By William Qualkinbush.
The National Football League is full of former Clemson players. Several of them had monster days in Week 11. Here is a recap of a busy football weekend for Clemson alumni…
Cincinnati 24, Houston 13
CIN: Brandon Thompson 3 tackles (2 solo)
HOU: DeAndre Hopkins 5 rec, 39 yds
Thompson continues to see ample action in the Bengals’ rotation up front. He missed several weeks due to an injury, but he appears to be rounding into shape as the season hits the stretch run.
Ryan Mallett wasn’t very good at quarterback, which reflected on Hopkins’ day. He was second on the team with nine targets and was more productive than any other Texans pass-catcher except tight end Garrett Graham, who had 41 yards.
Philadelphia 43, Tennessee 24
TEN: Coty Sensabaugh 5 tackles
Sensabaugh has solidified his status as the nickel cornerback for Tennessee this season. This week brought a difficult matchup against Philly’s vaunted offense, especially given the struggles the Titans have had against the run.
San Francisco 17, Washington 13
WAS: Bashaud Breeland 5 tackles (4 solo), PBU
Jarvis Jenkins 1 tackle
Washington leaned more on Breeland in coverage than usual given David Amerson’s absence from the lineup. The rookie didn’t disappoint, as the 49ers struggled to move the football all day long. Jenkins played his facilitator role well, as usual.
San Diego 27, St. Louis 24
SD: Marcus Gilchrist 7 tackles (5 solo), INT, PBU
Kavell Conner 3 tackles
The rest of the Chargers should take Gilchrist out for a steak after his performance. Not only was he second on the team in tackles, but he also intercepted Shaun Hill’s pass at the goal line to seal a close victory. Conner played a solid game at linebacker.
Seattle 19, Arizona 3
SEA: Byron Maxwell 1 tackle, 2 PBU, INT
ARI: Andre Ellington 10 car, 24 yds; 5 rec, 39 yds
Jaron Brown 3 rec, 24 yds
Chandler Catanzaro 1-2 FG
Maxwell continues to demonstrate his value as evidenced by the improvement in the Seahawks’ secondary when he returned from injury. His first half interception was part of a miserable day for Drew Stanton.
Speaking of Stanton, his struggles were exacerbated by Ellington’s inability to consistently pick up yardage on the ground. He was a factor in the passing game, however, picking up eight targets. Brown made the most of his three targets in the game, as well, while Catanzaro made from 23 yards out and missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the game.
Buffalo 38, NY Jets 3
BUF: Sammy Watkins 3 rec, 35 yds
The Bills dominated the Jets on a neutral field a day later than expected. It became a breakout game for Robert Woods, who made some fantastic plays, so Watkins was not as big of a factor as he has been in the past. Still, it was a decent game for the rookie, who garnered a handful of targets.
Key Inactives: Dwayne Allen, IND; Da’Quan Bowers, TB; Andre Branch, JAC; Tyler Shatley, JAC; Charlie Whitehurst, TEN.