Long before the word “goat” became a capital letter, a mnemonic, and internet usage to “GOAT,” it meant something very different. The “goat” – or “scapegoat” – was the person responsible for a loss, the one remembered for all the wrong reasons. Think of Léon Lett. Think Bill Buckner. Think literally of “The Curse of the Goat” that would have plagued the Cubs for decades. Jackie Smith – a Hall of Fame tight end who played for 16 years – dropped a ball at Super Bowl XIIIand guess what the first thing Google suggests when you search for his name?
Now we have the “GOAT” – the greatest of all time, even if it’s vaguely talked about. Just one clutch performance can turn a good player into a legend. Think of Dwight Clark, a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro now immortalized with a statue, thanks to “The catch.” The examples vary widely, but almost every franchise has its GOATS and GOATs, even if they only won those titles for one notable play. Remember “The Catch Helmet” by David Tyree?
The playoffs, of course, are where legends are made, good and bad. This NFL the playoffs will be no different. Here are 10 NFL players who will be remembered forever, one way or another, for what they do in the weeks to come.
(NOTE: There are no quarterbacks on this list, because every quarterback is an easy GOAT or Goat candidate. That’s football.)
Rapid expansion Detroit has made giant strides in his third NFL season. Williams hardly played at all as a rookie returning from a serious knee injury, and his turbulent sophomore season was marked by explosive plays, but also falls and a gambling suspension. It was as tantalizing as it was frustrating. .
This year, Williams surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and scored eight total touchdowns. His 17.3 yards per reception were the most of any 1,000-yard receiver. The Lions have used him in a variety of ways and, for the most part, he has delivered on his promise.
It’s the “for the most part” that’s scary. Williams is still a growing player, and while he’s been much better at not giving up the ball (only three all season), a few of his drops have been on potential big plays. There is certainly a scenario in which Williams wins deep in an important situation, and whether or not he converts will be important.
The Commanders made the biggest splash of the trade deadline by acquiring Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Saints. But the fiery and talented cornerback has only played in two games since joining Washington; he was nursing a hamstring injury when he arrived, and he aggravated it in a win over the Eagles just before Christmas. He hasn’t played since, but is expected to return against the Buccaneers.
This brings us to the elephant in the room: Mike Evans. Lattimore and Evans, it’s safe to say, don’t like each other.
In Lattimore’s very small sample on the field, opposing quarterbacks had a quarterback rating of 58.6. When he’s not on the field, that number is 103.8. Lattimore alone allowed just five assists on 13 pass attempts as the primary defender during his short time in the nation’s capital. Without him on the field, Washington uses Benjamin St.-Juste, who is tied for the league lead in coverage penalties (seven) and is Pro Football Focus’ 113th ranked cornerback (of 116). It’s safe to say there’s a lot riding on Lattimore’s shoulders…and hamstring.
Yes, a kicker. But not just any kicker. It’s Justin Tucker, whose the name and reputation are very different from its performance this season. His field goal percentage of 73.3 percent is 36th of 44 players who have attempted at least one field goal, and he has made just 6 of 11 from 50 yards or more. He missed two field goals in a two-point loss to the Steelers. He missed two field goals and an extra point in a five-point loss to the Eagles. Against the best teams in the playoffs, where every point counts, the Ravens can ill afford a similar performance.
We could have gone several ways for the Steelers, who are the first team on four-game playoff losing streak since the 1999 Lions. But Pickens is the guy who brings Pittsburgh’s offense closest to its best, a guy whose talent is truly irreplaceable. The mercurial receiver has four catches (on 13 targets) for 50 yards and no touchdowns since returning from a hamstring injury, and his regular season finale against the Bengals was… far from inspiring.
Pickens is an elite downfield threat, and because Wilson relies heavily on the deep ball — a notoriously unreliable source of offense — he needs more from his top receiver.
Bucky Irving has it. Regardless, the Buccaneers rookie guard – one of my favorite players to watch this season – is simply a tremendous football player. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Irving brings a level of physicality that belies those measurements while also providing the juice and explosiveness typical of an undersized running back.
Irving was on a timeshare with Rachaad White earlier this season, which is no surprise for a fourth-round rookie. Yet as the season progressed, Irving’s talent became undeniable and his playing time increased. He has played at least half of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps in six games this season, including five since Week 11. In those six games, he is averaging 135 yards from scrimmage per game and has scored five touchdowns.
This season, Irving ranks sixth in yards above expectation per carry, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He managed a season-high 72% snap share in the must-win Week 18 contest against the Saints. In Week 1, he rushed for 62 yards on just nine carries against the Commanders, who have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL. This is finally Irving’s backfield, and he can make a major impact this weekend and potentially beyond.
At his best, Jalen Carter is an absolute destroyer, on par with any interior defensive lineman in the league. He finished tied for second in tackles for loss (12) and forced fumbles (two) and second in passes produced (six) among defensive tackles this season. Against the Ravens, Carter had one sack, three tackles for loss and eight (!!!) pressures. He also makes spectacular plays in the running game, using his ridiculous combination of speed/strength/size/suddenness to outrun blockers in the blink of an eye.
Carter can run a little hot and cold, especially as a run defender, but overall he has been excellent. However, one area that could turn him into a goat is penalties. His three unnecessary roughness penalties this year were tied for most in the NFL.
When the Vikings acquired Cam Robinson to replace the injured Christian Darrisaw, they hoped the former Jaguar could provide solid enough play that Darrisaw’s absence — while noticeable — wouldn’t be a major issue.
Instead, since Week 9, Robinson has allowed five more carries (35) than any other offensive lineman in the NFL. His 32 pressures allowed during that span are tied for second, and his 57.5 PFF grade ranks 41st out of 45 qualifying tackles. This was one of the more disappointing mid-season moves. In Sunday’s loss to the Lions, with the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line, Robinson allowed a career-high eight pressures and a sack.
Robinson has had some good games for Minnesota – Week 17 against the Packers, for example – and the Vikings are counting on him to bounce back.
That still sums up the Chargers’ feel-good season as a whole. The fifth-round rookie has become the team’s best cornerback, with his ball traveling from one side (five interceptions as a senior at Maryland) to the other (four interceptions this season, tied for second among recruits). He allowed many big plays, but such are the trials and tribulations of a young cornerback. In general, the feedback has been extremely positive, especially since he often goes against the opposition’s best receiver.
It starts with Nico Collins in the wild-card game against the Texans. How Still holds up could go a long way in determining which team advances.
9. All bills rush through
Insert the name of your choice. The Bills need someone to bring pressure after the team ranked 23rd in sack rate and pressure rate this season. Here are some of the candidates:
- Von Miller achieved GOAT status in Denver – the team he will face to open these playoffs – nine years ago when he won Super Bowl 50 MVPs. In total, he had five sacks and two forced fumbles during the playoffs. Six years later, he had four sacks and six tackles for loss in his second game. Super Bowl run, this time with the Rams. Miller actually had the best pressure rate (16.1%) – albeit in limited snaps – for Buffalo this season. Was he booked for the playoffs?
- Greg Rousseau led the Bills with eight sacks this season, and he has been one of the league’s most effective pressure creators on a snap basis over the past three seasons.
- AJ Epenesa might be the Bills’ best player at creating quick pressures, although it was a somewhat down year after an improved 2023. He’s still looking for his first career sack in the playoffs.
- Ed Oliver is one of the best interior passers in the league. Like Epenesa, he had better numbers last year, but there is a lot of talent here.
Playing cornerback opposite Patrick Surtain II is a difficult task, because Surtain is so good that teams often avoid throwing to him. Moss has been solid this season, and it’s no coincidence that the Broncos’ pass defense took a nosedive when he missed time with a knee injury.
Moss returned to a rude awakening in Week 17, when he was often on the wrong side of Tee Higgins’ 11-catch, 131-yard, three-touchdown performance. Cornerback is an inherently volatile position, and there are few if any teams that have the receiving corps that the Bengals have. But Moss will be very busy no matter who he faces.
