Across The Shield: Nick Bosa and Cameron Heyward Dominate, Vonn Bell Forces A Game-Winning Takeaway and Chase Young Returns

By Dan Hope on December 27, 2022 at 9:20 am
Nick Bosa and Cameron Heyward
Bosa photo: Sergio Estrada – USA TODAY Sports Heyward photo: Michael Longo – USA TODAY Network
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Nick Bosa and Cameron Heyward are two of the NFL’s elite defensive linemen, and both former Buckeyes were at their best as they led their teams to wins in Week 16 of the NFL season.

Bosa continued to make his case that he should be the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year with a dominant performance against the Washington Commanders in which he recorded two sacks to extend his league lead to 17.5 sacks for the year. On the second sack, Bosa forced his second fumble of the year, which helped the San Francisco 49ers pull away from Washington in their eventual 37-20 win.

In a year that Bosa’s been dominant week in and week out, he achieved his best Pro Football Focus grade of the year (92.2) against the Commanders as he recorded a season-high seven total tackles and achieved eight total quarterback pressures, including four quarterback hits.

Pro Bucks Of The Week
Week Player Stats
WEEK 1 Saints WR Michael Thomas 5 catches, 57 yards, 2 TD
WEEK 2 Jets WR Garrett Wilson 8 catches, 102 yards, 2 TD
WEEK 3 Saints WR Chris Olave 9 catches, 147 yards
WEEK 4 Bengals S Vonn Bell 4 tackles, 2 INT
WEEK 5 Broncos LB Baron Browning 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks (13.5 yards), 2 TFL, 6 QB hits
WEEK 6 Broncos LB Baron Browning 3 tackles, 1 sack (7 yards), 2 TFL, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FR
WEEK 7 Bears QB Justin Fields 13/21 passing, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 14 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD
WEEK 8 Commanders WR Terry McLaurin 6 catches, 113 yards
WEEK 9 Bears QB Justin Fields 17/28 passing, 123 yards, 3 TD; 15 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD
WEEK 10 Bears QB Justin Fields 12/20 passing, 167 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 13 carries, 147 yards, 2 TD
WEEK 11 Saints WR Chris Olave 5 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD
WEEK 12 Jets WR Garrett Wilson 5 catches, 95 yards, 2 TD
WEEK 13 49ers DE Nick Bosa 3 sacks (20 yards), 1 FF, 4 QB hits
WEEK 14 Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins 15 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD
WEEK 15 Browns CB Denzel Ward 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU
WEEK 16 49ers DE Nick Bosa 7 tackles, 2 sacks (19 yards), 1 FF, 4 QB hits

Heyward had a comparably dominant performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night. Like Bosa, Heyward also had seven total tackles – tying his season-high – and two sacks, a season-high in the latter category for Heyward, who now has 8.5 sacks this year.

Heyward recorded three total tackles for loss in the game (also a season-high) and a pass deflection. Making matters even more special for Heyward, his younger brother Connor iced the 13-10 win for the Steelers – on a night where they were honoring franchise legend Franco Harris just four days after his death – by running 21 yards for a first down to run out the clock in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Bell saves the day

With the New England Patriots on the verge of taking the lead in a game the Cincinnati Bengals led 22-0 at halftime, Vonn Bell saved the Bengals from an infamous collapse.

As Rhamondre Stevenson ran the ball on 1st-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Bell knocked the ball out of his hands, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill to preserve a 22-18 lead.

The Bengals wouldn’t have been in that position if not for a questionable ruling on another play made by Bell earlier in the fourth quarter. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones lost the ball while in the grasp of Bell, and the would-be strip sack was recovered by Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt and returned all the way to the end zone. The play was whistled dead by the officials, however, and ruled to be an incomplete pass – which led to a touchdown for the Patriots two plays later rather than six points the other way.

Bell finished the game with six total tackles.

Return of The Predator

After missing the Commanders’ first 14 games of the season while continuing to recover from a torn ACL, former Ohio State defensive end Chase Young finally made his 2022 season debut in their loss to the 49ers on Saturday.

Young played 30 snaps off the bench in his return to action and recorded two tackles and a pass breakup in his first game back.

Young shared moments with his former teammate Bosa both before and after the game.

McLaurin, Samuel each score touchdowns

Terry McLaurin also shared a moment with Bosa after Saturday’s game, and he made his mark on the game itself as well, as he led the Commanders with four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.

That touchdown came just two plays after McLaurin hauled in a 51-yard deep ball between two defenders for one of the best catches of the weekend.

Fellow former Ohio State wide receiver Curtis Samuel also found the end zone for the Commanders, scoring his fifth touchdown of the season on a 20-yard pass from Carson Wentz.

Samuel finished Saturday’s loss to the 49ers with five catches for 52 yards and one run for two yards.

Zeke’s touchdown streak continues

Ezekiel Elliott has now rushed for a touchdown in each of the last eight games he’s played in.

The former Ohio State running back kept his touchdown streak going on Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles by running for a 1-yard score in the first quarter of the Cowboys’ 40-34 win.

For the game as a whole, Elliott ran for 55 yards on 16 carries and also had a six-yard catch.

Johnston punts Texans to victory

The Houston Texans earned just their second win of the season against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, and Cameron Johnston played a role in helping the Texans secure the victory.

With 1:17 left on the clock and the Texans holding a 19-14 lead, Johnston pulled out the pitching wedge and hit a beautiful punt that stopped at the 4-yard line, leaving the Titans in need of a 96-yard touchdown drive to come back. 

The Titans’ comeback drive would ultimately come up short when Malik Willis was intercepted on a game-ending Hail Mary attempt from the 43-yard line. Johnston finished the game with an average of 44.2 yards per punt on five punts, downing two of them inside the 10-yard line.

Quick hits

  • Justin Fields accounted for only 130 total yards – his second-lowest total of the season – in the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Buffalo Bills as he completed 15 of 23 attempts for 119 yards and a touchdown and ran for just 11 yards on seven carries. More than a third of those yards came on one play when Fields connected with Velus Jones Jr. on a 44-yard deep-ball completion.
  • Nicholas Petit-Frere suffered an ankle injury during the third quarter of the Titans’ loss to the Texans and did not return to the game.

Full stats from Week 16 and the 2022 season for every Buckeye who has played in at least one game this year can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors data analyst Matt Gutridge.

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 16 STATS SEASON STATS
ELI APPLE CB BENGALS 1 PBU 43 tackles, 1 TFL, 8 PBU
JEROME BAKER LB DOLPHINS 3 tackles 92 tackles, 4 sacks (19.5 yards), 6 TFL, 5 QB hits, 3 PBU, 1 FF
VONN BELL S BENGALS 6 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 FF 74 tackles, 1 sack (6.5 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits, 4 INT, 6 PBU, 2 FF
JOEY BOSA DE CHARGERS Injured reserve (groin) 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks (12.5 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS 7 tackles, 2 sacks (19 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 FF 48 tackles, 17.5 sacks (128 yards), 18 TFL, 42 QB hits, 1 PBU, 2 FF
NOAH BROWN WR COWBOYS 1 catch, 5 yards 41 catches, 538 yards, 3 TD
BARON BROWNING OLB BRONCOS 1 tackle 21 tackles, 4 sacks (27.5 yards), 7 TFL, 11 QB hits, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FR
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR COLTS 2 catches, 19 yards 54 catches, 529 yards, 3 TD; 2 carries, 30 yards
DRUE CHRISMAN P BENGALS 3 punts, 43.3, 1 inside 20 21 punts, 46.5 average, 10 inside 20
JONATHON COOPER OLB BRONCOS 7 tackles 39 tackles, 2 sacks (13 yards), 3 TFL, 6 QB hits
WYATT DAVIS OG CARDINALS Inactive 2 games played
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 15 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB RAVENS 12 carries, 59 yards 75 carries, 427 yards, 2 TD; 7 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD
PAT ELFLEIN C PANTHERS Injured reserve (hip)  6 starts at C
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT RB COWBOYS 16 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 6 yards 204 carries, 829 yards, 11 TD; 17 catches, 92 yards
LUKE FARRELL TE JAGUARS Played at TE 3 catches, 29 yards
JUSTIN FIELDS QB BEARS 15/23 passing, 119 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 11 yards 185/297 passing, 2,167 yards, 14 TD, 10 INT; 135 carries, 1,011 yards, 8 TD
JORDAN FULLER S RAMS Injured reserve (hamstring) 10 tackles, 1 FF
DaVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 4 tackles, 1 sack (5 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit 47 tackles, 2.5 sacks (7 yards), 5 TFL, 6 QB hits, 1 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR
JOHNATHAN HANKINS DT COWBOYS Injured reserve (pectoral) 20 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 PBU
MALIK HARRISON LB RAVENS 2 tackles 31 tackles, 1 TFL
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 7 tackles, 2 sacks (18 yards), 3 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 PBU 64 tackles, 8.5 sacks (58 yards), 11 TFL, 15 QB hits, 4 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 5 tackles 54 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 2 PBU, 1 FR, 1 TD
SAM HUBBARD DE BENGALS Inactive 57 tackles, 6.5 sacks (31.5 yards), 11 TFL, 1 FF, 21 QB hits, 3 PBU
JONAH JACKSON OG LIONS Started at LG 11 starts at G
CAMERON JOHNSTON P TEXANS 5 punts, 44.2 average, 2 inside 20 78 punts, 48.5 average, 30 inside 20
DRE’MONT JONES DE BRONCOS Injured reserve (hip) 47 tackles, 6.5 sacks (44 yards), 9 TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 FF
JAMARCO JONES OG TITANS Injured reserve (triceps) Has not played
MICHAEL JORDAN OG PANTHERS Played on special teams 15 games played
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB SAINTS Inactive 15 tackles, 2 PBU
TYQUAN LEWIS DE COLTS Injured reserve (knee) 14 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards), 1 TFL, 4 QB hits, 2 PBU, 1 FF
COREY LINSLEY C CHARGERS Started at C 12 starts at C
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 15 games played
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 4 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD 72 catches, 1,092 yards, 4 TD; 6 carries, 17 yards
RAEKWON McMILLAN LB PATRIOTS 1 tackle 27 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 5 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FR, 1 TD
JAKE McQUAIDE LS COWBOYS Injured reserve (triceps) 4 games played
THAYER MUNFORD OT RAIDERS Played at OT 4 starts, 14 games played
JOSH MYERS C PACKERS Started at C 15 starts at C
ANDREW NORWELL OG COMMANDERS Started at LG 15 starts at LG
JEFF OKUDAH CB LIONS 6 tackles 72 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT, 1 TD, 7 PBU, 1 FF
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS Inactive 63 catches, 940 yards, 3 TD; 2-point conversion
NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE OT TITANS Started at RT 15 starts at RT
BILLY PRICE OL CARDINALS Started at C 9 starts at C
BRADLEY ROBY CB SAINTS 3 tackles, 1 PBU 34 tackles, 1 TFL, 4 PBU, 2 FR
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS Inactive 8 games played
CURTIS SAMUEL WR COMMANDERS 5 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 2 yards 62 catches, 652 yards, 4 TD; 37 carries, 191 yards, 1 TD
TREY SERMON RB EAGLES Inactive 2 carries, 19 yards
MICHAEL THOMAS WR SAINTS Injured reserve (toe) 16 catches, 171 yards, 3 TD
TOMMY TOGIAI DT BROWNS Played at DT 10 tackles, 0.5 sack (4.5 yards), 1 FR, 1 PBU, 2 QB hits
NICK VANNETT TE GIANTS Started at TE 4 catches, 37 yards
BINJIMEN VICTOR WR RAVENS Practice squad 1 tackle
SHAUN WADE CB PATRIOTS Played at CB 2 tackles
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 1 tackle, 1 PBU 40 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 INT, 11 PBU, 2 FR, 2 TD
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS Inactive 79 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 PBU, 2 FF
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS 4 catches, 30 yards 71 catches, 996 yards, 4 TD; 3 carries, -3 yards
CHASE YOUNG DE COMMANDERS 2 tackles, 1 PBU 2 tackles, 1 PBU
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