NFL 13: Top 10 performances
Revenge is sweet as a surprise comes in at No. 1.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But that’s not possible if you’re Jerry Jeudy and you’re that hot on Monday Night Football.
The Browns receiver, a former first-round pick by the Broncos who talked up his return to Denver in the days leading up to the game, caught nine passes for 235 yards and a score. It was still not enough as Cleveland fell to the host Broncos, 42-31. The 42 points was a season high for Denver, which moves to 8-5 and stays in the thick of the wild-card chase in the AFC. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix paced the Broncos with 294 yards passing, including a 93-yard scoring missile to receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the second half.
You might assume Jeudy’s epic performance takes the top spot on our list. But we like to reward players whose performances push their team over the top to victory. Keeping that in mind, our No. 1 performer’s effort should not come as much of a surprise.
Here’s a rundown of the 10 best individual performances of the NFL’s Week 13.
DE Leonard Williams, Seahawks vs. New York Jets
Actually, this too was a revenge game of sorts. Williams, a former Jet and Giant, returned to the Meadowlands and produced the weekend’s single biggest play. And it was a game-changer. With his team trailing, 21-7, and the Jets threatening to pad their lead, Williams picked off an Aaron Rodgers slant pass and rumbled 92 yards to paydirt. The brilliant effort got Seattle right back into the game. The ‘Hawks eventually took the lead in the fourth quarter and held on for the win with Williams again playing a huge role, twice sacking Rodgers on New York’s final drive. The big fella got it done on Sunday.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Browns vs. Denver
In what was billed as a “revenge game,” the former Broncos’ receiver took out any and all slights against his former team. Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards — the most ever by a receiver facing his old franchise — as Cleveland outlasted the Broncos. With the Browns trailing by 10 in the third quarter, and stunned by a 93-yard Denver touchdown pass, Jeudy scored on the very next offensive snap, a 70-yard bomb from Winston, to pull his team back to within a single possession. Later, Jeudy caught a key first-down pass on 3-and-14, which set up a Winston go-ahead TD pass to Nick Chubb.
QB Russell Wilson, Steelers vs. Cincinnati
Wilson continues to prove premature the observations that his career was on life support. The 13-year veteran threw for 414 yards, the third 400-yard game of his career, and three TDs, as Pittsburgh outpaced the Bengals in a shootout, 44-38. Wilson was accurate all day, completing 29 of 38 passes. He is now 5-1 since taking over as the Steelers’ starting QB in Week 7.
TE Brock Bowers, Raiders vs. Kansas City
With fellow tight end Travis Kelce looking on, the AFC West’s next big thing at the position caught 10 passes for 140 yards, including a marvelous one-handed grab in the third quarter. The 29-yard thing of beauty came on third down and put the Raiders, then trailing by 10 points, in position to score. Vegas would suffer a brutal loss in the closing seconds, 19-17. The 10 catches for Bowers was his second double-digit reception day in the last three games, as he keeps making his case for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
WR Ladd McConkey, Chargers vs. Atlanta
The rookie’s growth continues to impress as the Chargers snared a key road win in Atlanta, 17-13. Against the Falcons, McConkey finished with nine catches for 117 yards, but one wonders what kind of numbers he might have put up had not he injured his knee in this game. The ex-Georgia star, already playing with a tender shoulder, dominated the first half, catching eight balls for 107 yards. He repeatedly showcased his route-running and run-after-the catch skills, as he did on a 50-yard gain in the first quarter.
LB DeMarvion Overshown, Cowboys vs. New York Giants
If not for Leonard Williams “Big Cat” rumble for Seattle, Overshown’s interception for a touchdown might have been recognized as the defensive play of the week. In Dallas’ 27-20 Thanksgiving Day win over the Giants, Overshown set the tone on a blitz by batting a Drew Lock pass into the air and then hauling in the deflection for a 22-yard return for a Dallas touchdown. The theft and score gave the Cowboys their first lead of the game. The athletic linebacker was also in on nine tackles, five of them solo.
QB Sam Darnold, Vikings vs. Arizona
Not a huge day statistically for Darnold (21 of 31, 235 yards and two TDs) but his command of the Vikings’ offense late was masterful in Minnesota’s 23-22 win over Arizona. The former No. 3 overall pick engineered his third game-winning drive in four weeks, this time taking the Minnesota offense 70 yards in a little over two minutes. Darnold capped off the drive with a five-yard scoring throw to RB Aaron Taylor. For the third straight week, Darnold threw for two TDs without an interception.
TE Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. Vikings
Not to be outdone by rookie Brock Bowers, McBride caught 12 passes for the second straight game as the Cardinals fell in a last-minute loss to Minnesota. The second-year tight end totaled 96 receiving yards. He showed up big time on Arizona’s fourth-quarter field goal drive that put the Cardinals up, 22-16, catching four passes for 40 yards, including a clutch 14-yard reception on 3rd-and-12.
RB Rico Dowdle, Cowboys vs. New York Giants
The Overshown pick-six was huge in Dallas ending its six-game losing streak on Thanksgiving Day. But so was the running of Dowdle, who tallied 112 yards on 22 carries and rushed for a touchdown. The fifth-year back did not break off a long run, but his slashing tackle-breaking style wore down the New York defense, as the Cowboys prevailed over their division rival.
QB Jameis Winston, Browns vs. Denver
Winston was hot much of the night, throwing for a whopping 497 yards and four touchdowns. He would be higher on the list but for three interceptions, two of which were pick-sixes, and two of which occurred in the final two minutes of the game. The second of the pick-sixes, made by safety Ja’Quan MacMillian, came when Winston was trying to drive his team for a potential go-ahead field goal. Those mistakes, notwithstanding, Winston kept the Browns in the game, as they rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to briefly take the lead in the fourth.
Honorable mentions
Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell threw for 342 yards and two TDs against the Chiefs, but people will likely remember only Vegas’ final offensive play of the game.
Buffalo RB James Cook ran for 107 yards on 14 carries. His 65-yard burst midway through the second quarter put Buffalo up to stay.
New Orleans back Alvin Kamara rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries as New Orleans fell to the Rams, 21-14
In that Rams-Saints game, RB Kyren Williams had a 100-yard game in leading his team to a key conference win.
Pittsburgh’s two edge rushers, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig, made plays when it counted in Pittsburgh’s 44-38 win. Watt collected two sacks, including a strip sack of Joe Burrow as the Bengals were driving in Steelers’ territory. Herbig struck big later in the game, also strip-sacking Burrow, with the fumble returned 21 yards by Payton Wilson.