Week 17 Top Performers
Posted: Monday December 28, 1998 12:33 AM
| |
Terrell Davis celebrates the 15 yard run play that gave him 178 yards for the game and 2008 for the season AP |
Just because the regular season has ended, don't think Top Performers is
going off to off-season hibernation. Far from it. This week, we'll collect
the top performances from 1998 -- the top 10 rushing, receiving and passing
efforts -- and invite you to choose this season's top performers.
For now, however, we're still making the calls and handing out the honors.
It's hard to overlook two impressive non-offensive performances this week
-- Minnesota's Gary
Anderson became the first kicker to compete a season without missing a
kick, breaking the NFL season scoring record in the process, and Arizona's
Kwamie Lassiter tied
the league mark with four interceptions in the Cards' playoff-clinching win
over San Diego.
Back to the skill players. Check back later in the week for the big awards,
but for now, here's the best of Week 17: Top Ground Gainer
It's only fitting. On a day in which Terrell Davis reached
2,000 rushing yards, picked up his first NFL rushing title and set the Denver Broncos' career
rushing record, why not toss another honor his way?
Davis' 178 yards was the third-best performance of his 1998 season, which
marked the first time since 1989 that a player besides Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders led the NFL
in rushing.
Davis briefly lost the NFL rushing lead on Sunday as Atlanta's Jamal Anderson rushed for
103 yards in a 1 p.m. ET game Sunday, putting him ahead by 16 yards as
Davis began his 4 p.m. ET against the Seahawks. Three carries later, Davis
had the rushing title all to himself. Offensive Outburst Award
After a month of lackluster performances and two (gasp!) losses, the
Broncos were their old self again Sunday, thanks to Davis and quarterback
John Elway, who tossed
four touchdown passes in Denver's 28-21 win.
It was Elway's 10th career game with four or more touchdown passes -- his
only five-touchdown game came back in 1984. Three of those 10 have come
against Seattle -- no team can boast more.
Elway has come a long way -- despite missing four games this season, he's
thrown for 22 touchdowns, as many as he did in any of his first 10 seasons
in the NFL. Maybe he should reconsider his retirement, again. Losing
Effort Award
Billy Joe Tolliver probably doesn't factor much in the Saints' future, and
he didn't really factor that heavily in its 1998 season. Tolliver went from
the waiver wire to the starting lineup, only to be benched in favor of
another castaway, Kerry
Collins.
On Sunday, however, Tolliver was the one who stepped in, tossing three
touchdown passes and 296 yards in the Saints' 45-33 loss to the Bills.
Trailing 28-0 in the second quarter, Tolliver pulled the Saints to within
10 points at 31-21. The Bills pulled ahead 45-21 again, but Tolliver
managed two touchdown passes in the last two minutes to at least give the
appearance of a somewhat-close game. Top Rushing Performances
Terrell Davis, Broncos, 29 carries, 178 yards
Priest Holmes, Ravens, 28
carries, 132 yards
Terrell Fletcher, Chargers, 23 carries, 127
yards
Gary Brown,
Giants, 25 carries, 112 yards
Tim Biakabutuka, Panthers,
25 carries, 109 yards
Jamal Anderson, Falcons, 18 carries, 103
yards
Curtis
Martin, Jets, 29 carries, 102 yards
Duce Staley, Eagles, 16
carries, 97 yards
Bam Morris, Chiefs, 17 carries, 96 yards
Warrick Dunn, Buccaneers,
19 carries, 89 yards
Top Passing Performances John Elway,
Broncos, 26-36, 0 INT, 4 TD, 338 yards
Dan Marino, Dolphins, 21-36,
2 INT, 1 TD, 320 yards
Billy Joe Tolliver, Saints,
23-41, 1 INT, 3 TD, 296 yards
Steve Young, 49ers, 22-32,
0 INT, 2 TD, 288 yards
Jake Plummer, Cardinals,
20-41, 0 INT, 0 TD, 274 yards
Steve McNair, Oilers,
16-33, 0 INT, 0 TD, 261 yards
Elvis Grbac, Chiefs,
20-32, 2 INT, 1 TD, 254 yards
Jon Kitna, Seahawks,
22-37, 1 INT, 1 TD, 242 yards
Steve Bono, Rams, 15-30, 1
INT, 3 TD, 240 yards
Randall Cunningham, Vikings,
23-35, 1 INT, 2 TD, 235 yards
Top Receiving Performances Rod Smith, Broncos, 9
catches, 158 yards
Oronde Gadsden, Dolphins, 9 catches, 153 yards
Tim Brown, Raiders, 10
catches, 140 yards
Herman Moore, Lions, 10
catches, 120 yards
Brett Bech, Saints, 4
catches, 113 yards
Cameron Cleeland, Saints,
10 catches, 112 yards
Raghib Ismail, Panthers, 7
catches, 109 yards
Frank Sanders, Cardinals,
8 catches, 106 yards
Tony Martin, Falcons, 3
catches, 105 yards
Ricky
Proehl, Rams, 7 catches, 100 yards
|
