There will be players in the spotlight as the NFL playoffs kick off. Some are well known while others are going to be regarded as stars because of their performances. A look at some of the players to keep an eye on as the Wild-Card round starts the postseason road to the Super Bowl
A.J. Brown
Much was made of DK Metcalf and his muscular frame coming out of Ole Miss to the Seahawks. However, the Tennessee Titans grabbed their own gem out of Ole Miss in the second round, A.J. Brown. The rookie season had four catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in the playoff-clinching win over the Texans. Brown finished the regular season with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns. Brown became the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since tight end Delanie Walker (1,088) in 2015. Titansonline.com adds: Brown joined Isaac Curtis (1973), Willie Gault (1983) and Randy Moss (1998) as the only rookies with at least four touchdown receptions of 50 yards or more since 1970. Brown averaged a whopping 20.2 yards on his 52 catches during the regular season.
Devin Singletary
The Bills selected Devin Singletary with a second-round pick out of Florida Atlantic. He worked nicely with veteran Frank Gore. The duo combined for 1,374 yards rushing. Throw in the 510 on the ground from QB Josh Allen and Buffalo’s ground game had a trio of runners who went for more than 500 yards. That will come in handy against Houston.
Tre’Davious White
If you are going to test the Bills’ secondary, it would be a good idea to stay away from Tre’Davious White. Another of the great DBs produced by LSU, White was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the 27th overall pick. White was named to the Pro Bowl this year and was one of three players to share the league lead in interceptions with six.
Mike Boone
Dalvin Cook has been battling a shoulder injury. Alexander Mattison has been out. The Minnesota running game has fallen on Mike Boone. After a poor performance against Green Bay on Monday night, Boone redeemed himself with Boone with 148 yards rushing and a touchdown on 17 carries in the Vikings’ 21-19 loss to the Bears in Week 17. A free agent out of Cincinnati, Boone could have to play a big role against the Saints if Cook is limited in any way.
Anthony Harris
There are other names with bigger profiles than Anthony Harris in the Minnesota secondary. However, the DB with the most picks in 2019 was Anthony Harris. The free agent out of Virginia has been with Minnesota since 2015. He has blossomed and along with Tre’Davious White and Stephon Gilmore of the Patriots shared the lead in interceptions with six.
Nick Folk
If the game with the Titans comes down to a kicking contest, the Patriots’ Nick Folk will be under the microscope. With Stephen Gostkowski on IR, the Patriots went through more kickers in 2019 than they had in a couple of decades. Folk has connected on all his PATs and 14-of-17 field-goal attempts.
Stephon Gilmore
The third member of NFL secondaries with six picks in 2019 is the Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore. A fantastic signing away from the Buffalo Bills after 2016, Gilmore leads one of the most dynamic secondaries in the game. It has bent in recent weeks, but expect New England to rise up against Tennessee and Ryan Tannehill.
Ryan Tannehill
Inserting Ryan Tannehill into the starting lineup for Marcus Mariota has been the catalyst to Tennessee’s playoff run. In the three home games he faced the Patriots in 2013, ’14, and ’15, Tannehill was 3-0 for Miami. Then there was the game last season when the Miami Miracle occurred and Tannehill was credited for a 69-yard TD pass to Kenyan Drake on the final play to give the Dolphins a 34-33 victory. The Titans’ quarterback has The 31-year-old guided the Titans to a 7-3, leading the NFL in both passer rating (117.5) and yards per attempt (9.6; no other QB averaged more than 8.6). He threw 22 touchdown passes with six interceptions, and his passer rating topped 90 in nine of his 10 starts.
Jared Cook
The focus is on Drew Brees and Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. The Vikings had better not lose sight of tight end Jared Cook. The veteran has 11 catches in his last 12 targets over four weeks and scored five TDs over the last four games. Just what the Saints need, another weapon.
Duke Johnson
Duke Johnson was one of the fortunate few to get out of Cleveland this year. Carlos Hyde did, too, but that was early last year. Deshaun Watson has plenty of receivers he can find. Don’t sleep on Johnson, who incredibly had 410 yards rushing and 410 yards receiving for Houston. That’s 820 yards total offense and if the Bills fail to keep him in check it could be a long day for their defense.
Janoris Jenkins
If Kirk Cousins thinks he can be another quarterback to feast on the feeble Eli Apple, he better make sure it is that former Giants’ DB is out in the secondary. Because if the Saints’ Dennis Allen moves to Janoris Jenkins instead of Apple, the Vikings could be getting into trouble. Jenkins already has an interception for New Orleans in two games and would love to add to that total.
J.J. Watt
Will the Texans’ star defensive lineman J.J. Watt return for the playoff game and if he does, how effective will he be?
Tom Brady
He’s gone from the G.O.A.T. to a liability in the minds of those who also thought Drew Brees was finished . Make sure to keep an eye on the Patriots’ quarterback …. joking.
