Gamecocks in the NFL: Week 6 recap

Week 6 of the NFL season was another good one from start to finish. For the former Gamecocks in the league, the highlights included a rookie quarterback made his first career start, while a star receiver had a big performance in primetime action.

Here’s how all former Gamecocks fared for their respective professional teams this past week.

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AFC East

Ahmarean Brown – Wide receiver, Buffalo Bills
Brown is currently a member of the Bills’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s 23-20 win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. He has been a member of the team since Sept. 14, when he was signed to its practice squad.

Cam Smith – Cornerback, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were on bye during Week 6, so Smith did not play this past week. He has yet to play this year, though, after being placed on short-term injured reserve ahead of the regular season on Aug. 27.

Marcellas Dial Jr. – Cornerback, New England Patriots
Dial Jr. returned to playing exclusively on special teams in the Patriots’ 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans. For the third consecutive week, he tied for the team lead in special teams snaps (30).

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 6 defeat.

Javon Kinlaw – Defensive tackle, New York Jets
Kinlaw continued his recent stretch of consistent production in the Jets’ 23-20 loss to the Bills. He recorded three total tackles, including one solo stop, in the contest. Kinlaw has recorded at least one solo tackle in each game he has played in this season. But he also had three costly penalties in a fourth-quarter drive where the Jets gave up the go-ahead field goal.

AFC South

Chris Lammons – Defensive back, Indianapolis Colts
After two strong performances on the defensive side of the football, Lammons played exclusively on special teams in the Colts’ 20-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He played 11 snaps on special teams during Week 6.

Ernest Jones – Linebacker, Tennessee Titans
Coming off a bye week, Jones returned to action in a big way in the Titans’ 20-17 defeat to the Colts. He led the team in tackles (10), three of which were solo stops, marking the second time this year he has recorded double-digit tackles in a single game.

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AFC West

Nate Adkins – Tight end, Denver Broncos
Adkins caught one pass for the fourth consecutive game, totaling five yards on his lone reception in the Broncos’ 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He played 32 total snaps in the contest – 15 on offense and 17 on special teams.

Nick Gargiulo – Guard, Denver Broncos
Gargiulo is currently a member of the Broncos’ practice squad and did not feature in the team’s Week 6 defeat.

Darius Rush – Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs
Rush was released by the Steelers on Oct. 1. But he quickly found a new professional opportunity with the Chiefs, which signed him to their practice squad three days later. The team was on bye during Week 6, though, so Rush did not play this past week.

Hayden Hurst – Tight end, Los Angeles Chargers
Hurst did not record any statistics in the Chargers’ 23-16 win over the Broncos. But he did play seven offensive snaps – all of which were pass plays – in the contest.

NFC East

Rico Dowdle – Running back, Dallas Cowboys
Dowdle was unable to replicate his triple-digit-yardage production from the previous week in the Cowboys’ 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. He gained 25 yards on five total rushing attempts but was out-touched by backup running back Ezekiel Elliott, who gained just 17 yards on eight carries. Dowdle also tied for third on the team in targets (six), which resulted in five receptions for an additional 30 yards.

Israel Mukuamu – Safety, Dallas Cowboys
Mukuamu contributed on both defense and special teams in the Cowboys’ Week 6 defeat. He played two snaps on defense, recording one solo tackle, and an additional 23 on special teams.

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Jalen Brooks – Wide receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Brooks caught one pass for the second consecutive game – this time, for a 15-yard gain – during Week 6. He also played a season-high 49 snaps on offense, along with two special teams snaps, in the contest.

Dante Miller – Running back, New York Giants
Miller was relegated back to the Giants’ practice squad after appearing on its active roster and playing his first professional snap last week. He did not feature in the Giants’ 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

NFC North

Zacch Pickens – Defensive tackle, Chicago Bears
Pickens missed his fourth straight contest – a 35-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London – after not practicing on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday due to a groin injury. He has now been listed as inactive for five of the team’s six games this season.

Kingsley Enagbare – Defensive end, Green Bay Packers
Enagbare recorded one solo tackle in the Packers’ 34-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He logged this statistic over 27 snaps on defensive and nine on special teams.

Keisean Nixon – Defensive back, Green Bay Packers
Nixon defended one pass and made three tackles (including one solo stop) in the Packers’ Week 6 victory. He appeared on all 58 of the team’s defensive snaps and played an additional 10 on special teams in the contest.

Stephon Gilmore – Cornerback, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were on bye during Week 6, so Gilmore did not play this past week.

Nick Muse – Tight end, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were on bye during Week 6, so Muse did not play this past week.

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NFC South

Jovaughn Gwyn – Guard, Atlanta Falcons
Gwyn did not record any statistics or play any snaps in the Falcons’ 38-20 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Jadeveon Clowney – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Clowney did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week due to a shoulder injury and carried a “doubtful” designation heading into the Panthers’ Week 6 game. He ultimately did not feature in the team’s 38-20 defeat to the Falcons.

Jaycee Horn – Cornerback, Carolina Panthers
Horn made four total tackles, including two solo stops, and defended two passes in the Panthers’ Week 6 loss. He appeared on all 70 of the team’s defensive plays.

Xavier Legette – Wide receiver, Carolina Panthers
Legette was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this past week after he suffered a shoulder injury in the Panthers’ Week 5 contest. He received four targets in his return, resulting in three catches for 23 yards. One of those receptions was a seven-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton, which occurred right before the stroke of halftime. The play marked Legette’s second score his NFL career.

D.J. Wonnum – Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
Wonnum is still recovering from offseason quadriceps surgery and remained on the physically unable to perform list, which he has been on for the entire season.

Spencer Rattler – Quarterback, New Orleans Saints
Rattler made his first-ever start as a professional on Sunday after Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury that will keep him out for multiple weeks. He completed 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards, with much of that production coming in the first half. Rattler’s play in the opening 30 minutes of the game included his first touchdown pass, which was caught by fellow rookie wide receiver Bub Means for a 10-yard gain in the second quarter. But he struggled in the second half – he completed fewer than half his passes (11 of 23), threw two interceptions and was sacked five times in what would become a 51-27 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Adam Prentice – Running back, New Orleans Saints
Prentice did not record any statistics during the Saints’ Week 6 loss. He did, however, play 12 snaps on offense and an additional 15 on special teams in the contest.

NFC West

Deebo Samuel Sr. – Wide receiver, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel logged his second 100-plus-yard game of the 2024 season in the 49ers’ 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. He caught just three passes, but one of them went for a 76-yard gain and a touchdown in the second quarter. Overall, Samuel gained 102 yards through the air and an additional 15 on the ground across four rushing attempts.

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