By R.L. Bynum
Michael Carter eluded tacklers on many plays Sunday and showed the dynamic running ability that Tar Heels fans enjoyed for four seasons.
The rookie ran for a season-high 118 yards on 16 carries in the New York Jets’ 26–21 home victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to snap a two-game losing streak.
Carter easily topped his best previous NFL effort of 77 yards on Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He added six reception yards on two catches. It came in his second week back after missing three weeks with a low-grade high ankle sprain.
His big day came despite the Jets playing without usual starting guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, who are both on the COVID-19 list.
“We had some guys step up, up front especially,” Carter said. “They blocked until they couldn’t anymore. So, I’ve got to give a lot of credit to God and the guys up front and the receivers blocking out wide.”
He ran up the middle and made a big play out of it for 38 yards in the fourth quarter to set up the game-clinching field goal.
“It was a great play call. It was right on time,” Carter said. “The guys blocked it up front. [Fullback] Nick Bawden had a key block. And all I had to do is squeeze through the hole. It was small, but I squeezed through it.”
Carter had six games with more rushing yards than that at Carolina: 157 vs. Virginia on Oct. 21, 2017, 165 against Virginia Tech on Oct. 13, 2018, 148 at Duke on Nov. 10, 2018, 159 vs. Mercer on Nov. 23, 2019, 214 vs. Virginia Tech on Oct. 10, 2020, and 308 at Miami on Dec. 12, 2020.
How did the Jets (4–11) pull off the victory?
“It was about taking advantage of opportunities and effort, technique and violence,” Carter. “It wasn’t anything out of out of body that we had to do. We just had to take care of what we know how to do. The passion that we played with today, I just feel like I’m so proud of more than to win. Just the passion that we played with. Moving forward so we can definitely do it.”
In Cleveland’s 24–22 Saturday loss at Green Bay, the Browns’ M.J. Stewart Jr. had nine tackles, one assist and two tackles for losses. Twenty-one of his 29 tackles for the season and four of his seven assists for the season have come in the last two games, both of which he started.
Stewart’s season totals of tackles and assists of 36 is a career-high, bettering his 35 for Tampa Bay in 2019.
In Chicago’s 25–24 win at Seattle, linebacker Robert Quinn had a tackle, an assist, a tackle for a loss and his 17th sack of the season. That leaves him a half-sack away from Richard Dent’s 1986 season franchise sacks record of 17.5.
Chicago’s Dazz Newsome, in his second career NFL game, caught the first pass of his rookie season for 10 yards.
Javonte Williams tied for the second-fewest carries of his rookie season, running for a season-low 12 yards on seven carries in Denver’s 17–13 loss at Las Vegas. Williams also had seven carries in a 48-yard rushing game against Baltimore on Oct. 3 and ran four times for 20 yards on Oct. 21 at Cleveland.
Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left in the first half.
Williams played 22 snaps compared to 23 for starter Melvin Gordon III, who had seven rushes for minus-four yards.
Charlie Heck started at right tackle in the Houston Texans’ 41–29 home victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and played all 68 offensive snaps in addition to eight special-teams snaps.
Dyami Brown had two catches for 53 yards, including a 48-yard reception on a nice first-half catch, in Washington’s 56–14 loss at Dallas on Sunday night.
Cole Holcomb missed the game at Dallas because he’s was on the COVID-19 list. He was activated off of that list on Monday.
Mack Hollins made a nice 40-yard reception in the third quarter of Miami’s 20–3 Monday night win at New Orleans. It was his only catch of the game but it was the Dolphins’ longest yardage play of the night. It came in at No. 6 on ESPN “SportsCenter” top 10 plays.
James Hurst started at left tackle for the Saints, playing all 52 offensive snaps.
Giovani Bernard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
32–6 win at Carolina — On injured reserve with hip injury
Season statistics — 12 games, 8 rushes, 58 yards (24 longest); 23 catches, 123 yards, 3 TDs, 1 fumble; 1 kickoff return for 18 yards; 2 punt returns, 7 yards
Up next — at New York Jets, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
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Dyami Brown, Washington wide receiver
56–14 loss at Dallas — 2 catches on 2 targets, 53 yards (48 longest); 13 offensive snaps (22%), 8 special-teams snaps (24%)
Season statistics — 13 games, 11 receptions on 24 targets, 140 yards (12.7 average; longest 48 yards); 1 rush for -4 yards
Up next — vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
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Michael Carter, New York Jets running back
26–21 win vs. Jacksonville — Started; 16 carries, 118 yards (38 longest); 2 catches on 3 targets, 6 yards (4 longest); 43 offensive snaps (74%)
Season statistics — 12 games, 135 carries, 566 yards (4.2 average, longest 39), 4 TDs; 35 receptions on 51 targets, 316 yards (9.0 average; longest 23)
Up next — vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
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Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
36–10 loss at Kansas City — On injured reserve: Missed fifth consecutive game with knee injury
Season statistics — 8 games, 12 receptions, 84 yards (7.0 average, longest 19), 1 TD; 1 rush, 1 yard, 1 TD
Up next — vs. Cleveland, 8:15 p.m. Monday, ESPN, ESPN2
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Charlie Heck, Houston Texans right tackle
41–29 win vs. Los Angeles Chargers — Started; 68 offensive snaps (100%), 8 special-teams snaps (30%)
Season statistics — 13 games, 11 starts; 642 offensive snaps, 39 special-teams snaps
Up next — at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. Sunday, CBS
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Cole Holcomb, Washington outside linebacker
56–14 loss at Dallas — Missed game because he’s on the COVID-19 list
Season statistics — 14 games, 72 tackles, 48 assists, 2 tackles for losses, 2 interceptions, 1 TD, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble
Up next — vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
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Mack Hollins, Miami Dolphins wide receiver
20–3 win at New Orleans — 1 catch on 2 targets, 40 yards; 1 tackle after an interception; 11 offensive snaps (17%), 16 special-teams snaps (62%)
Season statistics — 15 games, 14 catches, 223 yards (15.9 average, 65 longest), 4 TDs; 5 special-teams tackles; 1 tackle
Up next after Saints— at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Sunday, CBS
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James Hurst, New Orleans Saints tackle
20–3 loss vs. Miami — Started at left tackle; 52 offensive snaps (100%), 1 special-teams snap (4%)
Season statistics — 13 games; 11 starts; 666 offensive snaps, 46 special-teams snaps
Up next after Dolphins— vs. Carolina, 1 p.m. Sunday, Fox
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Dazz Newsome, Chicago Bears wide receiver
25–24 win at Seattle — 1 catch on 1 target, 10 yards; 34 offensive snaps (46%), 5 special-teams snaps (20%)
Season statistics — 2 games, 1 catch, 10 yards
Up next — vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. Sunday, CBS
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Robert Quinn, Chicago Bears outside linebacker
25–24 win at Seattle — Started; 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack for 13 yards; 46 defensive snaps (82%)
Season statistics — 14 games, 37 tackles, 10 assists, 17 sacks, 16 tackles for losses, 11 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles
Up next — vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. Sunday, CBS
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Andre Smith, Buffalo Bills weakside linebacker
33–21 win at New England — Played, no statistics; 14 special-teams snaps (64%)
Season statistics — 13 games, 4 tackles, 5 assists, 3 special-teams tackles, 4 special-teams assists
Up next — vs. Atlanta, 1 p.m. Saturday, Fox
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M.J. Stewart Jr., Cleveland Browns defensive back
24–22 loss at Green Bay — Started; 9 tackles, 1 assist, 2 tackles for losses; 57 defensive snaps (97%), 5 special-teams snaps (22%)
Season statistics —11 games, 29 tackles, 7 assists, 2 tackles for losses, 1 forced fumble, 4 special-teams tackles, 1 pass breakup; 1 kickoff return, 20 yards
Up next — at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m. Monday, ESPN, ESPN2
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Chazz Surratt, Minnesota Vikings weakside linebacker
30–23 loss vs. Los Angeles Rams — Played, no statistics; 7 special-teams snaps (23%)
Season statistics — 7 games, no statistics
Up next — at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. Sunday, NBC (WRAL in Triangle)
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Mitchell Trubisky, Buffalo Bills quarterback
33–21 win at New England — Didn’t play
Season statistics — 5 games; 5 of 7 passing for 28 yards (longest 8), 1 interception; 10 rushes for 27 yards (longest 22), 85.4 passer rating
Up next — vs. Atlanta, 1 p.m. Saturday, Fox
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Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos running back
17–13 loss at Las Vegas — 7 carries, 12 yards (3 longest), 1 TD; 2 catches on 2 targets, 8 yards (7 longest); 22 offensive snaps (52%)
Season statistics — 15 games, 177 carries, 827 yards (4.7 average; longest 49 yards), 4 TDs; 40 catches on 50 targets, 296 yards (7.4 average, 42 longest), 1 TD
Up next — at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. Sunday, CBS
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On practice squads
Jake Bargas, Minnesota Vikings fullback
Myles Dorn, Minnesota Vikings safety
Austin Proehl, Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Antonio Williams, Buffalo Bills running back
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Injured and out for the season
Jalen Dalton, New Orleans Saints defensive tackle, suffered a triceps injury
Ryan Switzer, Cleveland Browns wide receiver, had ankle surgery Aug. 20
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