By William Qualkinbush.
The National Football League is full of former Clemson players. Several of them had monster days in Week 14. Here is a recap of a busy football weekend for Clemson alumni…
Indianapolis 25, Cleveland 24
IND: Dwayne Allen 1 rec, 5 yds
Allen made his return after a multi-week absence due to an ankle injury, so he wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game. His three targets paled in comparison to Coby Fleener’s ten, but Allen should be seen more prominently going forward as the Colts make a playoff push.
Houston 27, Jacksonville 13
HOU: DeAndre Hopkins 4 rec, 47 yds
The Texans were primarily a ground-and-pound team on Sunday, so Hopkins didn’t have a chance to duplicate his 200-plus yard performance from a week ago. But he was the top receiver for Houston once again, drawing a target on six of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 19 pass attempts. Nuk continues to establish himself as a star on the verge of elite status this season.
Pittsburgh 42, Cincinnati 21
PIT: Martavis Bryant 4 rec, 109 yds, TD
Michael Palmer 1 tackle
Bryant busted the game open with a 94-yard touchdown pass on a go route. He ran away from the secondary much as he did during his Clemson career in the vertical passing game. Bryant drew five additional targets in the game and continues to be a viable weapon in the Pittsburgh passing game. Palmer got himself a tackle on a turnover in this game, which isn’t the way tight ends typically get into the box score.
St. Louis 24, Washington 0
WAS: Bashaud Breeland 3 tackles, PBU
Jarvis Jenkins 1 tackle
It was a forgettable day for the Redskins, which is becoming an unfortunate theme of the season. Breeland continues to make a name for himself in coverage, while Jenkins—as per usual—played his facilitator role by design.
Detroit 34, Tampa Bay 17
TB: Da’Quan Bowers 3 tackles (2 solo)
Bowers hasn’t had a great season in many respects. However, this was an encouraging performance. He was productive and took advantage of his time on the field. This will be a critical stretch for Bowers, as his current coaching staff didn’t draft him and may be looking to see if the former Tiger figures into their long-term vision in Tampa.
Arizona 17, Kansas City 14
ARI: Jaron Brown 2 rec, 48 yds, TD
Chandler Catanzaro 3-5 FG, tackle
For the second straight week, Brown seemed to draw attention from new Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton. His 26-yard touchdown catch—one of three targets in the game—gave Arizona a lead it would never relinquish in the third quarter. Catanzaro nailed kicks from 33, 39, and 44 yards away on Sunday, but he also missed a pair of chip shots from 34 and 36 yards. The rookie has cooled off after a white hot start, but he continues to be a weapon for the offensively-challenged Cardinals.
Denver 24, Buffalo 17
BUF: Sammy Watkins 7 rec, 127 yds, fumble, tackle
There was a school of thought in the NFL that said the grind of the NFL schedule was starting to wear down Sammy Watkins. Those notions were put to rest on Sunday, when the rookie elevated his game against the vaunted Broncos. Kyle Orton threw a whopping 57 passes, meaning there were plenty of passes to go around. Watkins finished second on the team with 12 targets and seemed to be unhindered after nagging injuries seemed to slow him in recent weeks.
Seattle 24, Philadelphia 14
SEA: Byron Maxwell 4 tackles, 2 PBU
The Seahawks played ball control against Philly, so Maxwell and the Seattle defense were only on the field for around 18 minutes of game time. Still, Maxwell managed to have an impact, knocking away a pair of passes in coverage. Seattle’s defense received a major boost when Maxwell returned from injury a few weeks ago and is ramping up its game for the postseason.
New England 23, San Diego 14
SD: Kavell Conner 9 tackles (7 solo)
Marcus Gilchrist 8 tackles (5 solo)
If Conner and Gilchrist weren’t household names among NFL fans before this season, they are both trending in that direction. Conner led the Chargers in tackles in primetime against the Patriots, while Gilchrist was tied for second on the team. Both players continue to produce at a high level for a team that still has playoff aspirations in a tough AFC West.
Green Bay 43, Atlanta 37
ATL: Malliciah Goodman 1 assisted tackle
Along with the rest of his teammates, Goodman had the misfortune of lining up against the Packers on Monday night in Lambeau Field. The Falcons’ defense has been maligned all season long, so guilt by association may plague Goodman moving forward.
Key Inactives: Andre Branch, JAC; Andre Ellington, ARI; Tyler Shatley, JAC.