GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With just three weeks left in the NFL regular season, Gator defenders helped their teams position for the playoffs on a wild weekend of football.
Defensive Highlights
Chiefs pass rusher Carlos Dunlap continues to add to his illustrious 13-year career.
He's one of just 62 players to become a member of the exclusive 100 sack club. He has 575 tackles and 122 tackles for loss for his career. He's a two-time Pro Bowler.
But one underrated stat that often goes unnoticed when discussing top pass rushers, is one King Dunlap has mastered during his career: pass deflections.
In an overtime win Sunday, Dunlap logged two pass deflections. He has seven this season and an astounding 75 for his career, an incredible mark for a defensive lineman.
Dunlap also added three tackles and two quarterback hits in the 30-24 win over Houston, improving KC's record to 11-3. Whether through sacks, tackles for loss or PD's Dunlap always finds a way to impact a game.
On a snowy Saturday night in Buffalo, Bills rookie cornerback
Kaiir Elam was back to doing what he does best: locking down receivers.
Going up against two of the league's fastest receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Elam allowed just two receptions for 11 yards.
In a tie game midway through the fourth, Elam was Johnny on the spot to sniff out a screen to Hill, making the biggest tackle of his young career.
Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone is a tackling machine.
He owns a team-high 105 tackles on the season, a mark that ranks 25th among all defenders. On Sunday, he added five more tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit in a huge 20-17 road victory over the New York Jets.
And after his fellow former Gator James Houston logged a huge sack, Anzalone was there for the Gator Chomp celebration.
Anzalone, Houston and another former Gator linebacker Jarrad Davis have Detroit at 7-7 and just a half-game out of the playoffs. Quite the turn around following a 1-6 start.
Special Teams Highlights
Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro is on a tear.
The fifth-year leg has nailed 14 consecutive kicks and is 28 for 30 on all of his kicks this season. Both his total 28 made field goals and 93.3% on attempts are top four marks in the league (min 17 att).
His perfect 5-for-5 performance last week earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
And his perfect 4-for-4 performance Sunday might earn him a second-straight nod. Pineiro smashed home a 52-yarder against Pittsburgh Sunday, his second 50-plus yarder of the year.
Arizona Cardinals (Arizona 15 - Denver 24)
74 - D.J. Humphries - OL - 8th year (Injured Reserve)
20 - Marco Wilson - CB - 2nd year (Inactive)
75 - Max Garcia - G - 8th year (Started at left guard)
Atlanta Falcons (Atlanta 18 - New Orleans 21)
8 - Kyle Pitts - TE - 2nd year (Injured Reserve)
62 - Jonotthan Harrison - OL - 7th year (Practice Squad)
Baltimore Ravens (Baltimore 3 - Cleveland 13)
10 - Demarcus Robinson - WR - 7th year (Started at wide receiver, recorded six receptions for 29 yards)
48 -
Jeremiah Moon - OLB - Rookie (Practice Squad)
74 - David Sharpe - OT - 5th year (Practice Squad)
Buffalo Bills (Buffalo 32 - Miami 29)
24 -
Kaiir Elam - CB - Rookie (Recorded two tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defended)
Carolina Panthers (Carolina 16 - Pittsburgh 24)
24 - CJ Henderson - CB - 3rd year (Started at cornerback)
4 - Eddy Pineiro - K - 5th year (1-for-1 on extra points, 3-for-3 on field goals connecting from 29, 39 and 52 yards)
Cincinnati Bengals (Cincinnati 34 - Tampa Bay 23)
95 -
Zachary Carter - DL - Rookie (Recorded one tackle)
2 - Evan McPherson - K - 2nd year (2-for-2 on extra points, 2-for-2 on field goals connecting from 21 and 41 yards)
Cleveland Browns (Cleveland 13 - Baltimore 3)
99 - Taven Bryan - DT - 5th year (Started at defensive tackle, recorded one tackle and one QB hit)
Dallas Cowboys (Dallas 34 - Jacksonville 40)
56 - Dante Fowler Jr. - OLB - 8th year (Recorded one tackle)
34 -
Malik Davis - RB – Rookie (Appeared on special teams)
14 - Antonio Callaway - WR - 3rd year (Practice squad)
Denver Broncos (Denver 24 - Arizona 16)
16 - Tyrie Cleveland - WR - 4th year (Practice Squad)
86 - Freddie Swain - WR - 3rd year (Started at wide receiver, caught one pass for nine yards)
Detroit Lions (Detroit 20 - NY Jets 17)
34 - Alex Anzalone - LB - 6th year (Started at linebacker, recorded five tackles, one tackle for loss and one QB hit)
40 - Jarrad Davis - LB - 6th year (Appeared at linebacker)
Green Bay Packers (Monday Night vs LA Rams)
93 - T.J. Slaton - DL - 2nd year
Houston Texans (Houston 24 - Kansas City 30)
31 -
Dameon Pierce - RB - Rookie (Injured Reserve)
52 - Jonathan Greenard - DE - 3rd year (Appeared at defensive end)
Jacksonville Jaguars (Jacksonville 40 - Dallas 34)
75 - Jawaan Taylor - OT - 5th year (Started at right tackle)
Kansas City Chiefs (Kansas City 30 - Houston 24)
8 - Carlos Dunlap - DE - 13th year (Recorded three tackles, two QB hits, two passes defended)
19 - Kadarius Toney - WR - 2nd year (Caught one pass for five yards, returned two punts for eight yards)
5 - Tommy Townsend - P - 3rd year (Punted four times for a 48.3-yard average, pinning Houston inside the 20 twice)
Los Angeles Rams (Monday Night vs Green Bay)
19 - Brandon Powell - WR - 5th year
12 - Van Jefferson - WR - 3rd year
Miami Dolphins (Miami 29 - Buffalo 32)
22 - La'Mical Perine - RB - 3rd year (Practice Squad)
Minnesota Vikings (Minnesota 39 - Indianapolis 36)
93 - Jonathan Bullard - DL - 7th year (Injured Reserve)
New England Patriots (New England 24 - Las Vegas 30)
77 - Trent Brown - OT - 8th year (Started at left tackle)
New Orleans Saints (New Orleans 21 - Atlanta 18)
6 - Marcus Maye - S - 6th year (Started at safety, recorded seven tackles and two passes defended)
69 – Jabari Zuniga – DE – 2nd year (Practice Squad)
New York Jets (NY Jets 17 - Detroit 20)
36 - Marcell Harris - LB - 5th year (Practice Squad/Injured)
Philadelphia Eagles (Philadelphia 25 - Chicago 20)
23 - C.J. Gardner-Johnson - S - 3rd year (Injured Reserve)
Fred Johnson – OT – 4th year (Practice Squad)
Pittsburgh Steelers (Pittsburgh 24 - Carolina 16)
33 - Duke Dawson - DB - 4th year (Practice Squad)
Seattle Seahawks (Seattle 13 - San Francisco 21)
78 - Stone Forsythe - OL - 2nd year (Appeared on special teams)
39 - Teez Tabor - DB - 4th year (Appeared at safety)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Tampa Bay 34 - Cincinnati 23)
22 - Keanu Neal - S - 7th year (Started at safety, recorded four tackles and one pass defended)
2 - Kyle Trask - QB - 2nd year (Inactive)
Washington Commanders (Washington 12 - NY Giants 20)
59 - Jon Bostic - LB - 10th year (Started at linebacker, recorded one tackle)
