Week 14 in the NFL saw many high-scoring thrillers with serious playoff implications, and each of the three starting NC State alum experienced the same. Here’s how the former Wolfpack quarterbacks, and other Pack pros, performed.
Philip Rivers, quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers
On his 38th birthday, Rivers led the Chargers to a resounding 45-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rivers passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, all while only missing six passes, good for a 73% completion clip. Fantasy football enthusiasts also left this game happy, with Rivers finding Austin Ekeler four times for 112 yards, including an 84 yard touchdown bomb. Ekeler also ended the game with 101 yards on eight rushes.
As for Rivers and the Chargers, Sunday was bittersweet, as the Chargers’ hopes of a potential run to the playoffs were nixed. The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West, and because the Chargers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the year, the team is not able to make a wildcard spot. Despite this, there is some room for hope for the Chargers for next season, as the team will presumably be healthier and look much more formidable.
Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Since throwing for five touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 9, Wilson has thrown an interception in every game and has four touchdowns and four interceptions, a mediocre marking. The 28-12 loss to the division rival Los Angeles Rams added insult to injury, as Wilson did not pass for a touchdown for the first time this season and had one interception on 61% completion and 273 all-purpose yards.
Wilson and the Seahawks allowed the Rams to earn a win, which puts them just one game out of the playoffs, and two behind the Seahawks. The Seahawks dropped to 10-3 after the loss and fell to the fifth seed due to the San Francisco 49ers winning a thriller over the New Orleans Saints to bring the Niners to the first seed and first place in the NFC West.
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
With each passing week, the Colts’ chances of making the playoffs grow slimmer, as Brissett and the Colts fell 38-35 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Colts sit as 6-7, and depending on how next week goes, could be eliminated from playoff contention as soon as Week 15. The Colts are not only competing with the two teams currently slated to be in the wildcard, the Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, but also the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and even the Denver Broncos.
Brissett played a solid game for the Colts, but it was not enough, finishing with 277 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Despite the return of Marlon Mack, Brissett was still without all of his weapons, missing Eric Ebron, who now sits on injured reserve, and T.Y. Hilton. Brissett still managed to place the ball down the field for Marcus Johnson and Zach Pascal, two former undrafted free agents, for a combined 179 yards on just eight total catches and two touchdowns.
Germaine Pratt, linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
In Cincinnati’s 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Pratt saw a career-high 71% of defensive snaps, and only played on 8% of special teams stats, the second-lowest mark of his young career. Each week, Pratt’s workload has increased as a starter, and it is paying off, with Pratt leading the Bengals in tackles this week with eight total tackles, six of which were solo.
Stephen Hauschka, kicker, Buffalo Bills
Because of his somewhat sporadic kicking over the last few weeks, the Bills opted to try and claim rookie Chase McLaughlin on waivers from the 49ers, who ended up getting claimed by the Colts. Hauschka responded with a strong performance in Week 14, though the Bills fell to the Baltimore Ravens, 24-17. Hauschka finished the game with nine points, on a perfect clip, with a long of 48 yards.
Kelvin Harmon, wide receiver, Washington
Harmon, a sixth-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft, is continuing to see his workload increase week by week, and is also continuing to impress. In the last three weeks, Harmon has taken 92%, 66% and then 84% of offensive snaps for an offense that has seen much turnover since the beginning of the year.
In the 20-15 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Harmon caught a nice over-the-top 30-yard bomb from fellow rookie Dwayne Haskins to give Washington a good opportunity down the field. Impressively, Harmon was completely open in a decent Green Bay secondary, showing his strong route-running abilities and game awareness.
Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver, New England Patriots
Meyers only had one catch on the day, but it was for a significant 35-yard gain. Despite having four catches for 81 yards in the last two weeks combined, Meyers did have two dropped passes in the game, including one that would have been good for a touchdown. Though Meyers has earned Tom Brady’s trust early, he will need to double-down on ball security as the Patriots head towards a playoff berth, despite a 23-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kentavius Street, defensive end, San Francisco 49ers
Soon, the highly touted Niners defense will be bolstering itself in the trenches, with Street set to rejoin the team by activating his 21-day practice window from injured reserve. Street, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the 49ers, has yet to play in any NFL games since being drafted and is set to add depth to an already strong 49ers D-line.
Junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon catches a pass during the 52-10 win against Louisville at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 17. Harmon had 100 receiving yards on the day, marking his second year in a row gaining at least 1,000 receiving yards.
