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Penn State NFL Roundup: Micah Parsons dominates Falcons, Odafe Oweh collects sack, more

IMG_1698 5 (1)by:David Eckert•11/15/21•

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Penn State football alumnus Micah Parsons makes a tackle against the Falcons. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Penn State football alumni in the NFL posted another solid week, headlined by a big week for Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons.

Let’s start our recap by ranking the top five performances of Week 10.

1.) Micah Parsons (Played at Penn State 2018-19), LB, Dallas Cowboys 

The Cowboys defense produced a dominant performance in a win over the Falcons in Week 10, holding Atlanta to just three points.

As usual, Parsons was at the center of it all.

He registered a sack for the second week in a row, upping his season total to six. Parsons also forced a fumble on the same play, finishing with six total tackles.

Vegas Insider now lists Parsons as the odds-on favorite to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

2.) Odafe Oweh (2018-20), DE, Baltimore Ravens 

Oweh picked up his fourth sack of the season in a prolific performance against the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.

He made two tackles for loss, and registered three quarterback hits while playing 65 percent of the Ravens’ defensive snaps.

The rookie now has 18 total tackles for the year, to go along with 11 QB hits and a pair of forced fumbles.

3.) Amani Oruwariye (2014-18), CB, Detroit Lions

Oruwariye played a key role in helping the Lions avoid defeat for the first time this season against the Steelers, picking up seven tackles, including a tackle for loss. He also broke up two passes, his highest total of the season.

4.) Adrian Amos (2011-14), S, Green Bay Packers

It doesn’t get much more dominant than the showing the Packers defense produced against the Seahawks in Week 10.

Green Bay held Seattle off the scoreboard for the first time in Russell Wilson’s career, and Amos made one of the game’s biggest plays, intercepting Wilson in the end zone for his second pick of the year.

Amos played every single one of Green Bay’s defensive snaps for the ninth game in a row, and finished with four total tackles to move his total to 60 on the season.

5.) Chris Godwin (2014-16), WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Even on a difficult day for Tom Brady and the Bucs in a loss to the Washington Football Team, Godwin managed to compile seven receptions for 57 yards.

He’s up to 717 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the season in nine games.

Let’s dive into the rest of the performances from Penn Staters across the NFL.

Mike Gesicki (2014-17), TE, Miami Dolphins

It was a bizarre Week 10 for the Miami Dolphins tight end. Gesicki was targeted seven times in an upset of the Ravens on Thursday Night Football, but did not bring in a reception.

Still, he’s emerged as a big-time receiving threat from the tight end position, with 529 yards and 44 receptions to go with a pair of touchdowns through 10 games played this season.

Blake Gillikin (2016-19), P, New Orleans Saints

Gillikin punted five times during New Orleans’ loss to the Titans in Week 10, covering 202 yards.

He’s now tied for 11th in the NFL with 14 punts inside the opposition’s 20-yard line.

Pat Freiermuth (2018-20), TE, Pittsburgh Steelers 

Freiermuth continues to become more and more vital to the Steelers offense. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph targeted Freiermuth a career-high nine times in Sunday’s game against Detroit.

Freiermuth reeled in five of those targets for 31 yards.

He did, however, experience a rare rookie moment in overtime, fumbling in Detroit territory to end a Steelers drive as Pittsburgh settled for a tie.

He is up to 32 receptions for 276 yards and four touchdowns through the first nine games of his career.

Jesse James (2012-14), TE, Chicago Bears 

James and the Bears had their bye week in Week 10. James has played in eight games this season, hauling in all six of his targets for 58 yards and a touchdown.

Yetur Gross-Matos (2017-19), DE, Carolina Panthers 

Gross-Matos played 31 percent of the Panthers’ defensive snaps in their impressive 34-10 win over Arizona, registering two total tackles. He now has 12 tackles and one sack to show for his second season in the NFL.

Nick Scott (2014-18), S, Los Angeles Rams

Scott and the Rams play San Francisco on Monday Night Football.

Miles Sanders (2016-18), RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Miles Sanders remains on the injured reserve with an ankle problem. He is eligible to return ahead of the Eagles’ Week 11 game.

Austin Johnson (2012-15), DT, New York Giants

Johnson’s Giants had their bye week in Week 10. Johnson has 39 total tackles and three sacks so far this season.

Saquon Barkley (2015-17), RB, New York Giants 

Like Johnson, Barkley was also on a bye this week. He hasn’t played since Week Five against Dallas, when he suffered an ankle injury.

Carl Nassib (2011-15), DE, Las Vegas Raiders

Nassib did not register a tackle, playing 20 defensive snaps in the Raiders’ loss to Kansas City on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.

He has 1.5 sacks this season to along with 14 tackles and a forced fumble.

Juwan Johnson (2015-18), TE, New Orleans Saints

A healthy scratch in Week Nine, Johnson returned to the field against the Titans to reel in two of his three targets for 36 yards.

He’s got nine receptions for 108 yards and three scores this season.

Robbie Gould (2001-04), K, San Francisco 49ers

Gould and the 49ers take on the Rams on Monday Night Football.

Allen Robinson II (2011-13), WR, Chicago Bears

Robinson and the Bears had their bye this week. Robinson posted 30 receptions for 339 yards and a touchdown through nine weeks.

Connor McGovern (2016-18), OL, Dallas Cowboys

McGovern played 27 snaps against the Falcons in Week 10 for the Cowboys, his highest total since his opening week fill-in start. Eleven of those snaps came at fullback, and one came at wide receiver, as he continues to thrive in a utility role for Dallas.

Jason Cabinda (2014-17), FB, Detroit Lions

Cabinda saw his first carry of the season against the Steelers, picking up two yards and a first down conversion in a fourth-and-short situation.

DaQuan Jones (2010-13), DT, Carolina Panthers 

Jones registered two tackles in Carolina’s win over Arizona, bringing his total for the season to 13.

Cam Brown (2016-19), LB, New York Giants

Brown and the Giants had their bye this week. After returning from injury in Week Seven, Brown has played 11 defensive snaps for New York.

Ryan Bates (2015-18),OL, Buffalo Bills

Bates played a season-high 11 snaps on offense in Buffalo’s 45-17 demolition of the Jets.

Marcus Allen (2014-17), LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Allen registered his first special teams tackle of the season against the Lions. He has yet to appear on defense this season.

Kevin Givens (2015-18), DT, San Francisco 49ers 

Givens and the 49ers take on the Rams on Monday Night Football.

Donovan Smith (2011-14), OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Smith played all 48 of Tampa Bay’s snaps in a Week 10 loss to Washington.

Dan Chisena (2015-19), WR, Minnesota Vikings 

Chisena came up with his first special teams tackle of the season in Minnesota’s road upset of the Chargers.

Troy Apke (2014-17), S, Washington Football Team 

Apke played 20 special teams snaps in Washington’s win over Tampa. He has not played on defense yet this season.

Nick Bowers (2015-19), TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Bowers has been on injured reserve since mid-October with a neck injury.

Will Fries (2016-20), OL, Indianapolis Colts 

The seventh rounder is still waiting to make his season debut for the Colts.

John Reid (2015-19), CB, Seattle Seahawks 

Reid made his fourth appearance of the season against Green Bay, coming up with a special teams tackle.

Shaka Toney (2016-20), DE, Washington Football Team 

Toney played for the third week in a row against Tampa Bay, registering nine snaps on defense.

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