Weekend winners
NFL bonus babies. Entering the final weekend of the season there were several dudes on the fringe of cashing large bonus clauses in their deals. Saints receiver Emmanuel Sanders needed eight catches for his $500,000 bonus. Antonio Brown needed 11 catches for $250,000. And the big one, Leonard Floyd needed 0.5 sack for a $1.25 million incentive in his contract. They all reached those numbers.
Justin Fields. He was nearly perfect as THE Ohio State thrashed Clemson. It was an amazing performance – 22 of 28 for 385 and six TDs – and one that made us all remember how excellent Fields can be. (And that Kirby picked Jake Fromm over him.)
Derrick Henry. Wow. Just wow. Derrick Henry went for 250 on an amazing 34 carries Sunday as the Titans clinched the AFC South. While we can all foresee Aaron Rodgers and Patty Mahomes finishing 1-2 – in whatever order – in the MVP voting, Henry is an absolute wrecking machine. He finished 2020 with 2,027 yards and 17 rushing TDs. He became just the eighth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards in a season, and his 2020 total ranks fifth all-time. Plus, Henry’s season total of 378 rushing attempts is 19th all-time in single-season carries, and it’s the most in a pass-happy NFL since 2006 when Larry Johnson set the all-time mark of 416 attempts.
Everyone connected to the Cleveland Browns. The playoff drought is done, so the fans deserve to celebrate. The front office, who crafted an impressive roster with a slew of shrewd decisions, deserves a toast. Coach Kevin Stefanski has a team that is forging a run-first identity and has a chance to do more than just make the playoffs when they visit a battered Steelers bunch next week. And maybe most of all, Baker Mayfield, the quarterback who just a year ago was being roasted for making too many commercials and not enough progress on the field. In a breakout season, Mayfield sealed Sunday’s playoff-clinching win with a Single Wing QB sweep around right end.