The Saints did not make the postseason until their 21st year in existence, and part of that has to do with the draft. Seven of the 10 players on the team’s “Worst” list were selected before New Orleans made the playoffs in 1987. The Saints’ “Best” list features two dominant offensive lineman, two members of the “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps, and one of the NFL’s most underrated receivers in the past 20 years. 

BEST

10. (tie) Morten Andersen, K (Round 4, Pick 86 in 1982) and Archie Manning, QB (Round 1, Pick 2 in 1971) - Andersen was a 1981 All-American at Michigan State, and that season, he set a Big Ten record with a 63-yard field goal. The Denmark-born Andersen spent the first half of his 26-year career with New Orleans, and he holds the team record with 1,318 points. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro as a member of the Saints, and had 100 or more points nine times. Overall, Andersen totaled 2,544 points, which was the most in NFL history until Adam Vinatieri passed the mark in 2018. 

Manning was an All-American, and the SEC Player of the Year in his 1969 junior season at Mississippi. He became the face during the early days of the Saints franchise in the 1970s. Although Manning only posted a 35-91-3 record for the perennially bad team, he was a two-time Pro Bowler, and ranks second in franchise history with 21,734 passing yards and third with 115 touchdowns despite missing the 1976 season after having right shoulder surgery. The Saints traded Manning to the Oilers early in the 1982 season, and Houston moved him to Minneapolis the following year. Since his retirement in 1984, Manning has worked as a radio and television analyst, a UPS spokesman and the owner of Manning’s, a restaurant and bar in New Orleans. 

9. (tie) Chuck Muncie, RB (Round 1, Pick 3 in 1976), Deuce McAllister, RB (Round 1, Pick 23 in 2001), Mark Ingram, RB (Round 1, Pick 28 in 2011) and Alvin Kamara, RB (Round 3, Pick 67 in 2017) - This one spot contains four of the best running backs in franchise history. Muncie was called “Chuck” by his three brothers because they did not like his given name, Harry. He recovered from being hit by a truck when he was six years old and became a star at California, winning Pac-8 Player of the Year honors and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1975. Muncie became the first Saints player to reach 1,000 yards rushing in a season, and the first to be selected to the Pro Bowl after a 1,198-yard, 11-touchdown campaign in 1979. After New Orleans started 0-4 the following year, they traded him to the Chargers, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL with 19 scores in 1981. Drug and alcohol problems began to take their toll, and San Diego tried to trade him to Miami in 1984, but his failed drug test voided the move. After that, he was suspended and never played in the NFL again, retiring in 1985. Muncie was arrested for attempting to sell cocaine in 1989, but turned his life around in prison and worked for the Boys & Girls Clubs of American when he got out. He died of a heart attack in 2013. 

McAllister got his nickname in high school because he wore the number two jersey and because his coach had difficulty pronouncing his given name, Dulymus. He was a first-team All-SEC player as a member of Ole Miss, and he took over after the Ricky Williams debacle in New Orleans. He is the all-time leading rusher in Saints history with 6,096 yards, and he ranks second with 49 touchdowns. McAllister was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and had four 1,000-yard seasons, with a high of 1,641 in 2003. Although he did not play during the 200 playoffs, he received a championship ring after the Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Since retiring in 2010, he has worked as a Saints studio analyst and also ran the Catch 22 Foundation, which helped underprivileged youth in the New Orleans area.

The son of a Super Bowl champion receiver of the same name, Ingram carved out his own stellar career. His 2009 season includes a National Championship with Alabama and a Heisman Trophy, plus SEC Offensive Player of the Year and All-American honors. Ingram is the all-time leader in Saints history with 50 rushing touchdowns, and ranks second with 6,007 yards in eight seasons. He was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and also had two 1,000-yard seasons with New Orleans before signing with Baltimore in 2019. 

Ingram became expendable because of the emergence of Kamara, a Tennessee product who earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 after posting 1,554 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns. He has at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of his three seasons, and has been selected to the Pro Bowl each year. In addition to 2,408 yards and 27 scores on the ground, Kamara has caught exactly 81 passes in all three seasons. He had 11 receptions for 96 yards in a loss to the Rams in the 2018 NFC Championship Game. 

8. (tie) Wayne Martin, DE (Round 1, Pick 19 in 1989) and Cameron Jordan, DE (Round 1, Pick 24 in 2011) - Martin was an All-American with Arkansas in 1988, and he became one of the most stable players in the NFL during the 1990s. The 1994 Pro Bowler missed just five games in his 11-year career (all in 1990), and his 82½ sacks rank third in team history. Included in that total are five seasons with 10 or more, with a high of 15½ in 1992. Martin retired in 2000. 

After earning All-Pac-10 honors at Cal in 2010, Jordan became sack master in New Orleans. His 87 career sacks rank second on the franchise list. Like Martin, he has five seasons in double-digits, and his high total was also 15½, which he posted in 2019. Jordan has been selected to five Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2017, when he had 13 sacks and 11 passes defensed. Among his nine playoff games is the 2018 NFC title contest, in which he registered three tackles and a sack in an overtime loss to the Rams. 

7. (tie) Jimmy Graham, TE (Round 3, Pick 95 in 2010) and Michael Thomas, WR (Round 2, Pick 47 in 2016) - In the three-person all-decade team draft story I was a part of a couple months ago, Graham was my pick at tight end. He was primarily a basketball player at the University of Miami, but played football for the Hurricanes while taking graduate classes in 2009. In five years with the Saints, he had 51 touchdowns (second in team history), 386 catches (fifth) and 4,752 yards (sixth). Graham was a three-time Pro Bowler in New Orleans and earned All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 16 scores in 2013. He was traded to the Seahawks for center Max Unger in 2015, and earned two more Pro Bowl selections with Seattle. Graham signed with Green Bay in 2018, and had 59 yards receiving in the 2019 NFC Championship Game loss to San Francisco. He signed a two-year deal with the Bears in late March. 

Thomas is arguably the best receiver in the NFL. He was a part of Ohio State’s National Championship team in 2015, and he started in New Orleans opposite Brandin Cooks as a rookie. Thomas has steadily improved his yardage totals each season, from 1,137 in 2016 to a league-high 1,725 last season. He also earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, after setting the NFL single-season record with 149 receptions, besting Marvin Harrison’s total of 143 with the Colts in 2002. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro ranks fourth in Saints history with 470 catches and 5,512 yards, and his 32 touchdowns sit seventh on the franchise list. 

6. George Rogers, RB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1981) - The franchise’s only number one pick, Rogers was certainly a well-deserving choice. He was the Heisman Trophy winner and an All-American at South Carolina in 1980 after leading the nation with 1,781 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Although the pick is questioned in hindsight after the dominating career of Lawrence Taylor, who the Giants selected second, Rogers produced like a top pick, at least initially. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year, All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 1981 after leading the NFL with 1,674 yards to go with 13 scores. Rogers was a Pro Bowler again in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and ran for 1,144 yards the following year. In 1985, he was traded to Washington along with three picks for a first-round selection, which New Orleans used on Alvin Toles, who lasted four years, primarily as a special teams player. Rogers scored a league-high 18 touchdowns for the Redskins in 1986, and won a title with Washington the following season before retiring. Despite his production, Rogers had drug problems throughout his career, admitting to using cocaine as a rookie and checking into rehab in 1982. Rogers was also arrested in 1990 for possession and intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. 

5. Pat Swilling, LB (Round 3, Pick 60 in 1998) - Swilling was an All-American with Georgia Tech in 1985, and also made his mark in the NFL. He spent seven seasons in New Orleans, earning four Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections in that time. He posted 16½ sacks in 1989 and topped it two years later, leading the league with 17 sacks and earning Pro Bowl, All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year honors. In 1992, Swilling was an All-Pro once again, and all four members of the team’s “Dome Patrol” linebacking unit ( the other three were Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson and Sam Mills) made the Pro Bowl. He was traded to the Lions in 1993 and made the Pro Bowl, but moved on to Oakland two years later, where he finished out his career. He took a year off in 1997, but came back for one final season before retiring for good. Swilling ranks second in team history with 24 forced fumbles and fourth with 76½ sacks. From 2001-04, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and he is now a real estate developer in New Orleans. 

4. Jahri Evans, G (Round 4, Pick 108 in 2006) - Evans earned an academic scholarship to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time Division II All-American as a tackle (2004 and ’05). He moved to guard in the NFL and spent 11 of his 12 seasons with New Orleans. Evans was selected to six straight Pro Bowls (2009-14) and four All-Pro Teams. He also started 10 playoff games for the Saints, including the 2006 NFC Championship Game loss to the Bears as a rookie and a win over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV three years later. In 2016, he was released by the Saints, but resigned with New Orleans after Seattle waived him in the last round of roster cuts. Evans signed with the Packers, and spent one season in Green Bay before retiring in 2017. Along with teammate Marques Colston, Evans was a minority owner of three teams in the Arena Football League (the Philadelphia Soul, Albany Empire and Atlantic City Blackjacks) until the league filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2019. 

3. Willie Roaf, T (Round 1, Pick 8 in 1993) - Roaf was an All-American at Louisiana Tech in 1992, and the Saints acquired the pick used to draft him when they traded Pat Swilling to the Lions. During his nine-year stay in New Orleans, Roaf was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls (1994-2000) and two All-Pro teams. He missed nine games in the 2001 season with a torn ACL, and was traded to Kansas City the following year. Roaf went to the Pro Bowl all four years with the Chiefs, and also earned two All-Pro selections before he retired in 2005. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. 

2. Rickey Jackson, LB (Round 2, Pick 51 in 1981) - Despite being overshadowed by fellow Pittsburgh defensive end Hugh Green (who finished second behind George Rogers in the 1980 Heisman Trophy voting), Jackson earned second-team All-American honors that season. He became the most successful member of the “Dome Patrol,” earning six Pro Bowl selections in 13 seasons in New Orleans and also leading the league in forced fumbles four times. Jackson is the team’s all-time leader in sacks (115), solo tackles (1,104), forced fumbles (38) and fumble recoveries (27). His sack total includes six seasons with 10 or more. Jackson signed with the 49ers in 1994 and won his only Super Bowl that season, retiring in 1995. Jackson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the choices were announced one day before the Saints defeated the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

1. Marques Colston, WR (Round 7, Pick 252 in 2006) - Colston was a star during his four-year tenure at I-AA Hofstra, and his size (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) caused many experts to project him as a tight end in the NFL. He was selected with the fourth-to-last pick in the 2006 Draft, but became a starter after New Orleans traded Donte Stallworth to the Eagles. Colston made the All-Rookie Team after posting eight touchdowns and 1,038 yards, his first of six 1,000-yard seasons. He is the all-time leader in Saints history with 711 catches, 9,759 yards and 72 scores. Despite all of these accolades, somehow he never earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors. He did win a title, contributing seven receptions and 83 yards to a Super Bowl XLIV victory. Like Evans, he was a minority owner in the AFL before the league folded in 2019. 

WORST

10. Larry Burton, WR (Round 1, Pick 7 in 1975) - A former sprinter, Burton finished fourth in the 200-meter dash at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. After playing at Purdue, he started for two years in New Orleans, totaling 602 yards and four touchdowns. His production declined beginning in 1977, and he signed with San Diego a year later. After retiring in 1979, Burton worked for several civic and youth service organizations in the Long Beach, Calif. Area. His grandson, Trey, is a tight end with the Bears. 

9. Joe Campbell, DE (Round 1, Pick 7 in 1977) - Campbell is a member of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, but the Maryland product had a forgettable NFL career. He spent parts of four seasons in New Orleans, playing 45 games, mostly on special teams. He was released and signed by Oakland in 1980, but he played just 13 games with the Raiders and seven with the Buccaneers before he retired in 1981.

8. Kurt Schumaker, T (Round 1, Pick 12 in 1975) - Schumacher played at Ohio State under legendary head coach Woody Hayes, and blocked for two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. However, he played only 41 games in three years in New Orleans. Schumacher signed with Tampa Bay, where he played three games in 1977 before retiring. He now works with a business marketing company.  

7. Rick Middleton, LB (Round 1, Pick 13 in 1974) - Another Ohio State product, Middleton lasted just two years with the Saints. He signed with the Chargers in 1976 and spent three years in San Diego before retiring in 1978. Middleton is a high school History, Government and Psychology teacher in Ohio. 

6. Royce Smith, G (Round 1, Pick 8 in 1972) - Smith was an early proponent of using weight training as part of football workouts. The regimen worked, as he earned All-American honors at Georgia in 1971. However, he could hardly crack a starting lineup in the NFL. In two seasons with the Saints, he played 24 games and started 13. Smith signed with the Falcons in 1974, and started just eight games in three years with Atlanta before he retired in 1976. He passed away in 2004. 

5. Shawn Knight, DE (Round 1, Pick 11 in 1987) - Knight had 16 sacks with BYU in 1986, but he played just three seasons in the NFL. He reported late to training camp as a rookie, and appeared in 10 games with the Saints before he was traded to the Broncos in 1988. The following year, he joined the Phoenix Cardinals, where he made his only start in 31 career games. Knight played in 1991 with the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football (later called NFL Europe) before retiring. 

4. Kevin Hardy, DT (Round 1, Pick 7 in 1968) - Hardy was a two-time All-American in 1966 and 1967, and was a part of Notre Dame’s National Championship team in 1966. He never played a game for the Saints, however, because he was awarded to the 49ers after New Orleans signed San Francisco wide Dave Parks. In those days, there was no such thing as restricted free agency, but the commissioner had the ability to transfer draft picks or even players to other franchises if they signed another team’s top-caliber free agent, which was the case with the Parks situation. Hardy played 45 games in four seasons with the 49ers, Packers and Chargers. He also missed the 1969 season with a knee injury. Hardy retired in 1972, and is an investment industry executive in Los Angeles. 

3. Johnathan Sullivan, DT (Round 1, Pick 6 in 2003) - After trading Ricky Williams to the Dolphins, the Saints had two picks in the 2003 first round, which were both traded to move up to sixth overall. They took Sullivan, a Georgia product who eventually had only 1½ sacks in 36 games with New Orleans. When Sean Payton took over as Saints head coach in 2006, one of his first moves was trading Sullivan to the Patriots. Soon after, the Defensive Tackle was arrested on drug charges in Georgia and was released by New England. 

2. Ricky Williams, RB (Round 1, Pick 5 in 1999) - Williams occupies this spot more for what the Saints traded away than his production with the team. His 1998 season with Texas included a Heisman Trophy, Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, AP and Sporting News Player of the Year honors and his second All-American selection after his first in 1997. New Orleans sent their entire 1996 draft (six selections), plus first- and third-round picks in 2000 to Washington for the fifth pick and selected Williams. Saints fans were excited, and the media was in a frenzy as well (complete with a 1999 ESPN the Magazine cover featuring Williams in a wedding dress and new Saints coach Mike Ditka in a tuxedo). After a solid rookie season, Williams had two straight 1,000-yard campaigns. He was traded to the Dolphins in 2000 for a package of four draft picks, including two first-rounders. In Miami, Williams earned his only Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 1,853 yards to go along with a career-high 16 touchdowns. 

Williams’ main issue was marijuana. He retired in 2004, rather than face a four-game suspension for his third violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, then returned the following year. After a fourth drug policy violation, he was suspended for the entire 2006 season. Williams spent his year away from the NFL with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts before returning to the Dolphins in 2007. He played four more seasons with Miami and one with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in early 2012. Williams is a medical cannabis advocate, and started his own herbal wellness company in 2018. 

1. Russell Erxleben, P/K (Round 1, Pick 11 in 1979) - There’s no surprise that a franchise with so many poor draft picks in such a short time would be bad. However, New Orleans fell to particularly depressing depths, with fans calling the team the “Aints” and coming to games with paper bags on their heads. No pick is more synonymous with this forgettable time in franchise history than Erxleben, a punter who was drafted in the first round (yes, you are reading that correctly).  He was a three-time All-American at Texas from 1976 to 1978, and holds an NCAA record with a 67-yard field goal in 1977. The mark may never be broken, after a rule change prohibited the use of kicking tees on field goal attempts. The Saints used him primarily as a punter, and he averaged 40.6 yards per kick in five seasons with New Orleans. Eventually, the Saints drafted Morten Andersen as a kicker and Brian Hansen as a punter, and they released Erxeben early in 1984. He attempted a comeback with the Lions three years later, but retired for good in early 1988. Erxleben got in legal trouble after his playing career. He ran a foreign exchange trading company, and was convicted of fraud and money laundering that resulted in a seven-year prison sentence in 2000. Erxleben was arrested again in 2013 for involvement in an alleged Ponzi scheme. He was released in 2019. 

All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ and college football statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Next: Minnesota Vikings

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

 Saints invited Antonio Brown for a workout

Reports on Friday Morning have stated that Antonio Brown has been invited to New Orleans saints facility for a free agent workout. AB was last signed with New England on September 19 before being released after league sanctioned indiscretions to the NFL. Although an extremely talented receiver, Browns reactions to past incidents have given rise to major criticism that hinders Browns ability to remain on the field. 

This news comes just days after yet another social media rant by Brown. Although Brown has been in the news negatively lately, his playing ability has not been the cause for criticism. His antics have seen him textually attack not only his own family members, but anyone who has dared to publicly state their disapproval. 

Brown’s production when he is active has been nothing short of dominant. In his last season playing in 2018, Brown racked in 1300 yards of offense and 15 receiving touchdowns. His numbers surely displayed an impactful performance with little of 8 translating to wins for the Steelers. The combination of losses and disapproval of Antonio Brown’s personality, prompted an unhealthy relationship between Brown and the Steelers. The dissolution of their relationship reflected little on productivity and more on personality and Brown’s personality outweighed his production for the Steelers.

In Browns’ case, he likely would only show some type of change if he is placed on an NFL roster which is likely to happen if the Saints can properly vet the Antonio Brown situation. If Brown can come into the organization and make any sort of a positive impact on the field, it will benefit the divisional leading Saints and help them be even more dominant as they go into the gauntlet of the NFL playoffs. 

The Saints have seen several offensive records broken this season with Drew Brees’ touchdown record, and Michael Thomas’ reception record. At 13-3, the Saints would still remain a leading team in the NFC playoff picture next to the Seahawks and 49ers, but adding Antonio Brown would help their case as the team with the most firepower. However, Antonio Brown must first prove to the Saints that he is surely worth the risk.

As for Antonio Brown, if the Saints are able to help Brown in any way possible, it will come in the form of self-accountability and a willingness to help Brown on more of a personal and emotional level so his physical abilities will benefit the Saints for longer than a week. The professional standard for Brown is essential if he seeks to become productive again without antics that instigates the NFL. If the Saints decide to sign Brown, their playoff run will be even more dangerous with Drew Brees leading.

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

Writer/Interviewer

The List: Fantastic game in New Orleans, Jackson keeps rolling and Panthers fire coach

The Week 14 edition of The List is one of those times the headline doesn’t tell the whole story. Too many things happened to list them all. We have stars being plagued by injuries, several great games, including a Game of the Year candidate, the NFL 100 expanding to include defensive backs and special teams players, Eli Manning coming back from his 10-game hiatus on the Giants sideline, Lamar Jackson is making waves on and off the field and Carolina drops one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the league. So grab your popcorn and look back at the Week 14 happenings.

WINNERS

An instant classic between the 49ers and Saints – The game was close throughout and included six lead changes, more than 700 passing yards and a wild final three minutes. Drew Brees threw three first-half touchdowns and ran for another as the Saints grabbed a 27-14 lead midway through the second quarter. The 49ers came back using a little trickery. Newly acquired receiver Emmanuel Sanders threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to running back Raheem Mostert with six minutes left, and Mostert gave San Francisco a 28-27 halftime lead with a 10-yard run.

The third quarter was lower-scoring but still close, with a Jimmy Garoppolo to George Kittle scoring pass countering two long Will Lutz field goals, as the 49ers held a 35-33 advantage. Garoppolo and Brees traded passing touchdowns, making the score 42-40 in favor of San Francisco with six minutes left in the contest. Garoppolo led his team on an 11-play drive that included a 31-yard run by rookie receiver Deebo Samuel, but stalled when Jimmy G was sacked by safety Von Bell. Robbie Gould’s 41-yard field goal gave the 49ers a five-point cushion with 2:23 remaining.

Brees had the Saints marching on the next drive. He completed five passes, with the final one going to Tre’Quan Smith, who slipped by defenders for an 18-yard score. A two-point attempt to Smith failed, but New Orleans had a 46-45 lead with just 53 seconds left. Garoppolo started slowly, with an eight-yard pass to Kittle and two incompletes, but the big play came on 4th-and-2. Jimmy G hit his tight end again, and Kittle dragged three defenders down the sidelines for 39 yards (despite Marcus Williams yanking on his facemask nearly the entire way). The play plus the penalty gave San Francisco the ball inside the New Orleans 15 yard line and the 49ers ran twice to set up Gould’s game-winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.

The game was also full of milestones. The combined 94 points are the most scored in a regular-season game between two teams that both had 10 or more wins. Brees and Garoppolo both threw for 349 yards, the third time passers both threw for at least 300 yards and equal totals, and it is also the most among equal passers in NFL history (Tom Brady and Andrew Luck both threw for 312 yards in Week 6 of the 2015 season and Michael Vick and Matthew Stafford both passed for 311 in Week 12 in 2012). Sanders is the first player in the league to have 100 yards and a touchdown receiving and also throw a scoring pass since he did it with the Broncos against the Cardinals in 2018. He is also the only player to accomplish the feat multiple times. Finally, Saints receiver Michael Thomas had 11 receptions in the game, giving him 121 so far this year, which is the most by any player in the first 13 games of a season in NFL history. Former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison holds the single-season overall record with 143 catches in 2002.

Jackson continues making his MVP case in win over Bills – While it didn’t have the same fantastic finish as the Saints-49ers game, Baltimore and Buffalo engaged in a defensive struggle. MVP candidate Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and closed in on a rushing record during the game. His four-yard pass to Willie Snead with less than 10 minutes left put the Ravens up, 24-9, but Josh Allen led the Bills back. Allen found Cole Beasley with both a scoring pass and a two-point pass less than three minutes later, and Buffalo forced a punt on Baltimore’s next drive. The ensuing Buffalo possession was aided by a critical pass interference penalty on 4th-and-16, but Allen threw three straight incompletions as the Ravens hung on to clinch a playoff spot.

Jackson ran for 40 yards, giving him 1,017 for the year. He is the second quarterback to run for more than 1,000 yards in a season, and he should catch all-time leader Michael Vick (1,039) in Thursday’s game against the Jets. Jackson also has a record five games in which he has three passing touchdowns and 30 or more yards rushing (Aaron Rodgers had four in 2016).

All this came after his representatives sent Pope Francis a personalized, signed jersey and comments about his “dark skin color with a dark football with a dark jersey” got 49ers radio analyst Tim Ryan suspended for the Saints game.

Believe it or not, there were other games – Few expected Jacoby Brissett and Jameis Winston to put together the high-scoring, competitive game we saw in Tampa on Sunday. Brissett threw for 251 yards and two scores as the Colts took a 35-21 lead late in the third quarter. Winston brought the Buccaneers back, tossing two touchdown passes over the final 16 minutes of the game, with his throw to Breshad Perriman giving Tampa Bay the lead with 3:51 left.

Winston threw for 450 yards and four scores, but also was intercepted three times, including a pick-six by Darius Leonard in the second quarter. He is the first quarterback to throw for 450 yards and three interceptions in a victory since Eli Manning did it against the Buccaneers in 2012 (more on him later). Winston also is closing in on a dubious mark. The Leonard play was Winston’s fifth interception returned for a score this season. The record is six, held by Peyton Manning in 2001 with the Colts and Rudy Bukich in 1966 with the Bears.

Another surprisingly close game was contested between two teams with nothing to play for other than draft position. You would think with a 22-21 final there would be a few touchdowns scored, but Miami got seven field goals from Jason Sanders, including a 37-yarder with 1:33 left for a 21-19 lead. He fell one short of the NFL record of eight field goals, set by Titans kicker Rob Bironas in a 38-36 win over the Texans in 2007. Sam Darnold hits tight end, Vyncint Smith, with a 37-yard pass, setting up Sam Ficken’s 44-yard kick as time expired to give the Jets the win.

The Falcons doubled up the Panthers in their first game under Perry Fewell, 40-20. Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards, becoming the tenth player to reach 50,000 yards and the second-fastest to hit the mark (186 games to the 183 it took Drew Brees). Julio Jones surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau for the sixth straight year, tying Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans for the longest active streak.

Other milestones – Denver took a surprising 38-3 lead in Houston then held on through a Texans comeback for a 38-24 victory. Second-round pick Drew Lock threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns for the Broncos, becoming the first player since 1950 to have 300 yards passing and three scores in his first start.

Adrian Peterson ran for 76 yards in Washington’s 20-15 loss to Green Bay on Sunday. A 13-yard run in the second quarter made him the sixth player to reach 14,000 for his career, joining Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, Barry Sanders, and Curtis Martin.

NFL 100 adds Gibbs, plus defensive backs and special teams – A total of 19 players were added to the list of the top 100 in NFL history last Friday night, as the league announced the best cornerbacks, safeties, kickers, punters, and returners. Here is a rundown of the selections:

Cornerbacks: Mel Blount was a four-time champion with the 1970s Steelers who had 57 career interceptions. He was the 1975 Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Mike Haynes split his career between the Raiders and Patriots, amassing nine Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections and winning a title with Oakland in Super Bowl XVIII. Dick “Night Train” Lane ranks fourth all-time with 68 interceptions, including 14 as a rookie in 1952, a record that still stands. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro. Willie Brown was traded to Oakland in 1967 and went to the next seven Pro Bowls (and nine overall). The five-time All-Pro also returned a pick 75 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XI. Darrell Green helped the Redskins win two titles while also being selected to nine Pro Bowls. His 54 interceptions include a pick in a record 19 straight seasons. Deion Sanders won back-to-back Super Bowls with the 49ers (1994) and Cowboys (’95). “Prime Time” got his start as a kick and punt returner, but finished with 53 picks, eight Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro nods. Rod Woodson ranks third with 71 interceptions and holds the record with 12 returned for scores. The 1993 Defensive Player of the Year also was named to 11 Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams.

Safeties: Ronnie Lott was one of the hardest hitters in any era, and he won four championships with the 49ers. Lott was a 10-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro who totaled 63 regular-season interceptions and nine more in the postseason (tied for the most in NFL history). Jack Christiansen won three titles with the Lions in the 1950s. He went to five straight Pro Bowls, was a six-time All-Pro and had 46 picks in eight seasons. Ken Houston was a 12-time Pro Bowler who starred with the Redskins and Oilers in the 1970s. The two-time All-Pro had 49 career interceptions and five defensive scores in 1971. Ed Reed was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro and the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year. Reed had 64 interceptions, returning them for a record 1,590 yards. Emlen Tunnell is second with 79 picks (he was first when he retired in 1961), and he had at least six in each of his first 10 seasons. The nine-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro won titles with the Giants in 1956 and the Packers in 1961. Larry Wilson was one of the league’s first premier free safeties, and he utilized the “safety blitz” to his advantage. The eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro had 52 career interceptions, including one with both hands in casts.

Kickers: Jan Stenerud was the first kicker to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement, he ranked second with 1,699 points (now he is 17th). Stenerud made three field goals in Kansas City’s win over Minnesota in Super Bowl IV. Adam Vinatieri is a four-time champion with the Colts and Patriots, and he kicked game-winning field goals for New England in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII. He holds the record with 2,673 points and is the only player to score 1,000 points with two franchises.

Punters: Shane Lechler and Ray Guy both spent the majority of their careers with the Raiders and are tied for the NFL record at the position with seven Pro Bowl selections. Lechler is the league’s all-time leader in gross punting average (47.6 yards). The six-time All-Pro finished in the top two in punt average 12 times in 18 seasons with Oakland and Houston. Guy is the only punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted in 2014). He was a three-time champion, a three-time All-Pro and sports a 42.4-yard career gross average.

Returners: Devin Hester holds records with the most punt (14) and total return touchdowns (19) over an 11-year career in Chicago. The four-time Po Bowler and three-time All-Pro is also the only player to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a score (Super Bowl XLI against the Colts). Billy “White Shoes” Johnson became famous for his “Funky Chicken” dance after scoring, which he did eight times on returns in his career. The three-time All-Pro was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Teams for both the 1970s and 1980s.

In addition to these 19 players, Joe Gibbs was named as one of the 10 coaches on the league’s All-Time team. Gibbs guided the Redskins to all three of their Super Bowl victories and amassed a 154-94 record and five division titles in 16 seasons. The owner of the Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR team also won back-to-back Coach of the Year honors in 1982-83.

Two players ink extensions – Not all the news was bad in Carolina. Over the weekend, Shaq Thompson signed a four-year, $54.2 million extension that will keep the linebacker in the blue and black through the 2023 season. Thompson has played 69 games in his first five seasons and reached the 100-tackle mark for the first time this year. On Friday, the Colts and Jack Doyle agreed on a contract extension that will pay the tight end $21 million over the next three years. The 2017 Pro Bowler has 238 receptions for 2,132 yards and 18 touchdowns in seven seasons.

Best of the rest – Winston, Garoppolo, Brees, and Ryan grabbed the headlines, but several other passers starred in Week 14. Ryan Tannehill threw for 391 yards and three touchdowns in Tennessee’s 42-21 win in Oakland. Dak Prescott had 334 yards for the Cowboys, but Mitchell Trubisky outplayed him with 244 yards and three scores for the Bears last Thursday. Carson Wentz had 325 yards and two late touchdowns as the Eagles came back to defeat the Giants on Monday night. Finally, Philip Rivers threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns on his 38th birthday, leading the Chargers to a 45-10 win over the Jaguars.

Among rushers, Joe Mixon led the way with 146 yards for Cincinnati, but Cleveland’s Nick Chubb ran for 106 in his team’s victory. Derrick Henry bowled his way to 103 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee’s win. Aaron Jones ran for 134 yards in Green Bay’s win over Washington and Austin Ekeler had 101 yards rushing and 112 receiving for the Chargers.

Emmanuel Sanders was the top receiver with 157 yards and Michael Thomas had 134 in the 49ers-Saints slugfest. Rookie Darius Slayton caught five passes for 154 yards and two scores but the Giants fell on Monday night. A. J. Brown had 153 yards for the Titans and DeAndre Hopkins had seven receptions for 120 yards, but the Texans lost at home to the Broncos.

LOSERS

Panthers fire longtime coach Rivera – Ron Rivera, a former Super Bowl champion as a linebacker with the Bears in the 1980s and coach in Carolina since 2011, was fired by new Panthers owner David Tepper last Tuesday. Rivera, seen as a defensive guru as a coordinator with Chicago and San Diego, replaced John Fox as Carolina’s head coach. The Panthers won three straight NFC South titles, including a 7-8-1 mark in 2014, followed by a 15-1 season in 2015 that resulted in a trip to Super Bowl 50 (which the Panthers lost to the Broncos).

Carolina went 7-9 in 2018 and were 5-6 this year when Tepper made the change, saying he wants to start the search for a new coach right away and is “not going to disrespect” Rivera by interviewing candidates while he is still the coach. Tepper’s search could depend on what other teams let go of coaches at season’s end, but will mainly focus on offensive-minded options. In the meantime, Perry Fewell, a former defensive coordinator with the Bills (2006-09) and Giants (2010-14), as well as an interim head coach with Buffalo in 2009, will lead the Panthers for the rest of this season.

Two players cut from other teams – Rivera was not the only questionable release in the NFL over the past week. Two players got cut rather unceremoniously. Cleveland dropped reserve defensive end, Chris Smith, last Tuesday. His stat line of one tackle and one pass defended in nine games doesn’t suggest any issues, but Smith’s background might change your mind. His girlfriend, Petara Cordero, died in a car accident in September, just a few weeks after giving birth to the couple’s child. What makes the release even more bothersome was what head coach Freddie Kitchens said after Cordero’s death: “Chris is important to this locker room. Everything he’s going through we feel.”

Well, apparently, he is not as important as Odell Beckham Jr., a self-important prima donna who talked his way out of New York and is apparently trying to do the same in Cleveland. He also must not be as important as Kareem Hunt, a player whose arrival was celebrated despite being dropped by Kansas City and suspended eight games by the league for a domestic violence issue and then lied about it to his boss (Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt). If anyone needs a reason why the Browns are going in the wrong direction (once again), look no further than this move.

As for the other move, we get it. Despite kicking THREE field goals of more than 60 yards, Brett Maher deserved to be cut. I mean, he did miss TEN field goals this season. However, I have two points to make on this. First, is he really the ONLY issue with the Cowboys? You have a head coach that has won two playoff games in nine full seasons. Dallas has not reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995 (24 years). The team has all kinds of talent on both sides of the ball and yet consistently underperforms. Why is the only person who is taking heat for this the KICKER???!!! As for my other point…the Cowboys played on Thursday night and they waited to cut Maher until Monday after he visited sick kids at a local hospital with his teammates. Do you mean to tell me they didn’t know on Friday that they were going to waive him? Don’t let him show up for a team-sponsored event if you have no intention of keeping him on the team.

Patriots up to their old tricks? – New England is facing more “Spygate” criticism after a team weekly video segment following an advance scout turned into the NFL confiscating a videotape. The Patriots will face the Bengals this coming week and a Cincinnati official saw the film crew in the press box (credentialed by the Browns) and notified the league. The video includes direct footage of Cincinnati’s sideline for nearly eight minutes, which the team claims was simply a “mistake,” although when confronted by Bengals security, the cameraman asked if they could simply delete the footage (nothing guilty about that at all, right?).

In this week’s game, New England fell to Kansas City, but the game was not without controversy. A third-quarter fumble by Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was ruled down by contact after Stephon Gilmore picked up the ball and had a clear path to the end zone. Early in the fourth, the Patriots were driving when Tom Brady found rookie N’Keal Harry, who worked his way into the end zone…except not one, but two officials did not see the full play and ruled Harry out of bounds, despite replay clearly showing that was not the case (New England did not have a challenge after Bill Belichick had to use one on the fumble, which was overturned).

Instead, the Patriots settled for a field goal and a late drive stalled on the five-yard-line, giving the Chiefs a 23-16 road win, which clinched a playoff spot. The loss is the first at home by the Brady and Julian Edelman combination in games they have both played (now 42-1 since 2009). Also, Kelce had 66 receiving yards, giving him 6,225 in his first seven seasons. He moved past Antonio Gates (6,223) into second and trails just Jimmy Graham (6,280) on the all-time list.

Eli returns, but Giants falter late - Monday night’s contest was a tale of two halves for Eli Manning. Making his first start since Week 2, Manning threw for 179 and two touchdowns to rookie Darius Slayton as the Giants took a 17-3 lead at the half. Philadelphia shut down Manning in the second half and crept back into the game. Manning had just 24 passing yards after halftime and the Eagles scored on a Boston Scott run late in the third quarter and a Carson Wentz pass to tight end Zach Ertz with 1:53 left in regulation to tie the score.

Philadelphia won the overtime coin toss, then marched 75 yards over eight plays in 4:50. The drive culminated with another Wentz-to-Ertz scoring pass, giving the Eagles a 23-17 win and moving them into a first-place tie with the Cowboys atop the NFC East.

Injury list mounting – Before the season, the Jets signed former Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley to a record-setting five-year, $85-million contract that included $43 million guaranteed. Fast forward to this week and the Jets placed Mosley on injured reserve due to groin and abdominal issues. Mosley started just two games this season, totaling nine tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown.

After rumors of being cut over the past few weeks, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri instead will be placed on injured reserve. He suffered an ankle injury that will require season-ending surgery. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has a high ankle sprain that will possibly end his season. He could miss up to four weeks, which will give Eli Manning a few more starts in the meantime.

Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny suffered a knee injury on Sunday night that head coach Pete Carroll said was a “significant” sprained ACL that will end his season. Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley will miss the rest of 2019 with an abdominal injury and Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant will be out after breaking his forearm. Raiders rookie running back Josh Jacobs was inactive against the Titans due to a shoulder injury and he will have an MRI this week.

Other injuries include: Redskins running back Derrius Guice (MCL sprain) and linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (calf), Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (small fracture in hand) and receiver Mike Evans (hamstring), Saints tight end Jared Cook (head), Dolphins receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson (concussions), 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (hamstring), Jets tight end Ryan Griffin and running back Bilal Powell (ankle) and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (neck), Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (knee), Jaguars receiver D.J. Chark (ankle) and Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro (concussion).

Lions fined for reporting of Stafford’s injury - Much like the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger earlier this season, the Lions said their quarterback was practicing on a “limited basis” leading up to their Nov. 10 game against the Bears. While head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn said Stafford was still questionable to play on the morning of the game, despite having two fractured vertebrae in his back, the quarterback himself said he was told on Saturday that he would not be playing. The $110,000 fine levied by the NFL was split between Patricia ($25,000), Quinn ($10,000) and the organization in general ($75,000).

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer