As for the 2015 champ ..... Atlanta Falcons RB Devonta Freeman didn't give up the throne without a fight. He finished in 2nd place with 13 TD in 2016 after leading all players with dreads with 14 the year before. Eight rookies accounted for 33 of the 192 TD by players with dreads, with Kansas City Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill leading the way with 11 (actually Hill scored 12 total TD, but I'm not counting the one he had in Week 1 because he hadn't turned his hair into dreads yet). Another player in his first season with dreads - Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams - had the most TD receptions by anyone with dreads with 12, dethroning DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texas, who had only 4 after finishing with 11 in 2015.
Here are the 192 TD ranked from most to fewest scored by the 51 players who scored them.
18
LeGarrette Blount (NE)
13
Devonta Freeman (ATL)
12
Davante Adams (GB)
Melvin Gordon (SD)
11
Tyreek Hill (KC)
8
Jay Ajayi (MIA)
7
Kelvin Benjamin (CAR)
Isaiah Crowell (CLEV)
Rob Kelley (WASH)
6
Larry Fitzgerald (ARIZ)
Todd Gurley (LA)
T.Y. Hilton (IND)
DeAngelo Williams (PIT)
5
Derrick Henry (TEN)
Seth Roberts (OAK)
4
Travis Benjamin (SD)
Travaris Cadet (NO)
DeAndre Hopkins (HOU)
3
Will Fuller (HOU)
Chris Ivory (JAC)
Matt Jones (WASH)
Cordarrelle Patterson (MIN)
Andre Roberts (DET)
2
Robby Anderson (NYJ)
Sammie Coates (PIT)
Cobi Hamilton (PIT)
Chris Moore (BAL)
Nickell Robey-Coleman (BUF)
Bradley Roby (DEN)
Jacquizz Rodgers (TB)
Sammy Watkins (BUF)
1
Jahleel Addae (SD)
Walt Aikens (MIA)
Jamaal Charles (KC)
Adrian Clayborn (ATL)
Alex Collins (SEA)
DuJuan Harris (SF)
Dwayne Harris (NYG)
Janoris Jenkins (NYG)
Chris Johnson (ARIZ)
Cre'von LeBlanc (CHI)
Dwight Lowery (SD)
Freddie Martino (TB)
Leodis McKelvin (PHIL)
Donald Penn (OAK)
Joshua Perkins (ATL)
Dontari Poe (KC)
Shane Ray (DEN)
Shaq Thompson (CAR)
Markus Wheaton (PIT)
Jarius Wright (MIN)
.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were unsuccessful in defending their crown as the team with the most touchdowns scored by players with dreads. With Martavis Bryant suspended all year, with Markus Wheaton and Sammie Coates plagued by injuries most of the year, and with Le'Veon Bell staying healthy most of the year - meaning that DeAngelo Williams didn't get to play very much - the Steelers managed just 11 TD by players with dreads in 2016 after leading the league with 23 in 2015. It took just 18 TD to take the crown in 2016. Thanks to LeGarrette Blount's solo effort the New England Patriots claim a share of the title; and the other share goes to the San Diego Chargers. Four different players with dreads - all with sick dreads, at that - combined to score their 18 TD, led by Melvin Gordon with 12. The Chargers took sole honors in percentage of touchdowns scored by players with dreads with 37.5% (18 of 48).
Led by the Steelers' 23 TD, the AFC North was the division that had the most touchdowns scored by players with dreads in 2015 with 36. The winner for 2016 was the AFC West with 40 TD - which were scored by 11 different players, including 3 DBs, a D-lineman and an O-lineman. The AFC East finished second with 33. Dishonorable mention goes to the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals. They're the only two teams that had no TD scored by anyone with dreads in 2016.
Here now once again are the 192 total TD scored by players with dreads, this time listed alphabetically by division and team.
AFC EAST (33)
BUF (4) - CB Nickell Robey-Coleman 2, WR Sammy Watkins 2
MIA (9) - RB Jay Ajayi 8, S Walt Aikens 1
NE (18) - RB LeGarrette Blount 18
NYJ (2) - WR Robby Anderson 2
AFC NORTH (20)
BAL (2) - WR Chris Moore 2
CIN (0)
CLEV (7) - RB Isaiah Crowell 7
PIT (11) - RB DeAngelo Williams 6, WR Sammie Coates 2, WR Cobi Hamilton 2, WR Markus Wheaton 1
AFC SOUTH (21)
HOU (7) - WR DeAndre Hopkins 4, WR Will Fuller 3
IND (6) - WR T.Y. Hilton 6
JAC (3) - RB Chris Ivory 3
TENN (5) - RB Derrick Henry 5
AFC WEST (40)
DEN (3) - CB Bradley Roby 2, LB Shane Ray 1
KC (13) - WR Tyreek Hill 11, RB Jamaal Charles 1, DT Dontari Poe 1
OAK (6) - WR Seth Roberts 5, OT Donald Penn 1
SD (18) - RB Melvin Gordon 12, WR Travis Benjamin 4, S Jahleel Addae 1, S Dwight Lowery 1
NFC EAST (13)
DAL (0)
NYG (2) - WR Dwayne Harris 1, CB Janoris Jenkins 1
PHIL (1) - CB Leodis McKelvin 1
WASH (10) - RB Rob Kelley 7, RB Matt Jones 3
NFC NORTH (20)
CHI (1) - CB Cre'von LeBlanc 1
DET (3) - WR Andre Roberts 3
GB (12) - WR Davante Adams 12
MIN (4) - WR Cordarrelle Patterson 3, WR Jarius Wright 1
NFC SOUTH (30)
ATL (15) - RB Devonta Freeman 13, DE Adrian Clayborn 1, TE Joshua Perkins 1
CAR (8) - WR Kelvin Benjamin 7, LB Shaq Thompson 1
NO (4) - RB Travaris Cadet 4
TB (3) - RB Jacquizz Rodgers 2, WR Freddie Martino 1
NFC WEST (15)
ARIZ (7) - WR Larry Fitzgerald 6, RB Chris Johnson 1
LA (6) - RB Todd Gurley 6
SF (1) - RB DuJuan Harris 1
SEA (1) - RB Alex Collins 1
.
PLAYOFF TD (9): Devonta Freeman 3, Davante Adams 2, LeGarrette Blount 1, Cobi Hamilton 1, DeAndre Hopkins 1, DeAngelo Williams 1
.
DG
1. WR Kelvin Benjamin scores the first TD of the season by a player with dreads - and the first TD of the season by anyone - on a 14-yard reception on 2nd and 8 against the coverage by CB Chris Harris, giving the Panthers a 7-0 lead over the Broncos midway through the 1st quarter of the Thursday night season opener on Sept. 8. Harris did not allow a touchdown during the entire 2015 season but sees his perfect record for 2016 go down the drain on the Panthers' first drive of the game. Benjamin, who missed the entire 2015 season due to injury, finished the night with 6 catches for 91 yards (see all 6 on the link below); but the Panthers lost a game they should have won, 21-20, setting the tone for their miserable season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzE6l_Ni70Y
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt_zQBYaYQU
Patriots usually have a lot trouble in Denver, but they won this one 16-3 to improve to 12-2. 11 of LeGarrette's 18 TD in 2016 came on 1-yard runs.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPxlcpmZajc
Williams scored another TD on the Steelers' next drive and finished with 143 yards rushing on 26 carries in the 38-16 road win over Washington.
.
5. After scoring 0 TD on 217 touches in his 2015 rookie season, RB Melvin Gordon gets on the board in the first game of 2016, scoring on the Chargers' first two possessions of the day at Kansas City - a 1-yard run on 1st and goal (left photo) and then a 6-yard run on 3rd and 1 (right photo) for a 14-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter. But the Chargers would blow a 27-10 lead in the 4th quarter and lose to the Chiefs 33-27 in overtime, setting the tone for their miserable season.
.
.
7. ..... And a little later he gets his 100th, making a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch against Ryan on 1st and goal for a 1-yard TD to give the Cardinals their first lead at 21-20 with 9:46 to play in the game. Fitzgerald is the 24th player in league history to score 100 touchdowns. After the Patriots kicked a FG to regain the lead, Fitzgerald had 3 catches for 46 yards on the Cardinals' next drive; but they missed the FG with 36 seconds remaining and lost to New England 23-21, setting the tone for their frustrating season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBdt3W23GsE
By the way ..... the next closest active player to 100 TD is Frank Gore with 91.
.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zg8kc64BfU
Ajayi gained 206 yards on the ground on a career high 32 carries in the win. It was his 3rd game of the season with 200+ yards rushing. For the season he finished with 1,272, which ranked #4 in the league.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKqmlB8zJOE
Kelley, not picked in the 2016 draft, scored 7 TD and led the Redskins with 704 yards rushing in his rookie season.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exMoCxafiHk
Moore's only other TD on the season also came on special teams. He finished the season with just 7 catches for 46 yards. But look for him to be a much bigger part of the Ravens' offense in 2017.
.
.
.
..... 12 seconds after Hamilton's TD, Jay Ajayi took one 62 yards to the house to ice the Dolphins' 30-15 win; but that probably didn't diminish the excitement Cobi had about finally getting a chance to play.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehmK-iZ0DGc
Sammie later had a 5-yard TD and finished his best game in a Steelers uniform with 6 receptions for 139 yards in the 31-13 victory. Unfortunately he broke a finger during the game and had only 2 more receptions the rest of the season: http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/05/sammie-coates-shows-off-previously-injured-fingers-media/
.
16. Kelvin Benjamin beats CB Jalen Collins on the final play of the 3rd quarter and makes the 26-yard catch on 1st and 10 for his 6th TD of the season, cutting the Falcons' lead over the Panthers to 23-13 on Christmas Eve at Charlotte. KB finished the afternoon with 4 catches for 63 yards. The Falcons answered right back with a Tevin Coleman 55-yard TD 4 plays later and went on to win 33-16 and officially eliminate the defending NFC champs from the playoff picture.
.
17. The most TD by players with dreads in any one game was 4 TD, and that happened only one time - in the Chargers-Falcons game at the Georgia Dome in Week 7. After Melvin Gordon finished the opening drive of the game with a 2-yard TD run, DE Adrian Clayborn scores the 1st TD of his career (left photo), scooping up the ball after a sack by LB Vic Beasley caused QB Philip Rivers to fumble and taking it 5 yards to the house for a 27-10 Falcons lead with 4:31 remaining in the 1st half.. But inexplicably the Falcons failed to score another TD for the rest of the game. Gordon's 2nd TD of the game - a 3-yard run - made it 27-17 at halftime. Then on 1st and goal in the 4th quarter the Falcons leave Gordon uncovered in the left flat and he makes the easy catch for a 5-yard TD (right photo) to cut Atlanta's lead to 30-27 with 5:59 remaining. Melvin finished with 68 yards rushing and 6 catches for 53 yards as the Chargers came back to win 33-30 in overtime.
.
18. WR Cordarrelle Patterson reaches above CB Charles James to bring in a 9-yard TD catch on 2nd and goal, increasing the Vikings' lead over the Texans to 31-6 early in the 4th quarter at Minneapolis in Week 5. The Vikings went on to win 31-13 to improve to 5-0; but with Sam Bradford as their QB, you knew that success wasn't going to last. This was the first of 3 TD Patterson scored in his final season with the Vikings. Cordarrelle led the league in kickoff returns in three of his four seasons with the Vikings - as expected; but he had just 7 TD catches in those 4 years and averaged only 10 yards per reception, and no doubt the Vikings were hoping for much more than that when they picked him in the 1st round in 2013. He signed with the Raiders during the offseason.
.
http://www.chargers.com/video/2016/09/18/philip-rivers-finds-travis-benjamin-end-zone
Travis finished with 6 catches for 115 yards as the Jaguars, as always, get embarrassed on the West Coast, falling to the Chargers 38-14.
.
20. Travis Benjamin's next TD didn't come until Week 8, but it was a beauty. Not open on 3rd and 9, Benjamin leaps for a pass from Philip Rivers in the back of the end zone, gets a hand on it (left photo), tips the ball off of his facemask (right photo), and makes the catch .....
.
21. ..... then comes down and gets both feet inbounds just before his hand touches out of bounds.
http://www.chargers.com/video/2016/10/30/cant-miss-play-benjamin-makes-one-handed-td
The TD cut the Broncos' lead to 17-13 with 4:02 remaining in the 3rd quarter, but the Chargers ended up losing 27-19.
Benjamin finished the season with 47 catches for 677 yards. He was slowed by a knee injury during the second half of the season and ended up having minor surgery done after the season was over. He most definitely is fully recovered, as you already know if you've seen him in the preseason.
.
22. With just under 2 minutes remaining in overtime at Tampa in Week 8 Raiders WR Seth Roberts makes the catch on 4th and 3 for enough yardage to pick up the 1st down and appears about to be stopped near the Buccaneers' 30-yard line (left photo); but then, when S Bradley McDougald hits his teammate, CB Jude Adjei-Barimah, instead of Roberts (right photo), Roberts stays on his feet .....
.
23. ..... breaks away and into the clear and sprints into the end zone for the game-winning 41-yard TD and then celebrates by throwing the ball against the wall beyond the end zone. Roberts' 4th TD catch of the season gives the Raiders a 30-24 and improves their record to 8-0 over his two seasons in games in which he has caught a TD pass. Seth had just 38 receptions on 77 targets in 2016 and was charged with 5 dropped passes; but I see the Raiders just signed him to a contract extension after none of those three undrafted rookie receivers with dreads the Raiders had in training camp were good enough to make the team.
.
24. The last two of RB Isaiah Crowell's 7 TD came on the Browns' first two drives of the game against the Chargers at Cleveland on Christmas Eve. Crowell scores on an 8-yard run off right tackle on 1st and goal past the too-little-too-late attempt to stop him by S Dwight Lowery (left photo) to tie the game at 7 then scores standing up on a 4-yard run through the middle to cap a 75-yard drive that puts the Browns ahead to stay at 14-10 early in the 2nd quarter. That's right, ahead to stay. These were their only two touchdowns, but they were enough to help the Browns give their suffering fans a nice Christmas gift: a win. The 20-17 victory snapped their 17-game losing streak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2mMxPiFU4I
The 7 TD by Crowell in 2016 upped his career total to 20 in his three seasons with the Browns.
.
I see that Harris just got cut by the Jaguars; but I'm sure he's used to it by now. This makes it the 6th time in his 7 NFL training camps that he has been cut at the end of camp. And the only time he wasn't cut was when the Packers put him on IR near the end of training camp in 2013. But DuJuan is a survivor. Despite being released every year that he's been healthy, he has appeared in at least 4 games in all of those seasons; so don't be surprised if that happens again in 2017.
.
26. When WR Dwayne Harris (no relation to DuJuan) comes in the game on offense, it usually means the Giants are going to run the ball; but not this time. Two plays after the Browns turned the ball over on a fumble by Isaiah Crowell, Harris makes the catch of a perfect throw by QB Eli Manning and hangs on for the 13-yard TD despite being hit by CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, giving the Giants a 7-0 lead midway through the 2nd quarter at Cleveland in Week 12. The Giants went on to win 27-13. It was his only TD of the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0V411Vy1eE
Remarkably this was the only pass that Dwayne had thrown to him all season. After making 36 catches on 57 targets in his first season with the Giants in 2015, he barely played at all on offense in 2016. And after he averaged just 5.9 yards on punt returns in 2016, he had to take a $500,000 pay cut to keep from being released. He can earn the half million back if he averages at least 10 yards on punt returns in 2017.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qObCK9t0vc
Watkins finished his best game of an injury-plagued season with 7 catches for 154 yards, but the Bills lost 34-31 in overtime; and after the game Sammy said in frustration, "It's hard. It seems like every time I have a successful game, we lose." Well, for the record, the Bills are 6-4 in the games Watkins has had 100+ yards receiving but just 5-9 in the games he has scored at least 1 TD and 1-2 in the three games he has scored 2 TD.
This TD would be Sammy's last in a Bills uniform. The team's new management decided they weren't going to sign him to a new contract and wanted to get something in return before he becomes a free agent after the 2017 season; so they traded him to the Rams, where hopefully he can help revive their awful offense.
.
2016 INTERCEPTIONS
Despite changing teams, S Reggie Nelson successfully defended his title as the player with dreads with the most interceptions in 2016 - although this time he has to share the crown. After finishing tied for the league lead (players with and without dreads) with 8 INT in his last season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015, Nelson picked off 5 passes in his first season in an Oakland Raiders uniform - the most among players with dreads and tied for 5th place among all players. Sharing the crown with him is a player whose dreads are nearly as long as his, CB Stephon Gilmore, who had a career high 5 INT in his final season with the Buffalo Bills.
Overall 45 players with dreads had interceptions in 2016, and the total of 81 passes they picked was a significant increase of 8 over the 2015 total of 73. The 81 INT were 19.5% (roughly 1 out of 5) of the total of 415 INT made by all players. With Nelson no longer in their secondary, the Bengals - runaway winners for the team crown with 14 INT by players with dreads in 2015 - dropped to just 5 in 2016. The new champ was the Bills, with CB Nickell Robey-Coleman's 2 INT added to Gilmore's 5 for a 1st place total of 7. With Robey-Coleman also no longer with the Bills - and with CB Ronald Darby gone too - there will be another new champ in 2017. Finishing second behind the Bills were the San Diego Chargers, who had 5 different players combine to get their total of 6.
Here are all the players with dreads who had interceptions in 2016, ranked from the most to the fewest.
5
Stephon Gilmore (BUF)
Reggie Nelson (OAK)
4
Tony Lippett (MIA)
C.J. Mosley (BAL)
Richard Sherman (SEA)
3
Janoris Jenkins (NYG)
Dre Kirkpatrick (CIN)
Josh Norman (WASH)
D.J. Swearinger (ARIZ)
Trae Waynes (MIN)
2
Mark Barron (LA)
Tre Boston (CAR)
Jalen Collins (ATL)
Cre'von LeBlanc (CHI)
Leodis McKelvin (PHIL)
Trovon Reed (SD)
Nickell Robey-Coleman (BUF)
Bradley Roby (DEN)
Marcus Williams (NYJ)
1
Jahleel Addae (SD)
Ray-Ray Armstrong (SF)
De'Vondre Campbell (ATL)
Brandon Carr (DAL)
Vernon Hargreaves (TB)
Timmy Jernigan (BAL)
Adam Jones (CIN)
Jarvis Jones (PIT)
Dwight Lowery (SD)
Lorenzo Mauldin (NYJ)
Bobby McCain (MIA)
Dexter McCoil (SD)
Harlan Miller (ARIZ)
Ron Parker (KC)
Da'Norris Searcy (TENN)
Josh Shaw (CIN)
Buster Skrine (NYJ)
Daimion Stafford (TENN)
Shaq Thompson (CAR)
Desmond Trufant (ATL)
Jason Verrett (SD)
T.J. Ward (DEN)
B.W. Webb (NO)
J.J. Wilcox (DAL)
Tramon Williams (CLEV)
Ramik Wilson (KC)
And here again are the 81 interceptions by players with dreads, listed alphabetically by division and team.
AFC EAST (16)
BUF (7) - CB Stephon Gilmore 5, CB Nickell Robey-Coleman 2
MIA (5) - CB Tony Lippett 4, CB Bobby McCain 1
NE (0)
NYJ (4) - CB Marcus Williams 2, LB Lorenzo Mauldin 1, CB Buster Skrine 1
AFC NORTH (12)
BAL (5) - LB C.J. Mosley 4, DT Timmy Jernigan 1
CIN (5) - CB Dre Kirkpatrick 3, CB Adam Jones 1, CB Josh Shaw 1
CLEV (1) - CB Tramon Williams 1
PIT (1) - LB Jarvis Jones 1
AFC SOUTH (2)
HOU (0)
IND (0)
JAC (0)
TENN (2) - S Da'Norris Searcy 1, S Daimion Stafford 1
AFC WEST (16)
DEN (3) - CB Bradley Roby 2, S T.J. Ward 1
KC (2) - S Ron Parker 1, LB Ramik Wilson 1
OAK (5) - S Reggie Nelson 5
SD (6) - CB Trovon Reed 2, S Jahleel Addae 1, S Dwight Lowery 1, S Dexter McCoil 1, CB Jason Verrett 1
NFC EAST (10)
DAL (2) - CB Brandon Carr 1, S J.J. Wilcox 1
NYG (3) - CB Janoris Jenkins 3
PHIL (2) - CB Leodis McKelvin 2
WASH (3) - CB Josh Norman 3
NFC NORTH (5)
CHI (2) - CB Cre'von LeBlanc 2
DET (0)
GB (0)
MIN (3) - CB Trae Waynes 3
NFC SOUTH (9)
ATL (4) - CB Jalen Collins 2, LB De'Vondre Campbell 1, CB Desmond Trufant 1
CAR (3) - S Tre Boston 2, LB Shaq Thompson 1
NO (1) - CB B.W. Webb 1
TB (1) - CB Vernon Hargreaves 1
NFC WEST (11)
ARIZ (4) - S D.J. Swearinger 3, CB Harlan Miller 1
LA (2) - LB Mark Barron 2
SF (1) - LB Ray-Ray Armstrong 1
SEA (4) - CB Richard Sherman 4
.
PLAYOFF INT (1) - Jadeveon Clowney (HOU) 1
.
DG
Although he came close Desmond didn't quite get the season's first interception by a player with dreads .....
.
29. ..... A few minutes earlier that honor went to Jets CB Marcus Williams. 4 plays after the Jets took a 7-0 on their opening drive of the season, Williams stops the Bengals' second drive of the game, tipping the pass before finally getting a handle on the ball on a deep out intended for WR Tyler Boyd on 3rd and 15. Williams' 14-yard return gave the Jets great field position, but their ensuing drive ended with a blocked FG. Marcus, who finished second among players with dreads with 6 INT in 2015, looked like he was on his way to surpassing that total after getting a pick in each of the Jets' first two games. But he had no other interceptions after that, finishing the season with 2.
Williams was not the only player with dreads with a pick in this game .....
.
.
http://www.chargers.com/video/2016/09/11/jason-verrett-wrestles-interception
At that point the Chargers were in complete control of the game, leading 27-10. But 4 plays later they missed a long FG, and the Chiefs proceeded to go TD, FG, TD, and TD on the next four possessions to come back and win 33-27 in overtime.
This was Verrett's only INT of the season. Sometime during the first 4 games of the season he partially tore his ACL. He thought he just had a sore knee and continued to play; but once he got it checked and found out how serious it was, his season was done - the second time in his first three seasons that his season has ended early due to injury.
.
32. And here is the last of the Chargers' 18 INT. With the Chiefs in the red zone and about to increase their 20-10 lead early in the 3rd quarter in Week 17, LB Melvin Ingram tips a pass intended for RB Knile Davis in the right flat, giving S Jahleel Addae time to move up and get his 1st career interception at the 10-yard line. Even better, Addae quickly gets turned around and takes the thing back 90 yards to the house, with his dreads swinging the whole way, for his 1st career TD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj5gVZdbfjw
The Chargers, with nothing to play for, fought hard but ended up losing 37-27 to the Chiefs, who clinched the AFC West crown with the win in what turned out to be the Chargers' last game ever in San Diego. LA, here we come.
.
.
34. The AFC East finished tied for the division with the most interceptions by players with dreads. Getting one of their 16 INT - and making his only INT of the season - here is Jets CB Buster Skrine, picking off a sideline pass intended for ex-dread WR Breshad Perriman on 2nd and 13 midway through the 3rd quarter in Week 7. Skrine almost took the return to the house but was stopped at the 3-yard line after a 51-yard return. The Jets settled for a FG 4 plays later to take a 17-16 lead and went on to beat the Ravens 24-16.
.
35. The AFC West tied with the AFC East for the division with the most interceptions by players with dreads, and helping their cause here in Week 8 is CB Bradley Roby. Roby actually gets beat on the play as the Chargers run a pick play to get WR Tyrell Williams open; but when the pass bounces off Williams' hands, Roby grabs the deflection (left photo), says thank you very much, and speeds 51 yards to the house (right photo) to give the Broncos a 10-7 lead with 9:10 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkE8Ll6pQu4
Go figure. On a play that should have been a big play for the Chargers, instead Roby makes the play and gets named AFC defensive player of the week for it. In the same game that Travis Benjamin scored his highlight-reel TD (photos #20-21), the Broncos held on to win 27-19.
.
36. Only regular season games count in a player's stats; so when the 2017 season begins next weekend, DE Jadeveon Clowney will still be looking for his 1st career INT. This interception came midway through the 1st quarter of the Texans' 1st round playoff game against the Raiders at Houston on Jan. 7, and Clowney was unlucky not to score a TD on the play. After reading the screen pass on 3rd and 12, Jadeveon makes the catch at the Oakland 12-yard line, but only after bobbling the ball a couple of times; and by the time he finally controls it, he's too close to intended receiver Latavius Murray, who clamps on to his ankle and keeps him from taking it to the house. The Texans scored a TD on the next play to up their lead to 10-0 and went on to win 27-14. This was the only interception by a player with dreads in any of the 11 playoff games.
It has taken a while, but Jadeveon is starting to turn into the great player he was expected to be when he was taken with the first pick of the draft in 2014 - and he's still just 24 years old.
.
37. After being called for penalties three times earlier in the 2nd half, CB Trae Waynes gets it right when the Vikings need it the most in Week 2. With the Vikings clinging to a 3-point lead but with the Packers only 20 yards away from FG range, Waynes stays with WR Davante Adams on a post-corner route and picks off the pass from Aaron Rodgers on 3rd and 14 at the Minnesota 41-yard line on the second play after the two-minute warning, much to the delight of Coach Zimmer (right photo). It officially was Trae's 1st career INT, after he had only the INT against the Seahawks in the playoffs during his 2015 rookie season. The Vikings picked up a first down on their ensuing possession and ran out the clock, beating the Packers 17-14 in the first game in their new stadium.
.
38. CB Janoris Jenkins' sensational, Pro Bowl season in his first season in a N.Y. Giants uniform included this feather in his cap: he became the first player ever to pick off Packers superstar QB Aaron Rodgers twice in a Packers' home game at Lambeau Field - getting the first two interceptions of the season for the Giants in Week 5. With the Packers almost in the red zone, Jenkins intercepts a deflected pass intended for WR Jordy Nelson (left photo) on 3rd and 6 on the final play of the 1st quarter. A little later, again on 3rd and 6, he picks off a pass intended for Davante Adams. Unfortunately for Jenkins the Giants lost the game 23-16. For his efforts in 2016 Janoris was voted (by his peers) as the 54th best player in the league, confirmed in this short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt1gD9WRUB0
.
.
40. The Chiefs' opening drive of the game in Week 10 comes to an end as S Tre Boston gets his 1st INT of the season, picking off a deep pass intended for WR Tyreek Hill on 3rd and 9.
The Panthers led 17-3 entering the 4th quarter then sat back and let the Chiefs steal the game from them 20-17, a microcosm of the way the season went for both teams. I don't know what Boston was doing that the Panthers didn't like, but they showed him the door during the offseason with one year to go on his contract. He had 3 career INT in his three seasons with the Panthers, plus two more in 5 playoff games. California here Tre comes.
.
This was the last of 14 interceptions Gilmore had ever since the Bills picked him 10th overall in the 2012 draft. The team's new management has been getting rid of all of their good players with dreads during the offseason. Stephon signed as a free agent with the Patriots, where there's a pretty good chance he'll finally get to play in his 1st career playoff game.
.
42. 2016 was the 7th straight season that S Reggie Nelson intercepted at least 2 passes. Here in Week 7 he gets the 2nd of 5 picks he had in his first season with the Raiders on a pass intended for Jaguars WR Allen Robinson and returning it (needlessly) 40 yards late in the 4th quarter of the Raiders' 33-16 road win.
2016 was also the 6th straight season that Nelson has been one and done in the playoffs. His last (and only) playoff win was with the Jaguars in 2007. And my crystal ball doesn't like his chances to get one in 2017 either. Sorry about that, Reggie.
.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2016
Freshman QB Jalen Hurts (13 TD) and sophomore RB Bo Scarbrough (11 TD) hit double figures; junior WR ArDarius Stewart made a strong contribution (8 TD) in his first season with dreads; and three other players with dreads scored too - sophomore S Ronnie Harrison had 2, while senior LB Tim Williams and sophomore WR Xavian Marks had 1 each. With Hurts and Scarbrough (both in photo above) still on the team, the Crinmson Tide seem likely to be strong contenders for another crown in 2017.
Individual honors went to Florida State RB Dalvin Cook and UTEP RB Aaron Jones, both of whom scored 20 TD. Cook and Jones both hope to be making their 2017 house calls for rival teams in the NFC North - Cook with the Vikings and Jones with the Packers.
No comments:
Post a Comment