Best Performances of Week 17

Every week dozens of players stand out and perform exemplary. Today I am going to be highlighting the top 5 players or units that stood out. Also if two players on the same offense or defense both have career games, only one will get top five as they worked off of each other. (The other can still be an honorable mention)

Honorable Mention: Mike Evans

First of all Mike Evans would easily be in the top five, and maybe number one, if not for the rule that multiple players on the same offense or defense can’t both be included for the sake of variety. That being said, you can still make a very strong case he should be ahead of his ageless quarterback. Evans had arguably the best game of his nine year, 137 game career. He had 10 catches for 207 total yards and 3 touchdowns. One particular play was unstoppable for Evans, as simple go route down the right side of the field. All three of his touchdowns came from this, as he routinely burned the defense with touchdowns of 30, 57, and 63 yards. It was the second most receiving yards anyone has had in a game this season, and just two yards behind Evans’ career high. It was also the most fantasy points of any wide receiver in a game this year finishing with one more point than his quarterback. If Evans can play at even 70 percent of this level going forward in the playoffs, the Buccaneers are going to be a really tough out.

#5 Grant Delpit

Cleveland Browns’ safety Grant Delpit had himself a game against the Washington Commanders. The Browns’ 24-10 win was fueled heavily by a dominant defense and a catalyst for the defense was second year safety Delpit. Delpit was everywhere around the field, collecting seven tackles, including a tackle for loss but it was his splash plays which got him onto the list. Twice throughout the game, he intercepted Carson Wentz as the Commanders offense struggled finding consistency. With his second interception coming with just over 3 minutes left sealing the game for the Browns. Delpit, with help from the rest of the secondary, shut down star receiver Terry McLaurin, holding him to just two catches for 25 yards. In fact, the entire Commanders passing game couldn’t get off the ground as they finished with just 124 net passing yards. That is, in a word, fugly. Of course, Delpit’s job is to make opposing offenses look bad, and this week he succeeded in every way.

#4 Cameron Jordan

Long time Saints defensive end, Cameron Jordan is still a very effective player. The Philadelphia Eagles got to learn that lesson up close. Cameron Jordan dominated the Eagles offensive line that had not let up more than four sacks in any game this year. The Saints got to Gardner Minshew for a sack five times in the first half, two of them by Jordan. Jordan finished the day with five tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, even though it was recovered by the Eagles. Thanks to the relentless pressure by Jordan and the defensive line, the Eagles were shut out in the first half for the first time this season, they were also held to a season low 10 points. With his three sack day, his third most in his 191 game career, Cameron Jordan passed Rickey Jackson for the most sacks in New Orleans Saints history with 115.5.

#3 Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones, often given the nickname Danny Dimes because he’s a quarterback and it sounds awesome, but he might have to think about updating the nickname to Dashing Danny because holy hell he is running all over the place. In the Giants 38-10 blowout over the Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jones ran 11 times for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns as well as consistently making good choices throwing the ball for 19-24 for 177 yards and another two touchdowns. It was his first game with over 90 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns, which were tied for a career high and his four total touchdowns were tied for the second highest in his career. The Giants, thanks to Jones’ career day, crushed the Colts 38-10, which is by far the best offensive day the Giants had had all year. The previous high for a Giants team this year was only 27 points, 11 weeks prior against the Green Bay Packers. The last time the Giants had scored 30 or more points was over two years ago, when they had a 37-34 loss to the Cowboys on October 11, 2020. With the win, the Giants clinched the playoffs for the first time since 2016, which was tied for the second longest drought with the Broncos, only behind the Jets (since 2011). Daniel Jones is currently set to be a free agent after the year, so the timing of having one of the best games of his career while pushing the Giants into the playoffs could not be better. If he plays well in the playoffs, he might be looking for another new nickname as Danny Dollars could be in line for a huge new contract.

#2 Tom Brady

Here we are again, Tom Brady has another fourth quarter comeback. In his fourth, fourth quarter comeback of the year Tom Brady and the Buccaneers have now officially made the playoffs after beating the Panthers 30-24. In the game, the Bucs were down 10-21 before scoring three touchdowns in the next four drives to pull out the win. Tom Brady, and the Buccaneers, who had been struggling scoring long touchdowns all year, having only one touchdown pass of over 20 yards all season, torched the Panthers as Brady completed touchdown passes of 30, 57, and 63 yards all to Mike Evans. Tom Brady had, by far, the best game of his season completing 34/45 for 432 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, he also posted a fantastic passer rating of 127.3. It was the most yards he had in a game this year, as well as tied for the most touchdowns and the best passer rating of any game this year. The Buccaneers were on the verge of missing the playoffs, but Tom Brady decided that this is not how he is going out. Now not only are the Buccaneers in the playoffs but if the offense continues to play at this level, 478 yards of offense, they are going to be a very tough out. This spot could easily have been Mike Evans for his incredible game, but Tom Brady was the one who engineered the comeback, coupled with an incredible game of his own, and Brady slightly edges out his teammate for the top spot.

#1 Jaire Alexander and the Packers secondary

Jaire Alexander vs Justin Jefferson the rematch! The first time these two pro bowlers matched up was in week one, and Jefferson went off catching 9 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Alexander, leading up to the game called the performance a “fluke” and insisted that things were going to be different this time around. Well Babe Ruth would be proud because he called his shot, and boy did he hit it. Things were indeed different this time around, as Alexander consistently got the better of Jefferson, in the game Jefferson was held to one catch for 15 yards, with his only catch being one of the few plays that Alexander was not guarding him. Even with Jaire Alexander living up to his contract, the most expensive cornerback contract when signed, the rest of the secondary played fantastic football in limiting an explosive Vikings offense. Firstly, well timed double teams gave Alexander help limiting the best wide receiver in the NFL, second they held the entire Vikings passing game to 3 points and only 131 yards deep into the fourth quarter when the Packers were up 41-3. Before two garbage time touchdowns padded the Vikings total stats. Thirdly, not only were they containing an explosive offense but they were making lots of plays themselves, forcing three interceptions from Kirk Cousins, including a 75 yard pick six by Darnell Savage to give the Packers a 14-3 lead. It’s not often that a team blows out another because of a dominant secondary, but they were the catalyst of the Packers blowout. Shutting down the best receiver in the NFL to only one catch, forcing three interceptions, and scoring a touchdown, it was another huge game by a red hot secondary who have now forced six interceptions the last two weeks.