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Football

Next Man Up

Standout Performers

David DeCastro • G • Pittsburgh Steelers • Eighth season

David DeCastro played all 63 offensive snaps in Pittsburgh's 26-24 win against Indianapolis and did not allow a quarterback pressure on 38 pass-blocking snaps. Of the 113 guards to have appeared this season, DeCastro owns the highest pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (91.1) and has not allowed a quarterback hit on 304 total pass-blocking snaps. Of guards who have appeared on at least 50 percent of his team's snaps, only Richie Incognito and Brandon Brooks (4) have allowed fewer pressures than DeCastro (6).

Zach Ertz • TE • Philadelphia Eagles • Seventh season • @ZErtz_86

Ertz had his most productive outing of 2019 in Philadelphia's 22-14 win against Chicago. Appearing on 79 percent of offensive snaps, Ertz recorded his first 100-yard performance of the season while catching a season-high nine passes with one touchdown on 11 targets.

Blake Martinez • ILB • Green Bay Packers • Fourth season • @Big__Blake50

The NFL's leading tackler recorded 12 more stops in Green Bay's 26-11 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. It was the fifth game of the season with 12 or more tackles for Martinez, who leads the league with 95 tackles entering Week 10.

Christian McCaffrey • RB • Carolina Panthers • Third season • @run__cmc

McCaffrey continues to carry Carolina in the absence of Cam Newton, leading the Panthers to a 30-20 win against Tennessee on Sunday. He carried the ball 24 times for 146 yards and two scores, catching all three targets for 20 yards and an additional touchdown. It was the third game of McCaffrey's career with three touchdowns, giving him an NFL-high 13 on the season – McCaffrey leads the league in rushing yards per game (110.1) and ranks second in yards from scrimmage per game (155.0). McCaffrey's 90.3 season grade from Pro Football Focus is the highest of any running back.

Justin Reid • S • Houston Texans • Second season • @jreid_viii

Reid recorded his first interception of the season in Houston's 26-3 win at Jacksonville, finishing with two tackles on 87 percent of the Texans' defensive snaps. Reid nearly returned the pick for a touchdown, bringing it back 37 yards to the Jaguars' three-yard line to set up a touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins.

Brennan Scarlett • OLB • Houston Texans • Fourth season • @BScarlett17

Days after it was announced that J.J. Watt would miss the remainder of the season, Scarlett stepped up in a huge way during Houston's 26-3 win at Jacksonville. Scarlett was in the backfield all day, registering two sacks and one forced fumble on a season-high four pressures. He appeared on 40 defensive snaps (60 percent) and will continue to see an increased workload.

Richard Sherman • CB • San Francisco 49ers • Ninth season • @R_Sherman25

Sherman delivered a shutdown performance in San Francisco's 28-25 win at Arizona on Thursday, playing all 57 defensive snaps as the 49ers improved to 8-0. Sherman racked up five tackles to go with one pass defensed, allowing just one catch for three yards on three targets from Kyler Murray. This season, quarterbacks have a 35.7 passer rating when targeting Sherman, the second-lowest in the league among cornerbacks to have appeared on at least 50 percent of his team's coverage snaps. Sherman's 82.2 season grade from Pro Football Focus is his highest since 2014, a year in which he was named first-team All-Pro.

Quick Hitters

  • Henry Anderson made three tackles, including one for loss, on 29 defensive snaps in the New York Jets' 26-18 loss at Miami. It was Anderson's first appearance since sustaining a shoulder injury in Week 5.
  • J.J. Arcega-Whiteside appeared on 15 offensive snaps in Philadelphia's 22-14 win against Chicago.
  • Jake Bailey punted five times for 233 yards, a 46.6 average and a 45.2 net average in New England's 37-20 loss at Baltimore on Sunday. Three of Bailey's punts were downed inside the Ravens' 20-yard line.
  • Cameron Fleming was inactive for Dallas' 37-18 win at the New York Giants on Monday night.
  • Nate Herbig was inactive for Philadelphia's 22-14 win against Chicago.
  • Peter Kalambayi registered three tackles on seven defensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps as Houston went on the road to defeat Jacksonville, 26-3.
  • Josh Mauro was inactive for Oakland's 31-24 win against Detroit.
  • Ty Montgomery appeared on two offensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps in the New York Jets' 26-18 loss at Miami.
  • Appearing on 26 defensive snaps, Bobby Okereke made five tackles, including four on defense and one on special teams, in Indianapolis' 26-24 loss against Pittsburgh.
  • Jordan Richards appeared on 20 special teams snaps in Baltimore's 37-20 win against New England on Sunday night.
  • Dalton Schultz appeared on one offensive snap and six special teams snaps in Dallas' 37-18 win at the New York Giants on Monday night.
  • Kaden Smith appeared on three offensive snaps in the New York Giants' 37-18 loss against Dallas on Monday night.
  • Michael Thomas made one special teams tackle on three defensive snaps and 26 special teams snaps in the New York Giants' 37-18 loss against Dallas.
  • Solomon Thomas registered one tackle on 20 defensive snaps in San Francisco's 28-25 win at Arizona.
  • Levine Toilolo appeared on 20 offensive snaps in San Francisco's 28-25 win at Arizona on Thursday night.
  • Making his regular-season debut, James Vaughters made one tackle on four defensive snaps and nine special teams snaps in Chicago's 22-14 loss at Philadelphia. Vaughters was released by the Bears on Monday.

Bye weeks: Atlanta (Austin Hooper), New Orleans (Johnson Bademosi, Andrus Peat)