Penn State in the NFL: Week 8

Story posted November 3, 2021 in CommRadio, Sports by Darian Capobianco

With the NFL season in full swing, Week 8 had rapidly come and gone. As the league transitions past the halfway mark of the season, here is a look at how former Nittany Lions fared in this past week of action.

Packers (24) at Cardinals (21)

Adrian Amos had five tackles.

Michael Menet remained on the Cardinals practice squad and Jack Crawford is still on injured reserve. Ross Travis didn’t accrue any action as the backup tight end.

Dolphins (11) at Bills (26)

Mike Gesicki logged three receptions for 48 yards in the loss to the Bills.

Ryan Bates served as the backup center for the Bills and didn’t log any action.

Steelers (15) at Browns (10)

Pat Freiermuth caught four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. This is the Steelers tight end’s second career touchdown.

Marcus Allen made seven tackles at his hybrid safety-linebacker position.

Bengals (31) at Jets (34)

There are no Nittany Lions currently on the Bengals or the Jets.

Titans (34) at Colts (31)

Sam Ficken remains on injured reserve for the Titans.

Will Fries was inactive again and Robert Windsor is still on injured reserve for the Colts.

Eagles (44) at Lions (6)

Miles Sanders was placed on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury in Week 7. The running back will be sidelined for at least three weeks.

Amani Oruwariye logged four tackles in the loss against the Eagles. Jason Cabinda didn’t see any action at fullback for the Lions.

49ers (33) at Bears (22)

Kevin Givens had one tackle against the Bears, while Robbie Gould remained on injured reserve.

Allen Robinson had three catches for 21 yards against the 49ers, though many believe he continues to be underutilized in the Bears’ offense.

His teammate, Jesse James, logged three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown as the backup tight end.

Rams (38) at Texans (22)

Nick Scott made two tackles in a win over the Texans, while Grant Haley remained on the Rams’ practice squad.

Panthers (19) at Falcons (13)

Yetur Gross-Matos had three tackles and one sack in a win against the Falcons. Daquan Jones played but didn’t log any statistics.

Jaguars (7) at Seahawks (31)

John Reid made one tackle in a win over the Jaguars.

Patriots (27) at Chargers (24)

There are no Nittany Lions currently on the Patriots or Chargers.

Buccaneers (27) at Saints (36)

Chris Godwin had a monster game, racking up eight receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown in a loss against the Saints, and Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith didn’t allow any sacks in the game.

Blake Gillikin punted the ball three times for 158 yards, the longest going for 63 yards. The Saints punter landed one punt inside the 20. Juwan Johnson, who was targeted only once in the game, didn’t log any catches.

Washington (10) at Broncos (17)

Troy Apke made two tackles at the cornerback position in a loss over the Broncos. Shaka Toney was inactive for the game.

KJ Hamler remained on injured reserve and DaeSean Hamilton remained out for the Broncos, as both receivers are dealing with knee injuries.

Cowboys (20) at Vikings (16)

Micah Parsons had a great game, racking up 11 tackles in a win against the Vikings. Connor McGovern served as the backup right guard for Dallas.

Dan Chisena was active but didn’t log any statistics at receiver for Minnesota.

Giants (17) at Chiefs (20)

Saquon Barkley remained out for a third consecutive game due to ankle swelling, Cam Brown made three tackles at the linebacker position and Austin Johnson made two tackles in the loss to the Chiefs.

Bye Weeks

Odafe Oweh, Trace McSorley, Nick Bowers, Carl Nassib and Koa Farmer were on bye weeks.

Penn State Football Alumni Transactions:

The Eagles placed running back Miles Sanders on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

The 49ers are expected to open the practice window for kicker Robbie Gould this week.

The 49ers activated Kevin Givens from injured reserve.

Giants running back Saquon Barkley was inactive for a second straight game due to swelling in his ankle. The running back hopes to play in the upcoming matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.


Penn State Alumni Touchdown Count after Week 8: 18


Darian Capobianco is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email dpc5734@psu.edu.