Penn State skill players shine in Week Eight of NFL season

Penn State’s offensive skill players take the lead in our week eight review of the NFL. While no former Nittany Lions put on a statistical show, they were instrumental in their team’s performance on Sunday. In fact, one former Nittany Lion didn’t reach milestone statistical landmarks because his team blew out its opponent. We’ll get to that, and the defensive players making plays this weekend. Some stats provided by PFF. 

Penn State offensive standouts

Miles Sanders: 

Former Penn State running back Miles Sanders only needed nine carries to rip off 78 yards and a touchdown against his hometown Pittsbugh Steelers. The former Steel City football player came back home with the Philadelphia Eagles and crushed the Steelers 35-13 on the way to a 7-0 record. With a loss by the Giants, the Eagles are building a solid lead in the surprisingly competitive NFC East. 

Pat Freiermuth: 

Don’t look at former Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth when looking for issues with the Steeler’s offense. The second-year player led the team with four catches for 57 yards on seven targets. But the Steelers played small ball with rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who threw 38 times for only 191 yards and an interception. So Freiermuth will continue to be a significant target for the Matt Canada-led offense. For as long as Canada is still the offensive coordinator, that is.

Ryan Bates:

Ryan Bates has been a solid contributor for the Buffalo Bills at right guard this season and put together one of his better performances on Sunday Night Football. The Bills did their damage early, scoring 24 of their 27 points before halftime. Bills leading rusher Devin Singletary chewed up 67 yards on 14 carries. Considering the Bills were trying to kill the clock for the entire fourth quarter, that’s still a healthy average. Bates and the Bills offensive line was sound in the win.

Mike Gesicki:

It seems that any time the Miami Dolphins get into a shootout, the offense plays much better. Mike Gesicki is now a role player, but he’s playing his role very well. He grabbed three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins’ 31-27 win over the Detroit Lions.

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Saquon Barkley: 

Saquon Barkley was held in check, and the New York Giants lost a football game. So far, that’s been the story of the season so far for the 6-2 G Men. Barkley did hard work on Sunday, running 20 times for 53 yards and most of those yards came after contact. Barkley remains atop the NFL rushing list despite the struggles against Seattle.

Allen Robinson: 

Allen Robinson is a steady, unspectacular presence for the L.A. Rams, who couldn’t muster the points to keep up with the San Francisco 49ers in a 31-14 blowout. However, Robinson grabbed his now standard five catches for 54 yards. 

KJ Hamler: 

KJ Hamler is starting to find his footing in the Denver Broncos offense. He grabbed two receptions for 52 yards and had a nice nine-yard jet sweep where he broke two tackles. In the game, ultra-aggressive Russell Wilson found Hamler down the sideline for a 49-yard bomb that helped the Broncos win 21-17 over the Jaguars in London. 

Micah Parsons’ quiet day isn’t so quiet

Micah Parsons: 

If you read the internet, Micah Parsons was held relentlessly by the Chicago Bears, which resulted in a low three-pressure output on Sunday. However, an “off day” for Parsons still resulted in five stops and a wild fumble return for a touchdown. The game ended in a 49-29 rout. 

Arnold Ebiketie:

Arnold Ebiketie played his part against the Carolina Panthers in the dramatic 37-34 overtime victory for the Atlanta Falcons. Ebiketie hit the quarterback twice and tallied several tackles on defense. 

Yetur Gross-Matos: 

Yetur Gross-Matos has a challenging job getting to the quarterback for the Panthers. He plays lined up inside or over the tackle more than most pass rushers in the NFL. Yet he finally broke through and got half a sack against Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota on Sunday.