NFL Player News

Mickens returned five kickoffs for 121 yards and ran back two punts for 10 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win over the Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Mickens once again toiled almost exclusively on special teams, logging just three snaps from scrimmage as the No. 5 receiver with Antonio Brown (knee) out of action. The speedy four-year pro averaged an impressive 24.2 yards per kickoff return Sunday, and given that special teams have played a prominent part in turning the tide of multiple Super Bowls, Mickens stands a chance of making an impact in the upcoming, potentially high-scoring title game versus the Chiefs.

Johnson secured one of two targets for 16 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win over the Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The rookie made another one of his trademark contested catches on a Tom Brady bullet in the second half, but it was the one ball he didn't bring in that was arguably even more prominent. Facing a third-and-4 with 1:46 remaining and trying to preserve a five-point lead, Brady surprisingly targeted Johnson on a right-to-left crossing route. Johnson got some separation from the trailing Kevin King, which caused the latter to grab hold of the wideout's undershirt and draw a critical pass interference penalty. Johnson had only 12 receptions during the regular season, but Brady has displayed trust in him by looking for him in the red zone and on tough throws during the postseason. However, if Antonio Brown (knee) is back for the Super Bowl LV matchup against the Chiefs as expected, Johnson likely will share No. 4 receiver duties with Scotty Miller during that contest.

Davis (ankle) failed to reel in any of his three targets during Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

With everyone suited up for the Buffalo offense -- namely John Brown and Cole Beasley -- Davis only saw 22 percent of the offensive snaps, his lowest total in any game this season. While Davis and the Bills left a little on the table to the powerful Chiefs, the 2020 fourth-rounder should be pleased with his first campaign. Davis appeared in all 16 regular-season games, posting a 35-599-7 line on 62 targets. The TD catches ranked in a tie for second among all NFL rookies, while the yardage total was ninth. The only real cause for concern is if Brown remains part of the team's plan for 2021, as Davis would sit fourth in the WR pecking order behind Stefon Diggs, Brown and Beasley entering Week 1. But how often do three veteran receivers all stay healthy for long stretches?

Beasley caught seven of nine targets for 88 yards in Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Beasley finished as the Bills' leading receiver on a night where the usually dominant duo of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs were held in check. The slot specialist took another step forward in his second season with Buffalo, setting new career bests in receptions (82) and yardage (967) while hitting pay dirt four times across 15 contests during the regular season. Even with consistent improvements, the veteran receiver was only a must-roster player in PPR formats, offering a high floor and consistent targets to offset a lack of touchdowns. The four-year, $29 million contract Beasley signed back in 2019 is starting to look like a bargain for one the game's top slot receivers.

Diggs had six receptions (11 targets) for 77 yards in Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Josh Allen and the Bills' offensive line struggled against Kansas City's defense, resulting in modest outputs for the skill position players, Diggs included. In fact, the 26-year-old's final line was bolstered by an acrobatic big play that was made in garbage time. Despite a bitter finish, Diggs produced career highs in receptions (127), yards (1,535) and targets (166) while scoring eight times across 16 regular-season games. It is a rare occurrence to claim that a receiver that is as highly regarded as Diggs "broke out" in 2020, but that's exactly what happened after being traded to Buffalo last offseason. Allen and Diggs lifted each other's games to new levels, firmly placing each in the elite tier of their respective positions heading into the 2021 season.

Hill reeled in nine of 11 targets for 172 yards during Sunday's 38-24 win against the Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

During Kansas City's divisional-round win against the Browns, Hill and Travis Kelce became the second set of teammates in Chiefs franchise history to each eclipse 100 receiving yards in a playoff game, joining Ed Podolak and Elmo Wright (1971). Both Hill and Kelce surpassed the century mark again Sunday, with Hill's 71-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter very nearly providing his first score of the postseason. The three-time All-Pro has totaled 17 playoff receptions for 282 yards heading into a Super Bowl matchup on Sunday, Feb. 7 against a Tampa Bay defense that conceded nine catches, 67 yards and a TD to Green Bay's Davante Adams in the NFC Championship Game.

Lazard recorded three receptions on six targets for 62 yards in Sunday's 31-26 loss in the NFC Championship Game against Tampa Bay.

Lazard made several clutch grabs, including a 23-yard reception late in the first quarter to convert on third down to keep a drive alive that ultimately ended with a touchdown. He topped 15 yards with his other two receptions on the day, one of which directly led to another score for the Packers. Lazard was limited to 11 games during the regular season by a core-muscle injury but improved his performance from a per-game perspective in his third season as a professional. Heading into the 2021 season, Lazard in an exclusive rights free agent, meaning the team simply can tender a contract to retain him.

Valdes-Scantling recorded four receptions on six targets for 115 yards and one touchdown in a 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Valdes-Scantling opened the scoring for the Packers with a 50-yard touchdown reception early in the second quarter. He also connected with Aaron Rodgers for a number of other big gains, including receptions of 29 and 24 yards. The performance marked only the second time that he surpassed 100 yards in either a regular-season or postseason contest during the 2020 campaign. Valdes-Scantling will enter the 2021 season in the final year of his rookie contract.

Adams recorded nine receptions on 15 targets for 67 yards and a touchdown in the Packers' 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

As has become the norm, Adams saw a multitude of targets -- accounting for 31 percent of Aaron Rodgers' pass attempts. Adams turned that into a decent statistical performance, but he was held to 15 yards or fewer on all of his receptions. Despite not being able to work deep, he did haul in a two-yard touchdown grab in the midst of a dramatic comeback attempt. Adams will head into the final year of his contract in 2021 and should return to form as a top receiver remaining paired with Rodgers.

Miller brought in two of three targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win over the Packers in Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

The speedster was expected to fill an elevated role to a degree in the absence of Antonio Brown (knee), and Miller looked very much like his injured teammate during his Steelers heyday on a 39-yard scoring grab off a go route late in the first half. Miller made chunk plays his signature throughout his second season, with seven of his 33 catches going for more than 20 yards and his one reception during a divisional-round victory against the Saints resulting in a 29-yard gain. Despite Sunday's heroics, Miller could well be back to his No. 4 wideout role in Super Bowl LV if Brown is able to return for that Feb. 7 contest.