Hockenson scores game-winning TD for Lions, Fant returns from injury in NFL Week 7
Former Hawkeyes made plays around the league on National Tight End Day.
October 26, 2020
The NFL celebrated its second-ever National Tight End Day on Sunday, a fitting time for former Hawkeye and current Detroit Lion T.J. Hockenson to catch a game-winning touchdown.
Against the Atlanta Falcons, the Lions got the ball back with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter, down 22-16. Quarterback Matthew Stafford helped move his team downfield, but then there were only two seconds left for a final play at the Falcons’ 11-yard line.
Keeping the ball for four seconds, Stafford moved up in the pocket and found an open Hockenson in the left side of the end zone. Hockenson caught the pass, rolled over, and secured the catch. The Lions made the extra point to win 23-22 in Atlanta.
“Usually it’s a bang-bang play at the goal line,” Hockenson said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “That’s kind of what usually happens, what we practice on, and then today they played a different coverage than we thought. It ended up being zone and [Falcons linebacker Deion Jones] was just sitting right in the middle at the goal line. I turned around and saw Stafford scrambling and I just continued on the route and he ended up finding it and it was history from there.”
The Chariton, Iowa, native had five catches on the day for 59 yards. On the season, he leads the Lions in receiving TDs with four, and is third in receiving yards with 256.
National Tight End Day was created by San Francisco 49er quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018 and popularized when teammate and former Hawkeye tight end George Kittle started calling every day “national tight end day,” according to ESPN.
Kittle didn’t have the day Hockenson had, but did record five receptions for 55 yards against the New England Patriots in a 33-6 win. He has 435 receiving yards and two TDs in five games played in the 2020 season.
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Noah Fant returns from injury
The former Hawkeye and current Denver Broncos tight end hurt his ankle in a Week 4 Thursday night game against the New York Jets and missed one game. He returned to the field in Week 7 on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver.
Fant had three catches for 38 yards on seven targets in his return, which didn’t help the Broncos much, as the team lost, 43-16.
The Omaha, Nebraska, native has 257 receiving yards and two TDs on the season.
Amani Hooker secures late interception
In his second year as a defensive back for the Tennessee Titans, former Hawkeye Amani Hooker recorded his second interception of the season on Sunday, this time against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Nashville.
During the fourth quarter, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw on a third-and-12 from the Titans’ 19-yard line into the back of the end zone. A nice pass breakup from linebacker Jayon Brown put the ball right into Hooker’s hands, who took a touchback with 2:35 to go and down 27-24.
Unfortunately for Hooker, Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a game-tying 45-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds left, handing the Titans their first loss of the season.
On the season, Hooker has 10 total tackles and four passes defended.
