Only one week remains in the 2024 NFL regular season. As it stands right now, Hayden Hurst and the Chargers are the only Gamecocks locked into a playoff spot in the AFC. Nate Adkins and the Broncos are still alive. Denver needs to beat the Chiefs at home to qualify for the seventh and final spot. That task will be easier than it sounds as Patrick Mahomes will not play in what is a meaningless game for Kansas City. (They have the top spot locked up again).
There will be a few more Gamecocks in the NFC side of the bracket. DBs Stephon Gilmore (Vikings) and Keisean Nixon (Packers) are locked into the playoffs. Minnesota can clinch the top overall seed if they can beat Detroit at Ford Field Sunday night. The Lions edged the Vikings 31-29 in Minnesota earlier this season. Nixon's teammate Kingsley Enagbare is the other Gamecock on an active roster that is locked into the playoffs.
Stats and highlights from Week 17 below.
Miami Dolphins- Cam Smith (DB): Smith is on the IR for the second time this season with a shoulder injury. He has 16 tackles on the season.
New England Patriots- Marcellas Dial (DB): Marcellas played 25 snaps on special teams and three on defense without recording a stat. Dial has seven tackles on the season and a forced fumble.
Kevin Harris (RB): Harris is on the Patriots practice squad. This is his third season in the NFL.
New York Jets- Javon Kinlaw (DL): Javon played 34 snaps on defense and six on special teams without recording a stat in the Jets blowout loss to Buffalo. Kinlaw has 38 tackles, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and 3.5 sacks on the season.
Zack Bailey (OL): Bailey is a member of the Jets practice squad. He has not appeared in a game in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts- Chris Lammons (DB): Lammons played 17 snaps on special teams without recording a stat in the Colts backbreaking loss to the Giants. Chris has 12 total tackles on the season with a sack, a forced fumble and two recovered fumbles.
Jacksonville Jaguars- Dennis Daley (OL): Daley is on the Jags practice squad. This is his sixth season in the NFL.
Los Angeles Chargers- Hayden Hurst (TE): Hurst missed the Chargers blowout win over New England with an illness. Hayden has eight catches for 73 yards on the season.
Denver Broncos- Nate Adkins (TE): Nate caught his only target for seven yards in Denver's overtime loss to the Bengals. He has five tackles and 11 catches for 90 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
Nick Gargiulo (OL): Nick is a member of the Broncos practice squad. This is his rookie season.
Kansas City Chiefs- Darius Rush (DB): Rush is on the Chiefs practice squad. This is his second season in the NFL.
New York Giants- Dante Miller (RB): Miller is on the Giants practice squad. He has one tackle on the season.
Dallas Cowboys- Rico Dowdle (RB): The Cowboys were thumped by the Eagles but Rico became the first Gamecock to rush for 1,000 yards in an NFL season since Duce Staley. He had 104 yards on 23 carries and caught one pass for four yards. He did fumble once. Rico has 37 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns and 1,007 rushing yards this season with one touchdown.
Jalen Brooks (WR): Brooks caught his only target for 12 yards. Jalen has 12 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown on the season.
Israel Mukuamu (DB): Izzy recorded two tackles. He has 18 tackles and two interceptions on the season.
Chicago Bears- Zacch Pickens (DL): Pickens was inactive for the Bears TNF loss to the Seahawks. He has 19 tackles and a sack on the season.
Green Bay Packers- Keisean Nixon (DB/RS): Keisean had nine tackles and defended a pass. This season he has 82 total tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, seven passes defended and an interception.
Kingsley Enagbare (DL): Kingsley recorded two tackles in the Packers loss to the Vikings. Enagbare has 39 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles on the season.
Minnesota Vikings- Stephon Gilmore (CB): Stephon had five tackles. He has 54 tackles, an interception and nine defended passes on the season.
Nick Muse (TE): Muse is a member of the Vikings practice squad. This is his third season in the NFL.
Carolina Panthers- Jadeveon Clowney (DL/LB): Clowney had two total tackles and a sack in the Panthers blowout loss to Tampa Bay. He has 42 tackles on the season with 4.5 sacks and three defended pass.
D.J. Wonnum (DL): Wonnum had five total tackles. D.J. has 27 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble on the season.
Jaycee Horn (DB): Jaycee was inactive with a hip injury, he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Horn has 68 tackles, 13 defended passes, two sacks and an interception on the season.
Xavier Legette (WR): Xavier caught five passes for 28 yards. He has 46 catches for 467 yards on the season with four touchdowns.
Atlanta Falcons- Jovaughn Gwyn (OL): Gwyn is on the Falcons practice squad. Jovaughn has appeared in one game this season.
New Orleans Saints- Adam Prentice (FB): Adam played 6 snaps on offense and 17 on special teams recording a tackle in the Saints loss to the Raiders. He has seven tackles on the season.
Spencer Rattler (QB): Spencer is doing what he can in a terrible situation. Rattler went 20-36 passing for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was also the Saints leading rusher with 46 yards. Rattler is 104-for-186 with 1,077 yards, three touchdown and five interceptions. He has also rushed 17 times for 135 yards.
Seattle Seahawks- Ernest Jones (LB): Jones recorded six total tackles. Ernest has 129 total tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and three defended passes on the season.
San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel (WR): Deebo didn't fill the stat sheet but he did find the end zone in the 49ers MNF loss to Detroit. He had one catch for five yards and a touchdown and three rushes for 16 yards. Deebo also returned four kicks for 128 yards. Samuel has 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns on the season and 42 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown.
