Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Finley all saw formidable tests this week, and each had their fair share of struggles, with Wilson potentially losing some ground in the MVP race after Lamar Jackson’s dominant five-touchdown performance on Monday Night Football.
Germaine Pratt, linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
Following the release of Preston Brown, Pratt was on the field for far more defensive snaps than usual this season, seeing a career-high 69% of all defensive snaps. Because of his good production in limited snaps, Pratt was expected by the Bengals to deliver a strong performance, and he did just that.
The third-round pick in the 2019 draft finished the day with eight total tackles and six solo tackles, which both led the team. Pratt also had 0.5 tackles for loss and led a Bengals defense that only allowed one touchdown in the game. Part of a successful rebuild is giving young players ample time to develop, and beginning to hand Pratt the keys to the inside linebacker position is already paying dividends for the Bengals.
Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Wilson led the Seahawks to their fourth-straight victory on Sunday when the team traveled to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles, maintaining the team’s undefeated record on the road. Wilson had one of his rougher games of the season, but still managed to put up decent numbers against one of the better defensive lines in football.
Wilson threw for 200 yards on 52% completion with one passing touchdown and an interception. Wilson also added 15 yards on the ground on three attempts. Despite being sacked six times in the game, and a bizarre overall game, Wilson was still able to navigate his team to victory in a game that ultimately ended as the battle of two defenses.
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
In an important divisional matchup to take the lead of the AFC South, the Brissett-led Indianapolis Colts took on the Houston Texans, and lost in disappointing fashion by a mere three points. Brissett did not throw a touchdown in the game, and finished with 149 total yards, completing 64% of his passes.
This game was not only significant because of the divisional implications, but also because there are a plethora of AFC teams that are sitting at 6-5 with a shot at the wildcard. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and the Colts are all at 6-5, and the Cleveland Browns are finally showing signs of life after a 41-24 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins.
If Brissett will continue to be the Colts quarterback for the long run, he will need to show a spark in these last five games. The Colts play another divisional opponent in a big game when they take on the aforementioned 6-5 Titans, and a win would bolster chances for the playoffs.
Ryan Finley, quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals
Finley started once more for a miserable Bengals team that has a serious chance to win no games this season, sitting at an 0-11 record thus far. The biggest game remaining for this team is against the Dolphins in week 16 that could determine who gets the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Meanwhile, in his attempt to keep his starting job, Finley threw one touchdown on 46% completion and had 192 yards in the air with no interceptions. Despite having a strong connection with Cincinnati receiver Tyler Boyd, who finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on just five receptions, Finley and the Bengals fell to the Steelers 16-10.
Following the loss, the Bengals announced that Andy Dalton would resume starting for the Bengals moving forward, and that his benching was to see what the Bengals had in Finley, likely to see if their potential first overall pick needs to be used on a quarterback. Finley finished with 474 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in his stint as a starter, and his 47.1% completion percentage does not bode well for his future of starting for the team, though he was thrust into a terrible situation from the get-go.
Mike Glennon, quarterback, Oakland Raiders
Glennon saw some of his first action as a Raider this season, and it was not pretty. Glennon went 4 for 7 for 20 yards and fumbled three times, losing one in an ugly 34-3 loss to the 4-7 Jets. With younger quarterbacks like Nathan Peterman and Deshone Kizer lingering around on the roster, Glennon’s days could be numbered as a member of the Raiders.
Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver, New England Patriots
Meyers finished the day with a career high in receiving yards, finishing with 74 yards on four receptions, second on the team behind Julian Edelman. This includes an impressive 32-yard catch by the undrafted rookie, who trucked his way into Cowboys territory. Look for Meyers to continue to see his workload improve in a depleted Patriots wide receiver room, despite the return of first-round rookie N’Keal Harry.
Kelvin Harmon, wide receiver, Washington
Harmon had one of his best days as a pro to date, finishing the game with 43 yards on three catches, including a stellar one-handed catch deep in Lions territory. Harmon finished the game second in receiving yards behind rookie phenom Terry McLaurin.
Stephen Hauschka, kicker, Buffalo Bills
The Bills continued their surprising winning ways this season when they defeated the Broncos 20-3. Eight of the 20 Bills points came from Hauschka, who made two field goals on two attempts and both of his extra point attempts. After a rough week 10 performance by Hauschka, it was nice for the Bills to see him rebound back into shape.
Nyheim Hines, running back, Indianapolis Colts
With starting running back Marlon Mack out for the big test against the Texans, and the foreseeable future, running backs Hines and Jonathan Williams got the majority of snaps at the position. Though Williams had a stronger day due to his higher workload, Hines still finished the day with 61 all-purpose yards in the game, which brings his all-purpose season total to 380 yards.
