Tag: Player of the Week

Colts’ player of the game vs. Texans in Week 13: RB Jonathan Taylor

RB Jonathan Taylor earns Player of the Game honors in the win over the Texans.

For the seventh time this season, Jonathan Taylor has rushed for over 100 yards in an Indianapolis Colts victory. Taylor reached another landmark becoming the fifth player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown in 10 straight games, joining the likes of Emmitt Smith and Ladanian Tomlinson.

Taylor has not only been a large part of the Colts success this season, he has also thrust himself into the MVP conversation with five weeks left in the season. Certainly, his 143-yard performance along with two touchdowns against the Houston Texans does not hurt his resume at the end of the season.

Taylor and company get a long-awaited week of rest as they head into their bye. If the Colts want to have a shot at the playoffs, they will have to continue running the damn ball against some tough opponents down the stretch.

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Thomas Morstead named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in first game with Falcons

Thomas Morstead named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in first game with Falcons

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It didn’t take much time for Thomas Morstead to show the Atlanta Falcons how it’s done. The longtime New Orleans Saints punter went turncoat in signing with the dirty birds as a free agent, and he’s already earning accolades. Morstead was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 12, having punted excellently in the Falcons’ 21-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Asked to punt five times, Morstead responded by averaging 44.8 yards per try with a long of 55 yards. Three of his five punts landed inside the the Jacksonville 20-yard line and only one of those three possessions ended with points (on a 34-yard Jaguars field goal). Not too shabby for the 35-year-old.

It’s still unsettling to see Morstead wearing those numbers — to say nothing of such an ugly number — but good for him in continuing his career and playing at a high level once the Saints chose to part ways with him. The fact that he did such a great job preparing his replacement Blake Gillikin (October’s NFC Special Teams Player of the Month) is impressive on its own but speaks to his selflessness and team-first attitude.

Here’s to more success for Morstead. Just not when the Saints visit Atlanta to close out the regular season in Week 18.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Bucs: TE Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle is the Colts’ player of the game in Week 12 against the Bucs.

In a roller coaster of an afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts (6-6) drop a heartbreaker to the Super Bowl champs in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3).

The 38-31 final came down to the final seconds, and while Indy struggled in parts of this game, it was tight end Jack Doyle who was a consistent force on offense in this one.

Doyle finished the game with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He has been quiet all season, but certainly made his presence known today. He provided a safety blanket for Carson Wentz against a Buccaneers defense that dialed up the pressure.

Doyle is typically more of a component in the run game, but with the Colts struggling on the ground for a majority of this game, it was No. 84 who stepped up in a big way. Look for Doyle to get more involved in the passing game as the season goes on.

The Colts now sit at 6-6 with a winnable matchup against the Texans next week, with a bye after that. It’s the perfect week to rebound and head into the final stretch of the season healthy and hungry.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Jaguars: RB Jonathan Taylor

RB Jonathan Taylor is the Colts’ player of the game in the Week 10 win over the Jaguars.

Another week, another solid performance by the stud second-year running back. The Indianapolis Colts picked up a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game where Jonathan Taylor went over 100 rushing yards for the fifth time this season and the eighth time of his young and promising career.

He finished the day with 116 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions for 10 yards. It was clear early on that Taylor was going to have a huge game, especially after a big 34-yard gain on the first play of the game.

However, the Jaguars were able to make adjustments and really shut down Taylor and the Colts offense for much of the second half. That can’t happen against tougher competition that will capitalize off those wasted drives.

The formula for the Colts is simple. Give the ball to Taylor, dominate the line of scrimmage, and good things will come. Having an impactful run game helps in the passing game as well, which we saw today against the Jags.

The Colts will have a much tougher test next week when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. If Indy wants to come away with a win, it’s safe to say Taylor will have to be the centerpiece of the game plan.

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Best plays from Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s Offensive Player of the Week performance

Relive some of Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s greatest plays against the Eagles.

After back-to-back poor performances, Justin Herbert bounced back in a big way against the Eagles. Herbert put the team on his back, finishing 32 of 38 for 356 yards with three total touchdowns and no interceptions (123.2 quarterback rating).

Philadelphia’s defense was not of the same caliber as the Ravens or Patriots, but Herbert was much more decisive with his reads and his throws were on the money compared to previous weeks. Furthermore, Joe Lombardi did a fine job of keeping him protected and getting him on the move.

For his efforts, Herbert was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

To relive some of Herbert’s greatest plays from this past weekend, check out the video below.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Jets: RB Jonathan Taylor

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor earns Player of the Game honors in the win over the Jets.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) came away with a 45-30 win against the New York Jets (2-6) on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The offense was firing on all cylinders as Frank Reich’s play-calling was spot-on all night. While it was close in the end, this game would not have been won without another dominant performance by star running back Jonathan Taylor.

The second-year stud continues to prove himself as one of the best backs in the league, going for 172 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on 19 carries against the Jets. He also added two catches for 28 yards.

Taylor’s first touchdown of the night came in the first half to give the Colts a 14-7 lead by going 21 yards for the score. Then in the third quarter, he torched the Jets defense for a 78-yarder.

Taylor went over 100 rushing yards for the fourth time this year and moves into first place in rushing yards in the NFL. He is having breakout performances behind this Colts offensive line that has been solid the past few weeks.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Titans: Michael Pittman Jr.

Michael Pittman Jr. is our Player of the Game in the Week 8 loss to the Titans.

In a frustrating overtime loss against the Tennessee Titans (6-2), the Indianapolis Colts (3-5) fall three games back of their division rivals in the race for the AFC South. In this loss, Michael Pittman Jr. was able to continue his impressive sophomore season with an impressive afternoon.

He finished the game with 10 catches for 86 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns. The Titans did not seem to have an answer for Pittman early on but definitely recovered as the game went on.

 

Wentz and Pittman are developing a relationship that is slowly becoming one of the best quarterback-receiver combos in the league. Sadly, the Colts could not come away with a win to emphasize this dominant performance.

While this loss was heartbreaking, the Colts will have to put it in the rearview mirror as they host the Jets this Thursday night.

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Alvin Kamara named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 7

Saints RB Alvin Kamara is NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 7:

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A big game deserves big recognition, and Alvin Kamara has earned the award for NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his efforts against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night. The New Orleans Saints superstar secured 10 receptions for 128 receiving yards and a touchdown catch while running 20 times for another 55 rushing yards, converting a critical late-game third-and-10 with a 12-yard gain.

But this is somehow only Kamara’s second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in his already-storied NFL career, last doing so after scoring six touchdown runs against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day last season.

Here are your Players of the Week for Week 7:

  • NFC Offense: RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
  • NFC Defense: LB Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons
  • NFC Special Teams: K Graham Gano, New York Giants
  • AFC Offense: WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
  • AFC Defense: DE Yannick Ngakoue, Las Vegas Raiders
  • AFC Special Teams: P Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis Colts

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Colts’ player of the game vs. 49ers: RB Jonathan Taylor

RB Jonathan Taylor was the player of the game for the Colts in the 30-18 win over the 49ers.

In a wet and wild Week 7 matchup, the Indianapolis Colts (3-4) emerged victorious in conditions that can only be described as “football weather.”

In a game like this, you need a strong rushing attack, and Indianapolis had that tonight in the form of Jonathan Taylor during their 30-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers (2-4).

The second-year stud finished with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown, picking up some key third downs on a couple of strong runs. He also overcame adversity after fumbling on the first play of the game but finished with his fourth straight 100-yard performance.

When the field is chopped up and the ball is hard to hold onto, the Colts really came out strong in the second half. They will need to carry that same energy when they host the red-hot Tennessee Titans next week in the Circle City.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Texans: LB Darius Leonard

The Maniac earns player of the game honors in the win over the Texans.

The Indianapolis Colts (2-4) bounced back at home against a Houston Texans (1-5) squad that seemed to lay an egg in the second half. Safe to say this win would not have been possible without the incredible afternoon by All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard.

He lit up the stat sheet with a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, an interception and seven total tackles. As the leader of this defense, Leonard has progressed into a dominant force that can change the course of a game in a single play.

This was a game the Colts needed as they move to 2-4 on the year. A tough task awaits them next week as they head to San Francisco for a Sunday night showdown.

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