For the second day in a row, the rider took pride of place on our list of the best individual performances of the day
If last week we complained that our weekly list of individual highlights was relatively short on excellent performances worth mentioning, this time there were more than enough.
We must especially mention the great day which is week 8 for runners, including one who switched teams not too long ago, a runner who stayed put, another who was embroiled in his own trade gossip and a veteran backup who got his first start of the year today.
Regardless, it was an outstanding date in terms of individual stats, with many names shining on Sunday with big meters and points.
after ours Week 8 Colossusother featured players appear, as always, in alphabetical order below, as our honorees:
If anyone believed the Niners overpaid for services Christian McCaffreyespecially at a position where the team has spent so many draft picks in recent years, we’re guessing those doubts disappeared after Week 8 of this season.
With a performance where “did it all” hardly fits, CMC held on to the Week 8 Colossus tag thanks to a historic performance against some heartless Los Angeles Rams that little do the current champions.
McCaffrey didn’t just carry the ball 18 times for 94 yards. McCaffrey didn’t just catch eight passes for 55 yards. McCaffrey not only completed his only pass of the afternoon, for 34 yards.
McCaffrey did all of the above, along with scoring once on the ground, once on the receiving end and once on a solo pass he threw during the game.
In fact, McCaffrey’s afternoon was so special that similar afternoons have only happened four times in the past 52 years (since the merger in 1970), according to the ESPN stats and info.
Of course, San Francisco paid a high price for the former Carolina running back, but today the Niners finished their regular season against the Rams in the NFC West, clinching second place in the division and securing the tiebreaker against the Rams. the current NFL champions.
It’s clear that San Francisco still isn’t the big NFC contender some of us thought before the season started, but having McCaffrey in their ranks clearly puts them closer to that zip code, where only the Eagles and Cowboys currently reside all season. nation. Conference.
honorable mentions
AJ Brown, forward, Philadelphia Eagles. For very little, Brown didn’t take the honors this NFL Sunday, thanks to his three touchdowns as part of his six catches for 156 yards in the Eagles’ victory over the Steelers this afternoon.
Dalvin Cook, running back, Minnesota Vikings. There’s no question that when Cook does well, like he did this Sunday, the Vikings jump a notch or two on the quality ladder among NFL teams, as evidenced Sunday by his 20 carries for 111 yards with a touchdown and five receptions for 30 yards in Minny’s win over the Cards.
Travis Etienne, running back, Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags fell apart in the closing moments against Denver at Wembley, but Etienne clearly earned his spot on our weekly list with 24 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown, including a dazzling 49-yard run on European soil.
D’Onta Foreman, running back, Carolina Panthers. It’s hard to believe that with the ball on the 14-yard line in overtime, Carolina managed to lose to Atlanta, but we can’t blame Foreman in his second game as the Panthers’ primary back. He had 118 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries for Carolina this Sunday in a performance that, on almost any other day, would have earned him the top spot on our list.
Derrick Henry, running back, Tennessee Titans. With 219 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on the day, Henry appeared to be on track for his first appearance in the spotlight of our top single so far this season, but that was until CMC completed its historic trifecta. Likewise, Henry did a phenomenal job taking pressure off rookie quarterback Malik Willis in his first NFL start to lead the Titans to a division win.
Tyreek Hill, wide receiver, Miami Dolphins. He went without a touchdown on the day, but we weren’t going to overlook the Cheetah on our best-of list this Sunday, thanks to his 12 receptions for 188 yards in Miami’s tighter-than-expected win over Detroit. many of us expected.
DeAndre Hopkins, primary, Arizona Cardinals Boy, was Hopkins missed in Arizona. In his second game back from a league-mandated suspension, he reprized his role as the most explosive player in the Cards’ offense with a 12-catch 159-yard performance and a touchdown that put him back in the conversation for the NFL’s best wide receiver of the moment.
Jalen Hurts, guard, Eagles. Hurts narrowly missed out on the top spot this Week 8, despite completing 19 of 28 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in Philly’s dominant win over Pittsburgh in the Pennsylvania State Classic. Will they still ask the Eagles to spend a first-round pick on a running back?
Alvin Kamara, running back, New Orleans Saints. The Saints offensive star has been the subject of trade rumors in recent hours, and if there’s any truth to those rumors, the price just went up. Kamara rushed the ball 18 times for 62 yards with a touchdown and caught nine passes for 96 yards with two more touchdown passes in New Orleans’ shutout against Las Vegas.
Devin McCourty, safety, New England Patriots. The veteran Pats defensive captain confirmed he’s still more relevant than ever in New England with two of Zach Wilson’s three interceptions in the game, along with his six tackles and two passes defensed, to fulfill the aspirations of the surprising Jets.
DJ Moore, wide receiver, Panthers. Six receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown weren’t enough to win the Panthers in Week 8, but it was enough to land Moore on our weekly list, in a professional renaissance of sorts after going largely unnoticed early in the campaign for Carolina’s offense.
Tony Pollard, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys. In his first start at running back this season, Pollard carried the ball 14 times for 131 yards and three runs. in the absence of an injured Ezekiel Elliott, to spark a Cowboys win and keep Dallas in contention for first place in the NL.
Za’Darius Smith, defensive end, Vikings. Minnesota’s biggest name to add this offseason, Smith sent three quarterback sacks against the Cards, part of an afternoon that included seven tackles, four tackles for a loss and a pass defensed for the Cards. Vikings.
Tua Tagovailoa, linebacker, Dolphins. Tagovailoa was effective on the trigger for Miami, completing 29 of 36 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, adding 19 yards on five carries for his cause. It wasn’t the best day for running backs in general, but Tagovailoa shined.
Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver, Dolphins. I guess we’ll have to find a good nickname for the duo of Waddle and Hill in Miami, because the production deserves it. On Sunday, Waddle had two touchdowns as part of an eight-catch, 106-yard performance against the Dolphins.