TCI has a complete rundown of how Clemson’s NFL alumni performed in Week 5 of the NFL season…
Indianapolis 27, Houston 20
IND: Dwayne Allen—1 tgt, 1 rec, 21 yds
The Colts were just happy to get Allen onto the field in this game. The oft-injured tight end is as valuable as any non-Luck piece in Indy’s offense…when he’s healthy. That is the only obstacle to Allen becoming a stud in the red zone on a consistent basis.
HOU: DeAndre Hopkins—14 tgts, 11 rec, 169 yds
Nuk was in total control of the Indy secondary in this game, particularly before halftime. A coverage adjustment made it tougher for him to get looks after the break, but the local product is absolutely dialed in right now in Houston. He’s staring down a Pro Bowl if he continues to produce like this with as many targets as he’s getting.
Atlanta 25, Washington 19 (OT)
ATL: Vic Beasley—1 tackle
Grady Jarrett—1 tackle
Neither Atlanta rookie was featured on Sunday, but both got extensive action. This is particularly true of Beasley, who found himself playing inside in run support for much of the afternoon.
WAS: Bashaud Breeland—8 tackles (6 solo), INT, 4 PBU
My goodness, Breeland was an animal in coverage in Atlanta. He broke up a whopping four passes and had a critical interception in the fourth quarter to set up a late score. There have been some natural hiccups for the second-year pro, but he looked the part of a lockdown corner in this game.
Cincinnati 27, Seattle 24 (OT)
CIN: Brandon Thompson—2 tackles (1 solo)
Thompson has been a little banged up this season, so it was nice to see him get out and play quite a few snaps. He did not make much of a tangible impact, but he seems to have found favor with the defensive staff in Cincinnati.
Buffalo 14, Tennessee 13
TEN: Coty Sensabaugh—2 tackles (1 solo)
Sensabaugh continues to get extensive time as the nickel cornerback for the Titans. Especially on third downs, he is an important defensive weapon for Tennessee and should continue to be one moving forward.
Philadelphia 39, New Orleans 17
PHI: Byron Maxwell—2 tackles, PBU
Even breaking up a pass is an improvement right now for Maxwell. He is still struggling in a new role for a new team, but Sunday represented a step—albeit slight—in the right direction.
NOR: Stephone Anthony—9 tackles
Tavaris Barnes—1 tackle
C.J. Spiller—3 car, 10 yds; 4 tgts, 3 rec, -8 yds
Anthony continues to be a one-man wrecking crew in the middle of the Saints’ rebuilding defense. Unfortunately, the rest of the group struggles fairly consistently. Barnes got more play than he has for a couple of weeks given his reserve status and the blowout nature of this game. Spiller netted two whole yards on six touches, which renders his day a disappointment.
Arizona 42, Detroit 17
ARI: Chandler Catanzaro—6-6 XP
Andre Ellington—3 car, 63 yds, TD
Ellington made his return to the lineup after an injury as a backup tailback. All of his yardage came on a touchdown run in the fourth quarter, after the game had already been decided. Others stepped up while he recouped, so it remains to be seen what role Ellington will have moving forward. Catanzaro continues to impress as one of the league’s top kickers, but he only had opportunities for extra points in this game.
NY Giants 30, San Francisco 27
SFO: Bradley Pinion—3 punts, 46.0 avg
Andy Lee is having a fine season in Cleveland, but no one in San Francisco has noticed because of the way Pinion has been booming the ball. Yet another strong performance on Sunday means the rookie is still validating his selection in this year’s draft.
Pittsburgh 24, San Diego 20
SDG: Kavell Conner 3 tackles (2 solo)
Conner is entrenched as a backup inside linebacker in San Diego. He likely won’t see a ton of reps barring injury, but it seems like the Chargers enjoy his presence on the roster.
Other Rostered Players: Jaron Brown (ARI), Chris Clemons (ARI), Chris Hairston (SDG), Jarvis Jenkins (CHI), Antoine McClain (ARI), Jonathan Meeks (BUF).
Inactives: Kourtnei Brown (HOU), Martavis Bryant (PIT), Malliciah Goodman (ATL), Tyler Shatley (JAC), Tony Steward (BUF), Sammy Watkins (BUF), Charlie Whitehurst (TEN).
Bye Week: Marcus Gilchrist (NYJ).