NFL '17 Dread News - Week 16

This is not a test. This is no drill. This is 100% not fake news. And April Fool's Day is still three months away, so this really is the real deal - the Jaguars are in. I repeat, the Jaguars are IN! That's right. When the playoffs for the 2017 NFL season begin on the first weekend of 2018, the Jacksonville Jaguars actually will be one of the 12 teams playing in the tournament. Honestly. No joke. Just as they were taking the field for their late afternoon (eastern time) game at San Francisco last Sunday, the Jaguars - thanks to the loss by the Tennessee Titans to the Los Angeles Rams - officially clinched their first ever AFC South division crown (The photo on the right is from a week earlier, after they officially clinched a playoff spot). It's been so long - 18 years, to be exact - since the Jaguars finished in 1st place that you probably don't remember that they were members of the AFC Central when they won the franchise's only two division titles back in 1998 and 1999. It hasn't been quite that long since their last appearance in the playoffs. That came - as a wild card entry - exactly one decade ago.

I still remember the last time the Jaguars won a playoff game - if for no other reason than that the NFL Network keeps reminding me. It seems like every offseason on one of their presentations of classic NFL games they rebroadcast NBC's telecast of the Jaguars' 31-29 win at Pittsburgh in the 1st round of the 2007 playoffs. Ah, the memories, right? WRs Ernest Wilford and Reggie Williams both caught 2 passes that night. Reggie Nelson was in his rookie season, with his dreads already long enough to cover the name on his jersey but still at least a foot shorter than they are now.

And Rashean Mathis, in one of the best performances of his career, had 2 interceptions in a span of just 3 plays from scrimmage in the 2nd quarter - the first of which he returned 63 yards to the house (photo on left) to break a 7-7 tie and on the second of which his 26-yard return was nullified because, as Al Michaels mentioned about a dozen times while they were showing replays of the play, his dreads touched the ground out of bounds before he got up and began his return. You can relive the sequence for yourself because the whole telecast is now on YouTube (complete with commercials!). Just go to the 36:00 mark on the video (link below) and watch the next 7 minutes or so. The Jaguars led 28-10 in the 4th quarter, blew it, and then came back to win on a last-minute FG. The next week they lost to the undefeated New England Patriots 31-20 and haven't made it to the playoffs since. Until now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NddMlRSRXYQ

Sadly, this year's edition of the Jaguars doesn't have as many players with dreads in leading roles as the one 10 years ago. Including their two playoff games, the '07 Jaguars had 19 touchdowns scored and 11 interceptions made by players with dreads. But this year's Jaguars so far have had only 2 TD scored by players with dreads - both by reserve RB Chris Ivory - and not a single one of the team's 21 INT has been by anyone with dreads (ouch!). A.J. Cann (photo below) is the only player with dreads in their starting lineup; but since he's an O-lineman, you hardly ever notice him.

No matter how many players with dreads the Jaguars have or haven't had through the years, one thing remains the same - they always lay an egg when they play on the West Coast. The 44-33 loss to the 49ers last Sunday was their 9th straight loss out west - with but one of those losses by 10 points or more - since they won at Oakland in Week 17 in 2004. Overall the Jaguars are now 2-11 on the West Coast in their 23-year franchise history.

This latest loss was more disappointing than most of the other ones because, despite their history, the Jaguars were actually expected to win. They took the field as a 4-point favorite. And even though they knew they had just clinched the division title, they still had a lot to play for, as they still had an outside chance to be the AFC's top-seeded team for the playoffs. But they came out and almost immediately fell behind 16-0, then seemed to get things under control as they took the lead 19-16 in the 3rd quarter, only to give up three touchdowns in a row - on drives of 26, 80, and 18 yards - to fall behind 37-19 and then have their late comeback attempt fall short. The two short drives, as well as the TD in the 2nd quarter that upped the 49ers' lead to 16-0, all were set up by the three interceptions thrown by QB Blake Bortles. The Jaguars outgained the 49ers in total yards 472-369, but it didn't matter thanks to those turnovers.

The only player with dreads who touched the ball for the Jaguars was rookie CB Jalen Myrick, who got their first comeback started when he blocked the extra point following the 49ers' 2nd TD. Teammate Aaron Colvin scooped up the blocked kick and returned it all the way to make the score 16-2. Myrick later had an 18-yard kickoff return. Ivory, for the first time this season, didn't play at all. He was in uniform, he just didn't get into the game - probably because he was slightly injured. It seemed like every time there was a shot of the Jaguars' sideline he was just standing there with a scowl on his face. Cheer up Chris, you're going to the playoffs! In his 7 previous seasons Ivory has played in only 2 games - both in 2011 when he was with the New Orleans Saints.

DT Sheldon Day, released by the Jaguars in mid-November and claimed off waivers by the 49ers the next day, played his 1st career game against the Jaguars. He had the best dreads of anyone on the field as recorded 1 PBU and 2 tackles, one of which was of RB Leonard Fournette (photo on right) for no gain in the 2nd quarter. Day was one of 7 players with dreads to make tackles for the 49ers, but you wouldn't have known it if you were at the game because Day was the only one of the seven whose dreads can be easily seen. All three of the players with dreads the 49ers picked in this year's draft were in the starting lineup. CB Ahkello Witherspoon got his 2nd INT of the season, setting up the 18-yard TD drive in the 4th quarter, and also had 1 PBU and 3 tackles (2-1); S Adrian Colbert had 6 tackles (6-0), and LB Reuben Foster finished with 5 tackles (5-0) (that's Foster, #56, and Witherspoon, #23, spending time with assistant coaches and learning, hopefully, on the sideline in photo below). LBs Dekoda Watson and Eli Harold and S Dexter McCoil all had 1 tackle (1-0). Next year the 49ers need to draft a WR and/or RB with dreads. Nobody with dreads has touched the ball on offense in any of their games so far this season.

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While the Jaguars are the only surprise division winner in the AFC, the NFC is full of surprises. All four division champs will be teams that did not make the playoffs in 2016. As predicted by my crystal ball, the Philadelphia Eagles are the NFC East champs; and as was not predicted by my crystal ball, The L.A. Rams and Minnesota Vikings rule in the NFC West and North. Things haven't been settled yet in the South, but what was settled last Sunday is that the Atlanta Falcons will not be repeating as the winner.That became official with their dismal 23-13 road loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Things sure change quickly in the NFL, don't they. In their two meetings last season the Saints were without a clue defensively as the Falcons pretty much moved the ball at will, gaining 442 and 465 yards and scoring 45 and 38 points. Considering that, along with the Saints' frustrating 20-17 loss at Atlanta in their first meeting this season in Week 14, it's no wonder why the Saints and their fans were celebrating so often and so enthusiastically throughout the afternoon. The Falcons certainly gave them plenty to celebrate. I beg to differ with the article on the Times-Picayune website that said the Saints had dominated the Falcons. They didn't - the Falcons actually had a 331-315 advantage in total yards. Instead, the headline to an article on the AJC website put it more accurately : "Falcons bumble, stumble, and fumble away NFC South Title". And as a result the Saints (11-4) remain in the driver's seat in the division race, while the Falcons (9-6) not only won't repeat, they're now in jeopardy of missing the playoffs.

You name the blunder, the Falcons did it - 2 for 13 on 3rd down conversions; quarterback sacked 5 times; 10 penalties for 91 yards (including 3 in a row on one series that put them in a 1st and 40); but the worst of all were the two times RB Devonta Freeman failed to score on carries from the Saints' 1-yard line. Indeed it was a humbling afternoon for Freeman, who prior to last Sunday had pretty much owned the Saints during his career. In his 5 previous games vs. the Saints since he became the Falcons' starting RB in 2015 Freeman had scored at least 1 TD in all five and never had less than 90 total yards. But nothing went right on this day, as the Saints limited him to just 56 yards, including 36 rushing on 11 carries. A 26-yard gain on his 2nd carry of the game instead turned into a 4-yarder  thanks to a needless holding penalty. In the 2nd quarter he tried to stiff-arm LB Manti Te'o - who had a hold of his dreads while running him out of bounds for a 2-yard loss - and got called for a facemask penalty. Then things went from bad to worse in the 2nd half. Those two plays from the 1-yard line hurt more than anything else.  

Down 13-0 early in the 3rd quarter, the Falcons had a great chance to gain momentum after LB Deion Jones picked off a deflected pass and returned it 41 yards to the 2-yard line. But after gaining 1 yard on 1st down, Freeman then combined with C Alex Mack on 2nd down to produce the Falcons' version of the butt fumble, as Devonta ran right into Mack's back on a carry up the middle and coughed up the ball, with the Saints recovering the fumble. DT Tyeler Davison (#95 in left photo above) got credit for the FF, as he rammed into Freeman a split second after Freeman collided with Mack. The photo was taken after the ball was already fumbled, but you can see the collision the caused the fumble in a GIF video from this article: https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/12/24/16816552/devonta-freeman-falcons-butt-fumble-2-0-against-the-saints .....
Then with the score 20-3, Freeman was stopped cold on 4th and goal on the first play of the 4th quarter (right photo above and video of the entire goal-to-go series on the first link below). Devonta blamed himself (see article on second link below) but the O-line allowed the Saints to penetrate and didn't give him much of a chance to do anything on that play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr3B59HZm4o
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sporys/nfl/2017/12/24/falcons-goal-line-failures-define-loss-to-saints/108910842/

The Falcons were trailing by 13-0 at the half because of their two blunders during the final minute of the 1st half. They had the ball near midfield and were poised to cut the Saints' lead to 6-3 or even take a 7-6 lead. At worst, it would still be 6-0 at halftime. Wrong. On a play that should have gone for a key conversion on 3rd and 10 that would have moved the ball into FG range, instead the Falcons turned it over. A pass over the middle that should have been a routine catch instead went off the hands of WR Marvin Hall and deflected into the air. CB Marshon Lattimore, who was beaten on the play and went down to try to tackle Hall, turned out to be in perfection position lying on his belly, as the ball came down right onto the back of his thigh and briefly ended up resting on his butt (top left photo) before he reached back and grabbed the ball before it hit the ground for the INT. That's right, a butt fumble and a butt interception in the same game.

Three plays later the Saints cashed in the turnover when WR Ted Ginn toasted CB Desmond Trufant for a 53-yard TD reception. If you look at the play (on video below along with Lattimore's INT), you have to wonder what on Earth the Falcons were doing. 22 seconds until halftime and the ball at midfield and you have only one defender lined up deep? Mercy, with coaching like that, you deserve to get burned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4b16UtvW7g

Midway through the 3rd quarter it was Lattimore's head, rather than his backside, that caught my attention. As he was making the tackle after a catch by WR Mohamed Sanu, Lattimore's helmet came off. And so did his skull cap too (photo on right), which allowed everyone to see the beginner dreads he has been growing. I don't know if he was trying to keep them a secret or not, but it's not a secret anymore. I certainly didn't know. And if not for this play, I wouldn't know even now. I'm not welcoming Lattimore to the house just yet. But I'll have room for him at the start of next season, after he's proven he's really serious about growing dreads. He'd certainly be a welcome addition. He's having an outstanding rookie season and is one of the reasons the Saints' defense has improved so much since last season.
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With the Houston Texans a 9-point underdog at home, any of their fans who decided to attend their game on Christmas Day rather than sell their tickets to Pittsburgh Steelers fans knew before they took their seats that they probably weren't going to have much to cheer about. Leave it to star WR DeAndre Hopkins to at least give them a little something. No stranger to highlight-reel catches, Hopkins may have outdone himself this time. With the Texans down 27-0 early in the 4th quarter, DeAndre ran a fade route against CB Joe Haden on 1st and goal. At first he went up and tried to snatch the ball with one hand but instead it tipped off his hand (left photo above). But he kept his focus, turning his body as he came down and quickly jumping a second time and grabbing the ball (right photo above) and then - the best part - somehow coming down with both feet in the end zone before landing out of bounds. You need to watch the play in slow motion to see just how amazing and unbelievable a catch it was: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y-346ULfoY
Man, it must be a lot of fun to be able to do that. Another day, another ho-hum spectacular play for Hopkins, who finished with 4 catches for 65 yards in the Texans' 34-6 loss.
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A couple of other WRs with dreads made plays in the end zone as nearly as special as Hopkins', but much to their dismay they didn't get credit for them, although they certainly should have. Early in the 3rd quarter at Kansas City WR Tyreek Hill tried to increase the Chiefs' lead over the Miami Dolphins to 14, as he did a beautiful job of getting both feet down inbounds in the end zone as he made the catch on 3rd and goal from the 3-yard line. But the official (#97 in video on link below), looking directly down the sideline, didn't see it that way and ruled the pass was incomplete. The Chiefs challenged the play, of course, but none of the cameras were in position to show Hill clearly coming down with his right foot inbounds (photo on left). Only in the photo and on some fan's camera phone could you see it: https://www.arrowheadpride.com/2017/12/24/16816682/a-chiefs-fan-had-the-best-angle-of-the-tyreek-hill-non-touchdown ..... Robbed, indeed.
I'm sure you know by now, but in case you still don't ..... you don't see any dreads in this photo because Hill just got his dreads started last year and they're still too short to be seen. But they are there. The Chiefs settled for a FG on the next play and led 23-13 and went on to win 29-13 and clinch their 2nd straight AFC West division crown. Hill made the dread stars list for the 4th time this season despite not getting credit for the TD.
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At New England it was Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin who had his hard-earned touchdown taken off the board. With 6 seconds to play until halftime Patriots CB Stephon Gilmore had good coverage on Benjamin; but the pass to the back right corner of the end zone was perfect on 3rd and goal, and Benjamin did a tremendous job of making the catch and getting both feet inbounds for what initially was ruled a 4-yard TD (left photo above). But a couple of minutes later the replay official overturned the call and ruled it an incomplete pass. I couldn't find any photos that show clear proof of the catch. The one on the right above comes the closest, but it was taken just after Benjamin's left foot lifted off the ground. This article on Deadspin, however, has several GIF videos that show KB gaining control of the ball with his right foot down and his left foot barely dragging on the ground and kicking up a little bit of turf: https://deadspin.com/even-an-official-didnt-know-why-kelvin-benjamins-touchd-1821599612
The big controversy here was caused by the fact that for plays to be overruled by the replay official, there has to be indisputable evidence that contradicts the call on the field. What I see in these videos not only doesn't contadict the call on the field, it actually confirms it. But for some reason in this case the replay official decided to overstep his authority, and the Bills paid for it. They settled for a FG on the next play to tie the game at 13 instead of leading 17-13 at the half as they should have. The Patriots dominated late and eventually pulled away to a 37-16 victory.
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Arizona Cardinals DT Robert Nkemdiche, who you might remember scored 3 TD while moonlighting as a FB during his junior season in college at Mississippi in 2015, added a defensive TD to his collection in last Sunday's 23-0 home victory over the New York Giants. Nkemdiche, the Cardinals' 1st round draft pick in 2016, had no tackles during his 34 snaps on the field, but was in the right spot at the right time when QB Eli Manning fumbled the ball while being sacked on the first play of the 4th quarter. He scooped up the ball and took it 21 yards to the house (photo on right) for his 1st NFL TD and the final points of the game. Hopefully we'll be able to see Robert's dreads the next time he makes a house call. They're already just about ready to start creeping outside of his helmet right now.
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He may be a rookie, but Detroit Lions RB Tion Green's TD last Sunday was not his first trip to the house at Paul Brown Stadium, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals. No doubt the 5-yard TD run he made to give the Lions a 1-point lead in the 4th quarter felt like old times for Green, who played in college for the Cincinnati Bearcats from 2012 to 2016. With their own stadium being renovated in 2014, the Bearcats played their home games in the Bengals stadium that year, and Green made his only house call of his injury-shortened season there in the season opener. Tion finished with 43 yards rushing on 7 carries in his "homecoming', but the Lions (8-7) lost to the Bengals 26-17 and were eliminated from playoff contention.
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DG

1. After beginning the game by successfully recovering an onside kickoff, the Jets go deep on the third play of their opening drive. WR Robby Anderson makes the catch for a 38-yard TD, but it doesn't count. That penalty flag is for obvious pass interference against Anderson, who pushed away Chargers CB Casey Hayward to get open. The Jets ended up punting 4 plays later. Robby finished the game with 5 catches (on 7 targets) for just 51 yards.

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2. On 2nd and 9 early in the 4th quarter S Jahleel Addae closes in and tackles QB Bryce Petty for his 1st sack of the season. Actually it officially goes in the books as his 1st half sack, as LB Kyle Emanuel, wrapped around Petty's foot, also got credit for a half sack. The sack went for an 8-yard loss, and the Jets punted two plays later.










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3. The Chargers might have gotten a break here, as RB Melvin Gordon looks like he's down just short of the goal line on 2nd and goal during the 3rd quarter. But the officials ruled it a TD; and here, unlike at New England, the replay official did not overstep his authority and let the touchdown stand. After the Jets had tied the game at 7, the Chargers immediately came back with a 75-yard drive in 8 plays, finished by Gordon's 12th TD of the season on a 1-yard run. The Chargers (8-7) then held for the 14-7 road win, keeping their playoff hopes very much alive.

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4. After catching a right sideline pass from QB Joe Flacco on 1st and 10 early in the 2nd quarter, Ravens WR Chris Moore breaks a tackle by Colts CB Kenny Moore (photo above) but can't quite stay inbounds, going out at the 6-yard line (photo on right). Moore gained 20 yards on the reception, and the Ravens got the TD three plays later to up their lead to 10-0. Chris finished with 2 catches for 29 yards. 




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5. On the second play of the Ravens' next drive (after the Colts had pulled to within 10-7), RB Alex Collins breaks free on a run to the left on 2nd and 10, with S Matthias Farley in pursuit. Farley made the tackle at the Ravens' 39-yard line after a 14-yard gain. The drive ended with a FG 9 plays later.
Collins was held to 66 total yards in the game - 51 rushing and 15 receiving. Farley finished with 5 tackles (3-2).  

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6. While WR T.Y. Hilton angrily jumps up and down, CB Maurice Canady runs away toward the other end in celebration after his crucial PBU of a pass intended for Hilton on 4th and 10 from the Ravens' 17-yard line with 1:38 remaining in the game. T.Y. felt that pass interference should have been called against Canady, but it was not. With the Colts out of timeouts, this play sealed the victory for the Ravens. Hilton made just enough yards in the game to make the dread stars list. Canady finished with 1 tackle (1-0) and this 1 PBU. The Ravens, a 13-point favorite, flirted with disaster all game but managed to hang on and get the 23-16 home win and remain in the driver's seat for an AFC wild card playoff spot.

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7. Despite being hit by CB Brandon Dixon, WR Larry Fitzgerald hangs on for the 13-yard TD catch on 3rd and 5 with 1:01 remaining in the 2nd quarter, increasing the Cardinals' lead to 10-0 over the Giants. It was the Cardinals' 1st TD since Week 13. It also was the 34-yard old Fitzgerald's 8th catch of the game already and his 100th of the season, making him the oldest player in league history to record both 100 receptions and 1,000 yards in the same season. In what might have been - but hopefully won't be - the final home game of his career, Larry made the dread stars list as the Cardinals won 23-0, their first shutout in 25 years.

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8. Kelvin Benjamin and Stephon Gilmore had several other close encounters besides the one in the end zone that ended up with that controversial call, including this play, where Gilmore makes the tackle at New England's 23-yard line on Benjamin's 8-yard reception on 2nd and 12 on the 11th play of the Bills' opening drive. The Bills kicked a FG 5 plays later to take a 3-0 lead. Gilmore, whose dreads would look even more impressive than this had they not been reduced, finished with 5 tackles (5-0), with four of them coming on catches by Benjamin. Playing his second road game against the Patriots this season, KB finished with 5 catches for 70 yards. Before he was traded to the Bills, he had 4 catches for 104 yards in the Panthers' win over the Patriots in Week 4. This time he didn't get the win, as the Patriots scored the final 24 points of the game to win 37-16 and put the Bills (8-7) in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs again.

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9. With his dreads not reduced for a change (actually for the first time all season, I think), Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick breaks up a short pass to WR Kenny Goladay at the Detroit 34-yard line on 1st and 10 on the 4th play of the Lions' first possession of the game at Cincinnati. The Lions punted 3 plays later.

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10. On the kickoff following Tion Green's TD with 9:49 remaining in the game that gave the Lions a 17-16 lead, a hit by the Lions' other rookie with dreads, LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, causes WR Alex Erickson to fumble the ball at the 20-yard line. But the Bengals were able to come up with the huge FR and then went on an 11-play drive and kicked a FG to regain the lead. Reeves-Maybin, playing a season-high 37 snaps on defense in addition to his usual special teams duty, finished with 3 tackles (3-0).  

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11. On their next possession, with 4:00 to play, the Lions throw deep (what else?) on 3rd and 28, and CB Josh Shaw (left photo) prevents WR Golden Tate from making the catch cleanly. Then as Tate again tries to make the catch before the ball hits the ground, Dre Kirkpatrick reaches in (right photo) and makes sure he doesn't. Both Shaw and Kirkpatrick got credit for a PBU on the play. Shaw also had 1 tackle (1-0) in the game. Kirkpatrick finished with 3 tackles (2-1) and 3 PBU. The Bengals added a TD on their next drive and went on to win 26-17, dropping the Lions to 8-7 and ending their playoff hopes.

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12. Saints DE Cameron Jordan drops Falcons QB Matt Ryan for a 5-yard loss on 3rd and 30 early in the 2nd quarter at New Orleans, a fitting end to a drive that started so well and ended so badly for the Falcons. After driving from their 23-yard line to their 49 on the first 3 plays, they went back to their 24 and ended up punting on 4th and 35. This was the first of 2 sacks in the game for Jordan, who finished with 3 tackles (3-0).

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13. The Falcons weren't completely inept in their loss to the Saints. Here DE Courtney Upshaw gets his 1st sack of the season, dropping Drew Brees for a 10-yard loss on 2nd and 10 late in the 1st quarter. The Saints punted two plays later. Other than that brain cramp at the end of the 1st half, the Falcons' D didn't do too poorly, holding the Saints to 315 total yards. But with their offense struggling so much, it wasn't good enough, as the Saints won 23-13. 

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14. Steelers WR Martavis Bryant beats CB Johnathan Joseph and makes the over-the-shoulder catch on 3rd and 3 for a 36-yard gain to the Texans' 11-yard line midway through the 1st quarter on Christmas Day. The Steelers scored a TD three plays later to up their lead to 10-0. Bryant finished with 3 catches for 60 yards, picking up 1st downs on all three, with all three coming on separate scoring drives. He also had 1 rushing attempt for 8 yards, and that too contributed to a scoring drive. The Steelers bounced back nicely from their disastrous loss to the Patriots in Week 15, improving to 12-3 with their easy 34-6 win over the Texans.

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15. On 2nd and 8 RB Jay Ajayi finishes his 17-yard catch and run by diving into the end zone in front of Raider safeties Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph for the 1st TD of the game late in the 1st quarter on Christmas night at Philadelphia. Ajayi gained 43 yards on the 58-yard drive that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead. It was just the 2nd TD of the season for Ajayi, who finished the game with 73 total yards on 16 touches and also had a lost fumble.

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16. Left to right, LB Dannell Ellerbe, S Rodney McLeod, and CB Ronald Darby combine to stop RB Marshawn Lynch at the Oakland 46-yard line after a 3-yard run on 2nd and 5 midway through the 2nd quarter. McLeod and Darby got credit for the tackle. The Raiders punted 5 plays later. Playing in only his 2nd game since signing with the Eagles as a free agent in mid-November, Ellerbe, with some of the best dreads in the league, finished with 4 tackles (2-2), including 1 TFL. Lynch barely missed making the dread stars list, finishing with 95 rushing yards on 25 carries and 1 fumble lost.

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17. With the game tied at 10 midway through the 4th quarter, disaster strikes the Eagles, as a pass in the left flat bounces off the hands of TE Zach Ertz and into the hands of Reggie Nelson at the Eagles' 40-yard line for his 1st INT of the season .....

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18. ..... If Nelson can get past Ertz, he can take the return to the house; but he can't, as Ertz makes a huge open-field tackle at the 37-yard line after only a 3-yard return. The importance of the tackle was magnified when the Raiders turned the ball back over to the Eagles three plays later.
Nelson had his best game of the season, finishing with 6 tackles (6-0), 1 FF, and 1 PBU in addition to the interception: http://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2017/12/27/raiders-reggie-nelson-may-have-earned-himself-another-nfl-contract-vs-eagles/

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19. With the game still tied with less than a minute remaining, Ronald Darby, reduced dreads and all, comes to the rescue, intercepting a short pass intended for WR Amari Cooper (left photo) at the Eagles' 48-yard line. Ronald gets up and tries to return the ball (right photo), but it doesn't count because he was down by contact after catching the ball. The Eagles then inched their way into FG range and kicked a FG with 22 seconds to play and then added a defensive TD on the last play of the game. Darby finished with 6 tackles (3-3) in addition to his 3rd INT of the season. It wasn't easy, but the Eagles won 19-10 to improve to 13-2 and clinch the #1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC.

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20. Getting the start in place of the injured Mark Barron, LB Cory Littleton comes up big on a couple of plays for the Rams in the 1st half of their road game against the Titans. On the 2nd play of the Titans' opening drive Littleton, with his dreads just barely starting to become visible outside of his helmet, intercepts a deep pass (photo above) intended for WR Rishard Matthews. Then on the Titans' next drive he sacks QB Marcus Mariota (photo on right) at the 11-yard line for a 6-yard loss on 1st and goal. The Titans ended up settling for a FG. Cory finished with 7 tackles (3-4) in the game.

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21. In one of their several close encounters, CB Tye Smith makes an open-field tackle of RB Todd Gurley at the Rams' 46-yard line, holding him to a 10-yard gain on a run on 2nd and 6 early in the 2nd quarter. The drive ended with a missed FG. Smith tackled a player with dreads on all 7 of his tackles - Gurley 5 times and WR Sammy Watkins twice.

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22. With 3:25 to play, on the 1st play of what would be the Titans' last drive, Marcus Mariota scrambles to the right and is impolitely sent out of bounds by CB Nickell Robey-Coleman at the 28-yard line after a gain of 8. It was the last of Robey-Coleman's 2 tackles (2-0) in the game. Needing a touchdown, the Titans made it to the Rams' 43-yard line before the drive ended with an incomplete pass on 4th and 4. 

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23. Todd Gurley and Tye Smith get things mixed up after game. Guys, you're supposed to get the picture taken after you've exchanged your jerseys, not before. Oh, well.
In his first 17 career games Smith had a total of 1 tackle. But on the field for all 67 of the Titans' defensive snaps in this one, he finished this game with 7 tackles (6-1), on five of which he stopped Gurley. It was another outstanding day for Gurley, who earned his 2nd straight NFC offensive player of the week award after leading the Rams to a 27-23 victory that clinched their first NFC West division crown in 14 years.
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DREAD STARS

• Larry Fitzgerald - Cardinals - 9 receptions for 119 yards and 1 TD, and also went 1 for 1 passing for 21 yards, in 23-0 home W over Giants

• Melvin Gordon - Chargers - 81 yards and 1 TD rushing on 19 carries, and 3 receptions for 47 yards in 14-7 road W over Jets

• Kareem Hunt - Chiefs - 29 carries for 91 yards and 1 TD rushing and 4 receptions for 15 yards in 29-13 home W over Dolphins
• Tyreek Hill - Chiefs - 6 receptions for 109 yards as Chiefs, for the first time in franchise history, win back-to-back division titles 
• Ziggy Ansah - Lions - 7 tackles (5-2), 4 of which were TFL, including 3 sacks, in 26-17 road L to Bengals

•  T.Y. Hilton - Colts - 6 receptions for 100 yards in 23-16 road L to Ravens 

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HOUSE OF DREAD

The end zone in which the most TD were scored by players with dreads in Week 16 was the one at Nissan Stadium at Nashville, the home of the Tennessee Titans. There were 3 TD scored by players with dreads against the Titans in their 27-23 loss to the L.A. Rams that put their playoff hopes in peril. Sammy Watkins had a 3-yard reception (photo on left) for his 8th TD of the season. And the other two were the 18th and 19th TD of the season by this week's player of the week .....





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HEAD DREAD

Todd Gurley lost out on a chance to win the Heisman Trophy during his train wreck of a junior season at Georgia in 2014. Now the Los Angeles Rams' 3rd year RB is doing everything he can to make sure he doesn't miss out on a chance to be the NFL's MVP. In addition to being NFC offensive player of the week for the 2nd straight week, he made the dread stars list for the 5th week in a row and the 12th time this season.

Gurley contributed more than his fair share to the Rams' division-clinching 27-23 road win over the Titans, racking up a career high 276 total yards and 2 TD. Four plays after an interception by LB Cory Littleton, Gurley scored easily on a 3-yard reception (photo above) to give the Rams a 6-0 lead. Then on the 2nd play of a drive just after the Titans had taken the lead with a defensive TD, Todd showed off his blazing speed, sprinting past defenders most of the way for 80-yard TD (photo below) on a screen pass that put the Rams back in front at 13-10 in the 2nd quarter.

Gurley also shined on a 65-yard TD drive in the 3rd quarter, gaining 60 of the first 62 yards, including a key 10-yard run on 4th and 1 (photo below, and it looks like he got away with grabbing the defender's facemask), before Sammy Watkins made his 3-yard TD catch to give the Rams a 20-13 lead midway through the 3rd quarter.
Todd finished the day with 118 yards rushing on 22 carries and caught 10 passes for 158 yards. You can catch some of his day's work on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1rudrTIpms