Penn State in the NFL: Week 9
As the latter half of this year’s unorthodox NFL season began, production from former Penn State Nittany Lions was average, but there were some decent stat lines.
Thursday night, Robbie Gould of the San Francisco 49ers was perfect on his kicking attempts, hitting one field goal and two extra-point tries in a lowly 34-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Gould continues a strong campaign, as he has now hit 11 of 12 field goal attempts and 24 of 25 extra point attempts.
Gould’s kicking counterpart Sam Ficken of the New York Jets continues to nurse a groin injury, and it kept him out of action for the third straight week. The Jets sit at 0-9 following a close 30-27 loss against the New England Patriots Monday night.
Defensively, there was production from lesser-known names.
New York Giants linebacker Cam Brown recorded one tackle in his team’s 23-20 victory over the Washington Football Team. That tackle forced Washington punt returner Isaiah Wright to fumble, with the Giants recovering. It was only the second solo tackle on the season for Brown, but it was a key moment in the Giants’ win.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib also enjoyed a productive afternoon. The fifth-year pro registered two tackles and one sack in the Raiders’ 31-26 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Nassib now has 16 tackles on the season and 1 ½ sacks.
After recording eight tackles in Week 8, Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos logged five in Thursday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers. It was Amos’ third consecutive game with at least five tackles, giving him 27 on the season.
The most defensive production came from Tennessee Titans defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. In his most productive game of the year, the seventh-year veteran racked up seven total tackles and half a sack in the Titans’ 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears. Jones’ seven tackles were his most in a game since Week 4 of the 2018 season, when the reliable starter recorded nine.
Offensively, there was no scoring, but production was still moderate.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin returned to his team’s lineup after missing last week’s game due to finger surgery. But in the Bucs’ embarrassing 38-3 loss against the New Orleans Saints Sunday night, Godwin amassed only three receptions for 41 yards, both season lows in games he has played.
Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki was 1 yard beyond an identical stat line to Godwin’s, hauling in three receptions for 42 yards in the Dolphins’ 34-31 triumph over the Arizona Cardinals. Although it was his most productive game of the past three weeks, Gesicki has been held without a touchdown since Week 3.
Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson contributed nicely in his team’s loss to the Titans. The seventh-year veteran recorded seven catches for 81 yards, continuing to be the focal point of Chicago’s receiving corps. Robinson now sits with 57 receptions for 712 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
Denver Broncos wide receiver KJ Hamler had another solid afternoon Sunday. After catching a game-winning touchdown a week ago, the rookie appeared to be more involved with the offense, catching six passes for 75 yards in the Broncos’ 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Although he did not find the end zone, the receptions and yards were season and (by extension) career highs for Hamler.
Hamler’s teammate DaeSean Hamilton had a quieter outing. After recording five receptions for 82 yards and a score a week ago, Hamilton was held to just two receptions for 12 yards in the loss. Hamilton continues a relatively quiet campaign, as the third-year man has just 11 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown this season.
Logan Groeneveld-Meijer is a freshman majoring in journalism. To contact him, email lsg5237@psu.edu.
