Iowa Hawkeyes in the NFL: Week 16 Roundup

George Kittle is within reach of making NFL history after leading San Francisco with seven catches and 74 receiving yards in their 14-9 loss to the Bears on Sunday. Kittle, who commanded 12 targets from quarterback Nick Mullens, is now at 79 receptions for 1,228 yards on the season, and was selected as a Pro Bowler last week.

Kittle needs exactly 100 yards next week against the Rams to surpass Rob Gronkowski’s single-season tight end receiving record. He talked about his affinity for pro wrestling and how his playing style channels the attitude of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Anthony Hitchens tallied 12 tackles with one-half for a loss in the Chiefs 38-31 loss in Seattle. It marked the second straight double-digit tackle game for Hitchens, and his sixth on the season. Hitchens ranks fifth in the NFL with 126 tackles this season despite missing one game due to injury.

Micah Hyde delivered a standout performance in the Bills’ 24-12 loss to the Patriots, racking up eight tackles — including one-half for a loss — and recovering the following Rex Burkhead fumble:

Hyde authored a post for the Bills’ official website discussing how he was able to give back to the Buffalo community this holiday season. He and his wife Amanda gave away 250 pairs of Nikes to children from Buffalo’s Boys & Girls Club as part of Hyde’s Imagine for Youth Foundation. He also talked about trying to close the season strong and looking forward to next year.

“We have a young group and we feel we’re going in the right direction,” he said. “Earlier in the season, we wish we could’ve gotten some more wins, but that’s life in the NFL, and it’s why we find ourselves in the position we’re in now. But, we’re going to keep building and strive to make plays and finish the season on a winning note.”

Bryan Bulaga returned to action for the Packers after missing two straight contests with a knee injury. He helped Green Bay to a 44-38 overtime win over the Jets. He also got caught up in an exchange that saw New York’s Leonard Williams ejected for throwing a punch at Bulaga, which Aaron Rodgers took exception to.

Josh Jackson was credited for a pass defensed on this excellent play in one-on-one coverage against New York’s Robbie Anderson. He’s up to nine passes defensed for his rookie season.

Josey Jewell started for the sixth time in nine games Monday for Denver, and accumulated a team-high six tackles in Monday’s loss to the Raiders.

Desmond King had four tackles and had a 24-yard punt return in the Chargers’ 22-10 loss to Baltimore on Saturday.

Adrian Clayborn was a healthy scratch for New England’s win over Buffalo, missing a game for the first time as a Patriot.