Iowa alum Geno Stone led the NFL in interceptions entering Week 9 with five, securing another win for the Ravens win against the Seattle Seahawks.
Stone finished the game with one tackle and picked off fellow Geno, quarterback Geno Smith, early in the second quarter when the game was still close.
On the offensive side, center Tyler Linderbaum helped the Ravens account for 515 total yards and four touchdowns, three of them rushing. The Ravens offense currently ranks fourth in the NFL in yards and points, while the defense allows the fewest opponent points per game.
Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant didn’t have as big of an impact for his team, finishing the game with one target.
Down to the wire
It was a wild but disappointing finish for Tampa Bay’s Anthony Nelson and Tristan Wirfs against the Texans.
Nelson, a defensive lineman, recorded one tackle for a Buccaneer defense that gave up 496 total yards and five passing touchdowns. Wirfs and the Tampa Bay offense scored a season-high 37 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The Texans scored 17 points in the fourth quarter — including the game-winning touchdown with six seconds left — to win, 39-37.
Steelers steal one late
Tennessee Titans safety Amani Hooker recorded seven tackles in his team’s 20-16 loss versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, six of which were solo. Hooker ranks third on the 3-5 Titans with 47 tackles so far this season.
Offensive lineman James Daniels did his part in helping the statistically poor Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense gain 326 yards and score two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with less than five minutes remaining. He also allowed zero sacks against the stout Titan defense.
Rough outing for the Rams
The Los Angeles Rams, featuring former Hawkeye offensive lineman Alaric Jackson and defensive lineman Zach VanValkenburg, had arguably their worst performance of the season against the Green Bay Packers.
Jackson earned a 37.8 run grade, the second-lowest grade on the team. The Rams managed 187 total yards of offense and scored three points — the lowest scoring total in the Sean McVay era. VanValkenberg appeared on the stat sheet with one tackle.
On the winning side, defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness tallied two solo tackles and a tackle for loss to help the Packers snap their four-game losing streak.
Injury bug
Tight end TJ Hockenson had another big game for the Minnesota Vikings, leading his team with seven receptions for 69 yards in a thrilling 31-28 win over the Falcons.
The star pass-catcher got banged up against Atlanta, however. According to Sports Illustrated, Hockenson will be limited throughout this week with mid-section injuries.
Defensive back Micah Hyde left the Bills’ game against the Bengals with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter after taking a hit from Cordell Volson. Prior to the injury, he recorded two tackles and two pass deflections.
Hawks on byes
The Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, two of the three NFL teams tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the most former Hawkeyes on their rosters with three, both had their bye weeks during Week 9.
