NFL Week 3 Top Performers
Posted: Monday September 21, 1998 09:10 AM
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The 160 yards is Means' (middle) best regular-season total, surpassed only by a 175-yard effort in the 1996 playoffs Stephen Dunn/Allsport |
The NFL's third round of games this season was not as historical as last
week's, for certain -- no five punt returns for touchdowns, no 175-yard
rushing games to speak of. But when 10 of 13 Sunday games are decided by 10
points or more, you have to look to those individual statistics to find the
real interest. Offensive Outburst Award
After two quiet weeks in which he totaled 333 yards, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell covered that
and then some in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Brunell
finished with 376 yards and two touchdowns, coming through for Jacksonville
even though James
Stewart, the team's top rusher in each of the first two weeks, left the
game early with a knee injury. The yardage is the third-highest in
Brunell's career -- he had two 400-yard games in 1996.
In racking up 376 yards, Brunell got 100-yard games out of his top two
receivers, Keenan
McCardell and Jimmy
Smith, and hooked up with rookie tailback Fred Taylor nine times for
85 yards. This kind of offensive outburst is why the Jaguars are 3-0, and
why some people think the Jaguars could make it to the Super Bowl. Top
Ground Gainer Award
It's tough to comprehend a 245-pound man rumbling 72 yards for a touchdown,
but that's just what Natrone Means did in the
fourth quarter of the Chargers' ugly 23-7 loss to the Chiefs. Means
finished with 160 yards for the Chargers, but unfortunately, five turnovers
from rookie quarterback Ryan Leaf doomed San Diego
from the start. The 160 yards is Mean's best regular-season total,
surpassed only by a 175-yard effort in the 1996 playoffs. Leaf managed just
4 yards passing on the day, but with more Sundays like Means had this week,
the Chargers can look forward to a better (and hopefully more balanced)
offense. Losing Effort Award
This could just as well go to Means, who was running for little more than
yardage for most of his game, but the nod goes to Redskins quarterback Trent Green, who threw for
383 yards in only his second NFL start. Green threw 54 passes, completing
half, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Green hooked up with receiver Michael Westbrook seven
times for 132 yards and connected with eight different players on the day.
That he racked up those yards against Seattle's defense, which had allowed
an NFL-low 264 yards in its first two wins, is even more impressive.
Top Rushing Performances Natrone Means, Chargers, 22 carries, 160
yards
Greg Hill, Rams, 19 carries, 158 yards
Adrian Murrell, Cardinals,
22 carries, 145 yards
Curtis Martin, Jets, 23
carries, 144 yards
Ricky Watters, Seahawks,
24 carries, 136 yards
Fred Taylor, Jaguars, 23 carries, 128 yards
Antowain Smith, Bills,
22 carries, 118 yards
Karim Abdul-Jabbar,
Dolphins, 33 carries, 108 yards
Terrell Davis, Broncos, 28
carries, 104 yards
Mike
Alstott, Buccaneers, 20 carries, 103 yards
Eddie George, Oilers, 23
carries, 100 yards
Top Passing Performances Trent Green,
Redskins, 27-54, 2 INT, 2 TD, 383 yards
Mark Brunell, Jaguars, 25-34, 0
INT, 2 TD, 376 yards
Brett Favre, Packers,
23-35, 1 INT, 1 TD, 274 yards
Drew Bledsoe 18-30, 0 INT,
1 TD, 250 yards
0 Tony
Banks, Rams, 13-27, 2 INT, 1 TD, 235 yards
Rob Johnson, Bills, 18-28,
1 INT, 3 TD, 231 yards
Randall Cunningham, Vikings,
20-35, 0 INT, 1 TD, 220 yards
Vinny Testaverde, Jets,
12-21, 1 INT, 4 TD, 203 yards
Steve McNair, Oilers,
28-38, 2 INT, 1 TD, 202 yards
Peyton Manning, Colts,
20-44, 2 INT, 0 TD, 193 yards
Top Receiving Performances
Michael Westbrook, Redskins, 7 catches for 132 yards
Jermaine Lewis, Ravens, 4
catches for 117 yards
James Jett, Raiders, 5
catches for 116 yards
Jimmy Smith, Jaguars, 2 catches for 116 yards
Keenan McCardell, Jaguars, 8 catches for 108 yards
Terry Glenn, Patriots, 4
catches for 102 yards
Ricky Proehl, Rams, 4
catches for 91 yards
Fred Taylor, Jaguars, 9 catches for 85 yards
Leon Johnson, Jets, 1
catches for 82 yards
Eric Green, Ravens, 3
catches for 79 yards
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