NFL Week 16 Crew of the Week: Puka Nacua Simple; Trevor Lawrence Makes Assertion

[ad_1] Every week, we provide up the perfect of the NFL on a given Sunday, form of just like the fantasy soccer crew you wished you had.

All yr, we’ve picked one quarterback, two working backs, two receivers and a good finish — OK, this sounds loads like a super-hindsight fantasy soccer crew. We’re additionally recognizing a complete offensive line, just a few choose defensive stars and even a special-teams standout of the week.

In the event you've adopted our checklist every week, you may discover some repeat names from final week. However are we not going to incorporate a quarterback on right here after he bought one of many largest wins of his profession, or a large receiver who had a 200-yard day? In fact not. So, let's dive into Week 16:

For some time, it seemed like Matthew Stafford would get it once more. Even in a dropping effort on Thursday, Stafford threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns and not using a decide. However Trevor Lawrence was simply dominant within the Jaguars' win over the Broncos with three landing passes and one other rating speeding. The Jaguars have clinched a playoff berth, and that is the form of win that may have everybody writing about Liam Coen as a Coach of the 12 months candidate as they proceed validating their success with huge wins.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars made a press release on Sunday in Denver. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Photographs)

Keep in mind Ashton Jeanty? He is been so underwhelming for many of his rookie yr, however he lastly broke out once more Sunday in a detailed loss to the Texans, speeding for 128 yards and a rating and including a 60-yard landing catch. It wasn't sufficient to win, but it surely's a reminder that Jeanty might be a game-changing again in a greater offense with a greater line.

There are plenty of compelling backs this week, so we all know now that is the place that you simply guys will complain about. We solely get to choose two.

So many good video games from working backs, however Warren will get the opposite nod on the place. He rushed for 143 yards on 14 carries, giving him an amazing 10.3 yards per carry, with two touchdowns, which had been each 45-yard scores within the fourth quarter of a one-score victory. How do you not reward that?

You have got James Cook dinner with 117 speeding yards and two scores, you might have Bijan Robinson with 168 whole yards and a landing, you might have Kenneth Walker with 164 and a rating, you might have Saquon Barkley with 132 and a rating. However did any of them have two 45-yard touchdowns within the fourth quarter? No additional questions.

One other monster recreation, worthy of inclusion right here, even in a loss — 12 catches for 225 yards and two touchdowns. To do that in a recreation the place Davante Adams is sidelined, when defenses know you're the point of interest of the passing recreation, and so they nonetheless cannot cease you. He is now 45 yards behind Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the NFL receiving yards lead, and he leads the league with 114 catches. You must consider these two as first-team All-Professional receivers, proper?

The Saints have received three in a row, rallying round rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, and Olave was an enormous a part of Sunday's win — 10 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns. His huge day pushed him over 1,000 receiving yards for the season — third time in his 4 NFL seasons — and prolonged his profession greatest to eight touchdowns.

New Orleans has picked up Olave's fifth-year choice for 2026, but it surely nonetheless may be good to increase him. If Jakobi Meyers can get $20 million a yr, Olave ought to be larger than that, and the Saints have the cap flexibility now to get it achieved.

TE: Kyle Pitts, Falcons Wait, Pitts bought it once more? Final week, it was simple together with his three touchdowns, however this week, he has a fairly good case to repeat one way or the other. Harold Fannin Jr. had two touchdowns for the Browns, one speeding and one receiving, and the remaining is a mass of 40-yard, one-touchdown video games — Jacksonville's Benton Unusual, Tennessee's Chig Okonkwo had been each worthy of inclusion. However none of them had extra yards than Pitts together with his 57 and a rating within the win over Arizona.

In his final 4 video games, Pitts has 395 yards and 4 scores. He is doing it at simply the precise time as a looming free agent in March.

We thought concerning the Chargers, who rushed for 152 yards and had zero sacks, but it surely was towards the Cowboys, proper? Chicago's line stepped up Saturday night time towards the Packers, defending Caleb Williams with a zero-sack night time and paving the way in which for 150 yards speeding within the additional time win. Kudos to (left to proper) rookie Ozzy Trapilo, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson and Darnell Wright. Bonus factors for opening the sport with a three-TE set as effectively.

He is on right here as a result of he bought 2.5 sacks in Buffalo's win over the Browns, however the wild quantity is seven quarterback hits. That is probably the most for any participant in any recreation this season — Aidan Hutchinson, Myles Garrett and Zach Allen every had video games with six, however that is it. The final time somebody had extra in a recreation? Chris Jones had eight in 2018. Rousseau solely has 6.5 sacks on the season, however this was an enormous recreation when Buffalo desperately wanted it.

Which fan base can we need to upset by not together with their two-sack man this week? The Saints bought two from Cam Jordan in a win. The Lions bought two from Hutchinson in a slim loss. However we'll go along with Burns, who bought two extra sacks and a pressured fumble in New York's loss to Minnesota. Clearly, Garrett deserves all of the nationwide love as a result of he has 22 sacks, however Burns has had a robust yr with 15, and he has three pressured fumbles, as effectively.

Brian Burns seemed just like the elite cross rusher that he's on Sunday towards the Vikings. (Ishika Samant/Getty Photographs)

Not an enormous week for linebackers. It is not an amazing yr for defensive rookies both, and Schwesinger might find yourself successful Defensive Rookie of the 12 months simply by piling up one million tackles for Cleveland. He had 12 and a sack in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday. That offers him 137 tackles for the yr, main the Browns and prime 10 within the league. Not dangerous for a second-round pick of UCLA, even when it is within the Garrett faculty of enjoying effectively for a foul crew.

DB: Derek Stingley Jr., Texans Sunday noticed Stingley get his first profession pick-six, intercepting a Geno Smith cross and returning it 31 yards for a landing. Who knew then the Texans would really need that rating to get previous the Raiders? It is Stingley's fourth decide this season, giving him 14 over the past three seasons. He added a pressured fumble as effectively. Houston's protection has carried them to seven straight wins and their 10-5 file, and Stingley is as accountable for that as anybody on the again finish with the Texans.

As sparks go, it is exhausting to prime Shaheed's 58-yard punt return for a landing with eight minutes left Thursday night time — the Seahawks had been down 30-14 when he did it, and it began the comeback that gave them a 38-37 win over the Rams. He has a punt-return and kickoff-return in seven video games for the reason that Seahawks traded for him, and it is the second time in three seasons he is had one in all every in the identical yr.

Shaheed has had a small function offensively in Seattle with 242 receiving yards in seven video games, however he is made up for it within the return recreation.

Rashid Shaheed's punt-return landing modified the sport within the Seahawks' favor final Thursday night time. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Photographs)

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade overlaying the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Instances and The Athletic. You'll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.

Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports activities account, and comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a personalised publication day by day!