These are excerpts. To read the whole mess click the link below.
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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...7-wild-card-playoffs-black-monday-peter-king/
By Peter King
The Envelope, Please
Defensive Player: Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams
Hard to imagine a player—without a training camp, with a slew of new defensive mates to get accustomed—having a better year on the fly than Donald. Once he got used to his surroundings, Donald had 16.5 sacks in his last 10 games, and threatened Michael Strahan’s NFL sack record of 22.5. Donald finished with 20.5.
Next: 2. Fletcher Cox, 3. Khalil Mack.
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The Best of 2019
Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh. Aaron Donald’s a proud Pittsburgher, and played his college games at Heinz Field, and will be supremely motivated to play for the first and perhaps only time on home turf. Ben Roethlisberger might want to have a very quick release in this game.
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“Best three-technique I’ve ever seen … He’s the best defensive tackle I’ve ever seen, period.”
—Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long, on
Aaron Donald, on FOX’s NFL pregame show Sunday.
Target on his back. From Michael M.: “What
Aaron Donald has done this season is incredible. Every team knows what he brings and targets him, and he still produces game after game.”
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Interesting relationship between Rams tackle
Andrew Whitworth and Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who played his last NFL game Sunday after 13 pro seasons.
They played football at arch-rival high schools, Williams at Ruston and Whitworth at West Monroe, in northern Louisiana. Out of season, Whitworth played on the West Monroe basketball team and Williams and his football mates would heckle Whitworth when their two teams met; Williams played on the Ruston baseball team, and Whitworth would heckle Williams in the field and at bat.
As a redshirt freshman at LSU, Whitworth hosted Williams on his official campus visit. Williams chose LSU. Whitworth and Williams roomed together at LSU and played on the same team for four years. Whitworth was a first-team all-SEC tackle as a senior. Williams was a first-team all-SEC defensive lineman as a senior.
They were NFL draft choices three rounds apart in 2006, Whitworth in the second round (Bengals) and Williams in the fifth round (Bills).
They played on the same pro football team twice in 13 NFL seasons: the AFC team in the 2012 and 2016 Pro Bowls.
Williams made five Pro Bowls. Whitworth has made four.
Williams has five children. Whitworth has four.
Williams lives in a home on a golf course in Ruston. Whitworth lives in a home on the same golf course in Ruston.
Their front doors are about 500 feet apart.
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Intelligent Football
Players in the top five at their positions that you might not expect: wideout
Robert Woods (Rams), tackles
Ryan Ramczyk (Saints) and
Rob Havenstein (Rams), defensive end
Myles Garrett (Browns). There are some eyebrow-raisers at tight end, such as San Francisco’s George Kittle routing the field and being the top-rated guy, and Trey Burton having a better year, per PFF, than
Rob Gronkowski.
