Sunday was National Tight End Day, and the NFL certainly got the most out of it. The 16 touchdowns and 177 catches were both NFL records by tight ends in a single day.
George Kittle was introduced as a “Tight End University” alum on Sunday Night Football and finished the contest as the San Francisco 49ers’ leading receiver with 128 yards and a touchdown on six catches in the 30-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The Detroit Lions also celebrated the day by giving Sam LaPorta his highest target share of the season. He secured all six passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in the 52-14 blowout win over the Tennessee Titans.
The Seattle Seahawks’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills featured tight end Noah Fant’s average performance of three catches for 22 yards, and Erick All Jr. caught two passes for 32 yards, but the Cincinnati Bengals lost 37-17 to the visiting Philadelphia Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson failed to be game-ready for Thursday’s 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, however, he was activated off injured reserve on Friday and is slated to make his first appearance of the season on Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Defensive Dominance
Carolina Panthers linebacker Josey Jewell returned from his three-game absence after recovering from groin and hamstring injuries and produced 10 tackles — six solo and four assisted — along with one tackle for loss.
But Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss’ three solo tackles and two assisted tackles helped them secure the 28-14 win over Jewell and the Panthers.
Linebacker Jack Campbell anchored a dominant Lions defensive performance that saw the Titans go scoreless in the second half with six solo tackles and five assisted tackles on the day. While Detroit ran up the score, safety Amani Hooker provided a solid individual performance of five solo tackles and two assisted tackles for Tennessee.
Despite the disappointing primetime defeat, Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston had one of his better games of the season with three solo tackles and two assisted tackles.
Philadelphia’s win over Cincinnati featured Bengals safety Geno Stone’s two solo tackles and three assisted tackles, while Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean furnished three solo tackles, one tackle for loss, and one deflected pass in his third straight start.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson’s contributions of two solo tackles and one assisted tackle wasn’t enough to overcome the 31-26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Green Bay Packers snagged a 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on a field goal as time expired. Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness’ three solo tackles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit helped hold off the Jaguars.
Despite being a key part of the Buffalo Bills defense, defensive end A.J. Epenesa’s quiet night of one solo tackle had little impact on the 31-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Chicago Bears punter Tory Taylor logged career-highs of seven punts for 341 yards and a long of 68 yards in a devastating, last-second, 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Subpar Run Game, Elite Passing Game
The Baltimore Ravens suffered a shocking 29-24 loss to a struggling Cleveland Browns team, mainly due to the subpar 124 rushing yards between quarterback Lamar Jackson and running backs Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. But with center Tyler Lindenbaum up front, Jackson logged 289 passing yards, making it four straight games with at least 281 passing yards.
The Buccaneers, led by offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, racked up 330 passing yards without star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin but only accumulated 102 rushing yards in the loss to the Falcons.
The Jaguars loss to the Packers featured 308 passing yards and 91 rushing yards, with guard Brandon Scherff playing a key role in quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s space in the pocket.
Offensive tackle Alaric Jackson was the only Iowa lineman to see a victory last weekend. In the win over the Vikings, the Rams, who retained their two star receivers in Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, accumulated 279 passing yards and 107 rushing yards.