The Detroit Lions' Golden Tate, Miami Dolphins' Kenyan Drake, New York Giants' Eli Manning, Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott and San Diego Chargers' Melvin Gordon each had the strength to come through during a key moment and contribute to wins during Week 9.
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.
Golden Tate, Detroit Lions
Strong stats to consider:
» Tate has come through big for the Lions after being a non-factor at the start of the season. He had 12 targets on Sunday alone and has at least six receptions in four-straight games.
» Tate has averaged 94.8 receiving yards in his last four games. He only averaged 26.8 yards in the first five games of the season.
Power of the moment:Lions' kicker Matt Prater deserves some credit here for making a huge 58-yard field goal to force an overtime. But it was Tate who brought home the win. Not only did he have the frame of mind to stay in bounds, but he also broke tackles for the game-winning TD.
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
Strong stats to consider:
» Drake's kickoff return touchdown is the Dolphins' first since Week 11 of the 2012 season.
» It's the second-longest kickoff return in franchise history. That record belongs to Mercury Morris with 105 yards. That record was set in 1969.
Power of the moment: This game went back and forth through most of the contest. A botched punt earlier in the game led to a New York Jets lead of 23-20, so it was only fitting that a special teams play would make up for that mistake. Drake took the kickoff up the middle with just 5:15 left for the game-winner. He was basically untouched.
Eli Manning, New York Giants
Strong stats to consider:
» Manning now has 14 games with four or more TDs. It's also the ninth time he's thrown at least three TDs in just the first half.
» Manning has been much better at home this season. There, he's averaging 344.5 yards per game, has a completion percentage of 68.9 and a passer rating of 96.2. On the road, he's averaging just 215.8 yards, completes 59.3 percent of his passes, and holds a 79.8 rating.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Strong stats to consider:
» Jerry Jones can say what he wants about Romo, but Prescott is giving the Cowboys no reason to look back. Prescott joins Ben Roethlisberger as the only rookie QB since 2000 to win seven or more of their first eight starts. Big Ben went 13-0.
» Prescott is currently holding a passer rating of 104.2 for the season. This would be the highest passer rating by a rookie in NFL history.
Power of the moment: Not sure what else Prescott has to do to be named the Cowboys' starter indefinitely. This game was against the lowly Cleveland Browns, but Prescott has only improved his efficiency and is a clear threat to score on the ground in the red zone. In Dak we trust.
Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers
Strong stats to consider:
» On Sunday, Gordon set single-game career highs in carries (32), rushing yards (196), receiving yards (65) and scrimmage yards (261).
» His 196 rushing yards is the most by a Charger since LaDainian Tomlinson in Week 6, 2007. That day, Tomlinson rushed for 198 yards.
Power of the moment: Gordon has come alive this season. Fighting through last year's inconsistencies and fumble issues earlier this season, Gordon has become the centerpiece to the Chargers' offense. His go-ahead score is what won the game in Sunday's shootout with the Tennessee Titans.
Follow Daniel Williams on Twitter _@danielwilliams_.
