By William Qualkinbush.
The National Football League is full of former Clemson players. Several of them had monster days in Week 9. Here is a recap of a busy football weekend for Clemson alumni…
Cincinnati 33, Jacksonville 23
CIN: Brandon Thompson 2 tackles (1 solo)
With both former Tigers inactive for the Jaguars, the story in this one was Thompson’s return from a season-long stint on the injured list. After playing all 16 games last season, the defensive tackle has been sidelined since Week 1 with knee injury. The Bengals have been arguably the most disappointing defense in the league in 2014, so having a healthy Thompson as an anchor up front can’t hurt.
Arizona 28, Dallas 17
ARI: Andre Ellington 21 car, 95 yds; 4 rec, 39 yds, TD
Jaron Brown 2 rec, 15 yds, TD
Chandler Catanzaro 4-4 XP
Once again, the Cardinals relied heavily on former Tigers to score points this week. In fact, more than half (16) of Arizona’s 28 points scored in Dallas came courtesy of Clemson alumni. Ellington continues to emerge as a feature back, toting the rock 25 times for 134 yards from scrimmage. He scored on a one-yard pass in the third quarter.
Brown is only good for a target here and there, but he made the most of his two targets in this one. His afternoon included an 11-yard touchdown grab. Catanzaro had an easy day that helped him continue his perfect season. He has now made his first 30 kicks (16 FG, 14 XP) as a professional, which is a truly remarkable achievement.
Minnesota 29, Washington 26
WAS: Bashaud Breeland 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 PBU
Jarvis Jenkins 2 tackles (1 solo)
Breeland has been lauded all over the nation for the way he played against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football a week ago. He did not disappoint in his encore performance, swatting two passes and contributing a handful of tackles in a losing effort for a struggling Redskins team. Jenkins, once again, played his part, facilitating opportunities for his teammates to make plays.
Miami 37, San Diego 0
SD: Kavell Conner 3 tackles (2 solo), PBU
Marcus Gilchrist 4 tackles
It was a forgettable day for the Chargers on both sides of the ball, but neither Clemson alum played particularly poorly. Conner continues to beat expectations in a starting role in the Chargers’ 3-4 defense. Meanwhile, Gilchrist has become a valuable safety to San Diego.
Philadelphia 31, Houston 21
HOU: DeAndre Hopkins 6 rec, 115 yds, TD
For the third straight week, Hopkins was a favorite target for Ryan Fitzpatrick. He led the Texans in targets (10), as well as catches and receiving yards. His afternoon included a critical seven-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter that brought Houston within three points. That touchdown was his third of the season, meaning he bested last season’s two-touchdown effort over the first half of this season alone. Over his past three games, Hopkins has caught 17 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown—one of the best in the NFL over that stretch.
Pittsburgh 43, Baltimore 23
PIT: Martavis Bryant 3 rec, 44 yds, 2 TD; 1 car, 3 yds
Bryant has really burst onto the scene in a big way. In his first three games as a professional—two of which were nationally televised primetime contests—he has caught five touchdown passes. Bryant is only the second player in history to accomplish that feat so quickly. He caught one touchdown pass in each half as a part of the Steelers’ dominating win over the Ravens, and he even got the ball on a jet sweep in the second half. Suffice it to say Pittsburgh’s organization knows how valuable Bryant can be.
Indianapolis 40, NY Giants 24
IND: Dwayne Allen 4 rec, 48 yds, TD
The Giants blitzed Andrew Luck relentlessly in the first half, which meant Allen was utilized primarily in pass protection. That didn’t keep him from having yet another solid day as a pass-catcher. His game included a short touchdown reception in which he was as wide open as a player can possibly be. Allen continues to make the case to become a millionaire in short order because of his versatility.
Key Inactives: Andre Branch, JAC; Byron Maxwell, SEA; Tyler Shatley, JAC.