Penn State in the NFL: Week 1
What a start to the season for Penn Staters gone pro. On both sides of the ball, several Nittany Lions got off to a great start in the 2022 NFL season.
Here's a look at some of the week's top performers.
Jahan Dotson, WR, WSH
We’ll open up with one of the Nittany Lions' most recent first-round draft picks.
In a loaded wide receiver class in the last draft, Dotson had the hottest start in his debut game.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dotson had three receptions for 40 yards and two touchdowns.
Dotson’s first catch in the league went for six, and his final catch in the game was a go-ahead score in a two-minute drill to give the Commanders a win.
Saquon Barkley, RB, NYG
He’s back!
Following an injury-riddled 2020 and down 2021 seasons, Barkley made his return in a big way on the opening week against the Tennessee Titans.
On 18 carries, Barkley ran for 164 yards and scored a touchdown during the win.
Barkley’s most memorable play from the game arguably came after the Giants got a late touchdown and chose to go for the two-point conversion for the win.
The Giants were successful as Barkley was on the receiving end of a Daniel Jones pass for the win.
Miles Sanders, RB, PHI
Staying in the same position, Sanders was able to break a long streak during the Eagles' win.
The Eagles running back scored his first touchdown since the 2020 season during a win against the Detroit Lions.
Along with that touchdown, Sanders ran for 96 yards on 13 carries.
Sanders finished as the Eagles' leading rusher in a game where they ran for over 200 yards.
Nick Scott, FS, LAR
Let’s change sides of the ball.
While many will remember Nick Scott as the guy who got stiff-armed by Josh Allen, that just ain’t fair considering how well he played.
Scott finished the contest with seven total tackles while also having a pass deflection and forced fumble during the loss.
While it was the Buffalo Bills who got the win embarrassingly, Scott was one of the lone bright spots during opening night.
Micah Parsons, LB, DAL
Sticking with the defense, Parsons stayed hot after a strong rookie campaign a year ago.
After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, Parsons started his season on Monday Night Football and remained dominant.
Parsons collected five total tackles and two sacks in a loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jaquan Brisker, SS, CHI
The Windy City may have found a star after a close week one win.
Brisker helped lead a dominant performance against the San Francisco 49ers as he finished with four tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Having Brisker at strong safety opposite Eddie Jackson, who came away with an interception should be a fun duo to watch this season.
Trace McSorley, QB, ARI
Yep, he played.
After initially making the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before week one, McSorley was elevated to the active roster after a Colt McCoy injury.
Things didn’t go too well for the Cardinals against the Kansas City Chiefs, so for the final drive of the game, McSorley came in at quarterback.
The former TikTok sensation completed two of his four passes for 12 yards and also ran for 20 yards as he was in the game until time expired.
Jordan Stout, P, BAL
No doubt this one went unnoticed by fans who weren’t watching this game.
In a win against the New York Jets, Stout punted six times and pinned the Jets inside their own 20-yard line on half of those kicks.
Stout made it tough for the Jets to come back in this game all day and allowed the Ravens to pull away with a win.
Logan Bourandas is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.
