Two of the top tight end performances in Week 10 of the NFL came from Iowa alums T.J. Hockenson and George Kittle, who each made big plays in both of their teams’ wins.
Kittle caught three balls for 116 yards and walked into the endzone on a 66-yard touchdown after losing a defender on a deep route. Hockenson finished with 11 receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the New Orleans Saints, 19-27.
Hockenson has made quite the connection with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs since he joined the team entering Week 9, catching 18 passes over the past two games as the Vikings improved to 6-4. Hockenson leads all tight ends in receiving yards with 681 and is tied third in touchdowns with Kittle with four.
Jaguars’ offensive lineman and Iowa alum Brandon Scherff didn’t have his best performance against the 49ers. The Jag’s offensive line allowed five sacks on 28 pressures and received criticism from 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead for an alleged dirty play that led to Armstead being assisted off the field by medical staff.
He. Can. Go. All. The. Way.
Carolina Panthers receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette had his best performance of the season thus far in his team’s 16-13 loss to the Chicago Bears, returning a punt 79 yards for a touchdown late into the first quarter.
Smith-Marsette did it all for Iowa in his four seasons with the Hawkeyes, accounting for 3,409 career all-purpose yards — 10th all-time at Iowa — as a receiver and special teams returner and scored 19 touchdowns. The Minnesota Vikings drafted Smith in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, and he has had stints with the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs, being a member of the Chief’s 2023 Super Bowl team before being traded to the Panthers this past August.
A basketball starting lineup of Hawkeyes
Five former Iowa football players, including two starters, saw action on the field in the Tennessee Titans’ 20-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Titans’ defenders Amani Hooker and Jaleel Johnson recorded five and two tackles, respectively. On the opposite side, Buccaneers defensive lineman Anthony Nelson finished with three tackles, and safety Kaevon Merriweather had one.
Buccaneers starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs protected quarterback Baker Mayfield toward another efficient game, as Mayfield threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns with a 102-passer rating.
Looking at the O-line
Pittsburgh Steelers right guard James Daniels and the rest of the team’s offensive line held up their end of the bargain Sunday, as the offense went for 306 total yards and two touchdowns in a 23-19 victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers offensive line also allowed only one sack on seven total pressures.
The Baltimore Ravens offensive line struggled under center Tyler Linderbaum Sunday in the team’s 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns, giving up three sacks on 23 pressures to a stout Browns’ defensive line.
The 7-3 Ravens also lost starters Ronnie Stanley and Kevin Zeitler late in the game. There were some bright spots for the unit, though, as it still paved the way for over 300 total yards and three touchdowns.
Monday night game
AJ Epenesa had a huge impact in the Buffalo Bills’ 24-21 loss to the Denver Broncos, recording two sacks and three quarterback hits. Broncos’ linebacker Josey Jewell had a solid outing for the defense, finishing second in tackles with six.
Denver’s record improved to 4-5, while Buffalo moved to 5-5 on the season.
Other notable performances
Speaking of the Ravens game, former Hawkeye Geno Stone saw his streak of games with an interception end versus the Browns and finished the day with five tackles and one pass deflection. Despite coming short of an interception in this game, Stone still leads the league with six interceptions so far into the season.
Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness had another solid performance in his team’s loss to the Steelers, finishing with three tackles.
Fellow 2023 draft picks Sam LaPorta and Jack Campbell each played big roles in the Detroit Lions’ 41-38 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, recording four receptions for 40 yards and five tackles, respectively.
