WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
The New England Patriots took ownership of the Los Angeles Chargers offense on Sunday in LA. New England’s defense shut out Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, et al. in a game where New England’s DST produced three sacks, a blocked kick, two interceptions, and two touchdowns! Adrian Phillips, Adam Butler, and Devin McCourty were excellent IDP plays.
In an upset on Sunday, the Giants defeated the Seattle Seahawks on the backs of their defense. On the day, the Giants produced five sacks, a fumble, and an interception while giving up only 12 points. New York’s defense is on a roll, giving up fewer than 17 points per game over the past four games. Players who led the Giants’ IDP charge were Blake Martinez, Jabrill Peppers, and Leonard Williams.
Jacksonville nearly pulled off a large upset on Sunday in Minnesota. The Defense produced four sacks, an interception, a fumble, and a touchdown to keep the Jaguars in contention. Though they lost in overtime, Jacksonville players like Joe Schobert, Tre Herndon, and Dawuane Smoot had a nice day individually.
TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES
Joe Schobert – LB – JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
As mentioned above, Schobert did it all on Sunday. His contributions against the Vikings included twelve total tackles, a TFL, a sack, two defended passes, and an interception for a touchdown. From all indications, Schobert, in his 5th year out of Wisconsin, has a bright IDP future.
Justin Houston – DE – INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Houston, the 10-year vet out of Georgia put together the game of his season in his namesake city, Houston, Texas. On the day, the Colts defensive end made four tackles, two TFLs, and three sacks while forcing a fumble against the Texans. At 31 years old, Houston is toward the back-half of his career but should be good for double-digit sacks in the next couple of seasons.
Tyrann Mathieu – S – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Mathieu has been stellar in his time with Kansas City and has been a key to the Chiefs’ winning ways. Week 13 turned out to be his best game of the year in his match with the Broncos on Sunday Night Football. The former LSU stud corralled two interceptions, defended two passes, made a TFL, and tackled the Broncos ball-carrier seven times in the matchup. At 28, Mathieu is at the top of his game, and will surely stay elite for another handful of seasons.
NOTABLE INJURIES
Blake Martinez – LB – NEW YORK GIANTS
Martinez had to exit his game against the Seahawks with a lower back injury, missing the final dozen plays of the game. The injury doesn’t seem to be serious, but if the linebacker were to miss time, you can expect Devante Downs, David Mayo, or Tae Crowder to play more snaps.
Darius Slay – CB – PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
The Eagles top defensive back had to leave his game against Green Bay in the third quarter with a knee injury. It was confirmed that Slay did NOT suffer a major injury and could play against the Saints on Sunday. If he doesn’t go, Michael Jacquet could see some additional playing time.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out all of the content we offer here at Dynasty Football Factory. Also, you can interact with me on Twitter at @FF_EvilEmpire. Now go forth and build your empire!
