Here's a look at how the 21 former Auburn players on active NFL rosters fared this past weekend in week 17 of the NFL season.
BEST OF WEEK 17
Cameron Artis-Payne, RB, Carolina Panthers
Though he didn't get the start, Artis-Payne played his best game Sunday as he rushed for a season-high 56 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 15-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter to help the Panthers beat the Saints, 33-14. It was the most yards Artis-Payne has rushed for in a game since Week 10 of last season. The former fifth-round pick is now in his fourth season with Carolina.
First TD of the season for Cameron Artis-Payne! pic.twitter.com/RUAsq2OIwn
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 30, 2018
Dee Ford, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Ford helped Kansas City secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 35-3 win over Oakland. Ford was credited with three tackles – two for loss, including one sack – against the Raiders as the fifth-year pro finished the regular season with 13.0 sacks and seven forced fumbles, both single-season career-highs. Ford's seven forced fumbles were tied with Texans' JJ Watt for the most in the NFL for the 2018 regular season.
Braden Smith, OT, Indianapolis Colts
Smith helped Indianapolis earn its first playoff berth in four years when the Colts knocked off Tennessee, 33-17 on Sunday night. Smith, who started 13 of 15 games after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and rest of the offensive line protected quarterback Andrew Luck to the tune of being sacked only 2.7 percent, which was the lowest percentage of quarterbacks in the NFL.
OTHER TIGERS IN THE NFL
Montravius Adams, DT, Green Bay Packers
A week after earning his first start, Adams responded with a career-high seven tackles in a loss to the Lions on Sunday. The second-year pro, taken in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, played in all 16 games this season, including one start, and finished with 20 tackles and a forced fumble.
Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Barber closed out the regular season with 15 carries for 66 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry, in a 34-32 loss to Atlanta. He also added one reception for two yards. The third-year pro started all 16 games for the Buccaneers and led the team with 871 yards rushing and five rushing touchdowns.
Daren Bates, LB, Tennessee Titans
In Tennessee's 33-17 loss to Indianapolis, Bates was named one of the Titans' five captains and played on 26 special team snaps, but did not record a statistic.
Angelo Blackson, DE, Houston Texans
In Houston's 20-3 win against Jacksonville, Blackson was credited with two tackles, which makes the third straight week the fourth-year pro recorded multiple tackles in a game. He started his second straight game and fourth of the year as the Texans went on to clinch the AFC South with the victory.
Daniel Carlson, K, Oakland Raiders
Despite losing to Kansas City 35-3, Carlson set an Oakland Raider franchise record for single-season field goal percentage (94.1) after converting 16 of 17 field-goal attempts in 10 games with the Raiders. Carlson concluded his first season in the NFL as the only kicker (of 24) to make every field goal attempt from 50-plus yards. On the season, Carlson went 17 of 21 on field-goal attempts and 24 for 24 on PATs.
Shon Coleman, OL, San Francisco 49ers
Coleman did not see the field in Week 17. The former third-round pick was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the 49ers prior to the season.
Blake Countess, DB, Los Angeles Rams
Countess earned his first start of the season at safety and finished with two tackles and an interception to help the Rams knock off the 49ers, 48-32, in the regular-season finale. It was the second career interception for the third-year pro, who has played primarily on special teams this year. He left Sunday's game with a concussion and his status for the first playoff game is uncertain.
Carlton Davis, CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davis recorded two tackles and a pass deflection as the Buccaneers fell to the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie cornerback, taken in the second round of the NFL draft, started 12 of the 13 games he played in and finished with 40 tackles, four pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Rudy Ford, DB, Arizona Cardinals
Playing exclusively on special teams, Ford failed to record a statistic in a 27-24 loss to the Seahawks. The second-year player started one game this season and finished with nine tackles.
Jeff Holland, LB, Denver Broncos
Holland set a career high with three tackles in just his third NFL game. Even though Denver fell to the Chargers, 23-9, the rookie linebacker played 15 defensive and eight special team snaps.
Jonathan Jones, CB, New England Patriots
Jones concluded the 2018 regular season with at least one tackle in every game as he was credited with two tackles in New England's 38-3 win against the New York Jets to lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC heading into the postseason. Jones also forced his first fumble since Jan. 1, 2017 – the final week of the 2016 regular season – when De'Angelo Henderson fumbled the football on the final play of scrimmage for the Jets.
Brandon King, LB, New England Patriots
A week after being inactive, King played on 17 special team snaps but did not record a statistic as New England knocked off the New York Jets, 38-3.
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
Newton sat out for the second straight week. The former league MVP was the cornerstone of the Panthers offense again this season with 3,395 yards passing, 488 yards rushing and 28 total touchdowns (24 passing, 4 rushing). He also completed a career-best 67.9 percent of his passes.
Cody Parkey, K, Chicago Bears
Parkey converted his only field goal attempt from 42 yards out in a division win over the Vikings. The fifth-year kicker set a new career high with 23 made field goals on 30 attempts in his first season with the Bears and now will prepare for the playoffs, beginning this weekend.
Greg Robinson, OT, Cleveland Browns
Even though Cleveland couldn't spoil Baltimore's season as the Browns fell, 26-24, Robinson and the rest of the Browns offensive line helped quarterback Baker Mayfield achieve a milestone. By throwing three touchdowns Sunday afternoon, Mayfield established a new NFL
rookie passing touchdown mark (27), which was one more than the previous mark set by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.
Neiko Thorpe, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Thorpe made one tackle in the season finale – a 27-24 victory over the Cardinals. He saw snaps on both special teams and defense as a cornerback, Thorpe was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs after leaving Auburn. This is his sixth year in the league.
C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Uzomah hauled in only one pass for six yards as the Bengals fell in Pittsburgh, 16-13. Uzomah concludes his fourth professional season with a career high in starts (15), receptions (43), receiving yards (439), touchdowns (3), catch percentage (67.2) and yards per reception (10.2).
Jermaine Whitehead, S, Cleveland Browns
Whitehead got some run on defense with his new team and recorded two tackles in a 26-24 loss at Baltimore. The fourth-year player, who signed with the Browns in November after beginning the year with the Packers, finished the season with 24 tackles, one sack and two passes defended in 14 games.
Gabe Wright, DL, Oakland Raiders
Active for the second straight week, Wright played 18 snaps on defense and did not record a statistic. The fourth-year player was signed off the practice squad by the Raiders two weeks ago.
DNP (Reserve/Injured or Practice Squad)
Josh Bynes, LB, Arizona Cardinals
Casey Dunn, OL, Washington Redskins
Corey Grant, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh Harris, LS, Atlanta Falcons
Joshua Holsey, CB, Washington Redskins
Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions
Devaroe Lawrence, DL, Cleveland Browns
Carl Lawson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Ricardo Louis, WR, Cleveland Browns
Tray Matthews, DB, Green Bay Packers
Cassanova McKinzy, LB, Washington Redskins
Jonathon Mincy, CB, Chicago Bears
Chad Slade, OL, Houston Texans