NFL News & Analysis

NFL Wild-Card Weekend: Team of the Week & player awards

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) runs with the ball against the New York Giants during the third quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

• Hockenson doing his part: The Vikings needed someone outside of Justin Jefferson to step up in the passing game, and Hockenson delivered in a big way, catching all 10 of his catchable targets for 129 yards and six first downs.

• Samuel with a performance for the ages: Asante Samuel Jr. earned a 94.3 coverage grade against the Jaguars, the best single-game mark of his career to date.

• The Niners keep rolling: Across 33 pass-blocking snaps, the Niners front five allowed just three hurries to earn the only elite team pass-blocking grade (90.5) of the week.

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes


PFF TEAM OF THE WEEK

Offense

QB: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
RB: Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
WR: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
WR: D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
TE: Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
FLEX: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
LT:
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants

LG: Matt Feiler, Los Angeles Chargers
C: Austin Blythe, Seattle Seahawks
RG: Spencer Burford, San Francisco 49ers
RT: Morgan Moses, Baltimore Ravens

Defense

DI: Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
DI: Shelby Harris, Seattle Seahawks
Edge: Kyle Van Noy, Los Angeles Chargers
Edge: Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens
LB: Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo Bills
LB: Tanner Muse, Seattle Seahawks
CB: Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
CB: Kaiir Elam, Buffalo Bills
S: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
S: Dean Marlowe, Buffalo Bills
Flex: Deommodore Lenoir, San Francisco 49ers

Offensive Player of the Week: TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings needed someone outside of Justin Jefferson to step up in the passing game, and Hockenson delivered in a big way, hauling in all 10 of his catchable targets for 129 yards and six first downs. The fourth-year tight end racked up 63 yards after the catch and caught all four of his contested targets. He averaged 4.16 yards per route run, second to only Deebo Samuel on wild-card weekend.

Click here to view T.J. Hockenson's grades in PFF Premium Stats


Defensive Player of the Week: CB Asante Samuel Jr., Los Angeles Chargers

Samuel put on a performance for the ages on wild-card weekend, ending the game with as many interceptions as passes allowed in his coverage.

Targeted a whopping 11 times on the day — only teammate Bryce Callahan was picked on more — the second-year corner allowed just three catches for 15 yards and a score. However, he also hauled in three interceptions and broke up two more passes, allowing a passer rating of just 30.3 on throws into his coverage.

Samuel earned a 94.3 coverage grade for his efforts, the best single-game mark of his career to date.

Click here to view Asante Samuel Jr.'s grades in PFF Premium Stats


Rookie of the Week: S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Hamilton capped off his excellent rookie campaign with another stellar outing. He forced a fumble, recorded four defensive stops and didn’t miss any of his nine tackle attempts for the game.

Click here to view Kyle Hamilton's grades in PFF Premium Stats


Offensive Line of the Week: San Francisco 49ers

No offensive line did a better job of protecting its quarterback in the wild-card round. Across 33 pass-blocking snaps, the Niners front five allowed just three hurries to earn the only elite team pass-blocking grade (90.5) of the weekend.
They were the only offensive line not to allow a single sack or hit.

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