C.J. Stroud, Josh Downs among most important young players from each AFC team involved in wild-card race

The AFC wild-card race is bonkers, and we still have four weeks of regular-season football remaining. I’ve never seen it this competitive this late in the season, have you? Normally by now, the top wild-card team is clearly better and light-years ahead of the four or five teams vying for one or two of the remaining spots. 

Not the case this year. There’s a mere one game in the standings separating the currently No. 5 seed Browns and the No. 11 seed Bills. 

In this frenzied wild-card race will be plenty of backup quarterbacks and a litany of young players growing in their importance to their respective clubs. Let’s pick the most important young player from each of the seven AFC teams part of the wild-card race before Week 15’s action. 

2022 third-round pick

Emerson was the best player on the field in the Browns’ rather impressive home win over the Jaguars with two interceptions and a three pass breakups in the 31-27 victory. The former Mississippi State star has been incalculably vital to the Browns secondary as Pro Bowler — and borderline All-Pro — cornerback Denzel Ward has been out the past three contests with a shoulder injury. In his absence, Emerson has held down the fort reasonably well. 

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/c-j-stroud-josh-downs-among-most-important-young-players-from-each-afc-team-involved-in-wild-card-race/

Author : Chris Trapasso

Publish date : 2023-12-11 16:51:05

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