NFL locals: Daiyan Henley catches first career interception as Chargers take fifth seed in AFC

Breakout second-year linebacker Daiyan Henley (WSU) picked up his first career interception for the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

With less than a minute until halftime, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell overthrew a ball up the middle, which dropped into Henley’s hands.

“They can’t take a sack, it’s a two-minute drill,” Henley said of the interception after the game. “We knew that if he was getting a lot of pressure, he’d get the ball out fast. I saw the guy settle a little bit in front of me and I was able to trick him.”

Henley also had five tackles – two solo – in the victory.

“Them giving me a shot, that goes to the coaches, that goes to (head coach Jim) Harbaugh, that goes to (general manager) Joe (Horitz) – letting me be on that field … it’s appreciation,” Henley said of his second season with the Chargers.

Los Angeles scraped by the Raiders with a 34-20 win and hold the fifth seed in the AFC entering the playoffs.

Henley led the Chargers in tackles this season with 147, which was good for top 10 in the NFL.

• The New England Patriots finished the season on a high note, in large part due to a big game from Christian Elliss (Idaho).

Elliss, a fourth-year linebacker, recorded a career high in combined tackles in the 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills. Elliss collected 13 tackles – five solo – and a pass defended.

The Patriots finished the year at 4-13 and were well short of the postseason.

“We’re not worried about the draft, as the players in the locker room,” Elliss said in a news conference after the game. “We’re worried about winning. We’re worried about putting our best foot forward. … We went out there and tried to win.”

Kendrick Bourne (EWU), a wide receiver for New England, had two catches for 22 yards. Bourne just completed his fourth year with the Patriots and has two years remaining on his contract.

• Devin Culp (Gonzaga Prep), a rookie tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, continued to receive end-of-the-year work.

Culp, who played his college career with the Washington Huskies, caught the first ball of his professional career last week and reeled in two more catches for 36 yards against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Buccaneers won 27-19.

Tampa Bay views Culp as a valuable piece of the future and could receive more playing time next season. The Buccaneers won the NFC South and hold the third seed in the NFC.

• Jalen Thompson (WSU), a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, put together a solid performance in Arizona’s final game of the season.

The sixth-year player had 10 tackles – five solo and one for a loss – in the 47-24 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers.

Thompson has one more year on his contract with the Cardinals.

• Kaden Elliss (Idaho), a linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, finished the year doing what he did all season – tackling.

Elliss had a team-high 10 tackles – three solo – in the 44-38 loss to the Carolina Panthers, which marked the end of Atlanta’s season after falling a few games short of the playoffs.

Elliss led the Falcons in combined tackles by nearly 50 tackles and was top 10 in the NFL. He will return to Atlanta next year as a core defensive piece.

• Frankie Luvu (WSU), a linebacker in his first year with the Washington Commanders, closed out a strong regular season on Sunday with another high-tackle outing.

Luvu had nine tackles – seven solo and one for a loss – in the 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Washington will enter the playoffs with the sixth seed in the NFC. Although he had some inconsistent stretches, Luvu will be an important defensive piece as the Commanders will look to compete in the postseason.

• It was a quiet year for River Cracraft (WSU) after suffering an injury during preseason, but he was able to return late in the season to play a few games.

Cracraft had four catches for 38 yards in the 32-20 loss to the New York Jets. He had six catches for the season. Cracraft will become an unrestricted free agent after Miami missed the playoffs.

• Jaden Hicks (WSU), a rookie safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, racked up five solo tackles – one for a loss – to go with a pass defended in the 38-0 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Kansas City rested starters on Sunday as it already locked up the top seed in the AFC.

• Brennan Jackson (WSU), a defensive end, saw some playing time on Sunday after receiving limited opportunities throughout the course of his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams.

Jackson recorded one pass defended in the 30-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams and Seahawks both finished at 10-7 atop the NFC West, but the Rams hold the tiebreaker via strength of wins and will play in the postseason.

Cooper Kupp (EWU), a wide receiver for Los Angeles, rested along with several other Rams’ starters as they prepare for the playoffs.