Hawks in the NFL: Week 13

We have a big man touchdown! Repeat – we have a big man touchdown! It’s Week 13 in the NFL. Let’s go!

Tristan Wirfs

It’s been an excellent season for Wirfs, his sixth in the league. He’s allowed just two sacks this season, with PFF ranking him as the 10th overall tackle in the league (he’s probably better than that and PFF isn’t the Holy Grail of player rating systems, but…go with it.)

He also caught the first touchdown of his pro career in Sunday’s 20-17 win over Arizona. Big man touchdown!

That was the first offensive lineman to catch a touchdown this year, and it’s the first Bucs lineman to catch a touchdown since 2017. Wirfs stated in postgame that the touchdown was his first since high school at Mount Vernon, when he scooped and scored off a punt he blocked.

Also in this game was Anthony Nelson and he chipped in with 4 tackles as the Bucs moved to 7-5 and narrowly remain in first place, ahead of Carolina. Those two teams play twice in the final three weeks of the season. It’s that time of year so hold onto your butts!

Tight Ends

We gotta find an escape hatch for TJ Hockenson, because this quarterback situation for the Vikes has quickly become one of the worst in the league. Last week, JJ McCathy posted a QBR of 34.2. This week, Max Brosmer (remember him from the Gophers?) somehow posted a 32.8 rating.

Hockenson did most of the heavy lifting to keep that rating where it was, finishing with 6 reception for 59 yards as the Vikings slumped to 4-8 with a shutout loss in Seattle.

Brosmer at least gave us this amazing pick 6.

George Kittle finished San Francisco’s 26-8 win over Cleveland with 4 catches for 57 yards. San Francisco’s at 8-4 and now just a game back of both Seattle and Los Angeles in a crowded NFC West.

I didn’t watch any of this game on Thanksgiving night, but Noah Fant had 1 catch for 3 yards as the Bengals got back in the win column with a 32-14 win over Baltimore. I am surprised Joe Burrow came back, but here we are.

Potpourri

Not a ton else to report on the Iowa front this week as far as I can tell. Jack Campbell had 9 tackles for the Lions in Thursday’s 31-24 loss to Green Bay. Kristian Welch picked up a tackle as the Packers improved to 8-3-1.

In the aforementioned Bengals win, Geno Stone logged 4 tackled for the Bengals.

Tory Taylor logged 3 punts for 121 yards as the Bears handled the defending champs on Friday, 24-15. I hate that the NFL has decided to invade Black Friday. Go away, you guys; that’s a college football day. The Chicago Bears – 9-3, first in the NFC North, and right now, the 1-seed in the entire NFC. They have a huge clash in Green Bay next Sunday afternoon, then they play again in Week 16 at Soldier Field with the date TBD.

Riley Moss – actually played well despite one crucial reception by Deebo Samuel in overtime, and then he was on the end of the one of the catches of the year, a one-hander in the end zone that Moss could do nothing about. He finished with 4 tackles and two passes defended as the Broncos somehow, someway pulled out a win in Washington, 27-26 in overtime. The Broncos sit at 10-2 and are a half-game behind New England in the AFC standings.