How they fared in the NFL Week 18: Idaho’s eldest Elliss bros go out in style
The regular season is officially over with the playoffs still to come
Two Elliss brothers of Idaho wrapped up the 2024-25 NFL regular season with the best campaigns of their pro football careers thus far.
Christian Elliss finished his breakout year with the New England Patriots with a team-high 13 tackles in a win over the Buffalo Bills, and Kaden Elliss concluded his best season to date with a team-leading 10 tackles in a loss to the Carolina Panthers.
A third Elliss brother, Jonah Elliss, had just two tackles but his Denver Broncos are headed to the NFL playoffs.
Here’s how all the former Idaho Vandals, Washington State Cougars and the lone Moscow Bear fared in NFL Week 18:
Idaho
LB, Christian Elliss, New England Patriots: The former undrafted free agent racked up a career-best and team-high 13 tackles (five solo) and one pass defensed in a 23-16 win against the Bills. He was the second-highest graded Patriot in the game per Pro Football Focus. He ends the year with by far the best season in his five-year career: 80 tackles (42 solo), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and five passes defensed.
LB, Kaden Elliss, Atlanta Falcons: The eldest Elliss brother ended his season once again leading his team in tackles with 10 (three solo) in a 44-38 loss to the Panthers. Kaden Elliss is an alternate for the Pro Bowl. The sixth-year pro also ends with the best season of his career: He’s the only NFL player with 150-plus tackles (85 solo) and five sacks, along with adding one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and three passes defensed.
LS, Hogan Hatten, Detroit Lions: Hatten snapped for one field goal (1-for-1), four extra points (4-for-4) and two punts in helping the Lions beat the Vikings 31-9 to secure the NFL’s No. 1 playoff seed out of the NFC.
PR/KR/WR Jermaine Jackson, New Orleans Saints: On the practice squad, he did not play in a 27-19 loss to the Buccaneers.
WSU
S, Jaden Hicks, Kansas City Chiefs: The rookie safety tallied five solo tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defensed in a 38-0 loss to the Broncos. The Chiefs rested most of their starters having already secured a No. 1 seed.
CB, Jaylen Watson, Kansas City Chiefs: On the injured reserve with an ankle injury, he did not play in the 38-0 loss to the Broncos.
QB, Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders: The veteran QB is on the injured reserve with a broken collarbone suffered in Week 12 and did not play in a 34-20 loss to the Chargers. He ended his season with 2,013 passing yards, a 66.3% completion rate, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
N, Chau Smith-Wade, Carolina Panthers: Smith-Wade had been having a fantastic rookie season before missing the final two weeks and being placed on the injured reserve with a chest injury. He finished his rookie campaign with 39 tackles (24 solo), one forced fumble and one interception in 14 games.
DT, Daniel Ekuale, New England Patriots: He had three tackles (one solo) in a 23-16 victory against the Bills. He finished his sixth season with a career high 52 tackles (24 solo) and one sack.
LB, Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders: The veteran linebacker recorded nine tackles (seven solo) and one tackle for loss in a 23-19 victory over the rival Cowboys. The Commanders are a No. 6 seed in the NFL playoffs.
LB, Brennan Jackson, Los Angeles Rams: The rookie tallied one pass defensed in a 30-25 loss to the Seahawks. The Rams are a No. 4 seed in the NFL playoffs.
S, Jalen Thompson, Arizona Cardinals: The sixth-year veteran tied for a team high with 10 tackles (five solo) and one tackle for loss. He concluded the year with 98 tackles (61 for loss), two fumble recoveries and three passes defensed in 15 games.
LB, Daiyan Henley, Los Angeles Chargers: The team’s leading tackler compiled five tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss and snagged his first career interception in a 34-20 victory over the Raiders. The Chargers are a No. 5 seed in the NFL playoffs.
OL, Andre Dillard, Green Bay Packers: Dillard was inactive due to an injury and did not play in a 24-22 loss to the Bears.
OL, Abraham Lucas, Seattle Seahawks: Lucas was ruled out with an abdomen injury and did not play in a 30-26 win against the Rams.
WR, River Cracraft, Miami Dolphins: The veteran wideout grabbed four catches on four targets for 38 yards with a long of 15 yards. He finished the season with seven catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns in eight games.
CB, Cam Lampkin, Los Angeles Rams: On the practice squad, he did not play in a 30-25 loss to the Seahawks.
WR, Easop Winston, New York Jets: On the practice squad, he did not play in a 32-20 win against the Dolphins.
Moscow High School
LB, Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos: The rookie collected two tackles in a 38-0 win over the Chiefs. The Broncos are a No. 7 seed in the NFL playoffs.
