With Week 2 wrapped up, NC State continues to make its presence felt in the NFL ranks. With 24 of its alumni in the professional realm, Pack Pros are well spread out throughout the National Football League.
Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati Bengals
The NFL world was treated to another chapter in the Bengals-Chiefs series this weekend, one that has the feel of a budding rivalry. A series of late penalties allowed the Chiefs to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Despite his team coming up just short, Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt produced a stellar performance. Providing an anchor for the Cincinnati defense, he collected 16 tackles, including seven solo tackles.
Pratt made an impact throughout the game as he was a force the Chiefs wanted to avoid. With the Bengals holding onto a narrow three-point lead in the waning minutes of the first half, Pratt forced a fumble which he recovered. Forcing this turnover proved beneficial to the team as the Bengals used it to punch a field goal on the board to finish the half with a 16-10 lead.
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Germaine Pratt has proven himself as a consistent presence on the Bengals’ defense. Currently one of the longest-tenured Pack Pros, he has continued to produce at a high level. Going into his sixth season in the NFL, Pratt has already gotten off to a good start with 24 total tackles, 10 of which were solo.
Brayden Narveson, Green Bay Packers
After enjoying a successful professional debut last week, kicker Brayden Narveson continued to be a valuable asset to the Green Bay Packers. Going 3-4 on field goals last week, Narveson followed that up this week with another 75% success rate.
Helping the Packers get off to a strong start against the Indianapolis Colts, Narveson drained a 46-yard field goal to give them a quick 3-0 lead. The team called upon him once again early in the second half as he nailed another field goal, this time a 42-yarder. He kicked his third field goal of the afternoon later in the third quarter with a 34-yarder.
Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots
In the modern NFL, most fans are used to high-flying offenses pioneered by quarterbacks who amass staggering stats. But this isn’t the only recipe for collecting a win. In New England, this has been the case with starting signal-caller Jacoby Brissett. After selecting quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3 overall in this year’s draft, they have been in no hurry to rush him into action. Armed with one of the most experienced backups in the league, the Patriots felt comfortable with giving Brissett the reins to the offense. So far, he has done his job as he has largely taken care of the football despite perhaps not putting forth “flashy” stats.
After securing a surprising Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Brissett and the Patriots came up just short in a 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Throwing for 149 yards, Brissett kept the air game functioning for New England. He got the Patriots on the board first with a five-yard touchdown throw in the first quarter.
AJ Cole, Las Vegas Raiders
On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders secured their first win of the season against the Baltimore Ravens. After a frustrating loss in week one to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders bounced back well to steal a close game against the Ravens, 26-23. Last week, Raiders punter AJ Cole found himself being used in multiple instances as he recorded five punts for 265 yards with the longest of his punts traveling 62 yards.
Even though the Raiders found more success offensively this week, it took some time for the team to collect offensive momentum. Punting the ball on their first three possessions of the game, they called upon Cole to pin the opposition back as much as possible. He turned in another solid performance with 128 yards in the air and a punt traveling as far as 54 yards.
