My favorite players the week were…

Offense

Jonathan Taylor Colts running back

After an embarrassing moment last week when Taylor dropped the football just before crossing the goal line, costing the Colts a touchdown in a loss to the Broncos, Taylor was electric against the Titans.  Taylor had an eyepopping 218 yards rushing.  He broke runs of 64 & 70 yards for 2 of his 3 touchdowns on the day.  He forced 6 mixed tackles during the game.

Jayden Daniels Commanders quarterback

Daniels threw 2 interceptions, but I can’t leave him off the list this week.  He threw for 5 touchdowns (24 of 39 for 258 yards) and led the team in rushing with 81 yards on 9 carries.  He was incredibly clutch.  The Eagles pressured him consistently, but he was only sacked one time for 3 yards while frequently escaping to pick up positive yards.  A great example was on the last play of the 3^rd quarter.  It was 4^th & 11 with the Commanders down 27-14.  Daniels dropped back & was immediately pressured.  He broke from the pocket, somehow managed to squeeze past 3 would be tacklers, & gained 29 yards to the Eagles 11 yard line.  The final drive was impressive as well.  The Commanders started with good field position after a 29-yard kick return by Luke McCaffrey to the 38.  That left the Commanders 1:58 to drive 62 yards for a touchdown.  Daniels led the team down the field methodically, completed his final touchdown pass with 6 seconds left.

Chuba Hubbard Panthers running back

Hubbard rushed for 152 yards & 2 touchdowns including a 21-yard game winner in overtime to knock the Cardinals out of playoff contention.

Joe Burrow

Burrow passed for 252 yards & 3 touchdowns against the Browns.  He is the first player in NFL history to have 7 straight games with at least 250 yards passing & 3 passing touchdowns.  That’s great consistency.  It is unlikely that the Bengals will make the playoffs.  They need to win their last 2 games & need losses by 3 other teams.  If they get in the playoffs though they will be a legitimate contender.

Defense

Jessie Bates III Falcons safety

The Falcons stifled the Giants offense, such that they have one.  Bates was a key contributor with a pass breakup and an interception that he returned 55 yards for a touchdown.

Isaiah Pola-Mao Raiders safety

Pola-Mao was crucial to the Raiders defense in a tight 19-14 win over the Jaguars.  He forced fumbles on 2 Jaguars drives in a row.  He is the first Raiders defensive back to have 2 forced fumbles in a game since Charles Woodson in 1999.  He led the team with 9 tackles.  Two of his tackles were on the Jaguars’ final drive of the game.

Andrew Van Ginkel Vikings linebacker

Van Ginkel had 2 sacks in the 27-24 win over the Seahawks.  His second sack came with 3:04 left.  It helped to push the Seahawks back far enough that even with a short completion on 3rd down, they were forced to try a 60-yard field goal to tie & since they don’t have Brandon Aubrey as their kicker, it was no good.

Special teams

Brandon Aubrey Cowboys kicker

Aubrey is almost a cheat code for the Cowboys.  With the new kickoff rules allowing teams to frequently begin drives at their 30 instead of the 20, it just takes a couple of first downs to get in Aubrey’s field goal range. Aubrey connected on 4 of 4 field goal attempts in the 26-24 win over the Buccaneers. Three of the kicks were over 50 yards, with 2 of them for 58 yards each.  It was the 4^th time in NFL history that a kicker hit 2 field goals of 58 yards or longer in a game, with Aubrey having 2 of the 4 times.

Luke McCaffrey Commanders wide receiver

McCaffrey returned 6 kicks for 184 yards, averaging 30.7 yards per attempt.  His 29 yard return gave the Commanders good field position to start the game winning drive.

Jason Sanders Dolphins kicker

Sanders connected on all 5 attempts with a 54 yarder in the 3rd quarter, the longest.  Between his 5 field goals & 2 extra points, he matched the 17 points scored by the 49’ers.

My favorite wine of the week is…

Casina Bric 460 Cuvée 970 Nebbiolo d’Alba Spumante Rosé 2021 $30

100% Nebbiolo 13% ABV

I have had this wine twice now & it still surprises me.  When I think of Nebbiolo I think of one of the most tannic red wines in the world matched with searing acidity.  Even though it often has nice cherry notes, the wine is frequently more about the tertiary notes like leather & earth than it is about the fruit.  This is something completely different though.

The wine is made by Gianluca Viberti.  After decades of making wines for the family Viberti winery, Gianluca branched out on his own.  He owns 12 hectares, mostly in Barolo where he farms organically at the highest peaks in the commune with elevations averaging around 1,500 feet (460m). Casina Bric is a translation of “farmhouse on top of a hill”. Hence the name Casina Bric.  Cuvée 970 in reference to 1970, which is the year the Nebbiolo d’Alba Spumante DOC was created.

The wine is made with the Charmat method, the same process as Prosecco.  This means it is made in a closed stainless-steel container.  The wine is made with gentle pressure to minimize skin contact to give it a pale pink color & to avoid the heavy tannins in the skins.  Secondary fermentation is induced with the addition of sugar & yeast.  This fermentation happens under & the wine sits on its lees for 8-12 months before filtration & bottling.  It then is held another 6-12 months prior to release.

The wine has a creamy mousse of bubbles.  It doesn’t show any autolytic flavors like Champagne would.  Its focus is freshness. It shows strawberry, light cherry, raspberry, spice, & a hint of the rosewater that marks Nebbiolo.  The wine finishes dry & has the acidity to really lift the wine & make an excellent pairing for a wide range of food, especially anything with a fried or crispy edge to it.