The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/759726
100 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS Also ranked sixth in passing yards and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns. • J.R. Sweezy (2009-11), OG, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Started the season on the physically unable to perform list and has not played yet for the 7-5 Bucs after an offseason surgery for a herniated disk. • Joe Thuney (2012-15), OG, New England Patriots: Has started every game at left guard for the 10-2 Pats. • Stephen Tulloch (2003-05), LB, Philadel - phia Eagles: Has appeared in eight contests for the 5-7 Eagles, logging five tackles. • Mario Williams (2003-05), DE, Miami Dol- phins: Has started five games and played in 11 for the 7-5 Dolphins … Notched 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pass deflection. • Russell Wilson (2008-10), QB, Seattle Se- ahawks: Through 12 starts for the 8-3-1 Seahawks, he has completed 264 of his 404 attempts (65.3 percent) for 3,142 yards with 12 touchdowns and five picks … His passer rat- ing of 93.7 ranked 14th in the league, plus he has rushed 50 times for 188 yards and a score … He also had a 15-yard touchdown catch in a week 11 win against Philadelphia; he has two catches on the year for a net of 14 yards. • Willie Young (2006-09), DE/LB, Chicago Bears: Has started eight times and played in every contest for the 3-9 Bears … Totaled 31 tackles, a forced fumble and two pass deflections … Tied for 18th in the league with 7.5 sacks. ■ ■ They Said It "I think, after 12 weeks, my MVP ballot, one through five, would go this way: 1. Ezekiel Elliott; 2, Derek Carr; 3, Russell Wilson; 4, Dak Prescott; 5, Matthew Stafford. Any ordering of the top four right now wouldn't get much of an argument from me, even after Wilson got pillaged by the marauding Buccaneers. It's about a season, not a Sunday." — TheMMQB.com editor in chief Peter King "Russell Wilson, I've got such great admiration for him. He's a true inspiration for what he has done for African-Amer- ican quarterbacks and how he conducts himself." — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston to TheMMQB.com "Of this group, Glennon is the guy I'd most like to see get another crack at an extended starting gig." — NFL.com's Around The NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal, who broke the league's signal-callers into tiers and included Mike Glennon among his "veteran backups" category "He's one of the best players in the world." — Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter on Philip Rivers ■ BY THE NUMBERS 2 Former NC State NFL quarterbacks were listed among the league's top 10 in a Nov. 30 ranking of the league's signal-callers done by NFL.com's Around The NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal — Russell Wilson ranked sixth, while Philip Rivers checked in at No. 10. No other school had two alums in the top 10. 8 Kicks from 40 yards or more have been made by Steven Hauschka, which is tied for seventh in the NFL. His long of 53 is tied for the league's 17th- longest make of the season. 9 Games to open the season that rookie left guard Joe Thuney played every offensive snap for the New England Patriots — he was the only player on the team to do so. 16-3 Is Wilson's career record in the month of De- cember after the first game in the final month of 2016, tied with Tom Brady for the highest winning percentage (.842) in the month since 1991. 306 Touchdown passes for Rivers in his career through the first 12 games of the 2016 campaign, which ranks eighth in NFL history and fourth among active players. His 44,800 passing yards ranks 12th in league annals. Rookie Joe Thuney has started at left guard for the 10-2 Patriots in every game so far this season, and he was the only player on the team to play every offensive snap in the first nine contests. PHOTO COURTESY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/DAVID SILVERMAN