Week 12 of the 100th season is officially in the books. The Ravens, once more, had another dominating performance led by Lamar Jackson, Dallas lost to another team with a winning record, and the 49ers officially proved, to me, to be NFC contenders. Although the NFC is wide open, San Francisco seems to be separating themselves from the rest of the pack each week. Nevertheless, I return with the Week 12 edition of my NFL stock market. Whose stock rose from last week, and whose performance dropped-off?
Stock Up: Lamar Jackson vs. Rams
75.0 completion percentage, 169 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 8 carries, and 95 rushing yards.
What more is there to say? Lamar Jackson earns himself yet another stock up for yet another fantastic performance. Jackson is slowly separating himself from the pack in regards to how he has himself and the Ravens playing. And, with the season drawing closer to playoff time, Jackson is getting hotter and hotter each week. In Week 12, he managed to take down the defending NFC Champions in very convincing fashion. The fact that he went on the road and defeated the Rams 45-6 shows that Baltimore isn’t the type of team you want to mess with come the postseason.
Obviously, Jackson didn’t have crazy numbers when it came to the passing game. However, he became the youngest player in NFL history to have multiple games with at least five passing touchdowns. Jackson continues to impress, but his biggest challenge will come when he plays the 49ers next week. If Jackson wants to rise up and show everyone he’s this year’s MVP, he has to take down the league’s best defense. Lamar has been running circles around teams all season. Against the 49ers, he must do it again.
Stock Down: Jared Goff vs. Ravens
70.3 completion percentage, 212 passing yards, 2 interceptions, and a 62.0 passer rating.
The Rams are the latest NFC team to struggle mightily just one year after going to the Super Bowl. Jared Goff, as the leader of this team, hasn’t been doing the team any favors either. Goff is the latest edition of an overpaid quarterback who hasn’t played up to the standard his paycheck sets. He had a rough day against the Ravens at home. All season, Goff has been on the downside as one of the worst quarterbacks that was expected to do well. In the month of November, Goff holds a 1-2 record, 61.5 completion percentage, 628 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He’s been awful for the defending NFC Champions, and based off what I’ve seen this season, that’s not going to get any better.
Stock Up: Chris Godwin vs. Falcons
7 receptions, 184 receiving yards, and 2 passing touchdowns.
Chris Godwin has established himself as both the number one option on the Buccaneers and as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL… at least for this season. Granted, the Atlanta Falcons don’t have a stunning secondary, but he cut them up for the best performance among wide receivers in Week 12. Going into Week 13, Godwin ranks second in the league in receiving yards behind Michael Thomas. The Buccaneers may not be a playoff team, but Godwin earns a stock up for continuing to be a breakout player this season.
Stock Down: Tom Brady vs. Cowboys
45.9 completion percentage, 190 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, and a 70.8 passer rating.
A win is a win no matter how it comes. However, for Tom Brady, this win saw him struggle at home against America’s Team. Brady hasn’t had the best season nor the worst. He’s been above average, leading to the Patriots’ 10-1 start. You can make the firm argument that this was Brady’s worst performance of the season and that the defense was the sole reason for this win. If that’s true, great. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Brady struggled. I’m not a believer in the “cliff” that people assume Brady is falling off of. He has to avoid performances like these if he wants to go to a fourth-straight Super Bowl.
Stock Up: Derrick Henry vs. Jaguars
19 carries, 159 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns.
Derrick Henry is becoming more of a beast on the field each week. He’s clearly using his huge stature to his advantage. Other than the fact he had yet another huge run on the Jaguars, Henry was great all game long. He earns a stock up for the dominating display he had against Jacksonville and the tear he’s been on this season. Henry currently ranks fourth in the league in rushing with 991 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry. Season projections have him on pace for a whopping 1,440+ rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. I have a feeling Henry can actually exceed these numbers. But, it’s going to require that the Titans’ line continues to do right by him.
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