Wolverines in the NFL: Charles Woodson announces retirement

Quarterback

Tom Brady (New England Patriots)

Week 15 stats: 23/35 for 237 yards, 2 touchdowns

Another solid game - albeit inconsistent due to the revolving door at wide receiver for the Pats this year - for Tom, so let's just get to the "Brady Briefing" for the week:

• He's "the only [Patriots offensive] starter to not miss any time this season"
• He "needs players to catch the ball"
• He wasn't happy after the refs made a bad offensive pass interference call, negating a 70-yard reception
• All of the uproar over Brady, his personal trainer Alex Guerrero, and the Pats is unwarranted
• He made the Pro Bowl for the 11th time
• Here's the "10 greatest Tom Brady moments from his wild 2015"

Running Back

Denard Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Week 15 stats: 14 carries for 28 yards, 8 receptions for 46 yards, 2 fumbles

Denard struggled in the starting running back spot for the Jags this week. From Big Cat Country:

Denard Robinson is a nice player. He can be a solid change-of-pace back. But when he is your No. 1 running back, your running game is going to suffer. That is just the blunt truth. Denard had a few nice runs today but ultimately his vision looked off and he couldn't create any yards on his own. Add on the two bad fumbles and it was just a really rough game from him.

And some more:

Denard showed this week that while he can be an effective change of pace back, he can not be the foundation of your running game. He lacks the vision and overall consistency that you need...With Denard, there are far too many negative plays when he has a large workload. He has a place on the team, but it is not as the #1 RB.

He also suffered a left foot sprain during his disappointing performance, leaving the rest of his season up in the air.

Wide Receiver

Jason Avant (Kansas City Chiefs)

Week 15 stats: 2 receptions for 12 yards on 2 targets

After failing to record any stats for the last three and five of the last six games, Avant found the stat sheet in Week 15 in a critical win for the Chiefs. His 34 offensive snaps ranked third for Kansas City receivers this week, and he'll look to keep the catches coming against the Bills' bottom-third of the league passing defense next week.

Devin Funchess (Carolina Panthers)

Week 15 stats: 2 receptions for 30 yards and 1 touchdown on 7 targets

You'd like to see more than two catches on seven targets, but I'm sure Funchess and the rest of the Panthers don't care after another win kept them undefeated. On his touchdown, Funchess "ran a nice skinny post route against veteran Dominique Rodgers-Cromatrie, faking left before breaking right to get open in the end zone for a TD. Great route by the rookie..." It seems like Funchess will continue to get looks as long as he keeps making plays.

Defensive Line

Alan Branch (New England Patriots)

Week 15 stats: 1 solo tackle, 2 assists

Branch "continued to contribute a bunch" this week for the Pats. While he did leave this week's game briefly with a right arm injury, he returned, and it doesn't seem to be anything serious. That's good news too as he's been a solid piece of New England's defensive line this year.

Mike Martin (Tennessee Titans)

Week 15 stats: None

Martin did not play this week. This is the eighth week in a row Martin failed to see any game action. He was placed on injured reserve this week for a knee injury, ending his season.

Linebackers

Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)

Week 15 stats: 1 solo tackle

Graham, along with the rest of Philly's defense, performed poorly in Week 15. He earned an ugly -2.1 PFF grade - third worst on the team - due to "bad run defense grades." With the Eagles playoff hopes dwindling, Graham and Co. will look to bounce back next week against Washington.

David Harris (New York Jets)

Week 15 stats: 2 solo tackles

Harris recorded a pair of solo tackles before leaving this week's game due to a back contusion. He's currently listed as day-to-day, and as he's considered the "glue that holds [the Jets] defense together," they will need him to return to action this week as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Patriots.

Jake Ryan (Green Bay Packers)

Week 15 stats: 7 solo tackles

In his third straight start, Ryan continued to rack up solo tackles, giving him 17 total in three straight Green Bay victories. He's being described as "an upgrade at inside linebacker" who "might be more than just a fill-in." Time will tell, but Ryan's play looks promising so far.

Secondary

Leon Hall (Cincinnati Bengals)

Week 15 stats: 5 solo tackles

Hall continues to play even after missing practice during the week due to a back injury he suffered a few weeks ago. He did get beat on one of San Francisco's two second half touchdowns; however, it didn't matter in the end as Cincy won, clinching a playoff berth in the process.

Charles Woodson (Oakland Raiders)

Week 15 stats: 3 solo tackles, 1 tackle for loss

With Woodson announcing his retirement after the end of this season, take a second to relive his best moments at Michigan and read this wonderful retrospective by Ace at MGoBlog. He made the Pro Bowl for the ninth time in his final season, he's a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame, and there's a decent chance he receives some offensive snaps next week in his final home game.

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