Week 17 of the NFL season came and went, and there were a TON of amazing performances across the league. From one of the best quarterbacking performances in league history to some great defensive games, Week 17 had it all.
This list was incredibly hard to trim down and rank, but here are my top 10 players from Week 17.
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1. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Drake Maye just played one of the best and most efficient games in NFL history. The New England Patriots’ starting quarterback completed over 90 percent of his passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns. I know he played the Jets, but you can’t discredit a performance like this. He was on fire all night long, and by Tuesday morning, his MVP odds should be very close to Matthew Stafford’s.
Stats: 19-for-21, 256 yards, 5 TD
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2. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy would’ve been No. 1 on this list if we didn’t see one of the most efficient games in NFL history this week. He has been lights out since returning from injury, and this was his best game yet, totaling over 300 yards and scoring five total touchdowns. He made plays with his arm and legs on Sunday night, and helped the 49ers maintain control of their own destiny for the 1-seed in the NFC.
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Stats: 24-for-33, 303 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, 5 total TD
3. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
If it weren’t for two great performances from the two guys above him, Derrick Henry would’ve claimed the No. 1 spot on this list. I told you there were a ton of great performances this week, because nine times out of 10, this would’ve been the top performance of the week. You don’t see 200+ yard, 4-touchdown performances all that often from running backs, but it feels like Henry has at least one of these a year. Just a great game as he single-handedly kept the Baltimore Ravens alive.
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Stats: 36 carries, 216 yards, 4 TD
4. Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Washington Commanders
Jer’Zhan Newton is not a household name by any means, but man did he have himself a game on Christmas Day. The Washington Commanders DT recorded six pressures, five QB hits, and three sacks on Dak Prescott, making his Christmas a little tougher than it needed to be. Dallas still scored 30, but Newton was a large reason why it wasn’t more than that.
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Stats: 9 tackles, 6 pressures, 5 QB hits, 3 sacks, 2 TFL
5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
I thought I had this story done before Monday Night Football, but I was gravely mistaken. Bijan Robinson absolutely went off, totaling over 200 yards of offense and scoring multiple touchdowns to help some of his fantasy managers come back and win their championship. He’s been one of the lone bright spots in this offense this year, and this might’ve been his best game of the season.
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Stats: 195 rushing yards, 34 receiving yards, 2 total TD
6. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough has been balling out recently, but Sunday’s performance was his best one yet. After a slow start, Shough and the Saints’ offense got rolling, and the rookie ended up throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns behind an 81.4 percent completion percentage. This performance helped Shough take over as the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he completely deserves it.
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Stats: 22-for-27, 333 yards, 2 TD
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7. Chase Young, DE, New Orleans Saints
Chase Young is starting to reach his potential. He was never bad, but he never lived up to his No. 2 overall pick hype. Well, that’s changed during his time in New Orleans, and this week’s game was proof of that. Young was all over Tennessee’s backfield, pressuring Cam Ward eight times and sacking him 1.5 times. He also forced a strip sack, which he returned for a touchdown. You could make the case that he should be higher than No. 6, but there were some incredible performances this week.
Stats: 4 tackles, 2 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF
8. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey seems to always land on this list, but you can’t ignore the performance he had on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers’ star running back totaled over 180 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown. He hasn’t been great running the football this year, but he had one of his best rushing performances of the season, while still being a threat through the air. He’s truly a once-in-a-generation player.
Stats: 140 rushing yards, 41 receiving yards, 1 TD
9. Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Brown was another running back who had an amazing performance in Week 17. He had a really slow start to the year, but once he got going, he never looked back. He’s been one of the best running backs in the league for most of the year, and on Sunday, he helped the Cincinnati Bengals get a massive win by rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns while adding 40 receiving yards. He helped a lot of people win their fantasy leagues this week.
Stats: 22 rushes, 101 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, 2 TD
10. Andrew Van Ginkel, LB, Minnesota Vikings
Andrew Van Ginkel is another defender who isn’t a household name, but showed out in Week 17. The Minnesota Vikings linebacker racked up five tackles, three pressures, 1.5 sacks, and recovered two fumbles in a big victory over the Lions. There were plenty of reasons the Lions could never get anything going offensively, and Van Ginkel was one of the biggest.