NFL Players Who Delivered in Week 14

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 9, 2008

NFL Players Who Delivered in Week 14

DeAngelo Williams

Williams rushed for a career-high 186 yards and two touchdowns as the Panthers set a team record for yards rushing for the second time in a month. They also took control of the NFC South with a 38-23 win over the Bucs.

Jonathan Stewart

Stewart joined his teammate DeAngelo Williams in thrashing the league's fourth-rated defense. Stewart rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns against a Bucs' defense that had only allowed one rushing score all season.

Steve Smith

While Carolina ran wild against Tampa Bay's defense, Steve Smith turned in another sterling game, reeling in nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. It was Smith's sixth 100-yard receiving game of the season, and pushed him over the 1,000-yard receiving plateau for the fourth consecutive season.

Antonio Bryant

Although they took a tough loss against a division rival, the Bucs got a career day from wide receiver Antonio Bryant, who had nine catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns as Tampa Bay fell to 9-4.

Brian Westbrook

Westbrook powered the Eagles' offense against the defending champs Sunday, as Philadelphia handed Big Blue its second loss of the season. Westbrook ran for 131 yards on a season-high 33 carries, added another 72 yards receiving, and scored his 14th touchdown of the season.

Chris Johnson

The Titans clinched their first AFC South title since 2002, largely on the legs of rookie running back Chris Johnson, who ran for 136 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 28-9 win over Cleveland.

Pierre Thomas

The Saints' undrafted, second-year back helped keep New Orleans' slim playoff hopes alive with the best rushing performance of his career. Thomas ran for 102 yards and scored twice, while pounding out big runs down the stretch as the Saints edged the Falcons 29-25.

Reggie Bush

In his second game back after knee surgery, Reggie Bush helped lead the Saints' newly-rediscovered running attack, rushing for 80 yards, including a career-long 43-yard carry. Bush also picked up 26 yards receiving and a touchdown reception as New Orleans moved to 7-6 on the season.

Roddy White

White pulled in 10 catches for a career-high 164 yards in the Falcons' 29-25 loss. The fourth-year receiver has already surpassed his career-high of 1,202 receiving yards, which he set last season.

Matt Ryan

The rookie out of Boston College turned in another sparkling performance, throwing for 315 yards and a touchdown on 24-of-33 passing.

Brandon Marshall

Marshall hauled in 11 Jay Cutler passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns (including the game-winner early in the fourth quarter) in the Broncos' 24-17 victory over the Chiefs. It was Marshall's most receptions since Week 1, when he caught 18 for 166 yards.

Deion Branch

The Seahawks found a surprising offensive star Sunday when the wide receiver reeled in four catches for 88 yards, including a 63-yarder, and scored his first two touchdowns of the season. Branch had just 13 receptions for the season prior to the matchup against his former club, the Patriots.

Seneca Wallace

With Matt Hasselbeck fighting a back injury, Wallace made the ninth start in his six-year career, and nearly led the Seahawks to a surprise upset over the Patriots. Wallace was 20-for-28 with 212 yards passing and a career-high-tying three touchdowns, but New England edged Seattle 24-21.

Wes Welker

One week after suffering a devastating hit against the Steelers, Welker bounced back to notch a season-high 12 catches for 134 yards as the Patriots moved into a tie atop the AFC East.

Kevin Walter

Nobody benefited from the return of Matt Schaub more than Texans' wide receiver, Kevin Walter, who caught six passes for 146 yards and a touchdown as Houston improved to 6-7.

Matt Schaub

Schaub returned after missing four games with a knee injury and threw for a career-high 414 yards and two touchdowns in the Texans' 24-21 victory over the Packers at Lambeau.

Steve Slaton

A week after putting up gaudy numbers during the Texans' Monday Night win over Jacksonville, the rookie out of West Virginia posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season, notching 120 yards on 26 carries. He also added 40 yards receiving on three catches.

Ryan Grant

Green Bay's second-year running back rushed for 104 yards and an important fourth-quarter touchdown as the Packers and Texans exchanged scores down the stretch Sunday in Houston's 24-21 victory at Lambeau.

Peyton Manning

After failing to score an offensive touchdown last week against the Browns, Peyton Manning's offense buried the Bengals, 35-3. Manning connected on 26-of-32 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns. He led three touchdown drives of 69 yards or longer.

Kelvin Hayden

While Peyton Manning picked apart the Bengals defense, Kelvin Hayden almost singlehandedly shut down their passing attack, picking off two passes, including a fourth-quarter interception he returned 85 yards for a touchdown.

Tashard Choice

Filling in for the injured Marion Barber, rookie running back Tashard Choice ran for 88 yards in his first NFL start -- the most against Pittsburgh all season -- and accounted for 166 total yards in the Cowboys' 20-13 loss.

Maurice Jones-Drew

On a day in which the Jaguars' offense struggled to get into a rhythm, Maurice Jones-Drew was a bright spot, rushing for 55 yards and catching seven passes for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Vincent Jackson

Jackson turned in one of the biggest performances of his four-year career Thursday, grabbing five catches for a career-high 148 yards in the Chargers' 34-7 victory over the Raiders.

Philip Rivers

With LaDainian Tomlinson carrying the ball for 91 yards, Rivers was able to be economical as he picked apart the Raiders' defense. He threw the ball just 22 times, but racked up 214 yards and three touchdowns as the Chargers kept their slim playoff hopes alive.

NFL Players Who Delivered in Week 14