Life as an NFL practice squad member means you might wait a while to get the call to join an active roster. It took Jake Stoneburner two years and two teams to get that chance again.
He only saw the field in a limited, special teams role with the Packers in 2013 and spent most of last season searching for another team after Green Bay let him go. He landed with Miami's practice squad towards the end of the 2014 season and remained there through the beginning of this season.
The Dolphins finally activated Stoneburner for their Week 2 game due to Dion Sims' concussion a week ago.
"I've worked really hard this offseason and training camp to just get to this point," Stoneburner said, via the Sun Sentinel. "Just being on the roster isn't good enough. I want to be out there on the field, making plays, helping this team win."
It didn't help them beat the Jaguars but he certainly made a play – his first career catch went for a touchdown:
Considering starting tight end Jordan Cameron tweaked his groin and is fragile to begin with, Stoneburner might stick on the active roster.
Panthers Wideouts Bounce Back
It was a rough season debut for Carolina's Buckeye wide receivers, winning in spite of their struggles. The first quarter of their week two contest against Houston wasn't much better:
Jason Pierre Paul would be a starting WR in the panthers
— PFTCommenter (@PFTCommenter) September 20, 2015
That criticism will die down after the way Ted Ginn and Philly Brown closed out the game. In the second quarter, the Panthers got on the board thanks to this 25-yard hookup with Ginn:
In the fourth quarter, Cam Newton hit Brown to give Carolina a much-needed 14-point cushion:
Hawk Returns to Southwest Ohio
Linebacker A.J. Hawk didn't see much action in his Bengals homecoming but the Kettering native was happy to be home.
Of course, Cincinnati's strong roster – even if it only nets them a wildcard exit every year – played as big a role as his desire to return to Ohio.
"That was huge," Hawk told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "If they were going 2-14 every year, I don’t think I would have been nearly as excited about it. I knew from watching them on film a little bit how much talent they have."
Play of the Week
It was a touchdown-filled week for the Buckeyes in the NFL. Brown, Ginn, Stoneburner all scored on Sunday.
Nothing – and perhaps nothing this season – will top the wild ending of the Broncos-Chiefs game. Bradley Roby was the lucky recipient of this gift from Jamaal Charles during Thursday night's come-from-behind win:
How They Fared in Week Two
| Player | Team | Position | Stats/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Pittsburgh Steelers | OT | On PUP list (out until Week 7, at the earliest) |
| Will Allen | Pittsburgh Steelers | S | 5 tackles in win over 49ers |
| Michael Bennett | Jacksonville Jaguars | DT | Did not record a tackle in win over Dolphins |
| Alex Boone | San Francisco 49ers | OL | Struggled at left guard in loss to Steelers, this guy is irrationally angry about it |
| Philly Brown | Carolina Panthers | WR/KR/PR | 3 receptions, 57 yards, 1 touchdown in win over Texans |
| Kurt Coleman | Carolina Panthers | S | 9 tackles, 1 bloody visor in win over Texans |
| Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | DB/ST | Inactive for win over Bills due to apparent injury |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | Carolina Panthers | WR | 4 receptions, 41 yards, 1 touchdown in win over Texans |
| Johnathan Hankins | New York Giants | DT | 2 tackles in loss to Falcons |
| Brian Hartline | Cleveland Browns | WR | 0 receptions on 3 targets in win over Titans |
| A.J. Hawk | Cincinnati Bengals | LB | Did not play much in return to Southwest Ohio |
| Cameron Heyward | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | 6 tackles, 1 for loss in win over 49ers |
| Carlos Hyde | San Francisco 49ers | RB | 13 carries, 43 yards in loss to Steelers, left early due to head injury |
| Malcolm Jenkins | Philadelphia Eagles | S | 8 tackles, 1 fumble recovery in loss to Cowboys |
| James Laurinaitis | St. Louis Rams | LB | 9 tackles in loss to Redskins |
| Corey Linsley | Green Bay Packers | C | Cris Collinsworth fell in love with Linsley during win over Seahawks |
| Nick Mangold | New York Jets | C | Plays tonight vs Colts |
| Jake McQuaide | St. Louis Rams | LS | Rams hit a 52-yard field goal, punted 8 times |
| Jack Mewhort | Indianapolis Colts | OL | Plays tonight vs Jets |
| Andrew Norwell | Carolina Panthers | OL | Panthers run for 172 yards in win over Texans |
| Mike Nugent | Cincinnati Bengals | K | Kicked 21-yard field goal, missed another in win over Chargers |
| Bradley Roby | Denver Broncos | CB | Miraculous fumble recovery to win game vs Chiefs |
| Ryan Shazier | Pittsburgh Steelers | LB | 15 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 fumble recovery before leaving with shoulder injury |
| John Simon | Houston Texans | LB | Started in place of Whitney Mercilus, missed a few tackles |
| Devin Smith | New York Jets | WR | Probable for tonight's game against Colts (ribs) |
| Jake Stoneburner | Miami Dolphins | TE | 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 touchdown in loss to Jaguars |
| Donte Whitner | Cleveland Browns | S | 8 tackles in win over Titans |
