Week three of the NFL season saw a continuation of the unexpected finishes and surprising storylines that fans of the league hold dear. In all that chaos, one independent variable was the play of NC State’s Pack Pros, who remain a dominant force in the NFL for yet another year.
Jacoby Brissett – Cleveland Browns, QB
Leading the way for the Browns in their 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, Brissett put up his best performance of the season. Racking up 220 passing yards and two touchdowns on a 67.7% completion percentage, Brissett filled the game-managing role to a T.
Against a division rival, Brissett filled all of his duties and then some to pull out a win. Perhaps making it even sweeter, the Pack Pro moved the Browns into first place in the AFC North while dominating the box score against Pittsburgh quarterback, and former UNC-Chapel Hill standout, Mitchell Trubisky.
Bradley Chubb – Denver Broncos, LB
While Chubb had a fairly quiet game against the San Francisco 49ers in week three, his one and only sack of the night proved to be pivotal to Denver’s success. San Francisco faced a two-minute drill to get themselves into field goal range in hopes of overcoming a one-point deficit late in the ball game.
Chubb wasn’t much a fan of that storybook ending, applying all the pressure on newly-minted starter Jimmy Garoppolo and taking him down 12 yards behind the line of scrimmage. One play after forcing the 49ers deep into their own territory, Denver punched out a fumble to seal the victory and move to 2-1 on the season.
BJ Hill – Cincinnati Bengals, DT
Suffering some hangover from their Super Bowl appearance a season ago, the Cincinnati Bengals found their first win of the season thanks in large part to Hill’s play. Totaling four tackles, half a sack, a forced fumble and two fumbles recovered in Cincinnati’s 27-12 victory over the New York Jets, Hill was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive front.
It’s no secret the Bengals have been off to a less than stellar start, but most of that stems from offensive troubles. Hill, along with fellow Pack Pro Germaine Pratt — who was leading the team in tackles before missing week three’s matchup with a knee injury — have continued to see success despite the poor play from the team to start the year. With the team’s first win under its belt, the Bengals look to begin climbing the mountain to reach where they were a year ago.
Russell Wilson – Denver Broncos, QB
It sounds like a broken record at this point, but Wilson and the Broncos cannot seem to figure out their offensive deficit. In a game of defensive and special teams dominance from both sides, Wilson looked as out of sorts as ever in Denver’s 11-10 win over the 49ers. Tossing for 184 yards on a low 60.6% completion rate by Wilson’s standards, the veteran signal caller is still working out the kinks in his new offense.
Despite all the questions surrounding Wilson’s ability to lead his new team, Denver sits at 2-1 under first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett — who is making decisions to find more sustainable success in the future. Hiring 40-year veteran Jerry Rosburg to help with clock-management and game-time decisions, Hackett is invested in his teams’ success and isn’t too prideful to right his wrong early in his tenure. Hopefully that attitude can apply to Wilson, as the pair look to find a way to get the nine-time Pro Bowler back into his groove.
