It was a mixed bag this week from NC State’s pool of alumni in the NFL. Offensive players like Jakobi Meyers and Nyheim Hines had some mediocre performances, while defensive players Alim McNeill and B.J. Hill performed worse than they had been prior to Week 6.
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback, Miami Dolphins
In a tragic loss to a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that ended a 20-game losing streak, Brissett was only on the field for one play at the end of the first quarter in Tua Tagovailoa’s return from injury. However, after throwing for 25 yards to tight end Durham Smythe, Brissett put Miami in scoring range with that drive ending in a field goal.
Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver, New England Patriots
The Patriots went into overtime against the Dallas Cowboys but ultimately fell 35-29. Meyers had a solid, though unspectacular, day with five receptions and an average of 8.8 yards per reception. His longest catch was 14 yards and in total, Meyers was responsible for 44 of New England’s 335 total yards. Meyers nearly had his first career touchdown, but due to a penalty on the offense, the scoring play was overturned.
It’s disappointing to see Meyers have his first touchdown called back but it’s entirely possible that the receiver finally scores in a light matchup against the New York Jets next season.
Nyheim Hines, running back, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis decimated the Texans this weekend, 31-3. Hines had an okay performance, running the ball for short bursts and not having a lot of scoring opportunities. His longest run was for 7 yards, averaging 3.3 yards in his four attempts. Overall Hines ran 13 yards out of the Colts’ 388 total yards.
With receiver Parris Campbell dealing with an injury that could knock him out for the rest of the season and T.Y. Hilton dealing with an injury of his own, Hines could see an increase in targets out of the backfield against the San Francisco 49ers next week.
A.J. Cole III, punter, Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas had a good hold over the Denver Broncos this past week, beating them 34-24 despite a last-five minute touchdown by Denver. Cole had four punts this game, two resulting in a touchback and the other two putting Denver inside their own 20-yard line. He punted for a net 188 yards, with his longest being 71 yards and the average being 57 yards per punt.
Alim McNeill, defensive tackle, Detroit Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals took down Detroit, 34-11, as the Lions were just warming up at the end of the fourth quarter with some last-minute scoring. McNeill only recorded two tackles in this game, one solo and one assist. He hasn’t had over one solo tackle this season yet, and McNeill has only recorded a maximum of three tackles in one game.
B.J. Hill, defensive tackle, Cincinnati Bengals
Hill only had one tackle in this game, but it was solo. This was probably his worst performance this season, as he had been averaging 2.8 tackles per game prior to Week 6.
James Smith-Williams, defensive end, Washington Football Team
The Football Team was beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, 31-13, with no score by Washington in the second half. Smith-Williams had one assisted tackle this game, which has been standard for him this year. Most of his tackles this season have been assists, recording only two solo tackles in six games.
Russell Wilson, quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
In a Week 5 Thursday Night Football outing against the Los Angeles Rams, Wilson suffered the first major injury of his career, a hand injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the game. Backup Geno Smith took over and performed well against Los Angeles, putting up 154 total yards, a touchdown and an interception. After the game, it was determined that Wilson would miss between four and eight weeks with the injury and that Smith would be the starter going forward.
Against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, Wilson missed the first action of his NFL career since taking over as the starter. In the game, Smith played well enough, going 23 for 32 for 209 passing yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.
While Smith has played okay against the Rams and Steelers, it isn’t enough. The Seahawks miss Wilson’s dynamic playmaking abilities and have now fallen to 2-4 on the season, at risk of finishing the year with a losing record for the first time since Wilson entered the league.
