Auburn football: Tigers in the NFL, Week 17
TAMPA, Fla. — The NFL regular season is over. The playoffs beckon this weekend. But we'll keep our focus on Week 17, particularly when it comes to Auburn alums and how they fared in the final games of the 2014 (regular) season.
As we've done each week this year, we want to send our thanks to Taylor Bryan, who works in Auburn's athletics department and compiled this information.
THE STAR (s)
Cam Newton (QB, Carolina Panthers): Guided the Panthers to a second straight NFC South championship with a 34-3 win over Atlanta. Keyed the clinching victory with a 10-for-16 outing with 114 passing yards and one touchdown. Also rushed six times for 51 yards and a score. Finished the regular season with 3,127 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Newton also rushed for 539 yards and five touchdowns. Carolina faces Arizona in the first round of the playoffs.
HONORABLE MENTION
Ben Grubbs (OG, New Orleans Saints): Made his 118th start on the offensive line in a 23-20 win over Tampa Bay. Grubbs has started every game in which he has appeared dating back to the 2007 season.
Cody Parkey (K, Philadelphia Eagles): Set an NFL rookie and Eagles franchise record with 150 points following a 2-for-2 field goal effort in a 34-26 win over the Giants. Parkey converted 32-of-36 field goals (88.9 percent) and was perfect of 54 point-after attempts. His long field goal came from 54 yards.
Jay Ratliff (NT, Chicago Bears): Had six tackles and a sack in a 13-9 loss to Minnesota. Finished the season with 37 tackles in 11 games (11 starts) to go with 6.5 sacks, his highest total since 2008 and the second-best total of his 11-year career.
BEST OF THE REST
Daren Bates (LB, St. Louis Rams): Did not record any statistics in a 20-6 loss to Seattle. Finished the season with 10 tackles and a block in 14 games.
Ronnie Brown (RB, San Diego Chargers): Did not see any action in San Diego’s 19-7 loss to the Chiefs. Finished his 10th professional season with 20 carries for 63 yards and five receptions for 44 yards in 10 games for Houston and San Diego.
Josh Bynes (LB, Detroit Lions): Did not record any statistics in a 30-20 loss to Green Bay to close the season. Detroit faces the Cowboys on Wild Card weekend. Bynes totaled 22 tackles with one interception in 13 games.
Jason Campbell (QB, Cincinnati Bengals): Did not see action in a 27-17 loss to the Steelers. Campbell completed 11-of-19 passes for 74 yards in four games played this season. The Bengals face Indianapolis in the opening round of the playoffs.
Karlos Dansby (LB, Cleveland Browns): Finished with eight tackles (six solo) as Cleveland fell to the Ravens late, 20-10. Dansby finished 2014 with 93 tackles, 3.0 sacks and one interception. He has now registered more than 90 tackles in eight consecutive seasons.
Chris Davis (CB, San Diego Chargers): Had two tackles in a 19-7 loss to Kansas City. Finished the season with 15 tackles and one pass breakup. Also had 19 kick returns for an average of 25.1 yards and one punt return.
King Dunlap (OT, San Diego Chargers): Started 16 games for the Chargers in 2014 — the first time in his eight-year career he has started all 16 games. Dunlap has now started 39 consecutive games and 46 times in his NFL career.
Nick Fairley (DT, Detroit Lions): Missed his eighth consecutive game due to injury. Finished the regular season with 14 tackles (two for loss) to go along with a forced fumble and a sack in eight games (eight starts) played this season. Detroit faces Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.
Dee Ford (LB, Kansas City Chiefs): Had a tackle and half a sack in a 19-7 win over the Chargers. Finished the season with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks and one pass breakup in 16 games.
Quentin Groves (LB, Tennessee Titans): Totaled two tackles in a 27-10 loss to the Colts. Finished the season with 18 tackles and one sack in six games (three starts).
Josh Harris (LS, Atlanta Falcons): Snapped for the Falcons for the 48th time in a 34-3 loss to the Panthers. Harris recorded five tackles on special teams in 16 games played.
Will Herring (LB, St. Louis Rams): Finished with four special teams tackles in 12 games played for the St. Louis Rams.
Corey Lemonier (LB, San Francisco 49ers): Posted two tackles in a 20-17 win over the Cardinals. Finished the season with 10 tackles in 16 games played.
Sen’Derrick Marks (DT, Jacksonville Jaguars): Finished with two tackles in a 23-17 loss to Houston. Started all 16 games for the second-straight season. Finished 2014 with a career-high 44 tackles and 8.5 sacks. Marks added three pass deflections.
Tre Mason (RB, St. Louis Rams): Ran for 28 yards on 11 carries and had 29 receiving yards on three catches in his ninth start, a 20-6 loss to Seattle. Finished his rookie season with 765 rushing yards and four touchdowns along with 148 receiving yards on 16 receptions with one touchdown in 12 games.
Brandon Mosley (OG, New York Giants): Closed the season with snaps in the final four games. Played in nine games overall in 2014. Has played in 22 games since 2013.
Jerraud Powers (CB, Arizona Cardinals): Had one deflection in a 20-17 loss to the 49ers. Played in all 16 games with 11 starts. Totaled 53 tackles with one sack and three interceptions. Powers’ three interceptions set a career-high.
Jay Prosch (FB, Houston Texans): Saw time in all 16 games for the Texans and made five starts. Finished with one reception for 24 yards that came all the way back in Week 4.
Greg Robinson (OL, St. Louis Rams): Finished the season starting 12 consecutive games including Week 17’s 20-6 loss to Seattle. Robinson saw action in all 16 games, at both left guard and left tackle.
Carlos Rogers (CB, Oakland Raiders): Was placed on the IR with a knee injury prior to Oakland’s 52-0 Week 13 loss at St. Louis, ending his season. He had missed the previous four games. In eight games, Rogers totaled 35 tackles, four for loss, with two passes defended and a forced fumble.
Pat Sims (DT, Oakland Raiders): Finished the season with 25 tackles (17 solo) in 16 games for the Raiders. Sims made two starts and played in 16 games for the second-straight season and the third time in his seven-year career.
Ben Tate (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers): Tate was released by the Vikings on Dec. 23 and signed with the Steelers on Tuesday. Tate has played in 11 games this season (eight with Cleveland and three with Minnesota), carrying 119 times for 371 yards and four touchdowns to go along with nine receptions for 60 yardsn.
Neiko Thorpe (DB, Oakland Raiders): Had one tackle in Week 17. Finished the season with eight tackles and one breakup for the Raiders. Played in a career-best 14 games.
This story was originally published December 31, 2014 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Auburn football: Tigers in the NFL, Week 17."