There were quite a few teams resting key players in week 18, but there were still some great performances.

My favorite players the week were…

C.J. Stroud Texans quarterback

This was a win & in game with the loser missing the playoffs.  Stroud showed that the pressure wasn’t too much when he threw a long pass to Nico Collins on his first snap.  It resulted in a 75-yard touchdown.

Stroud has passed for more yards, but this was a clutch performance in a crucial game & he completed all but 6 of his 26 attempts for 264 yards with 2 touchdowns, no interceptions, & a 134.1 passer rating.

Nico Collins

With Tank Dell injured, Collins has been the #1 receiver & he has excelled.  He caught 9 passes for 195 yards, including the 75-yard touchdown from Stroud.  According to PFF he also forced 3 missed tackles. 

Jordan Love Packers quarterback

I think a lot of people expected this to be a rebuilding year with Aaron Rodgers gone & such a young group of receivers, but Love has really turned it on as the season went along.The Packers had to win to make the playoffs & Love delivered. He threw for 316 yards & 2 touchdowns on 27 of 32 attempts with no interceptions (84.4% completion rate!). 

Derrick Henry

This is the opposite of the situation in the games above. The Titans didn’t have anything for which to play while their opponents did. The Jaguars needed a win to clinch the division. A loss meant they would miss the playoffs. In what might have been his last game for the Titans, Henry showed he was still a force.  He carried 19 times for 153 yards & an 18 yard touchdown.  That’s an 8.1 yard per carry average! The win wasn’t enough to save coach Mike Vrabel’s job, but if this was Henry’s last game as a Titan, he went out on a high note.

Oddly enough, this was his first year playing in 17 games in a season.  It was also his first season without a fumble (280 carries).  He also passed Earl Campbell to move into 2^nd on the team’s all time rushing list.  Of course, Campbell never played in Tennessee or for the Titans.  Houston Oilers!  Luv Ya Blue!

Breece Hall running back Jets

He had 37 carries in the snow & wind for 178 yards against the Patriots.  50 yards came on a long touchdown run.  His rushing was critical since his quarterback, Trevor Simian this week, only passed for 70 yards.

TJ Watt Steelers edge rusher

He had a great game up until his injury, with 2 sacks 1 tackle for loss, 5 pressures, & 8 total tackles.  He injured his knee & will likely miss the playoffs unless the Steelers somehow make it to the Super Bowl without him.

Xavier Mckinney Giants safety

Mckinney contributed to the Eagles’ late season slide with 2 interceptions, including a nice sideline catch.

Deonte Harty Bills returner/receiver

Harty had a 94 yard punt return touchdown vs the Dolphins in a division title game. It not only helped win the game, it also earned Harty $250,000. Spotrac, a contracts website reported that Harty entered the game averaging 9.08 yards per punt on 25 punt returns. If he could boost that to 9.5 yards he would get $100,000, for 10.5 yards he would get $150,000, & for 10.5, he would get $250,000. So he entered with no bonus, took one 96 yards to the house, didn’t return another punt for the rest of the day, & finished with a 12.3 yards per return average & $150,000!

My favorite wine of the week was…

Foundry Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Napa Valley

95% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

Aged in 80% new oak for 26 months.

This is a big ripe wine that still displays grace.  It has a deep color that is so purple it is almost opaque in the glass. There are smoky violet aromas. The first time I tried this was at a tasting & they didn’t mention that there was Petit Verdot in it until I asked.  It’s extremely prominent; another example that a little Petit Verdot can go a long way!

On the palate, it shows plenty of fruit with blackberry, black currant, & blueberry (probably from the Petit Verdot).  I also tasted dark chocolate, vanilla, pipe tobacco, & spice.

The wine has an extremely long finish.

The tannins are still integrating, but the structure is excellent & the wine has years to improve.  There is just enough acid to act as a counterpoint to the big tannins & ripe fruit.

This is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that will please both the people who want a big Cab & those who want a wine with some subtlety.