Once again, Carolina Panthers linebacker Josey Jewell leads all defensive Hawkeyes in Week 14.
With his 10 total tackles — five solo — along with two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks, Jewell is proving to be one of the Hawkeyes’ best defensive products. Still, the Panthers were defeated in a hard-fought effort against the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-16.
And Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean continued his standout rookie season with five solo tackles and one tackle for loss in the win.
Linebacker Jack Campbell and the Detroit Lions tamed defensive end Lukas Van Ness and the Green Bay Packers, 34-31, on Thursday Night Football.
Campbell led all Lions players with eight tackles and one quarterback hit, while Van Ness logged three tackles. The Green Bay defenseman briefly left the game after suffering a thumb injury before then returning to the game.
Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker produced four solo tackles and two assisted tackles in the 10-6 low-scoring loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fellow safety Dane Belton recorded five tackles in the New York Giants’ 14-11 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
The Buffalo Bills suffered the 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in what was the highest-scoring game of the year thus far. Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa finished the match with two solo and assisted tackles each and one tackle for loss.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson’s two solo tackles and one deflected pass aided the 28-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
And the Chicago Bears’ offensive woes forced a heavy workload on punter Tory Taylor as he logged six punts for 316 yards — two punts landing inside the 20-yard line and a long of 60 yards — in the 38-13 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Tight End Contributions
Detroit’s Sam LaPorta played a pivotal role in the pass game with five catches for 54 yards in the critical win over the division-rival Packers, but it was George Kittle who boosted the 49ers over the Bears. He caught six passes for 151 yards.
The Minnesota Vikings trounced the Atlanta Falcons, 42-21, with an offensive explosion that featured T.J. Hockenson’s subtle contributions of four catches for 45 yards. Noah Fant provided three catches for 18 yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ 30-18 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Frontline Members
Offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and the Bucs bunch guided a 152-yard rushing performance and one rushing touchdown on 26 attempts. They gave quarterback Baker Mayfield plenty of time in the pocket on the way to 295 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in the win over the Raiders.
The Bills-Rams dual offensive explosion saw Los Angeles rush for 137 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Matthew Stafford throw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, thanks to offensive tackle Alaric Jackon’s efforts up front.
The Jaguars secured the win despite another junky rushing performance of 71 yards on 26 carries. However, offensive guard Brandon Scherff and Co. guided running back Tank Bigsby to the endzone in what would be the only touchdown scored by either team in the game.