During week seven of the NFL season, several NC State football Pack Pros routinely put forth strong performances. Despite varying team successes, Wolfpack alumni continue to make the program proud.
Ikem Ekwonu – Carolina Panthers, OT
This season has had many ups and downs for Ekwonu and the Panthers. In the past few weeks, they fired their head coach and traded away two of their best offensive weapons. Expectations were not high as the 1-5 Panthers took on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, they were able to write their own narrative as Carolina came out victorious with a score of 21-3.
A large reason behind the Panthers win was the efficiency of their running game. Ekwonu was a key piece in the offensive line that helped tally 173 rushing yards. He was also instrumental in protecting the rather inexperienced P.J. Walker, in his first start of the season. Since struggling in the beginning of the season, Ekwonu has continued to show weekly improvement. He currently has a PFF grade of 64.3 and is only looking to improve that as the season goes on.
Jakobi Meyers – New England Patriots, WR
Instability and inconsistency have been two adjectives to describe the New England Patriots this season. On Monday Night Football, both were on display as they lost to the Chicago Bears. This largely stemmed from struggles at the quarterback position which has been a recurring theme this season. Against Chicago, these issues were on full display as a quarterback change was made early in the game.
One bright spot for the offense however has been Meyers, who has gradually improved ever since he burst onto the scene as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He has offered a reliable option for whoever lines up under center. On Monday night, he brought in the lone passing touchdown for the Patriots on a spectacular second effort play. He currently has 355 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the season, and like Ekwonu, will look to increase those numbers.
Germaine Pratt – Cincinnati Bengals, LB
After a rather sluggish start to the season, the reigning AFC Champions seem to be catching their stride after winning four of their last five games. They traveled to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on Sunday, and both sides of the ball were clicking as the Bengals easily won 35-17. A key player in this effort was Pratt, who put up six total tackles in which two were solo. He was an important piece of a defense that only allowed 214 total yards.
Pratt continues to build off of his breakout season last year. He has quietly turned into arguably the leader of the Cincinnati defense. So far through six games, he has 50 total tackles and 24 of those were solo and one sack. As of now, he is on pace to have his best statistical year in the NFL.
Jacoby Brissett – Cleveland Browns, QB
On Sunday, the Browns lost their fourth straight game after a strong start to the season. They lost to the division rival Baltimore Ravens in another close game. Even though the team has not found much success, Brissett has continued to do his part as Deshaun Watson continues to serve his suspension.
Even though he did not score any touchdowns, he was very efficient against the Ravens as he connected on 22 of his 27 passes for 258 yards. This included an early deep ball to wide receiver Amari Cooper in the first quarter. He currently has 1,584 passing yards on the season along with six touchdown passes. Even though these numbers may seem rather modest, they’ve been enough to keep Cleveland competitive in Watson’s absence.
