An offense led by Tom Brady hadn’t been shut out in an NFL game since 2006. A New Orleans Saints defense full of former Ohio State players changed that.
The Saints were without Sean Payton and starting offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramszyk, so they knew they would be limited offensively and need their Buckeye heavy-defense to stymie Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Malcolm Jenkins, Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby, Jalyn Holmes and Pete Werner combined for 15 tackles. Lattimore also broke up two passes and recovered a key fumble that prevented the Buccaneers from getting points out of a promising drive in the third quarter.
FUMBLE!@camjordan94 strips the ball and @shonrp2 recovers it!
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2021
: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/vBJsxr3MRU
The fumble recovery was Lattimore's first of the season and fifth of the Pro Bowler's career.
In the fourth quarter, Holmes burst through the Buccaneers' line for a critical third-down stop.
Jalyn Holmes shuts down Ke'Shawn Vaughn on third down! #Saints pic.twitter.com/Z4Uc0KljkG
— Pro Football Culture (@proftblculture) December 20, 2021
The Saints won the game 9-0 for their seventh straight regular season victory over the Buccaneers, including four consecutive with Brady as quarterback. The shutout also ended Brady's streak of 255 straight starts without being blanked.
Strip sacks for both Bosas
In a pivotal matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, Joey Bosa recorded a strip sack on Patrick Mahomes late in the second quarter. Bosa's teammate Drue Tranquill recovered the fumble at Kansas City's 45-yard line.
JOEY BOSA STRIP SACK ALERT
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 17, 2021
Chargers ball!!! pic.twitter.com/RqwIRPFMtT
Bosa has now forced a fumble in consecutive weeks and is tied for the most forced fumbles in the AFC with six. He has six sacks in the Chargers’ last seven games, though he will miss their next game after testing positive for COVID-19.
The elder Bosa brother is a man-child. This truth is proven from the clips of the Chargers' defensive end during the game against the New York Giants on Dec. 12.
I don't follow football, but this dude earnestly trying to talk to his teammates about Dark Souls, God of War, and Halo while they stare off into the distance like a parent half-listening to their kid is adorable. pic.twitter.com/GREXj79FbL
— Scott Lowe (@ScottLowe) December 17, 2021
Nick Bosa also got in on the strip sack action. Smaller Bear used his speed and strength to bully Kaleb McGary on his way to ravaging Matt Ryan.
Nick Bosa's 15th sack of the season! #FTTB @nbsmallerbear
— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
: #ATLvsSF on CBS
: NFL app pic.twitter.com/YXvVcTQr9m
Bosa's fourth forced fumble and 15th sack of the season helped the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Atlanta Falcons, 31-13.
Zeke scores and braces for the future
Ezekiel Elliott scored for the first time since November in Sunday's game against the New York Giants. His 10th touchdown of the season came on a 13-yard run and aided the Dallas Cowboys to their 10th win of the year.
Ezekiel Elliott's 10th touchdown of the season. https://t.co/oyw7ML9hSR
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 19, 2021
The Pro Bowl running back has been held to under 70 rushing yards in nine consecutive games. For the season, he has only cracked the century mark twice, rushing for over 100 yards in back-to-back games in October. A lingering knee injury has prevented him from playing at full capacity, but Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday that he thinks Elliott has mostly recovered from that injury.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on RB Ezekiel Elliotts knee: I think Zekes kind of turned the corner there. I think the brace, as he said, makes it more stable. pic.twitter.com/FGG7gyTpsd
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 19, 2021
Hooker interception
Elliott wasn’t the only former Buckeye who made a big play in the Cowboys’ 21-6 win over the Giants, as Malik Hooker made his first interception since he played for the Indianapolis Colts and picked off then-Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston in 2019.
Malik Hooker makes his first interception since 2019. https://t.co/FsIjyQ6hZs
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) December 19, 2021
Hooker, who missed most of the 2020 season with a torn Achilles, broke a 16-game interception drought with that pick. He went into Sunday feeling confident that it could be the day for him to get back to his turnover-making ways.
“Felt like I was going to get one today, just off of warmups,” Hooker said after the game. “I told my coach this is the game I'm going to get a pick.”
It appears speaking it into existence can work.
Fields gets battered
Justin Fields took a beating during the Chicago Bears' loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. He took big hits from the Minnesota Vikings on several occasions, drawing flags on multiple of them.
Following a bad snap, Fields took a knee to kill a play near the Bears' goal line. James Lynch did not heed the whistle and slammed the stunned Fields to the turf. The refs didn't rule it a personal foul until after Fields pleaded for the flag to be thrown.
Queue hello darkness my old friend @justnfields pic.twitter.com/cSn481E4nC
— happyblitz (@happyblitz1) December 21, 2021
Later on the same drive, Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks was ejected from the game after leveling a vicious hit to Fields on a slide.
Vikings LB Eric Kendricks was EJECTED for this helmet-to-helmet hit on Bears QB Justin Fields pic.twitter.com/7sYyzQA3jJ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 21, 2021
The hits didn't slow Fields down. In fact, the hits sped him up. I guess you run faster when you're tired of taking cheap shots.
Justin Fields reached a top speed of 20.11 mph on his 23-yard scramble, his fourth carry reaching 20+ mph this season.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 21, 2021
No other QB has reached 20+ mph on more than two carries this season.#StatThat | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/LfPPW519qu
Fields finished with a respectable stat line with 26 completions on 39 attempts for 285 yards, but his fumble in the first quarter and four drives that ended without points in the red zone were key factors in the Bears’ 17-9 loss.
Jackson misses his first game
For the first time in his two-year NFL career, former Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson was inactive on Sunday. His back injury didn’t prevent the Detroit Lions from stunning the Arizona Cardinals in a 30-12 upset on Sunday, but it ended Jackson’s streak of 29 consecutive games started to begin his NFL career.
Damon a Dolphin
Damon Arnette is back with an NFL team after the Miami Dolphins added him to their practice squad last week. The move gives both parties time to figure out if Arnette will be a good fit going forward after he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this week.
Arnette joins his former Ohio State teammate Jerome Baker, who is the Dolphins’ nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and might provide some key support for Arnette in Miami.
Brian Flores said GM Chris Grier and his staff did background work on Damon Arnette and the Dolphins "felt good about bringing him in and taking a look."
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) December 17, 2021
Speaking of Baker, he led the Dolphins with seven tackles and also had two sacks in Miami's 31-24 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
Jerome Baker eats Michael Carter alive and sacks Zach Wilson pic.twitter.com/Kl6hOzumnJ
— FinCuts (@FinCuts) December 19, 2021
Browning making noise
Baron Browning is taking advantage of increased playing time. The Denver Broncos inserted Browning into their starting lineup on Oct. 31, and over the last seven games, Browning has recorded 43 tackles including a team-high 10 stops against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Bengals come out in a quad set to the left and Burrow throws it out quick. Baron Browning makes the stop and the Broncos defense holds on 3rd down. pic.twitter.com/TyTWhr1LlE
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) December 19, 2021
Jonathan Cooper and Dre'Mont Jones are also performing with high energy for the Broncos, giving them a trio of former Buckeyes who have become key players in their defensive front seven.
| PLAYER | POS | TEAM | WEEK 15 STATS | SEASON STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELI APPLE | CB | BENGALS | 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 2 PBU | 40 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 9 PBU, 1 FR |
| DAMON ARNETTE | CB | DOLPHINS | Practice squad | 4 tackles, 1 PBU |
| JEROME BAKER | LB | DOLPHINS | 7 tackles, 2 sacks (19 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QBH | 74 tackles, 3 sacks (29 yards), 6 TFL, 11 QBH, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 FF |
| VONN BELL | S | BENGALS | 6 tackles | 87 tackles, 1 sack (12 yards), 5 TFL, 1 QBH, 5 PBU, 3 FF, 1 FR |
| TUF BORLAND | LB | VIKINGS | Did not play | 1 game played |
| JOEY BOSA | DE | CHARGERS | 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QBH, 1 FF | 42 tackles, 9.5 sacks (58 yards), 4 TFL, 20 QBH, 6 FF |
| NICK BOSA | DE | 49ERS | 1 tackle, 1 sack (4 yards), 1 QBH, 1 FF | 43 tackles, 15 sacks (118 yards), 18 TFL, 29 QBH, 1 PBU, 4 FF |
| NOAH BROWN | WR | COWBOYS | IR (groin) | 14 catches, 157 yards |
| BARON BROWNING | LB | BRONCOS | 10 tackles | 44 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PBU |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | WR | COLTS | IR (foot) | 10 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD |
| JONATHON COOPER | LB | BRONCOS | 5 tackles | 32 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFL, 5 QBH, 1 FR |
| WYATT DAVIS | OG | VIKINGS | Inactive | 5 games played |
| TAYLOR DECKER | OT | LIONS | Started at LT | 6 starts |
| J.K. DOBBINS | RB | RAVENS | IR (knee) | |
| NATE EBNER | DB | GIANTS | IR (knee) | 2 tackles |
| PAT ELFLEIN | C | PANTHERS | Started at C | 7 starts |
| EZEKIEL ELLIOTT | RB | COWBOYS | 16 rushes, 52 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 20 yards | 201 rushes, 862 yards, 9 TD; 44 catches, 265 yards |
| LUKE FARRELL | TE | JAGUARS | Inactive | 6 catches, 49 yards |
| JUSTIN FIELDS | QB | BEARS | 26/39 passing, 285 yards, 1 TD; 7 rushes, 35 yards | 159/270 passing, 1,870 yards, 7 TD, 10 INT; 63 rushes, 346 yards, 1 TD |
| JORDAN FULLER | S | RAMS | COVID-19 | 96 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 PBU |
| DaVON HAMILTON | DT | JAGUARS | 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU | 30 tackles, 1 sack (12 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QBH, 2 PBU |
| JOHNATHAN HANKINS | DT | RAIDERS | 4 tackles | 36 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 PBU |
| MALIK HARRISON | LB | RAVENS | Played | 21 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH |
| DWAYNE HASKINS | QB | STEELERS | Inactive | |
| CAMERON HEYWARD | DT | STEELERS | 6 tackles, 0.5 sack (5 yards), 1 QBH | 73 tackles, 7.0 sacks (48.5 yards), 6 TFL, 11 QBH, 1 INT, 6 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR |
| JUSTIN HILLIARD | LB | GIANTS | IR (ankle) | 2 games played |
| JALYN HOLMES | DE | SAINTS | 3 tackles | 14 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PBU |
| MALIK HOOKER | S | COWBOYS | 6 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU | 32 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PBU |
| SAM HUBBARD | DE | BENGALS | 1 tackle | 54 tackles, 7.5 sacks (32.0 yards), 11 TFL, 16 QBH, 3 PBU, 2 FR |
| CARLOS HYDE | RB | JAGUARS | Inactive | 72 rushes, 253 yards, 1 TD; 12 catches, 65 yards |
| JONAH JACKSON | OG | LIONS | Inactive | 13 starts |
| MALCOLM JENKINS | S | SAINTS | 4 tackles | 66 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 1 TD |
| CAMERON JOHNSTON | P | TEXANS | 4 punts, 48.3 avg, 3 inside 20 | 75 punts, 46.9 avg, 32 inside 20 |
| DRE'MONT JONES | DT | BRONCOS | Inactive | 28 tackles, 5.5 sacks (37.5 yards), 9 TFL, 10 QBH, 2 PBU, 2 FF |
| JAMARCO JONES | OT | SEAHAWKS | IR (back) | 1 start, 7 games played |
| MICHAEL JORDAN | OG | PANTHERS | Started at LG | 7 starts, 8 games played |
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | SAINTS | 4 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 FR | 57 tackles, 2 INT, 17 PBU, 1 FR |
| TYQUAN LEWIS | DT | COLTS | IR (knee) | 15 tackles, 2.5 sacks (3.5 yards), 3 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 INT, 2 PBU |
| COREY LINSLEY | C | CHARGERS | Started at C | 14 starts |
| TERRY McLAURIN | WR | WASHINGTON | 2 catches, 51 yards | 56 catches, 786 yards, 5 TD |
| RAEKWON McMILLAN | LB | PATRIOTS | IR (knee) | |
| JAKE McQUAIDE | LS | COWBOYS | Played at LS | 1 tackle |
| JOSH MYERS | C | PACKERS | IR (knee) | 5 starts |
| ANDREW NORWELL | OL | JAGUARS | Started at LG | 13 starts |
| JEFF OKUDAH | CB | LIONS | IR (leg) | 4 tackles, 1 PBU |
| BILLY PRICE | C | GIANTS | Started at C | 13 starts |
| ISAIAH PRINCE | OT | BENGALS | Inactive | 12 games played |
| BRADLEY ROBY | CB | SAINTS | 2 tackles | 20 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QBH, 1 INT, 4 PBU |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | WR | WASHINGTON | Inactive | 5 catches, 18 yards, 2 rushes, -1 yard |
| TREY SERMON | RB | 49ERS | IR (ankle) | 31 rushes, 136 yards; 1 catch, 23 yards; 1 FC, 2 tackles |
| KENDALL SHEFFIELD | CB | FALCONS | Played | 6 games played |
| MICHAEL THOMAS | WR | SAINTS | PUP (ankle) | |
| TOMMY TOGIAI | DT | BROWNS | 1 tackle, 0.5 sack, 1 QBH | 3 tackles, 0.5 sack, 1 QBH |
| NICK VANNETT | TE | SAINTS | Played at TE | 8 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD |
| SHAUN WADE | CB | PATRIOTS | Played on special teams | 3 games played |
| DENZEL WARD | CB | BROWNS | 3 tackles | 37 tackles, 0.5 sack (2 yards), 2 QBH, 2 INT, 8 PBU, 1 TD |
| PETE WERNER | LB | SAINTS | 2 tackles | 43 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 QBH |
| CHASE YOUNG | DE | WASHINGTON | IR (knee) | 26 tackles, 2 sacks (7 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QBH, 1 PBU, 2 FF |
