Week 17 of the 2023 National Football League regular season is now complete. Here are the top five performances by rookies on winning teams.
5) Rashee Rice
The rookie wide receiver from North Richland Hills, Texas helped the Kansas City Chiefs clinch the AFC West. Rashee Rice had five catches for 127 receiving yards as the Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 25-17. Dropped passes have been a major problem for the Chiefs all season, but on this afternoon, Rice caught five of six targets.
4) Puka Nacua
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver from Las Vegas, Nevada was number one in week 16. On Sunday, he caught five passes for 118 yards, and had two rushes for 19 yards as the Rams defeated the New York Giants 26-25. With the win, the Rams clinched a playoff spot with a record of nine wins and seven losses.
3) Bo Melton
The Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver from Egg Harbor City, New Jersey had the best game of his NFL career on New Year’s Eve night, as he caught six passes for 105 yards and one touchdown, as the Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings 33-10. Melton’s touchdown was a nine-yard catch from Jordan Love, and put the Packers up 30-3.
2) Zay Flowers
The Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Florida had three catches for 106 yards and one touchdown as the Ravens thumped the Miami Dolphins 56-19. Flowers’s touchdown catch was for 75 yards from 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, which put the Ravens up 21-13 at the time. With the win, the Ravens clinched the top seed in the AFC at 13 wins and three losses.
1) Jayden Reed
This Packers rookie receiver from Chicago, Illinois, was even better than Melton. He had six catches for 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Reed’s catches were for 33 yards and 25 yards. With the win, the Packers improve to a record of eight wins and eight losses, and currently hold the final playoff spot in the NFC.
