Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1488968
J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M touchdown catches. He had a big night in Wash- ington's 20-12 loss to the New York Giants in Week 15, catching 4 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Arnold Ebiketie (2021), DE, Atlanta Falcons: Solid is the best word to describe Ebiketie's first season in the NFL. He had only tallied 3 sacks through the Falcons' first 14 games but had 9 quarterback hits. He's been part of Atlanta's de- fensive end rotation, though not yet as a starter. Pat Freiermuth (2018-20), TE, Pittsburgh Steelers: Freiermuth has been one of the most dependable parts of the Steelers' offense this season. Through 14 games, he had totaled 82 catches for 630 yards but had scored only 2 touchdowns. He compiled those numbers despite battling injuries, including a foot problem that hampered him at the end of December. Will Fries (2016-20), OL, Indianapolis Colts: Fries got his first start for Indianapolis against Las Vegas in Week 10 and had only given up 1 sack in five games as the squad's first-team right guard. Mike Gesicki (2014-17), TE, Miami Dolphins: Gesicki isn't starting anymore, and he had seen only 39 targets all season prior to the Dolphins' Week 16 matchup against Green Bay. Prior to that game, he hadn't been targeted more than three times in any game since Week 8. Blake Gillikin (2016-19), P, New Orleans Saints: Gillikin's signature precision has been on display all season. In 14 games, only 5 of his 60 punts had landed in the end zone. Kevin Givens (2016-18), DT, San Francisco 49ers: Givens made 11 starts at defensive tackle due to injuries on the Niners' defensive line. He tallied 3 sacks and 13 tackles before an MCL in- jury against Tampa Bay in Week 14 forced him to the sideline. Chris Godwin (2014-16), WR, Tampa Bay Buc- caneers: Godwin has bounced back from an ACL injury that ended his 2021 season, but the Bucs have been struggling all year on offense. As a result, the former Nittany Lion was averaging a career-low 9.7 yards per catch through 14 games. Nevertheless, he was leading the Bucs with 81 catches, totaling 785 yards and 3 touchdowns. Robbie Gould (2001-04), K, San Francisco 49ers: Gould made 20 of his first 24 field goal attempts for the 49ers and had only missed one extra point this year. With 97 points in 14 games, he was the leading scorer on one of the best teams in the NFC. Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19), DE, Carolina Pan- thers: Gross-Matos has been a steady presence in the Panthers' front seven, with 24 tackles this season. He's never really broken out, though. Gross-Matos had logged 395 pass-rushing snaps in 14 games but only managed 2 sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. Grant Haley (2014-17), CB, Los Angeles Rams: Haley hasn't played since Week 6 due to an ACL sprain. He was expected back after four to six weeks but has yet to retake the field. KJ Hamler (2017-19), WR, Denver Broncos: The Broncos placed Hamler on injured reserve Dec. 3 due to a setback in his recovery from a pulled hamstring. Injuries have been the story of Hamler's career to this point. The promising deep threat from Penn State only has 25 targets and 12 receptions the past two seasons. Jesse James (2012-14), TE, Cleveland Browns: James was placed on the Browns' injured reserve list after Week 2 with a bicep problem and didn't see action in the team's next 12 games. Austin Johnson (2012-15), DT, Los Angeles Chargers: Johnson's season ended when his left knee was fractured in the Chargers' 20-17 win over Atlanta on Nov. 6. Before his injury, he had made 22 tackles, including a sack and 3 tackles for loss. DaQuan Jones (2010-13), DL, Buffalo Bills: Jones had 34 tackles and 2 sacks for the Bills, including an assisted sack in the third quarter of a Week 15 victory over Miami that clinched the AFC East title. Jesse Luketa (2018-21), LB, Arizona Cardinals: Listed as Arizona's third-team strongside line- backer, Luketa had made just 1 tackle this season heading into a Week 16 game against Tampa Bay. He hadn't played since Arizona's 31-21 loss to Seattle on Nov. 6. Connor McGovern (2016-18), OL, Dallas Cow- boys: McGovern has continued to start at left guard for a Cowboys offense that went into the team's Week 16 showdown with first-place Phila- delphia ranked ninth in the league in yards per game (362.3) and third in scoring (28.1 points per game). Trace McSorley (2014-18), QB, Arizona Cardi- nals: McSorley's role changed when Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 14 against New England. It changed again the following week when Murray's backup, Colt McCoy, suffered a concussion in the third quarter against Denver. McSorley entered the game against the Broncos and completed 7 of 15 passes for 95 yards, with 2 interceptions in a 24-15 loss. Carl Nassib (2011-15), DE, Tampa Bay Buc- caneers: Nassib has been slowed by a pectoral injury that forced him to miss the Buccaneers' 34- 23 loss to Cincinnati in Week 15. He had totaled 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season before getting hurt. Amani Oruwariye (2014-18), CB, Detroit Lions: Oruwariye had 34 tackles through 14 games. He didn't have any interceptions this year after totaling 6 in 2021, but he was part of a Detroit defense that had helped lift the team back into playoff contention after it dropped six of its first seven games. Odafe Oweh (2018-20), DE, Baltimore Ravens: Oweh had 35 tackles but just 2.5 sacks for the Ravens heading into their Week 16 game against Atlanta. Micah Parsons (2018-19), LB, Dallas Cowboys: Parsons got his 13th sack of the season against Jacksonville and came out of the Week 15 action ranked fourth in the NFL in that department. The Cowboys' defense struggled in a 40-34 overtime loss to the Jaguars, but Parsons goes into the sea- son's homestretch looking like a strong candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors. On Dec. 21, he was named to his second Pro Bowl. John Reid (2015-19), CB, Tennessee Titans: After being released by Seattle in October, Reid was signed to Atlanta's practice squad on Nov. 22. He was then released by the Falcons and signed to the Titans' active roster ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. Reid re- corded 5 tackles in Tennessee's 17-14 loss to L.A. Allen Robinson II (2011-2013), WR, Los Angeles Rams: Robinson's season is over. Rams coach Sean McVay announced Nov. 27 that the receiver is having foot surgery. Before his injury, Robinson had 33 catches for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first season with the defending Super Bowl champs. Nick Scott (2014-18), S, Los Angeles Rams: Scott has played nearly every defensive snap for the Rams in December. Through 14 games, he had 78 stops to rank third on the defense, as well as a team-leading 2 interceptions. Brandon Smith (2019-21), LB, Carolina Pan- thers: Smith started out playing primarily on spe- cial teams but has been seeing more action on defense lately. The rookie linebacker played in 12 of Carolina's first 14 games and made 8 tackles. Donovan Smith (2011-14), OT, Tampa Bay Buc- caneers: Smith, the Bucs' primary left tackle, did not allow a sack in consecutive games against New Orleans, San Francisco and Cincinnati and had only surrendered 6 on the season heading into a Week 16 visit to Arizona. Jordan Stout (2019-21), P, Baltimore Ravens: Stout has been averaging 46.5 yards per punt in his first NFL season. His lone boot in a 13-3 loss to Cleveland in Week 14 landed inside the Browns' 20. He had 22 such punts through 14 games. Derrick Tangelo (2021), DT, Atlanta Falcons: Tangelo continues to be part of the team's prac- tice squad. He has yet to be active on a game day this season. Shaka Toney (2016-20), DE, Washington Com- manders: Toney is hardly used on defense but has developed into one of Washington's top spe- cial teams players. He had 6 tackles heading into Washington's visit to San Francisco in Week 16. Rasheed Walker (2018-21), OT, Green Bay Pack- ers: Walker has been a healthy inactive on every game day so far this season. Nate Bauer, Thomas Frank Carr, Matt Herb and Greg Pickel contributed to this report.