Jaxon Smith-Njigba kept his hopes of breaking the record for the most receiving yards in an NFL season alive in a win for the Seattle Seahawks which saw them clinch pole position for the NFC's top seed.
It was a far less favourable result for the Kansas City Chiefs -- already eliminated from playoff contention in week 15 -- who suffered another loss. However, they broke barriers in a different sense, with Chris Oladokun becoming the league's first quarterback of direct African descent to complete a pass in the regular season.
This came off the back of NFL IPP player Chu Godrick being signed to the active roster, and while it has not been the best of seasons for the Chiefs, it has certainly been a year of tremendous progress for African players within their camp.
African Player of the Week: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Smith-Njigba scored the touchdown which ultimately led the Seattle Seahawks to a dramatic 38-37 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams and put them in control of the NFC.
With two weeks to go in the regular season, Smith-Njigba is still within reach of the all-time NFL record for receiving yards. His 96 against the Rams took him to 1,637 for the season. It is a tough ask for him to break Calvin Johnson's record of 1,964 set in 2012. However, the league has certainly seen far greater surprises.
With the Seahawks 37-30 down and just over three minutes left in overtime, Smith-Njigba -- who is of Sierra Leonean descent -- weaved through a sea of bodies to catch the pass down the middle from Sam Darnold for a four-yard touchdown. The subsequent two-point attempt gave them the lead, which they held onto in order to gain the upper hand in a highly competitive NFC West.
The Seahawks are 12-3 for the season, while the San Francisco 49ers and LA Rams are both 11-4.
Smith-Njigba's touchdown may have been his most decisive moment, but he chipped away at the Rams defense as ever throughout the encounter.
One particularly impressive catch came midway through the third quarter, as he sent Josh Wallace and Omar Speights careering into each other with an unbelievable reception for 20 yards in a tight space against the odds.
Smith-Njigba's longest catch of the game was for 27 yards and he helped the Seahawks fight back from 30-14 down in the fourth quarter to clinch a win which established beyond all reasonable doubt their Super Bowl credentials.
African Moment of the Week: Chris Oladokun
Oladokun -- the son of a father with Nigerian roots -- made NFL history in the Kansas City Chiefs' 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans as he became the first ever quarterback of direct African descent to complete a pass in the regular season.
It was a tough outing for the Chiefs and difficult circumstances for Oladokun to make his first significant contribution. Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in the week 15 loss to the LA Chargers which ended their playoff hopes, catapulting Gardner Minshew II into the starting spot and Oladokun into the active roster from the practice squad.
Oladokun had seen limited snaps during a 38-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in the Chiefs' final regular season game of the 2024 season. In that game, he made only a single carry for five yards.
This time, he had his first real chance to show the world what he could do as Minshew went down in the first half. His six-yard pass to Travis Kelce midway through the second quarter made history.
Oladokun struggled to take control of a difficult game in the early stages, but finished with a respectable 11/16 passes completed for 111 yards and seven yards off two carries.
More importantly, the world now has tangible proof thanks to the former South Florida, Samford and South Dakota State quarterback that it is possible for a player of known African heritage to command the offense of an NFL team.
Honorable mentions
The game between the Chiefs and the Titans also saw notable performances by players of African descent on the winning side. Chimere Dike and Chigoziem Okonkwo (both of Nigerian heritage) each scored touchdowns for the Titans.
The Seahawks' win against the Rams also had more to be remembered by the continent for than one performance from a player of African descent. Nick Emmanwori (ties to Nigeria) made 11 tackles for the Seahawks, while Harare-born Nate Landman made a sack in defeat for the Rams.
The Atlanta Falcons' 26-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals was another game which saw notable defensive moments from players of African heritage on both sides.
BJ Ojulari (of Nigerian descent) got a sack for the Cardinals, but Arnold Ebiketie (born in Yaoundé) - managed to pick one up himself and ended up on the winning side.
In the New York Giants' 16-13 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings, a valiant effort from Bobby Okereke, who is of Nigerian descent (13 tackles) and Paulson Adebo, who has roots in Benin and picked up an interception was ultimately in vain.
Africa-born Player Watch
Given that he picked up both a sack from an individual perspective and a win from a team lens, Ebiketie goes down as the standout African-born player in week 16.
His impressive shift came at a vital time, with his contract due to expire at the end of the season. The Falcons are no longer in playoff contention, so Ebiketie can only play twice more before a decision on his future has to be made.