By the time you read this, Nick Mangold may have been fined for that hit on Aqib Talib. It was the most notable play in the past week involving a former Buckeye, but there were plenty of highlights.
Terrelle Pryor nearly led his Raiders to an upset of the Colts in week one. The competition lightened considerably, and he was able to notch his first NFL victory in Oakland.
An ex-Buckeye speedster scored his first touchdown in a Panthers uniform. Plus, we have stats from all former Buckeyes in the NFL.
Pryor and Oakland ground game rumble over Jacksonville
What do you get when you combine perpetual loser Chad Henne and the arm-punting prowess of Denard Robinson? Let’s just say that it didn’t turn out well for the hapless Jaguars.
Maintaining the same standards they set in college, both Henne and Robinson went on to lose to a Buckeye – Oakland starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
He contributed 50 yards towards a monstrous Raiders rushing attack. Overall, they ran for 226 yards on 34 attempts, led by Darren McFadden.
Just like the previous week, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson called numerous zone-read option plays, accentuating Pryor’s top attribute.
He didn’t put up the same numbers, but Pryor was more efficient this week. He only threw for 126 yards, but didn’t throw an interception. He fumbled twice but the Raiders recovered both times.
Henne actually had a decent game, statistically speaking. He threw for 241 yards and one touchdown, but got sacked five times.
Pryor will be under the national spotlight, next week, when Oakland travels to Denver for Monday Night Football. He’ll need to put up a few more touchdowns, considering the Broncos are averaging 45 points per game in their two victories.
The Jaguars, on the other hand, are an all-around clown show:
"You might think Jacksonville's two-tone state fair airbrushed helmets look ridiculous, but kids love them & it will help with recruiting."
— Ramzy Nasrallah (@ramzy) September 15, 2013
Mangold delivers late hit, fight ensues
Nick Mangold is an intimidating dude, who channels the spirit of the Nordic gods. Aqib Talib hasn’t played a full season in his career, and has a fairly lengthy injury history (and rap sheet).
Blend that and the obvious size difference and Mangold wins that bout, especially when he – rather unexpectedly – goes for the legs.
The Jets center believed he made the correct play, but the officials and the Patriots obviously disagreed with him.
Talib picked off Geno Smith to end Thursday night’s game and danced along the sideline before Mangold went low. Talib’s teammates clearly took offense, while the Jets ran to Mangold’s aid.
What ensued was a huge pile of AFC East rivals mixing it up near the Patriots' bench.
New York’s D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Willie Colon were ejected, the latter for shoving an official.
The league office will be busy reviewing tape of that kerfuffle, along with their usual activity of ruining everybody’s fun.
Highlight of the week
Over the last few years, the Carolina Panthers have proven to be incapable of winning games this early in the season. That’s not Ted Ginn’s fault – it’s only his first year with Carolina.
Plus, Ginn is too busy torching the Buffalo Bills secondary and hovering over camera guys for that nonsense.
How ex-Buckeyes Fared During Week Two
| Player | team | position | stats/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Pittsburgh Steelers | OT | Plays tonight vs Cincinnati |
| Will Allen | Dallas Cowboys | S | 4 tackles, 1 pass deflected in loss to Kansas City |
| Alex Boone | San Francisco 49ers | OG | 49ers only scored 3 points. Boone still praised |
| Michael Brewster | Jacksonville Jaguars | C | Backup to Brad Meester, who is not receiving praise |
| Kurt Coleman | Philadelphia Eagles | DB | Played mostly special teams in loss to San Diego |
| Jim Cordle | New York Giants | C | Backup to Kevin Boothe in loss to Denver |
| Nate Ebner | New England Patriots | DB | Active on special teams in win over New York Jets |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | Carolina Panthers | WR | 3 receptions, 62 Yards, 1 TD in loss to Buffalo |
| Brian Hartline | Miami Dolphins | WR | 5 receptions, 68 yards in win over Indianapolis |
| Ben Hartsock | Carolina Panthers | TE | Backup to Greg Olsen in loss to Buffalo |
| A.J. Hawk | Green Bay Packers | LB | 5 tackles in victory over Washington |
| Cameron Heyward | Pittsburgh Steelers | DE | Plays tonight vs Cincinnati |
| Santonio Holmes | New York Jets | WR | 3 receptions, 51 yards in loss to New England |
| Malcolm Jenkins | New Orleans Saints | S | 1 INT, 2 tackles in win over Tampa Bay |
| James Laurinaitis | St. Louis Rams | LB | 5 tackles in loss to Atlanta |
| Nick Mangold | New York Jets | C | Part of this ruckus in loss to New England |
| Jake McQuaide | St. Louis Rams | LS | Snapper on 1 field goal, 3 XPs. Misses bad "Ohio" cuisine |
| Mike Nugent | Cincinnati Bengals | K | Plays tonight vs Pittsburgh |
| Ryan Pickett | Green Bay Packers | DT | 1 pass deflected, 1 massive chest bump in win |
| DeVier Posey | Houston Texans | WR | Still recovering from Achilles injury |
| Terrelle Pryor | Oakland Raiders | QB | 15-24, 126 yds, 9 rushes for 50 yds in win vs Jacksonville |
| John Simon | Baltimore Ravens | LB | 1 tackle in win over an embarrassing franchise |
| Rob Sims | Detroit Lions | OG | Played hurt in loss to Arizona |
| Donte Whitner | San Francisco 49ers | S | 5 tackles, 2 pass deflections in loss to Seattle |
Inactive: Chimdi Chekwa (OAK), Johnathan Hankins (NYG), Dane Sanzenbacher (CIN)
