Purdue in the Pros: Week 7

Of the 12 Purdue players on NFL active rosters, nine suited up for their teams in week six of the season. How did they perform? GoldandBlack.com takes a look in our weekly Purdue in the Pros roundup.

LB MARKUS BAILEY – CINCINNATI BENGALS

The 3-3 Bengals spent last week on their bye. Bailey and Cincinnati will return to action on Sunday for a 4:25 p.m. E.T. kickoff at San Francisco.

LB DERRICK BARNES – DETROIT LIONS

The Lions suffered a surprising 38-6 loss at Baltimore on Sunday, where Derrick Barnes saw 41 of the 60 defensive snaps. He picked up a pair of tackles as the Lions fell to 5-2 on the season. Barnes, who’s started all seven games at linebacker, and the Lions will host the Raiders on Monday Night Football next week.

WR DAVID BELL – CLEVELAND BROWNS

Bell returned to his hometown of Indianapolis for the Browns’ dramatic 39-38 win over the Colts on Sunday. The Indianapolis native played three snaps, recording no stats in the contest. Now a surprising 4-2, the Browns will head to Seattle for a 4:05 p.m. E.T. kickoff on Sunday.

🏈Former Boilermaker David Bell was back home in Indianapolis facing the Colts.
➡️ I spoke with the Browns wide receiver, his former coaches, family and Purdue fans at the game.@WLFI @WLFISports @DB3LL @WARRENCENTRALFB @BoilerFootball pic.twitter.com/dT7sfybGGw

— Kelly Hallinan (@kellyhals) October 23, 2023

LB JA’WHAUN BENTLEY – NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Patriots pulled off the week’s stunner with a 29-25 win over the Bills, and Bentley played 70 of the 71 defensive snaps in the process. He recorded four tackles and four hurries of the opposing passer in the upset victory as he remains a key piece of the Patriots’ defense. The Patriots, off to a slow 2-5 start, will hope for another divisional upset victory against Miami at 1 p.m. E.T. on Sunday.

TE PAYNE DURHAM – TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Durham was active for the second-straight game as the Bucs fell 16-13 against the Falcons. The rookie tight end earned 15 snaps on and saw a target, but he did not record any stats. He also lined up on the kickoff return team. He’ll look to continue expanding his role next week when the Buccaneers head to the Bills for Thursday Night Football.

LB JALEN GRAHAM – SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Graham was inactive for the 49ers’ 22-17 loss at Minnesota on Monday night. Now 5-2 on the year, the Niners will seek to stop a two-game skid when they host Cincinnati at 4:25 p.m. E.T. on Sunday.

TE BRYCEN HOPKINS – LOS ANGELES RAMS

Hopkins pulled in a five-yard reception as the Rams fell 24-17 to Pittsburgh on Sunday, marking his third reception of the 2023 season. He played just a pair of snaps on Sunday and will hope to earn more reps as the Rams travel to Dallas for a 1 p.m. E.T. game on Sunday.

WR CHARLIE JONES – CINCINNATI BENGALS

Jones was placed on injured reserve due to a thumb injury. He will be eligible to return for the Bengals’ week eight trip to San Francisco.

DE GEORGE KARLAFTIS – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Karlaftis started, played 49 of 63 snaps, and recorded five pressures and one tackle as the Chiefs improved to 6-1 with a 31-17 win over the Chargers. The West Lafayette product sits fifth in the NFL with 33 pressures on the season thus far, continuing a strong second season as a pro. The Chiefs will look to remain hot as they travel to Denver for a 4:25 p.m. E.T. kickoff next week.

George Karlaftis has 33 QB pressures on the year which ranks 5th among all edge rushers behind only Maxx Crosby, Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, and Chase Young.

— Arrowhead Live (@ArrowheadLive) October 23, 2023

WR RONDALE MOORE – ARIZONA CARDINALS

The speedster played 44 of 67 snaps in the Cardinals’ 20-10 loss to Seattle, catching two passes and rushing four times for a total of 26 yards on offense. The Cardinals, now 1-6, continue their slow start and will hope to turn things around, but they’ll face an uphill battle against the 5-2 Ravens at 4:25 p.m. E.T. next weekend.

RB RAHEEM MOSTERT – MIAMI DOLPHINS

Mostert, the NFL’s leader in touchdown runs, started and played 26 of 45 snaps in the Dolphins’ 31-17 Sunday night loss against Philadelphia. After Miami fell into an early hole, Mostert carried nine times for 45 yards and caught one pass for six yards. While he was unable to extend his league lead of nine touchdown runs, he’ll hope to find the end zone again when Miami hosts New England at 1 p.m. E.T. on Sunday.

QB AIDAN O’CONNELL – LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

O’Connell came in relief for Brian Hoyer as the Raiders fell 30-12 at Chicago on Sunday. O’Connell, a Chicagoland native, got to play the final 14 snaps in a bit of a Homecoming for him. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 75 yards, including one touchdown and one interception. The Raiders struggled on offense in the loss to the Bears, raising questions about whether Hoyer or O’Connell would start moving forward if Jimmy Garoppolo can’t go. The Raiders get an extra day of rest before heading to Detroit for Monday Night Football next week.

Aidan O’Connell finds Jakobi Meyers for the Raiders’ first touchdown of the game 🙌pic.twitter.com/hMwZh6edIE

— Raider Nation (@RaidersNationCP) October 22, 2023