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Here are the Pack alum's performances (sporadically infused with random bits of other goodies) from week 13 of the NFL season. Players are listed in alphabetical order as not to offend anyone; please hold your applause until the end of the presentation.
Zach Allen (‘13/UDFA): Allen continues to look to latch on with another team after his brief stint on the Seattle practice squad came to an end a couple of weeks ago.
David Amerson (‘13/2nd): The Redskins (3-9) clinched their fourth losing season in five years with a 24-17 loss to the Giants (5-7). Amerson made three tackles and was credited with a pass defended in the loss. Amerson's two picks and eight passes defended both rank second on the team to DeAngelo Hall.
Andre Brown (‘09/4th): Brown did not enjoy a huge game from a yardage standpoint, gaining just 35 yards on 14 carries, but his 23-yard touchdown run put the G-Men on the board after they got down 14-0 early. In the fourth quarter, Brown plunged in from a yard out to put his team up 21-17. He also caught three balls for 23 yards.
Audie Cole (‘12/7th): Cole made good again in his second start, notching nine tackles and defending a pass as the Vikings (3-8-1) continued to play spoiler in the NFC North, knocking off Chicago (6-6) a week after forging a tie with Green Bay (5-6-1). The Bears blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead before falling 23-20 in overtime. Adrian Peterson romped all over Marc Trestman's defense, gaining 211 yards on 35 carries. Alshon Jeffery had 249 yards receiving in the losing effort.
Jerricho Cotchery (‘04/4th): Cotchery was targeted six times but only managed two grabs for six yards, though one was good for a touchdown that cut the Ravens' lead to two with a minute to play. The two-point try failed, however, dropping the Steelers to 5-7 and giving the Ravens (6-6) the inside track on the AFC's final playoff spot.
Mike Glennon (‘13/3rd): Glennon had a rough Sunday against the Panthers (9-3), tossing a pick and losing a fumble in the 27-6 loss that snapped the Bucs' meager three-game winning streak. Glennon did complete two-thirds of his attempts (14-for-21) but wasn't on the field much thanks to Tampa (3-9) going 1-for-10 on third down and Carolina grinding out nearly 35 minutes of possession time. The Panthers are riding a league-high eight-game winning streak.
T.J. Graham (‘12/3rd): The Bills (4-8) apparently partied a little too hard with Toronto mayor Rob Ford, as they lost their "home" game in the Rogers Centre to the lowly Falcons (3-9). Atlanta's 34-31 overtime win was its first road triumph of the season. Graham, who was spotted downing a case of Elsinore beer with Doug and Bob McKenzie the night before the game, was targeted just twice and did not manage a reception. Rob Ford and the McKenzie brothers? Take off, you hosers! (And I've now blown all of my funny Canadian references in one player post.)
Leroy Harris (‘07/4th): Harris kept his inactive streak alive Sunday.
Steven Hauschka (‘08/UDFA): Hauschka had a couple of chip shots in Seattle's 34-7 excommunicating of the Saints (9-3), a team that will be fighting for its divisional championship life with two of its final four games against the Panthers. Hauschka is up to 26-for-27 (96.3%) on the season.
Nate Irving (‘11/3rd): Seriously, who makes these schedules? If the Panthers playing the Saints twice in four weeks isn't bad enough, the Broncos (10-2) played the Chiefs (9-3) twice in three weeks. The result was the same both times, a Denver win, and KC finds itself on a three-game slide after opening the year 9-0.
Irving was active for the latest matchup but did not record any statistics.
Markus Kuhn (‘12/7th): There has been a Kuhn sighting! Though he did not make the box score, Kuhn was active and played for the first time in 2013 in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Skins.
Ted Larsen (‘10/6th): Larsen continues to rotate with Jeremy Zuttah on the interior of the Bucs' offensive line.
Manny Lawson (‘06/1st): Lawson picked up his third sack of the season and two of his five tackles went for a loss, but it was a bad day for a Buffalo defense that yielded a season-high 34 points for the Falcons.
Terrell Manning (‘12/5th): Manning remains on the Bolts' practice squad.
Tobais Palmer (‘12/UDFA): Palmer remains on the Bolts' practice squad.
Philip Rivers (‘04/1st): San Diego's season in a nutshell: win on the road at Kansas City one week; lose at home to Cincinnati the next week. The Bengals (8-4) maintained a two-game lead over the Ravens in the AFC North while the one step forward two steps back Chargers (5-7) have the thinnest of playoff hopes after their fifth loss of seven points or less of the season. Rivers was held to under seven yards per pass attempt (6.8) for the first time since week one and threw a pick in the 17-10 loss. His 80 passer rating for the game was his worst mark of the year.
J.R. Sweezy (‘12/7th): Sweezy spent a little time at fullback in short yardage situations in addition to helping block Russell Wilson to a "Look at me, I should be NFL MVP" performance on the big stage Monday night. If he likes Tom Brady*, you might even call the versatile Sweezy a renaissance man.
Stephen Tulloch (‘06/4th): Tulloch's team-high six Turkey Day tackles helped the Lions (7-5) win on Thanksgiving for the first time in 10 years. Tulloch added his third sack of the season in the lopsided 40-10 triumph over the reeling Packers, who managed just 35 (!) non-special teams plays from scrimmage and failed to register an offensive touchdown.
Mario Williams ('06/ 1st): Super Mario snapped a three-game sack-less streak, defended a pass, and made four solo stops, his second best tackle total of the season.
Adrian Wilson (‘01/3rd): Wilson is still languishing on the Pats' IR. I'm pretty sure he is a perfectly healthy victim of some Belichick roster malfeasance. #freeadrian
Russell Wilson (‘12/3rd): After MNF, Ray Lewis put down the knife long enough to say that Wilson did a great job of managing the game. Um, wat? Friend to mobile little guy QBs everywhere, Steve Young was quick to slap down Lewis's inane remark and rightly note that Wilson is a star and a worthy MVP candidate. The Seahawks have the best defense in the NFL, as evidenced by their breaking the Saints' NFL-record 43-game streak of 200-plus-yard passing games, but Wilson has evolved into much more than just the guy entrusted to not lose the game. Over the last three weeks he has posted a QBR of at least 134.6 in each game, including the 139.6 number he posted in the chilly Seattle night air on MNF. He was 22-for-30 for 310 yards and three scores against the Saints and hasn't thrown a pick in six of his last seven games. Oh, and he led Seattle with 47 yards rushing on eight carries. Nick Foles (in basically half as many starts) and Peyton Manning are the only QBs with a higher passer rating than Wilson, and the MVP race seems like a pretty clear battle between Manning and the second year pro from a whole Pack of Badgers. Not bad for a washed up minor league baseball player.
C.J. Wilson (‘13/UDFA): Wilson remains on the Bears' practice squad.
Earl Wolff (‘13/5th): Wolff remains out with a knee injury but has said he hopes to return for Sunday's game against the Lions. The Eagles (7-5) are in the thick of the NFC playoff race thanks to a 24-21 win over the Cardinals (7-5). Philly closes the season at Dallas in a game that looks like it will decide the NFC East champion.
Willie Young (‘10/7th): Young did not get in on the sack party (Detroit had seven against Green Bay) but was second to Tulloch in tackles with five in the Thanksgiving Packer pummeling.
AND NOW THE MUCH ANTICIPATED ALWAYS APPRECIATED ALL CAP INTRODUCED ANDRE BROWN LIVING MEMORIAL GAME BALL OF THE WEEK GOES TO...
Russell Carrington Wilson.
This one was a no brainer. Not only did Wilson have his best game of the season with home field advantage in the playoffs up for grabs, he did it on MNF, football's biggest stage this side of the Super Bowl. He even made us reminisce about the good old days with his eight-yard ricochet TD to Derrick Coleman. (Who can forget the two-yard Hail Mary against UNC and the ensuing typical lack of class from UNC's AFAM majors?)
Wilson leads the NFL in yards per rush (5.7) and game-winning drives (four); he is in the top five in yards per attempt (2nd), passer rating (3rd), yards per completion (3rd), and TD% (3rd).
*If you were confused by that allusion, you must have missed the Maryland game Saturday. (Shame on you, you pathetic quittering quitterer!)