Gamecocks in NFL: Week 11 recap

With just six weeks remaining in the 2024 National Football League season, divisional and wild card races are heating up as teams jostle for position over the final month and a half of the season.

In the most recent week of NFL action, former South Carolina football players took center stage and made valuable contributions for their respective teams.

Here’s how former Gamecocks fared in the professional ranks this past week.

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AFC East

Cam Smith – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins
Smith played just 20 snaps – eight of which came on defense, and 12 of which came on special teams – in 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Marcellas Dial Jr. – Cornerback, New England Patriots
Dial Jr. played exclusively on special teams in the Patriots’ 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Bears. He did not record any statistics across 22 special teams snaps, the most of any player on the team.

Kevin Harris – Running back, New England Patriots
Harris is currently a member of the Patriots’ practice squad and did not make an appearance in the Patriots’ Week 11 defeat.

Javon Kinlaw – Defensive tackle, New York Jets
Kinlaw put up his strongest performance of the 2024 season in the Jets’ 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He finished the game with five tackles (including three solo stops), his second-highest single-game total of the season. Kinlaw also recorded one sack of Anthony Richardson, which resulted in a fumble that he recovered.

AFC South

Chris Lammons – Defensive back, Indianapolis Colts
Lammons returned to defensive action in the Jets’ 28-27 victory over the Colts, playing two snaps on that side of the football. He additionally made an appearance on an additional 10 special teams plays.

AFC West

Nate Adkins – Tight end, Denver Broncos
Adkins found the end zone for the second time of the season – and of his career – in the Broncos’ 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He connected with Bo Nix for his lone reception of the contest, which resulted in a 12-yard gain in the first quarter.

Nick Gargiulo – Guard, Denver Broncos
Gargiulo is currently a member of the Broncos’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s Week 11 victory.

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Darius Rush – Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs
Rush is currently a member of the Chiefs’ practice squad and did not feature in the Chiefs’ 30-21 defeat to the Buffalo Bills.

Hayden Hurst – Tight end, Los Angeles Chargers
Hurst did not practice due to “not injury related – personal” reasons on Wednesday, but he was a full participant on Thursday and Friday this past week. Despite not carrying an injury designation into the Chargers’ Sunday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he did not feature in the 34-27 loss.

NFC East

Rico Dowdle – Running back, Dallas Cowboys
Earlier this week, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy named Dowdle the team’s leading running back ahead of its Monday Night Football game against the Houston Texans. Dowdle would struggle in his first contest as the team’s official top rusher, generating just 28 yards on nine carries. He also caught two passes on five targets for six yards in the 34-10 loss.

Israel Mukuamu – Safety, Dallas Cowboys
Mukuamu made four tackles, including two solo stops, in the Cowboys’ Week 11 defeat. He recorded these statistics across 38 defensive and 19 special teams snaps.

Jalen Brooks – Wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Brooks did not appear on the Cowboys’ injury report during Week 11, but he was listed as inactive ahead of Monday’s game.

Dante Miller – Running back, New York Giants
The Panthers were on bye during Week 11, so Miller did not play this past week. He remains a member of the team’s practice squad.

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NFC North

Zacch Pickens – Defensive tackle, Chicago Bears
Pickens recorded one total tackle in the Bears’ 20-19 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. He still made contributions to the team that did not appear on the stat sheet, though, as he earned its third-highest overall defensive PFF grade (75.1) across 18 snaps of action.

Kingsley Enagbare – Defensive end, Green Bay Packers
Enagbare recorded three total tackles, including one solo stop, in his return from the bye week. He played 41 defensive snaps and seven more on special teams in the Packers’ 20-19 win over the Bears.

Keisean Nixon – Defensive back, Green Bay Packers
Nixon was a nearly constant presence in the Packers’ secondary during Week 11, appearing on 71 of the team’s 72 defensive plays. He played an additional nine snaps on special teams and registered four tackles, including three solo stops.

Stephon Gilmore – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings
Gilmore logged a three-solo stop performance in the Vikings’ 23-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He played on all 44 of the team’s defensive snaps in the contest.

Nick Muse – Tight end, Minnesota Vikings
Muse has been on the Vikings’ injury reserve since Sept. 18 due to a minor fracture in his hand. Because of this, he did not feature in the team’s Week 11 win.

NFC South

Jovaughn Gwyn – Guard, Atlanta Falcons
Gwyn did not record any statistics or play any snaps in the Falcons’ 20-17 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Jadeveon Clowney – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were on bye during Week 11, so Clowney did not play this past week.

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Jaycee Horn – Cornerback, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were on bye during Week 11, so Horn did not play this past week.

Xavier Legette – Wide receiver, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were on bye during Week 11, so Legette did not play this past week.

D.J. Wonnum – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers were on bye during Week 11, so Wonnum did not play this past week.

Spencer Rattler – Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
Rattler did not feature in the Saints’ 35-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the team’s third straight game he has not appeared in.

Adam Prentice – Fullback, New Orleans Saints
Prentice did not record any statistics during Week 11. He did, however, play 20 snaps on offense and seven on special teams for the Saints.

NFC West

Deebo Samuel Sr. – Wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel Sr. had a relatively quiet game in the 49ers’ 20-17 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. He caught just four passes for 22 yards, in addition to losing one yard on one rushing attempt.

Ernest Jones – Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks
Jones was a tackling machine in the Seahawks’ 20-17 win over the 49ers, logging a team-high 13 tackles (including six solo stops). He appeared on all 63 of the team’s defensive plays.

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