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Hawkeyes in the NFL: Week 15 Top Performers

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann7 hours agoHuesmannKyle

Week 15 of the NFL season is complete with the Pittsburgh Steelers getting the win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football This past week, 28 former Hawkeyes were on active rosters, while 12 players are listed atop the depth chart at their position. With the season starting to hit the home stretch, it’s worth noting that 21 players (active and practice squad) are on teams that currently hold a playoff position. With that in mind, we take a look at the top five performances from the weekend.

1. Tampa Bay LT Tristan Wirfs and Baltimore C Tyler Linderbaum

In Iowa City, vibes are high with the offensive line. The group is a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, while Logan Jones recently won the Rimington Trophy. Over in the pros, former Hawkeye offensive lineman were pretty good this past weekend.

Although it came in a losing effort to Atlanta, Tampa Bay left tackle Tristan Wirfs earned a 97.0 game grade by Pro Football Focus, which goes as the second-highest rated game of the season by any offensive lineman. He did not allow a single pressure over 40 pass blocking snaps, allowing quarterback Baker Mayfield to throw for 277 yards and a couple of touchdowns. On the season, Wirfs is the fourth-highest rated lineman in the league (90.6), allowing just 21 pressures on 383 pass blocking snaps.

As for Baltimore center Tyler Linderbaum, his performance came in a 24-0 shutout win over Cincinnati. He rated as the 11th-best lineman for week 15 with an 81.9 game grade, while his 83.0 run blocking grade ranked 9th-best for the week. The Ravens rushed for 189 yards on 24 carries (7.9 ypc) in the win. On the season, Linderbaum is rated as the 5th-best center (78.6) and 22nd-best offensive lineman in the league, allowing 21 pressures on 434 pass blocking snaps.

2. San Francisco TE George Kittle

The playoff race in the NFC has been absolutely wild and San Francisco entered week 15 tied for the final playoff spot, despite their 9-4 record. It’s far from written in stone, but the 49ers grabbed a 37-24 win over Tennessee on Sunday to get a step closer to the playoffs. In the win, tight end George Kittle caught eight passes for 88 yards, with his third quarter touchdown reception putting San Fran in front by three scores. On the season, in nine games, Kittle has caught 45 passes for 484 yards (10.76 ypr) and six touchdowns. He has caught 6+ touchdown passes in each of his last five seasons.

3. New York RB Tyrone Tracy

As I make sure to mention every time he shows up in this article. Yes, Tyrone Tracy finished his career at Purdue, but he also played in 38 career games at Iowa. If he has a good game in the NFL, it’s worth noting and he had one on Sunday against Washington. The Giants are in a tight race for the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, so a 29-21 loss to the Commanders was not all bad. In the loss, running back Tyrone Tracy finished with 18 touches for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a rushing and receiving score. He rushed for 70 yards and finished with 27 receiving yards, with the majority of them coming on a 19-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. On the season, Tracy has tallied 734 total yards on 153 touches (25 rec) and has three touchdowns.

4. Denver CB Riley Moss

Who would have thought that the Denver Broncos would be alone at the top of the AFC after 15 weeks of football. Not many, if any. Here they are, leading the AFC with a 12-2 record, including a 34-26 win over Green Bay on Sunday to extend their winning streak to 11 games. In the win, corner Riley Moss finished with four tackles, three passes defended and a crucial interception that ultimately sealed the game with just over six minutes to play. On the season, Moss has totaled 65 tackles and 15 passes defended, while allowing 53 catches on 93 targets (57.0%) for 691 yards (7.43 ypt) in coverage.

5. Detroit LB Jack Campbell

He’s a tackling machine. Another week, another 10+ tackle performance for linebacker Jack Campbell. The Lions currently are on the wrong side of the NFC playoff bubble with an 8-6 record, but Campbell is putting together an All-Pro worthy season. In Detroit’s 41-34 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday, Jack recorded his seventh double-digit tackle game of the season, finishing with 14 tackles. On the year, Campbell has tallied 143 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. With just three weeks left to play, Jack is on track to finish with 173.6 tackles and 11.0 tackles for loss.

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