Penn State NFL Roundup: How former Nittany Lions performed on Wild Card Weekend
The NFL postseason is officially underway, and Penn State football alumni were heavily involved in the first week of action.
Let’s take a look at how the 14 former Nittany Lions on active rosters fared during Wild Card Weekend.
Ryan Bates (2015-18),OL, Buffalo Bills
Former Penn State offensive lineman Ryan Bates is emerging as a big piece for the Bills down the stretch.
Starting for the fourth consecutive week, he played every snap on offense for the Bills as they dominated the Patriots, 47-17.
Josh Allen has not been sacked since Bates earned a starting spot on the offensive line in Week 16.
He’s also developed a unique sense of fashion, as you’ll see in the video below.
Pat Freiermuth ( 2018-20), TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Freiermuth helped the Steelers to a playoff berth in his rookie season, but a matchup with the two-time defending AFC champs proved too much to overcome.
The Chiefs handed the Steelers a 42-21 loss, ending their season.
Freiermuth caught four of his five targets for 25 yards in the defeat.
Micah Parsons (2018-19), LB, Dallas Cowboys
Parsons overcame an early injury scare to make his mark in Dallas’s playoff matchup with the 49ers.
The former Penn State linebacker registered 10 tackles — the third time he reached double-digits this season — on 58 snaps. He also came through with a tackle for loss.
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Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it wasn’t enough. Dallas suffered an upset loss to San Francisco at home, 23-17.
Miles Sanders (2016-18), RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Sanders returned from injury to rush the ball seven times for 16 yards in a lopsided Eagles defeat to the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sanders also caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in the passing game.
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Trace McSorley (Played at Penn State 2014-18), QB, Arizona Cardinals
The former Penn State signal-caller did not play as the Cardinals suffered a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round.
Nick Scott (2014-18), S, Los Angeles Rams
Scott started and played every defensive snap for the Rams as they defeated the Cardinals, 34-11.
He made one tackle and broke up a pass, helping to keep a lid on the explosive Arizona offense.
Robbie Gould (Played at Penn State 2001-04), K, San Francisco 49ers
The playoffs are where Robbie Gould shines.
Gould went three-for-three on his field-goal attempts in the win over Dallas, including two from 50-plus yards.
The former Penn State kicker and 17-year NFL veteran now holds the NFL record for most attempts in the playoffs without a miss. Gould is 18-for-18 in his career in the postseason.
Connor McGovern (2016-18), OL, Dallas Cowboys
McGovern played eight offensive snaps for the Cowboys in their defeat to San Francisco, including lining up in the backfield in a wishbone formation.
Marcus Allen (Played at Penn State 2014-17), LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Allen played 14 snaps on defense and made two tackles for the Steelers in their loss to the Chiefs.
Kevin Givens (2015-18), DT, San Francisco 49ers
Givens had a very nice game in San Francisco’s win over Dallas.
He was credited with 0.5 sacks — the first time he got to the quarterback this season. He also made four tackles, and finished the game with a pair of QB pressures on 22 snaps, his second-highest total of the season.
Donovan Smith (2011-14), OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The former Penn State OL played every snap for the Bucs in their easy win over the Eagles.
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Carl Nassib (Played at Penn State 2011-15), DE, Las Vegas Raiders
Nassib played 13 snaps and made three tackles in Oakland’s road loss to the Bengals.
Nick Bowers (2015-19), TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Bowers did not play in Oakland’s playoff loss to the Bengals.
Grant Haley (Played at Penn State 2014-17), CB, LA Rams
Haley earned seven snaps on defense — his first defensive snaps since signing with the Rams ahead of Week 14. The former Penn State corner also played 20 snaps on special teams in a win over the Cardinals.
