Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and New Orleans Saints teammates Drew Brees and Cameron Jordan each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to playoff wins on Wild Card Weekend.
Thanks to those strong performances, each player is up for Castrol EDGE Clutch Performer of the Week honors. Here's a deeper look at the significance of those conquests:
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
Strong stats to consider:
» Mariota completed 19 of 31 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the Titans' 22-21 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Power of the moment:Mariota's 22-yard touchdown strike to tight end Eric Decker with 5:08 left in regulation put the Titans for good and completely erased an 18-point halftime deficit as Tennessee won its first playoff game since 2003. He also got the Titans' rally going by catching and scoring on his own touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Strong stats to consider:
» Atlanta's standout wide receiver caught nine passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in a 26-13 playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strong stats to consider:
» Ramsey recorded two tackles and an interception in the Jaguars' 10-3 playoff win over the Buffalo Bills.
Power of the moment: Ramsey intercepted a pass by Bills backup quarterback Nathan Peterman with 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to dissolve all hopes of a Buffalo comeback as Jacksonville secured its first playoff triumph since 2007.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Strong stats to consider:
» Brees connected on 23 of 33 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints' 31-26 playoff victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints
Strong stats to consider:
» Jordan recorded two tackles and sacked Cam Newton once in the Saints' playoff win over the Panthers.
Power of the moment: In the game's closing seconds, Jordan pressured Panthers quarterback Cam Newton into throwing away the ball, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty that severely compromised Carolina's chances of finding the end zone over its last two snaps.
