#FromStateToSundays: Wild Card Weekend Update
January 11, 2021 | Football
STARKVILLE – Seven Bulldogs stepped on the field during the NFL's Wild Card Weekend with three advancing to the second round of the Playoffs.
Baltimore's Tyre Phillips and Pernell McPhee defeated Jeffery Simmons and the Titans, 20-13, on Saturday. McPhee played a huge role for the Ravens, leading the team with six tackles, despite playing just 20 defensive snaps.
Five of McPhee's six tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense, and he posted a league-leading 86.1 run defense grade this week. McPhee's grade against the run was a season high and his best mark since Week 2 of 2019.
Denico Autry and Montez Sweat were eliminated from the postseason on Saturday, but the pair closed the year with impressive showings in their respective games.
Autry sacked Buffalo's Josh Allen twice on the same drive in the fourth quarter while the Colts trailed by three points. The second sack nearly changed the game. Autry got to a scrambling Allen 17 yards behind the line of scrimmage and forced a fumble while bringing him down. The ball trickled back another six yards before the Bills recovered it and faced a second-and-33 situation.
The Bills were forced to punt, but Indianapolis was only able to reach the Buffalo 47-yard line before time expired. Autry finished the night with 1.5 sacks for an incredible loss of 20.5 yards. He also added a tackle for loss, pushing Allen out of bounds for a loss of two yards early in the game.
Sweat's biggest moment was a sack of Tom Brady with under a minute to play in the first half, but half of his tackles were behind the line. He added a quarterback hit to total two pressures and posted the sixth-highest run defense grade among first- or second-year players this week.
K.J. Wright was the only player in the NFL with 10 or more tackles for loss (11.0) and 10 or more pass defenses (10) in the regular season. His Seahawks entered the weekend riding a 10-game postseason winning streak at home, but fell to Los Angeles, 30-20. Wright made five total tackles.
The Saints and J.T. Gray moved on following a 21-9 victory against the visiting Bears. Elgton Jenkins, Will Redmond, Hunter Bradley and Preston Smith open their postseason with Green Bay on Saturday when they host the Rams. Willie Gay Jr., Chris Jones and Martinas Rankin's Kansas City Chiefs will host the Browns on Sunday.
DENICO AUTRY | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – DT/DE | AT MSU: 2012-13
Career Postseason: 4 G, 3 GS, 10 TKL, 3 AST, 8 TT, 5.0 TFL, 2.5 SK, 5 QBH, 1 PD, 1FF
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1.5 SK, 2 QBH, 1 FF at Buffalo Bills (L, 27-24)
Career Postseason: 2 G
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP vs. Los Angeles Rams (L, 30-20)
WILLIE GAY JR. | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LB | AT MSU: 2017-19
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: 2 G
Last Week: 1 G vs. Chicago Bears (W, 21-9)
FARROD GREEN (PS) | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – TE | AT MSU: 2015-19
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Buffalo Bills (L, 27-24)
BRAXTON HOYETT (PS) | BALTIMORE RAVENS – DT | AT MSU: 2014-18
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
ELGTON JENKINS | GREEN BAY PACKERS – OG | AT MSU: 2014-18
Career Postseason: 2 G, 2 GS, 67.5 Pass Block Grade, 2 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: First Round Bye
Season: 6 G, 4 GS, 3 TKL, 4 AST, 7 TT, 2 QBH, 9 PD
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: 9 G, 1 GS, 11 TKL, 3 AST, 14 TT, 1.5 SK, 3 QBH, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
Last Week: 1 GS, 5 TKL, 1 AST, 6 TT at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
Career Postseason: 1 G, 2 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: 1 G, 2 Pressures Allowed at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
Career Postseason: 1 G
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: 2 GP, 2 TKL, 2 TT
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
JEFFERY SIMMONS | TENNESSEE TITANS – DL | AT MSU: 2016-18
Career Postseason: 4 G, 1 GS, 3 TKL, 3 AST, 6 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 FR
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 1 AST, 3 TT, 1.0 TFL vs. Baltimore Ravens (L, 20-13)
Career Postseason: 3 GP, 2 GS, 6 TKL, 4 AST, 10 TT, 2.0 TFL, 3.0 SK, 4 QBH
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: 1 G, 1GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 2.0 TFL, 2 QBH
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 2.0 TFL, 2 QBH vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (L, 31-23)
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: First Round Bye
Career Postseason: 15 GP, 14 GS, 66 TKL, 45 AST, 110 TT, 6.0 TFL, 2.0 SK, 5 QBH, 4 PD, 1 INT
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 3 AST, 5 TT, 1 QBH vs. Los Angeles Rams (L, 30-20)
Baltimore's Tyre Phillips and Pernell McPhee defeated Jeffery Simmons and the Titans, 20-13, on Saturday. McPhee played a huge role for the Ravens, leading the team with six tackles, despite playing just 20 defensive snaps.
Five of McPhee's six tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense, and he posted a league-leading 86.1 run defense grade this week. McPhee's grade against the run was a season high and his best mark since Week 2 of 2019.
Denico Autry and Montez Sweat were eliminated from the postseason on Saturday, but the pair closed the year with impressive showings in their respective games.
Autry sacked Buffalo's Josh Allen twice on the same drive in the fourth quarter while the Colts trailed by three points. The second sack nearly changed the game. Autry got to a scrambling Allen 17 yards behind the line of scrimmage and forced a fumble while bringing him down. The ball trickled back another six yards before the Bills recovered it and faced a second-and-33 situation.
Denico is causing chaos‼️
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 9, 2021
📺: #INDvsBUF on CBS#HailState🐶 | #FromStateToSundays
pic.twitter.com/WVQbLcqltT
The Bills were forced to punt, but Indianapolis was only able to reach the Buffalo 47-yard line before time expired. Autry finished the night with 1.5 sacks for an incredible loss of 20.5 yards. He also added a tackle for loss, pushing Allen out of bounds for a loss of two yards early in the game.
Sweat's biggest moment was a sack of Tom Brady with under a minute to play in the first half, but half of his tackles were behind the line. He added a quarterback hit to total two pressures and posted the sixth-highest run defense grade among first- or second-year players this week.
#DLU takes down Brady! @_sweat9
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 10, 2021
📺: #TBvsWAS on NBC#HailState🐶 | #FromStateToSundays
pic.twitter.com/AaVk3aEjDd
K.J. Wright was the only player in the NFL with 10 or more tackles for loss (11.0) and 10 or more pass defenses (10) in the regular season. His Seahawks entered the weekend riding a 10-game postseason winning streak at home, but fell to Los Angeles, 30-20. Wright made five total tackles.
The Saints and J.T. Gray moved on following a 21-9 victory against the visiting Bears. Elgton Jenkins, Will Redmond, Hunter Bradley and Preston Smith open their postseason with Green Bay on Saturday when they host the Rams. Willie Gay Jr., Chris Jones and Martinas Rankin's Kansas City Chiefs will host the Browns on Sunday.
DENICO AUTRY | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – DT/DE | AT MSU: 2012-13
Career Postseason: 4 G, 3 GS, 10 TKL, 3 AST, 8 TT, 5.0 TFL, 2.5 SK, 5 QBH, 1 PD, 1FF
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1.5 SK, 2 QBH, 1 FF at Buffalo Bills (L, 27-24)
- Sack Josh Allen twice on the same drive in the fourth quarter
- Second sack was for a loss of 17 yards while also forcing a fumble
- All four tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense
Career Postseason: 2 G
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Green Bay will face New Orleans in the second round
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP vs. Los Angeles Rams (L, 30-20)
WILLIE GAY JR. | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – LB | AT MSU: 2017-19
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Kansas City will face Buffalo in the second round
Career Postseason: 2 G
Last Week: 1 G vs. Chicago Bears (W, 21-9)
FARROD GREEN (PS) | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS – TE | AT MSU: 2015-19
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Buffalo Bills (L, 27-24)
BRAXTON HOYETT (PS) | BALTIMORE RAVENS – DT | AT MSU: 2014-18
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
ELGTON JENKINS | GREEN BAY PACKERS – OG | AT MSU: 2014-18
Career Postseason: 2 G, 2 GS, 67.5 Pass Block Grade, 2 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Green Bay will face New Orleans in the second round
- Green Bay's offensive line was recently named the second-best in the league by Pro Football Focus thanks in large part to Jenkins, who has played at least 25 snaps at all but right guard this year
Season: 6 G, 4 GS, 3 TKL, 4 AST, 7 TT, 2 QBH, 9 PD
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Kansas City will face Buffalo in the second round
Career Postseason: 9 G, 1 GS, 11 TKL, 3 AST, 14 TT, 1.5 SK, 3 QBH, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
Last Week: 1 GS, 5 TKL, 1 AST, 6 TT at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
- Led Baltimore with six total tackles in just 20 defensive snaps
- Five of his tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense
- Posted an NFL-best 83.2 run defense grade this week, which was a season high and his best run mark against the run since Week 2 of 2019.
Career Postseason: 1 G, 2 Pressures Allowed
Last Week: 1 G, 2 Pressures Allowed at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
- One of five rookie offensive linemen to play in the first round of the NFL Playoffs
Career Postseason: 1 G
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Kansas City will face Buffalo in the second round
Career Postseason: 2 GP, 2 TKL, 2 TT
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Green Bay will face New Orleans in the second round
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: DNP at Tennessee Titans (W, 20-13)
JEFFERY SIMMONS | TENNESSEE TITANS – DL | AT MSU: 2016-18
Career Postseason: 4 G, 1 GS, 3 TKL, 3 AST, 6 TT, 1.0 TFL, 1 QBH, 1 FR
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 1 AST, 3 TT, 1.0 TFL vs. Baltimore Ravens (L, 20-13)
- Totaled three pressures
- Two of his three tackles were considered "stops" by Pro Football Focus, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense
- Picked up a tackle for a loss of one yard in a tie game on the first drive of the second half
Career Postseason: 3 GP, 2 GS, 6 TKL, 4 AST, 10 TT, 2.0 TFL, 3.0 SK, 4 QBH
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Green Bay will face New Orleans in the second round
Career Postseason: 1 G, 1GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 2.0 TFL, 2 QBH
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 2 AST, 4 TT, 1.0 SK, 2.0 TFL, 2 QBH vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (L, 31-23)
- Made half of his tackles for a loss of yardage, including a sack of Tom Brady
Career Postseason: None
Last Week: First Round Bye
- Kansas City will face Buffalo in the second round
Career Postseason: 15 GP, 14 GS, 66 TKL, 45 AST, 110 TT, 6.0 TFL, 2.0 SK, 5 QBH, 4 PD, 1 INT
Last Week: 1 GS, 2 TKL, 3 AST, 5 TT, 1 QBH vs. Los Angeles Rams (L, 30-20)
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