Defensive end Derrick Shelby:
There was a mixture of both good and bad from a shorthanded Atlanta Falcons defense this week. I’m not here to recap the entire game for you, but in a nutshell, for almost two quarters, the Falcons held the Panthers scoreless, and there was an interception midway through the fourth. The bad, however, is that the d-line struggled at times against an offense that was missing three starters. Derrick Shelby finished the game with 1 tackle to help lead the Falcons to a 31-24 win over the Panthers.
Free safety Eric Weddle:
We saw more production from Eric Weddle this week. He finished with 6 tackles and 1 assist, in the Baltimore Ravens’ 23-34 loss to Cincinnati.
Weddle addressed the team’s loss on Twitter:
Cant play like crap in a half on the road. Will be fine. Get back to work. Get better. Denver next.....
— Eric Weddle (@weddlesbeard) September 14, 2018
Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei:
The Buffalo Bills lost 20-31 to the Los Angeles Charges. Star Lotulelei was part of a defense that allowed Chargers running back Melvin Gordon to dominate, with 1 rushing touchdown, along with 2 catching touchdowns. Lotuleleifinished with 38 snaps, the same number he had in week 1.
Linebacker Jared Norris:
As stated above, the Carolina Panthers fell to the Atlanta Falcons 24-31. Jared Norris played but didn’t put up any stats.
Linebacker Kylie Fitts:
The Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 24-17. Kylie Fitts did not play.
Garett Bolles, Devontae Booker and Tim Patrick:
In a game that kept everyone who watched on the edge of their seats, the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders 20-19. Garett Bolles finished with 66 snaps. DevontaeBooker had 3 rushing attempts and 17 receiving yards. Tim Patrick had 1 reception for 26 yards.
Tackle Sam Tevi:
Sam Tevi got his first start of the season for the Chargers but didn’t put up any stats.
Defensive back Eric Rowe:
Eric Rowe had 17 snaps and 2 tackles in the New England Patriots’ 20-31 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Free safety Marcus Williams:
Marcus Williams finished with 62 snaps, 5 tackles and 1 interception, which helped the New Orleans Saints pull off a 21-18 victory against the Cleveland Browns. The interception from Williams was huge. The Saints’ defense was doing everything they could to hold off the Browns, but they still trailed 10-12 with 5:10 left in the game and needed another stop. On second-and-4 from the Cleveland 30-yard line, Browns Quarterback Tyrod Taylor attempted a pass to tight end David Njoku, but it never made it. Williams snatched the ball (and gave the Saints their first forced turnover of the season) and returned the pick 22 yards to the Cleveland 18-yard line. The pick setup a touchdown for the Saints on that drive.
Alex Smith and Tony Bergstrom:
Alex Smith attempted 46 passes and completed 33 of them. Smith didn’t have any passing or rushing touchdowns in the Washington Redskins’ 9-21 loss against the Indianapolis Colts. This loss exposed the Redskins and their passing game. The Colts shut down Adrian Peterson and the Redskins were unable to respond with a passing attack. Tony Bergstrom had 4 snaps.