nd pick 6 of the season and celebrates after giving the Bears a 7-0 lead over the Giants on Thursday night in Week 6. Later in the game, with Giants driving for the winning TD, Jennings picked off QB Eli Manning again on the last play before the 2-minute warning, preserving Bears' 27-21 victory.

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6. With 2:51 remaining in the game in Week 4 at Houston, and with the Seahawks about to suffer their 1st defeat of the season, CB Richard Sherman intercepts an ill-advised pass by QB Matt Schaub intended for TE Owen Daniels 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd and 4 .....

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7. ..... and despite losing a shoe, has clear sailing and takes it 58 yards to the house to tie the game at 20, completing Seahawks' comeback from a 17-point halftime deficit. Seattle went on to win 23-20 in OT. 

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PICK, SHOULD HAVE BEEN 6 

8. Who does Danny Trevathan think he is, DeSean Jackson?
In 4th quarter the season opener against the Ravens on Sept. 5, Trevathan, the Broncos' 2nd year LB, intercepts a Joe Flacco pass in the right flat and takes the return 29 yards almost to the house. But instead of taking the ball with him into the end zone, he drops it at the 1-yard line. You IDIOT! The ball ended up rolling into the end zone and all the way out of the end zone for a touchback. Fortunately for Danny, the Broncos were already ahead 42-17, so at the end of the day this play wasn't costly. But after doing that, it would serve him right if he never gets the chance to ever score another TD.
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Here now is the list of the all the players with dreads who had interceptions last season, combining for a total of 73 INT (down from 86 in 2012).

INT (73)

• 8 - Richard Sherman (SEA)
• 4 - Tim Jennings (CHI)
• 3 - Antonio Cromartie (NYJ), Louis Delmas (DET), Adam Jones (CIN), Dre Kirkpatrick (CIN), Robert Lester (CAR), Charles Tillman (CHI), Danny Trevathan (DEN), Tramon Williams (GB)
• 2 - Mark Barron (TB), Dannell Ellerbe (MIA), Stephon Gilmore (BUF), Mike Jenkins (OAK), Brandon Meriweather (WASH), Reggie Nelson (CIN), Ron Parker (KC), Desmond Trufant (ATL), Lardarius Webb (BAL)
• 1 - David Bass (CHI), E.J. Biggers (WASH), Vontaze Burfict (CIN), Marquice Cole (NE), Johnathan Cyprien (JAC), Dashon Goldson (TB), Josh Gordy (IND), Khaseem Greene (CHI), Michael Griffin (TEN), Davon House (GB), Janoris Jenkins (STL), Kendrick Lewis (KC), Nickell Robey (BUF), Asante Samuel (ATL), Brandon Spikes (NE), D.J. Swearinger (HOU), Cam Thomas (SD), Greg Toler (IND), Usama Young (OAK)

Most INT by one team: 9 by CHI and CIN
No INT by anyone for DAL, NYG, PHIL, MIN, NO, ARIZ, SEA, CLEV, PIT
PLAYOFF INT: 2 - Dont'a Hightower (NE) 1, Tramon Williams 1
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HOUSE CALLS

9. Bengals RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for only 25 yards on 14 carries in Week 1 at Chicago but did score his 1st TD of the season on this 5-yard run, increasing Bengals' lead to 21-10 midway through 3rd quarter. Bears came back to win 24-21. Green-Ellis, who rushed for 1,094 yards in 2012, ran for 756 last season (averaging a career low 3.4 yards per carry) and will not be back with the Bengals this season.   

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10. After breaking a tackle attempt by S Brandon Meriweather, Lions RB Joique Bell dives into the end zone for a 12-yard TD run, tying the game with Washington at 7 during 1st quarter in Week 3. Bell had 63 yards rushing and 69 yards receiving in the game, numbers similar to his output for the year. In the best season of his career (so far) Joique rushed for 650 yards (3.9) and caught 53 passes for 547 yards. 

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11. Ravens rookie WR Marlon Brown gets past Browns CB Chris Owens and dives across the goal line for a 5-yard TD reception on 2nd and goal, upping Baltimore's lead to 14-6 with 8:57 to play in Week 2. Brown, who was not drafted, was a very pleasant surprise in 2013. He had the most TD catches by any rookie with dreads.

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12. With their kicker having missed all three of his FG attempts in the game (three very long attempts), Texans go for the TD in overtime on 3rd and goal in Week 2; and they get it, as rookie WR DeAndre Hopkins reaches above Titans CB Jason McCourty for the game winning 3-yard reception. Hopkins made the dread stars list for the only time, finishing with 7 catches for 117 yards as Texans won their home opener 30-24. DeAndre, who I thought would lead AFC rookies with dreads in touchdowns, finished the season with only 2 TD. He had a respectable 52 catches for 802 yards. 

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13. WR Denarius Moore gallops after the catch for a 39-yard TD, giving Raiders a short-lived lead during 1st quarter of their 24-7 loss at Kansas City in Week 6. It was the fourth of 5 TD scored by Moore, who finished the season with 46 catches for 695 yards.

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14. TD by players with dreads were a common occurrence for the Chiefs in 2013; but TD by Junior Hemingway were not. Hemingway, the 225-pound 2nd year WR, scores the second of his 2 TD on this 17-yard reception for a 7-0 lead late in 1st quarter of Chiefs' Week 13 showdown vs. Broncos. Chiefs moved out to a 21-7 lead lead, but Broncos roared back to win 35-28. Hemingway, who spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad, finished 2013 with 13 catches (on 2 of which he fumbled) for 125 yards.

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15. We have proof: Richard Sherman is human! Vikings WR Jarius Wright burns the Seahawks' star CB with a double move, and Sherman can't catch up as Wright makes the catch for a 39-yard TD, tying the game at 10 during 2nd quarter at Seattle in Week 11. It was Wright's 1st TD of the season. He finished the season with 26 catches for 434 yards, and 3 TD. 

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16. Cowboys WR Dwayne Harris gets past CB Marcus Sherels on the run after the catch and scores a 7-yard TD on 2nd and goal with 42 seconds remaining in Week 9, giving Cowboys a 27-23 victory. It was the 3rd and final TD of the season for Harris.  

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17. Browns WR Travis Benjamin cuts inside one last block (by teammate Josh Aubrey) and takes it to the house for a 79-yard punt return and a 17-10 lead late in 2nd quarter on Thursday night in Week 5. It was Benjamin's only TD of the season. Take a look: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000255140/Benjamin-blasts-off ..... I included Travis on the Week 5 dread stars lists, as he set a new Browns' single-game record with 179 yards on (7) punt returns in a 37-24 victory over Buffalo.

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18. Seahawks star RB Marshawn Lynch scores one of his 3 short TD runs (left photo) during Week 11, and Chiefs star RB Jamaal Charles finishes off a 39-yard TD reception at Oakland (right photo) in Week 15. These two games take the house of dread award for 2013 for the most TD scored by players with dreads. In addition to Lynch's 3 TD, Jarius Wright had 2 TD receptions at Seattle. Charles accounted for all 5 TD by himself (!) against the Raiders (and finished the day with 215 total yards). The 5 TD in the Vikings-Seahawks game were part of an all-time record for most TD by players with dreads in one week, as 19 were scored in Week 11. For the season there were 193 TD scored by players with dreads, a total that smashes the previous record of 159 set in 2009. Here is the list of the players who scored them.

TD (193) 

• 19 - Jamaal Charles (KC)
• 14 - Marshawn Lynch (SEA)
• 11 - Eddie Lacy (GB)
• 10 - Larry Fitzgerald (ARIZ), Chris Johnson (TEN)
• 9 - Cordarrelle Patterson (MIN)
• 8 - Joique Bell (DET)
• 7 - LeGarrette Blount (NE), Marlon Brown (BAL), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (CIN), Steven Jackson (ATL)
• 5 - T.Y. Hilton (IND), Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC), Denarius Moore (OAK)
• 4 - Andre Ellington (ARIZ), Dexter McCluster (KC), Trent Richardson (IND), Jacquizz Rodgers (ATL), DeAngelo Williams (CAR)
• 3 - Brandon Bolden (NE), Dwayne Harris (DAL), Chris Ivory (NYJ), Keshawn Martin (HOU), Sidney Rice (SEA), Roddy White (ATL), Jarius Wright (MIN)
• 2 - Mike Brown (JAC), Anthony Dixon (SF), Junior Hemingway (KC), DeAndre Hopkins (HOU), Tim Jennings (CHI), Brandon Pettigrew (DET), Andre Roberts (ARIZ)
• 1 - David Bass (CHI), Travis Benjamin (CLEV), Vontaze Burfict (CIN), Travaris Cadet (NO), Greg Jenkins (OAK), M.D. Jennings (GB), Adam Jones (CIN), Dre Kirkpatrick (CIN), Danny Noble (JAC), Nickell Robey (BUF), Khiry Robinson (NO), Ace Sanders (JAC), Richard Sherman (SEA), Alex Smith (CIN)

Most TD by one team: 25 by KC
No TD by anyone for NYG, PHIL, WASH, TB, STL, MIA, PIT, DEN, SD (Everybody except STL also had no TD in 2012)
PLAYOFF TD: 12 - T.Y. Hilton 2, Marshawn Lynch 4, Khiry Robinson 1, LeGarrette Blount 4, Anthony Dixon 1
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CELEBRATIONS

19. On the 3rd play from scrimmage at Miami in Week 7, CB Nickell Robey dives into the end zone and flips all the way over and ends up landing on his back after picking off a pass intended for WR Brandon Gibson and returning it 19 yards to the house. It was the 1st career INT and TD for Robey, an undrafted rookie. Bills went on to win 23-21 for the first of two victories over the Dolphins last season. Robey had a fine season, finishing with 39 tackles (30-9), including 3 sacks, 1 INT, 9 PBU, 1 FF, and 1 FR.

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20. Bears rookie DE David Bass - a St. Louis native - celebrates after getting his 1st career sack, dropping QB Kellen Clemens for a 9-yard loss during 1st quarter at St. Louis in Week 12. However, Rams went on to score a TD on that drive and went on to defeat Bears 42-21.

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21. Playing in his 2nd NFL game after being signed off the practice squad -and unfortunately playing it with his dreads reduced - Raiders rookie WR Greg Jenkins celebrates with RB Rashad Jennings after scooping up a Cowboys fumble on the opening kickoff return on Thanksgiving Day and returning it 23 yards for a TD, making it over the goal line as S Danny McCray makes the tackle too late. Here's a look at the play: http://www.raiders.com/media-vault/videos/Raiding-the-opening-kickoff/b951af74-1e62-419f-99aa-354216fd9c00 ...... Jenkins played exclusively on special teams, returning 6 punts and 10 kickoffs in the final 6 games of the season.

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22. Vikings rookie WR Cordarrelle Patterson slaps a low five with S Mistral Raymond after his 79-yard catch and run gives the Vikings a 26-22 lead with 45 seconds remaining at Baltimore in Week 14. The play put Patterson on the dread stars list with 7 catches for 141 yards. In one of the craziest finishes to a game you'll ever see, the lead changed hands five times in the final 2:05, the last time coming on a 9-yard TD catch by Marlon Brown with 4 seconds to play to give the Ravens a 29-26 win.

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23. It might look like Texans WR Keshawn Martin is dancing here; but actually he's just trying to keep his balance after landing following his air bump with 313-pound OT Derek Newton to celebrate his 15-yard TD catch on 3rd and 8 against the Broncos in Week 16. Joining the celebration are RB Deji Karim (#39) and WR DeAndre Hopkins. Texans had an all-time high 5 TD scored by players with dreads in 2013 - 3 by Martin and 2  by Hopkins - and there should be more than that in 2014.
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SACKS

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't checked the defensive stats from all of the games, so I don't have a complete list of all the sacks by players with dreads. There weren't many. The leaders with 5.5 each were Browns LB Jabaal Sheard, Broncos DE Robert Ayers, and Buccaneers DE Adrian Clayborn. Here are a couple others.

24. For the 3rd year in a row, Colts LB/DE Erik Walden finished with 3 sacks. This is his 3rd of 2013, as he tackles Texans QB Case Keenum for a 10-yard loss during 4th quarter at Indianapolis in Week 15. In the 12-year history of their franchise, Texans have lost their road game against the Colts every time, falling to 0-12 all time with this 25-3 defeat.

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25. Ravens LB Courtney Upshaw finished with 1.5 sacks for the 2nd season in a row. This was his only solo sack, as he drops QB Ryan Tannehill for a 9-yard loss on 3rd and 10 during 1st quarter in Week 5. Ravens defeated Dolphins 26-23. Upshaw totaled 30 tackles (19-11) and 2 PBU for the season.   

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26. Raiders S Usama Young sacks QB Chad Henne of the Jaguars during 4th quarter of Raiders' 19-9 win in their home opener in Week 2. Young finished the season with 26 tackles (20-6), including 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 2 PBU in 12 games.  

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27. Chiefs CB Ron Parker sacks QB Tony Romo, strips the ball, and recovers the fumble himself on a 3rd and 5 play early in 4th quarter in Week 2. Chiefs won their home opener over Cowboys 17-16. After being cut by three different teams in his first two seasons, Parker found a home in KC in 2013, playing all 16 games and finishing with 17 tackles (17-0), 2 INT, 1 PBU, and 2 FR. 
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DREADED DOZEN 2013

I didn't have time to do a separate post, but here briefly is my ranking of the 12 best players with dreads for the 2013 season only. I'll count them down to keep you in suspense. The number in parenthesis following the player's name is his ranking on the 2012 list.

28. NUMBER 12 ...... Chiefs DT Dontari Poe tackles QB Robert Griffin III after a 3-yard gain during 1st quarter of Chiefs' 45-10 road victory in Week 14. Poe, the 346-pounder, earned his 1st Pro Bowl selection and was named 2nd team all-Pro. He had 51 tackles (43-8), 4.5 sacks, and 4 PBU in 15 games.

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29. NUMBER 11 ..... Vikings rookie WR Cordarrelle Patterson runs after the catch for a 79-yard TD during a 29-26 loss at Baltimore in Week 14. Patterson was exactly who we thought he would be in his rookie season: that is, not a great route runner; but man, once he gets the ball, good luck trying to tackle him. He set a new Vikings record for one season with 1,393 yards on kickoff returns, leading the league with a 32.4 average on 43 returns, including 2 to the house. He caught 45 passes for 469 yards and 4 TD, and he rushed for 158 yards and 3 TD on 12 carries. It was a good first step in what possibly could be a Hall of Fame career.

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30. NUMBER 10 ..... Broncos LB Danny Trevathan bounced back after that blunder on opening night to have an excellent season, although his preference to reduce his dreads every game was a constant irritant. He had 129 tackles (88-41), 2 sacks, 3 INT, 7 PBU, 3 FF, and 1 FR. He'll have his work cut out for him trying to make the 2014 list because he's going to miss at least the first month of the season after breaking a bone in his knee during a practice three weeks ago.  

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31. NUMBER 9 ...... Bears CB Tim Jennings (7) takes an INT return 44 yards to the house, hurdling QB Chris Ponder as he gets to the goal line, during Week 2 victory over the Vikings 31-30. Jennings could not duplicate the league-leading total of 9 INT he had in 2012 but still had an outstanding season (despite the team's overall defensive woes), playing in his 2nd straight Pro Bowl. He had 57 tackles (49-8), 4 INT, 9 PBU, 3 FF, and 1 FR.

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32. NUMBER 8 ..... Colts WR T.Y. Hilton scores one of his 3 TD in the 2nd half against Texans in Week 9, leading Colts back from a 24-6 deficit to a 27-24 road win. For the season Hilton made the dread stars list 5 times (plus twice more in the playoffs), finishing with 82 catches for 1,083 yards and 5 TD. He also had 17 punt returns for a 9.4 average. It looks like T.Y. is finally going to let his dreads grow out long (I'm still skeptical). If he continues to, then this likely won't be his last appearance in the dreaden dozen.

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33. NUMBER 7 ..... Cardinals WR Larry Fitzherald caps a game-opening 80-yard drive with a 4-yard TD catch (left photo) in Week 12, putting Cardinals ahead to stay in their 40-11 rout of Colts; and runs after the catch against 49ers (right photo) in Week 17. With a competent QB throwing him the ball in 2013, Fitzgerald is back in the dreaded dozen after a 1-year absence. He had 82 receptions for 954 yards and 10 TD. 

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34. NUMBER 6 ..... Titans RB Chris Johnson (9) scores one of his 2 TD in a 30-27 loss to Colts in Week 11. CJ's 3.9 yards per carry average was the lowest of his career, so 2013 obviously wasn't his best; but it was still pretty good, as he finished 11th in the league in rushing with 1,077 yards on 279 carries. He also caught 42 passes for 345 yards (8.2). He scored 10 TD (his most since 2010) - 6 rushing and 4 receiving. After playing the first 6 years of his career with the Titans (making just one playoff appearance - in 2008), Johnson is now with the N.Y. Jets.

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35. NUMBER 5 ..... Packers RB Eddie Lacy breaks off a couple of big runs - against Ravens (left photo) in Week 6 and against Bears (right photo) in Week in Week 9, two of the 4 games in which he rushed for over 100 yards. Much to his disappointment, three RBs were selected before Lacy in the 2013 draft. He ended up with at least 300 more yards rushing than all of them as he earned NFL offensive rookie of the year honors, finishing with 1,178 yards rushing on 284 carries (4.1) and scoring 11 TD. And he's only going to get better from here.

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36. NUMBER 4 ..... With boom-or-bust potential, everybody was afraid to draft LB Vontaze Burfict in 2012 - and nobody did. All he's done since then is be one of the best linebackers in the league, and now the Bengals are going to pay him like he's one of the best. Burfict led the NFL in tackles in 2013 with 171 (114-57), getting at least 6 in every game. He also had 3 sacks, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 1 FF, 2 FR, and 1 TD.

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37. NUMBER 3 ..... Seahawks CB Richard Sherman (4) has his usual blanket coverage as he breaks up a pass intended for WR Malcolm Floyd (or maybe it's Floyd breaking up the INT) during 2nd quarter in a 34-22 road win over Cardinals in Week 7. Sherman was named All-Pro for the 2nd straight season and led the league with 8 INT in 2013. He also had 8 PBU and 48 tackles (38-10). And of course, he made the play of the year for the Seahawks' defense, deflecting that pass which turned into an INT in the closing seconds of the NFC championship game when it looked like the 49ers were going to win the game. 

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38. NUMBER 2 ..... Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch (1) didn't really do anything to lose the top spot; he had another great season. I mean, I wanted to keep him at #1. I changed my mind several times before finally deciding that somebody else just had a better season than him. His 1,257 yards rushing was 300 fewer than his 2012 total but was still the second best of his career and ranked 6th in the league. He scored a career high 14 TD - 12 rushing and 2 receiving, as he caught 36 passes for 316 yards. He scored 4 more TD in the playoffs, helping lead the Seahawks to the championship. Now 28 years old and about to play his 9th NFL season, everybody keeps expecting Marshawn to start slowing down. Hopefully he'll keep making them wait for a few more years.

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39. NUMBER 1 ..... You know, when Jamaal Charles (2) got injured on the first drive of the Chiefs' playoff game at Indianapolis and the Chiefs went on to score 44 points without him, it made me think twice about ranking him at #1. But since this is a ranking for the 2013 season only, Charles' 2013 numbers are impossible to ignore. His 1,287 yards rushing were 3rd best in the league. His 5.0 yards per carry average was a career low but was still fourth best among the top 30 rushers last season. But where Jamaal sets himself apart from Marshawn Lynch was the way the Chiefs' new coaching staff got him involved in the passing game. He caught 70 passes for 693 yards (his previous highs were 45 and 468). His 19 total TD (12 rushing, 7 receiving) led the league and were the second most ever by a player with dreads (DeAngelo Williams had 20 in 2008). I hope he does, but it's going to be hard for him to better than a season like that.

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The players under consideration for the best second dozen were (in alphabetical order) DE Robert Ayers (DEN), DT Jonathan Babineaux (ATL), RB Joique Bell (DET), RB LeGarrette Blount (NE), WR Marlon Brown (BAL), DE Adrian Clayborn (TB), S Johnathan Cyprien (JAC), S Louis Delmas (DET), RB Andre Ellington (ARIZ), CB Stephon Gilmore (BUF), RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (CIN), WR/KR Dwayne Harris (DAL), WR DeAndre Hopkins (HOU), RB Chris Ivory (NYJ), RB Steven Jackson (11) (ATL), CB Adam Jones (CIN), CB Rashean Mathis (DET), WR/KR Dexter McCluster (KC), WR Denarius Moore (OAK), S Reggie Nelson (CIN), DT Ropati Pitoitua (TEN), LB Jabaal Sheard (CLEV), CB Desmond Trufant (ATL), CB Lardarius Webb (BAL), WR Roddy White (4) (ATL), RB DeAngelo Williams (CAR), CB Tramon Williams (GB)
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ODDS AND ENDS

40. Ride 'em Cowboy ...... Rams CB Janoris Jenkins makes a tackle for the 3rd straight play, stopping WR Miles Austin after a 14-yard reception during 2nd quarter of Cowboys' 31-7 home win in Week 3. Jenkins, who had 4 INT as a rookie in 2012, had only 1 INT in 2013.

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41. Janoris Jenkins was going to try to tackle 49ers TE Vernon Davis short of the goal on this play in Week 13. But when Davis lifted off and showed Jenkins the bottom of his cleat, Janoris thought better of it and let Davis finish off his 17-yard TD reception that upped 49ers' lead to 23-6 early in 4th quarter. Jenkins had 2 PBU in the game and finished with 13 for the season.

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42. S Charles Godfrey is disappointed after Panthers' defense, which had kept Seahawks out of the end zone through the first three quarters, let WR Jermaine Kearse get loose for a 43-yard TD catch early in 4th quarter in Week 1, giving Seattle a 12-7 lead. It ended 12-7, and as it turned out, this game on opening day ended up being the difference between the Seahawks (13-3) finishing first in the NFC and the Panthers (12-4) second. Godfrey had 9 tackles (7-2), including 1 sack, in the opener but tore an Achiles tendon in Week 2 and missed the rest of the season. 

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43. After giving Packers RB Eddie Lacy a concussion with a helmet-to-helmet hit earlier in the game, Redskins S Brandon Meriweather tries to do the same to RB James Starks early in 2nd quarter in Week 2. But Starks bounced right off of him, and Meriweather is the one who ended up getting a concussion, drawing a wide range of reactions from players on the Packers' bench. Meriweather picked up a $42,000 fine for his hit on Lacy and later in the season drew a 2-game suspension for more illegal hits. For some reason, Brandon refuses to stop using his helmet to make tackles; and not only is it costing him money, I'm worried that at some point he's going to seriously injure himself.

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44. Four games in Week 14 (Dec. 8) were affected by an East Coast snowstorm, none more than the Lions-Eagles game at Philadelphia. RB Joique Bell carries for some of his 127 total yards during 1st quarter of Lions' 34-20 defeat. At one point in the 1st quarter it was snowing so hard that from the main TV camera you could barely see the players on the field. Bell had a breakout season in 2013 and barely missed making the dreaded dozen after finishing with 650 yards rushing (3.9), 547 yards receiving, and 8 TD.

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45. Biting the hand that once fed him ..... Traded from the Saints to the N.Y. Jets during the offseason, RB Chris Ivory rushed for a season high 139 yards, including a 3-yard TD, in the Jets' 26-20 home win over New Orleans in Week 9. Ivory, who probably has the best dreads of any RB in the league, finished 2013 with a career high 833 yards and scored 3 TD.

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46. Seahawks WR Sidney Rice goes for the catch but catches only CB Jonathan Joseph's helmet instead on the Seahawks' first play on offense during Week 4 at Houston. Joseph was called for a PI penalty. Rice didn't get a chance to play a big part in the Seahawks' championship season. After making just 15 catches for 231 yards (3 TD) in the first 7 games, he tore an ACL in Week 8 and did not play the rest of the season. 

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47. Chiefs FB Anthony Sherman does whatever it takes to stop Browns WR Travis Benjamin on a punt return during 2nd half in Week 8; and as fast as Benjamin is, it's a good idea not to let him get free. Week 8 was a tough one in the house of dread. Not only Sidney Rice, but Benjamin too - who arguably have the best dreads of all the WRs in the league - both went down with torn ACLs.

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48. Lions CB Rashean Mathis is in big trouble here, beaten deep as WR Aldrick Robinson makes the catch for what looks like will be a 57-yard TD during 4th quarter in Week 3. But as we all know, in the NFL a catch is not a catch until you hang onto the ball for at least 15 seconds after you hit the ground . And .....

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49. ..... Robinson clearly fails to maintain possession, causing the play (after initially it was ruled a TD) to be an incomplete pass. (Sorry about the tiny picture, but this was the only one I could find that shows the ball touching the ground.) On the replay you could see Mathis actually get a piece of Robinson's arm just before they both fell, so Rashean actually got credit for a PBU on the play. Wow. Had Robinson held on, Redskins would have taken a 24-20 lead, but instead Lions kept the lead and went on to win 27-20. 

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50. Can't have an NFL dread gallery without at least one photo of Reggie Nelson's awesome dreads. Nelson, a safety for the Bengals, scoops up a fumble by RB LeGarrette Blount at the Cincinnati 24-yard line (left photo) during 2nd quarter in Week 5 but can't get away from OT Sebastian Vollmer and is tackled after only a 6 yard return. Bengals held Patriots without a TD in a 13-6 home win. In 15 games Nelson had 65 tackles (49-16), 1 sack, 2 INT, 5 PBU, 1 FF, and 2 FR.

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NOTHIN' BUT DREADS

51. Rookie WR/RB Denard Robinson makes the tackle at the Jaguars' 17-yard line after a 35-yard run on a fake punt by Broncos S David Bruton late in 3rd quarter at Denver in Week 6. Jaguars, a 27-point underdog, gave Broncos a run for their money, trailing 21-19 midway through 3rd quarter before Broncos pulled away for a 35-19 win. Robinson spent most of his rookie season as the gunner whenever the Jaguars punted. He touched the ball only 24 times (20 rushes and 4 kickoff returns) and fumbled 3 times, finishing with 154 all-purpose yards and 0 TD. But after a solid preseason, don't but surprised if you see Denard making some house calls this season.

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52. Patriots RB Brandon Bolden can't make the catch on 3rd and 3 as Buccaneers S Mark Barron defends during 1st quarter at Foxboro. Must have been a dropped pass, because Barron was not given a PBU. Barron finished the afternoon with a game high 11 tackles (8-3), a half sack, and 1 INT. Bolden gained an even 100 total yards on only 8 touches. Patriots won 23-3. 

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53. Dolphins LB Philip Wheeler tries his hardest, but can't prevent Brandon Bolden from scoring his 2nd TD of the season on a 2-yard run midway through 3rd quarter in Week 8, tying the game at 17. Patriots, who trailed 14-0 early, went on to win 27-17.Here is the video: http://www.patriots.com/media-center/videos/Highlight-Brandon-Bolden-2-yard-TD-run/424b26b2-36f6-4da6-b2eb-66152e9c4421

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54. Patriots LB Dont'a Hightower stops Jets RB Chris Ivory after a 5-yard gain during 2nd quarter on Thursday night in Week 2. Hightower finished with 8 tackles (4-4) and 1 TFL. Ivory rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries. Patriots won 13-10.

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55. Dont'a Hightower and Chris Ivory have another close encounter in the second meeting between Jets and Patriots in Week 7. Dont'a finished with a season high 11 tackles (7-4); while Ivory made the dread stars list, carrying 34 times (including 9 times on the Jets' drive in overtime) for 104 tough yards as Jets won 30-27.

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56. Buccaneers DE Steven Means makes his only tackle of the game, getting Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams out of bounds at the 10-yard line after a 9-yard gain on 1st down during 1st quarter on Thursday night in Week 8. Panthers scored a TD 3 plays later, completing a 15-play, 70-yard drive. Panthers never trailed in a 31-13 road win as Bucs dropped to 0-7. 

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57. On the run after catching a short pass, Ravens rookie WR Marlon Brown gives the stiff-arm to Packers CB Tramon Williams at the GB 42-yard line and breaks away for a 59-yard gain all the way to the GB 6- yard line during 3rd quarter at Baltimore in Week 6. Ravens had to settle for a FG 4 plays later, cutting Packers' lead to 9-3. The defending champs dropped to 3-3, suffering their 1st home loss of the season, 19-17. 

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58. Despite Rashean Mathis' attempt to knock the ball out, Marlon Brown hangs on and converts a 3rd and 1 with a 2-yard reception on a drive that ended with a FG during 2nd quarter during Week 15. Ravens won their 4th straight, defeating Lions 18-16 on a 61-yard FG with 38 seconds remaining. After playing 10 seasons with the Jaguars, Mathis had 0 INT in his first season with the Lions but did finish with 15 PBU. Evidently he performed decently enough, because the Lions brought him back for 2014 on another 1-year contract.

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59. Travis Benjamin makes the catch at the Browns' 25-yard line as CB Lardarius Webb defends on 2nd and 9 during 2nd quarter at Baltimore during Week 2 then slips away from Webb and picks up another 5 yards after the catch before being knocked out of bounds at the 30-yard line for a 22-yard gain. Ravens trailed 6-0 at the half before coming back to win 14-6. In 8 games before tearing his ACL, Benjamin caught just 5 passes for 105 yards but was a big threat on special teams. He finished 8th in the league in punt returns, averaging 11.7, including that 79-yard TD (photo 17), and he also went 86 yards on one of his three kickoff returns. Webb, who played last season after recovering from a torn ACL in 2012, played all 16 games, finishing with 74 tackles (63-11), 2 INT, and 20 PBU.  

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60. Richard Sherman and Larry Fitzgerald have seen a lot of each other since Sherman came into the league in 2011, with Sherman usually holding the upper hand. (Of course, with some of the quarterbacks the Cardinals have had, it has hardly been a fair competition.) Sherman defends a pass intended for Fitzgerald (left photo) in their first meeting (left photo) on Thursday night in Week 7 and tries to avoid being tackled by Fitzgerald on an interception return (right photo) in Week 16. Fitzgerald had 2 catches for 17 yards and 3 catches for 18 yards in the 2 games against the Seahawks - his two worst games of the season. Sherman had 7 tackles and 2 PBU in the first game, won by the Seahawks 34-22, and had 8 tackles and his 7th and 8th INT of the season in Week 16, when the Cardinals handed the Seahawks their only home loss, 17-10.

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HELMETS OFF

61. Larry Fitzgerald meets with Coach Arians during a training camp practice on Aug. 19. If Larry's dreads seemed like they were a bit shorter last season, this is why. Actually they're not shorter, it's just that he was using several of them to bunch them together instead of using a rubber band, so he didn't have all of them hanging down outside of his helmet.

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62. Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict says a prayer before taking on the Patriots in Cincinnati in Week 5. We'll call it a prayer answered. Burfict had 'only' 8 tackles (7-1), but Bengals' D kept Tom Brady and Patriots' offense out of the end zone all day in a 13-6 victory. It was New England's only game without a TD, and it ended Brady's streak of 52 consecutive games with at least one TD pass.  

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63. Bears CB Charles Tillman and Redskins QB Robert Griffin III meet - and reminisce about the old alma mater - after Griffin's 298 yards passing help lead Washington to a 45-41 home win in Week 7. Tillman had 6 tackles and 1 INT in the game. Tillman (Class of 1999) and Griffin (Class of 2008) both graduated from Copperas Cove (TX) HS. 

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64. Cowboys WR Dwayne Harris walks off with not one, but two game balls after helping Dallas defeat Washington 31-16 in Week 6. Harris returned 2 kickoffs for 113 yards, including a 90-yarder; and 2 punts for 109 yards, including an 86-yard TD. He earned NFC special teams player of the week honors (you think?), becoming the first player ever to average more than 50 yards on both kickoff and punt returns in the same game. He finished the season ranked #2 in the league in kickoff returns with a 30.6 average #4 in punt returns at 14.2.

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65. Cowboys CB B.J. Webb celebrates after a 17-3 road victory over the Eagles in Week 7. It would be the last time anybody on the Cowboys' defense did any celebrating. Cowboys allowed an average of 30.7 points in their final 9 games and ended up missing the playoffs, finishing at 8-8 .....

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66. ..... Arguably the lowest point of the season for the Cowboys' D was the Week 10 game at New Orleans. S Danny McCray hangs his head on the dejected sideline near the end of the Saints' 49-17 win. Saints punted on their opening drive but not again the rest of the night as they racked up 625 total yards and a new NFL record 40 first downs. 40!

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67. WR Roddy White is not in uniform for the first time in his NFL career during the Falcons' Week 7 home game against Tampa Bay. White had played in all 133 games since the Falcons drafted him in 2005 but missed this one due to a hamstring injury. Couple that with the high ankle sprain he suffered during the preseason and it made for one miserable year for Roddy. He finished strong in December when he got healthier but ended the season with only 63 catches for 711 yards and 3 TD, ending his streak of 6 straight seasons with at least 1,100 yards receiving.

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68. Dolphins LB Dannell Ellerbe - and his dreads - are fired up as he is introduced before taking on his former team, the Ravens, in Week 5. He recorded only 2 tackles as the Dolphins lost to the Ravens 26-23. After a strong 2012 championship season with the Ravens earned him a big payday, Ellerbe had a somewhat disappointing 2013 season. He finished with 101 tackles (70-31) but had only 1 sack. He also recorded 2 INT, 3 PBU, and 2 FR.

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69. Texans RB Deji Karim's helmet is not off by choice as he carries the ball during 2nd quarter in Week 16. Broncos DT Terrance Knighton pulls it off his head while trying to make a tackle during Denver's 37-13 win. A slew of injuries to Texans' running backs got Karim signed to the team midway through the season, and he got his most carries of the season in this game, rushing 8 times for 30 yards before leaving with a broken collarbone.

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70. Upset that he had just blown his chance for an easy pick 6 on 3rd and 7, Chiefs S Kendrick Lewis grabbed his head in disgust; but when he did, his helmet popped off during 2nd quarter at Oakland in Week 15. The refs flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. Harmless as it seemed, this play changed the momentum in the game. Instead of Chiefs upping their lead to 42-10, Raiders kept the ball, went down and scored a TD to make it 35-17; next thing you know it was 35-31. But Chiefs regained the momentum on Jamaal Charles' 5th TD of the game and went on to win 56-31.

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71. Hey, watch it, man! ..... A fan eager to get Jamaal Charles' autograph after the Chiefs' final home game of the season three days before Christmas knocks the snow off the ledge and it showers down onto Charles. No autograph for you ..... No,no, Jamaal's not like that. Hopefully this fan got his Christmas wish, but Charles certainly doesn't look very happy. He already was unhappy enough after Chiefs scored their fewest points of the season in a 23-7 loss to the Colts.

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72. And we finish DG155 with Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick celebrating with the fans after the best game of his career so far. Kirkpatrick intercepted passes by Ravens QB Joe Flacco on back-to-back possessions during 4th quarter of the regular season finale, the second of which he returned 21 yards to the house for his 1st NFL TD. Dre also had 1 PBU and a career high 9 tackles (4-5) in the game as the Bengals won 34-17.