Wolverines in the NFL: Ten former Michigan players set for Divisional Round
Michigan Wolverines football had 18 former players on rosters for the NFL’s Super Wildcard Weekend and now have 10 who will take part in the Divisional Round.
A trio of Michigan Wolverines on the San Francisco 49ers had the weekend off, earning a bye with the No. 1 seed — wide receiver Ronnie Bell, kicker Jake Moody and cornerback Ambry Thomas. They’ll be in action this weekend against the Green Bay Packers, who knocked off the Dallas Cowboys, Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium.
Here’s a look at the Wildcard games and how Wolverines performed:
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Houston Texans 45, Cleveland Browns 14
The Texans shredded the Cleveland Browns’ No. 1 total defense to the tune of 280 passing yards and 3 touchdown passes and 76 rushing yards and a score.
Former Michigan wideout Nico Collins led the team with 6 catches for 96 yards and a score on 7 targets. His 15-yard score at the end of the first quarter put the Texans up 10-7.
Former Michigan and Cincinnati offensive lineman James Hudson III started at right tackle and struggled, allowing a team-worst 7 pressures and 1 sack. The Texans ran 20 times for only 56 yards and 1 touchdown, trailing most of the way, and quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked 4 times. Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst — a former U-M standout — was out for the season with an injury.
Up next for Nico Collins and the Houston Texans: at No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC)
Kansas City Chiefs 26, Miami Dolphins 7
The Chiefs got their offense going for the first time in a while and completely shut down the Dolphins’ prolific offense, which led the league with 401.3 yards per game in the regular season.
Former Michigan defensive end Michael Danna was a part of the effort, notching 1 tackle in a start. The Chiefs’ defense allowed only 188 yards through the air and 76 yards on the ground. The Dolphins had posted double-digit points in all 17 regular-season games but couldn’t get anything going in the frigid, sub-zero temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium.
Up next for Michael Danna and the Kansas City Chiefs: at No. 2 seed Buffalo Bills Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET on CBS)
Green Bay Packers 48, Dallas Cowboys 32
The Dallas Cowboys were a perfect 8-0 at home during the regular season, but their success at AT&T Stadium came to an end with a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon.
Former Michigan defensive back Jourdan Lewis, the Cowboys’ starting nickel back, struggled with a 29.1 PFF coverage grade, allowing 2 receptions for 61 yards on 5 targets. Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 16 of his 21 pass attempts for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he was never sacked.
The Packers rushed for 143 yards and 3 scores on 33 carries, with the Dallas defense failing to hold up despite allowing less than 300 total yards per game in the regular season (299.7; fifth in the NFL). Former Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a rookie taken in the first round, played just four defensive snaps.
Former Michigan offensive lineman Jon Runyan started at right guard for the Packers was partly responsible for keeping Love clean and paving the way for the successful afternoon on the ground. He had a 66.4 overall PFF grade with a stellar 81.9 mark in pass protection, giving up no pressures or sacks on 11 pass-blocking snaps. He split time with backup Sean Rhyan, who played 26 offensive snaps to Runyan’s 34.
The Packers’ defense didn’t put a lot of heat on the quarterback (just 24.3 percent of dropbacks), but former Michigan edge rusher Rashan Gary did notch 2 pressures and total 1 tackle.
Tight end Luke Schoonmaker, another Michigan rookie, did haul in 1 reception for 7 yards for the Cowboys, who never led and threw the ball a whopping 60 times.
Up next for Rashan Gary, Jon Runyan and the Green Bay Packers: at No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET on FOX)
Detroit Lions 24, Los Angeles Rams 23
The Lions picked up their first playoff victory in 32 years in their first home postseason game since 1993 Sunday night in front of an electric atmosphere at Ford Field.
Former Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was fantastic with the only 2 sacks of the game for his team, 2 tackles for loss and 6 total tackles. He registered a game-high and season-best 9 pressures, as well. Those came on 25 pass-rush snaps, which tied his season low, further showing how impressive his pressure number was.
Graham Glasgow started at right guard and led the offensive line with a 79.1 overall PFF grade. He gave up no pressures on 30 pass-blocking snaps and helped the Lions score 21 points in the first half and 24 for the game. The Lions threw for 255 yards and a score and rushed for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Former Wolverine receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones returned 1 punt for 4 yards, taking over that role with typical return man Kalif Raymond out with a knee injury.
Up next for Aidan Hutchinson, Graham Glasgow, Donovan Peoples-Jones and the Detroit Lions: vs. No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday (3 p.m. ET on NBC)
Buffalo Bills 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Former Michigan offensive lineman Mason Cole started for the Steelers at center and registered a 28.7 overall PFF rating with 6 pressures allowed.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32, Philadelphia Eagles 9
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled, the the Eagles continued their downward slide with a first-round exit after making the Super Bowl last season.
Former Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham had a big game with 5 tackles, 3 stops for loss and 1 sack, but the Bucs still threw for 307 yards and 3 scores and rushed for 119 yards. Former U-M and MSU linebacker Ben VanSumeren notched 1 stop in the Eagles’ loss.
