Penn State players who stood out in Week Nine of NFL season
While the current Penn State football players successfully impressed this weekend with a blowout win over Indiana, their pro counterparts were much quieter. It wasn’t a banner day for former Penn State football players in the NFL, with running back Saquon Barkley and defensive end Micah Parsons enjoying a bye week.
Still, there were some notable performances that we’ll get to now. Some stats are provided by PFF.
Penn State offensive standouts
Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders continues to do great work in the Philadelphia Eagles zone-read running game. Sanders has been incredibly efficient this season, with his latest performance on Thursday Night Football to start the week. He rushed 17 times for 93 yards and a score that put Philadelphia up early in the game.
The presence of Jalen Hurts in the backfield has given Sanders great looks to take advantage of. He broke six tackles this week and gained 54 of his yards after contact, according to PFF. Sanders has 21 carries of 10+ yards this season, which is third in the NFL.
Will Fries
After Sanders, things drop off for the offense. However, Will Fries makes his first appearance since the preseason. The former Penn State tackle subbed in at right guard and only allowed one pressure, albeit in a blowout against the Patriots. His performance was solid, but the Colts only managed 78 yards on 18 carries in a 26-3 blowout.
Ryan Bates
Similarly, Bills right guard Ryan Bates was good in pass protection. Quarterback Josh Allen was under pressure from the Jets in the afternoon, but not because of Bates. He allowed only one hurry on 43 pass-blocking snaps and held up against the massive interior of the New York Jets defensive line, led by Quinnen Williams. However, like the Colts, the Bills’ offensive line couldn’t open up holes for the running game. Non-Josh Allen runners managed only 48 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Top 10
- 1
Will Howard hand
Mysterious lump on OSU QB's hand
- 2
Deion Sanders
Coach Prime changes tune
- 3
Quinn Ewers
Directly answers portal rumors
- 4
Kyren Lacy
Negligent homicide: LSU WR wanted
- 5Hot
Carson Beck
Georgia QB signs with Miami
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Defenders play well in losses
Adrian Amos
Once again, former Penn State players show up as bright spots in losses this weekend. Adrian Amos allowed only two receptions for eight yards against the Lions in an NFC North defensive slugfest. Short fields and change of momentum were a constant problem on Sunday thanks to three interceptions from Aaron Rodgers, which the Packers did their best to stifle. Amos finished the game with tackles, one of which was a defensive stop.
Yetur Gross-Matos
In previous iterations of this article, we’ve noted that former Penn State pass rusher Yetur Gross-Matos is more of a run defender in the NFL than a pass rusher. He’s typically aligned head up or inside the tackle on pass-rushing downs, soaking up blockers for star edge rusher Brian Burns. In that role, he’s been good. Gross-Matos delivered three tackles on Sunday in a loss to the Bengals and was a bright spot. Gross-Matos has tallied seven of his 19 tackles over the last two games.
Nick Scott
Nick Scott and the Los Angeles Rams nearly pitched a shutout but came up painfully short. The former Pen State safety allowed four receptions for only ten yards against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, on one of those receptions, he was partially responsible for the game-winning touchdown with only seconds left on the clock.
