The Detroit Lions' Eric Ebron, Miami Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jameis Winston, Pittsburgh Steelers' Le'Veon Bell and Oakland Raiders' Amari Cooper each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to wins during Week 11.
Thanks to those strong performances, each player is up for Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Week honors. This is a deeper look at the significance of those conquests.
Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions
Strong stats to consider:
» The Lions have been winning close games all season. Every one of their games has been decided by seven points or less. The Lions have also trailed in the fourth quarter in every game this year.
» After averaging 52.5 yards through the first four games, Ebron has become a bigger part of the offense. Over the last three games, he's averaged 80.3 yards per game.
Power of the moment: Trailing in the fourth quarter has become a familiar spot for the Detroit Lions. Down by three in the final quarter, Matthew Stafford hands the ball off to Ebron for the first rushing touchdown of his career.
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins
Strong stats to consider:
» This was the fourth win in franchise history after scoring no points through the first three quarters.
» Tannehill passed Hall of Famer Bob Griese to become the Dolphins' leader in rushing yards by a QB. He now has 1,011 career rushing yards.
Power of the moment: Tannehill was having a miserable day against the Los Angeles Rams through three quarters, managing just 56 passing yards and an INT with a passer rating of 42.8. The final quarter was a different story. Tannehill threw for 116 yards, two TDs, no INTs and a passer rating of 136.5 in the fourth quarter to come away with the win. Those two TDs came on the last two drives of the game.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Strong stats to consider:
» This season, Winston has been much better late in the game than the start. So far this season, in the first and second quarters, Winston has thrown nine TDs and eight INTs. In the third and fourth quarters, he's thrown 11 TDs and two INTs. Winston has 12 TDs and just two INTs over his last six games.
» The Bucs have won five straight games against the Chiefs. The last time KC beat the Bucs was in 1993 when the Chiefs' signal caller was Joe Montana.
Power of the moment:Chiefs fans will argue they're the loudest fans in the NFL. Those fans are tough on road teams. All that makes the Bucs' win in KC that much more impressive. Winston has gotten better as the season progresses and now they're just one game behind the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South.
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Strong stats to consider:
» It's the fourth career game with 200 or more scrimmage yards. It's the most games in the NFL since 2013. It's also the most by any Steelers player since 1950.
» Bell had 23 touches in the first half alone. It's the most touches in a first half since DeMarco Murray had 24 touches against Chicago in Week 14, 2014.
Power of the moment: Coming off a tough loss against the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers are still in a battle for the AFC North. Granted, this was against the struggling Cleveland Browns, but a division win was a must for Pittsburgh. They let Bell do all the heavy lifting, and it paid off.
Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders
Strong stats to consider:
» The Raiders are on top of the AFC. It's the first time since 2001 they're 8-2 or better. That year they finished 10-6 and went on to play the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Raiders fans don't need to be reminded how that game finished.
» The Raiders are on pace to be one of the best offenses in team history. A large part of that is due to underrated pass protection. Oakland has allowed fewer sacks (11) and QB hits (19) than any other team this season.
Power of the moment: The Raiders were struggling to score until later in the game. With less than five minutes remaining, Derek Carr threw to Amari Cooper. The play should've gotten maybe five yards. With a great move to juke defenders and breakaway speed, Cooper scored the game-winning TD. Carr is a good QB, but this touchdown was all Cooper.
Follow Daniel Williams on Twitter _@danielwilliams_.
