Across The Shield: Denzel Ward Forces Two Interceptions, Terry McLaurin Scores Two Touchdowns and Cameron Heyward Wreaks Havoc

By Dan Hope on December 3, 2024 at 10:10 am
Terry McLaurin celebrates one of his touchdowns in Week 13
Amber Searls – Imagn Images
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Across The Shield is Eleven Warriors’ weekly recap of the best and most notable performances from former Ohio State players throughout the NFL.

Week 13 brought us another round of standout performances by former Ohio State players in the NFL including Denzel Ward forcing two interceptions, Terry McLaurin scoring two touchdowns, Marvin Harrison Jr. making an impressive toe-tapping touchdown catch and Cameron Heyward having a big game for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ward forces two interceptions while honoring father

Denzel Ward continued his excellent 2024 season with a standout performance on Monday Night Football while paying tribute to his late father.

First, Ward set up an interception for fellow Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome. In coverage against Denver Broncos receiver Troy Franklin, Ward made a perfect break on the ball to tip Bo Nix’s pass up in the air, allowing Newsome to haul the deflected ball in for a pick.

Later, Ward grabbed an interception of his own with a leaping grab on a deep ball thrown by Nix over the head of Broncos receiver Marvin Mims Jr.

Those two interceptions doubled the Browns’ interception total for the first 12 weeks of the season, as the Browns had just two interceptions for the season entering Monday night. They also extended Ward’s lead for the most passes defensed in the NFL this season as he is now up to 19 on the season (2 INT, 17 PBU), four more than any other player.

It’s the second time in three weeks that Ward has forced two turnovers in a game, as he had both an interception and a forced fumble that he recovered himself in the Browns’ loss to the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago. Just as he did then, Ward earns our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer for Week 13, becoming the third two-time winner of the award this year along with Nick Bosa and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Pro Bucks of the Week
Week Player Stats
1 Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins 10 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 4 yards
2 Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. 4 catches, 130 yards, 2 TD
3 Commanders WR Terry McLaurin 4 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD
4 49ers DE Nick Bosa 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 9 QB pressures
5 Seahawks LB Jerome Baker 14 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF
6 49ers DE Nick Bosa 4 tackles, 2 QB hits, 14 QB pressures
7 Bengals DE Sam Hubbard 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FF, 3 QB hits
8 Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. 6 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD
9 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 7 catches, 180 yards, 2 TD
10 Saints DE Chase Young 1 sack, 1 FF, 2 QB hits, 9 QB pressures
11 Browns CB Denzel Ward 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR, 2 PBU
12 Ravens LB Malik Harrison 13 tackles, 1 TFL
13 Browns CB Denzel Ward 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU that forced an INT

Ward’s big game came on a night that the former Ohio State cornerback was wearing cleats promoting his heart health foundation, Make Them Know Your Name, which he started in honor of his late father, who died in 2016 from sudden cardiac arrest. Ward, along with many other players around the NFL, wore cleats designed to promote charitable causes in Week 13 as part of the NFL’s annual “My Cause My Cleats” campaign.

The story of Ward’s father and his foundation, which we wrote about in 2019, was profiled in a feature on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown and by Cleveland.com before Monday’s game.

Terry goes for two again

Terry McLaurin’s full-fledged emergence as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers now that the Commanders finally have stability at quarterback continued on Sunday.

McLaurin had his third two-touchdown game of the season, bringing him to a career-high nine scores for the year, as he scored twice in the first 20 minutes of the Commanders’ 42-19 rout of the Tennessee Titans.

Those two touchdowns highlighted an eight-catch, 73-yard day for McLaurin, who now ranks third in the NFL with 896 receiving yards and tied for second in the league with nine receiving touchdowns on 61 receptions this season.

Unfortunately for McLaurin, the weekend wasn’t entirely celebratory as he had to pay off a bet to his Commanders teammate and former Michigan cornerback Mike Sainrstil after the game as a result of Michigan’s 13-10 win over Ohio State – though he made sure to remind Sainristil that Ohio State never lost to Michigan during his Buckeye career.

“I’m still trying to process that,” McLaurin said of Ohio State’s loss. “Hats off to y’all, man, y’all came in there and y’all made the plays to win, so we gotta find a way to come back next year and get the W. But I ain’t ever never lose.”

Marv makes toe-tapping touchdown grab

Marvin Harrison Jr. made a name for himself at Ohio State with a multitude of toe-tapping grabs during his three years as a Buckeye, and he had another one for a 15-yard touchdown on Sunday in the Arizona Cardinals’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Harrison caught five total passes for 60 yards on Sunday, bringing him to 41 receptions for 606 yards and seven touchdowns for the season. He leads all NFL rookies in receiving touchdowns and is tied for sixth among all NFL players in that category through 13 weeks.

Heyward highly disruptive for Steelers

Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals was no defensive showcase as the two teams combined for 82 points, but Cameron Heyward had a great performance individually to help lead the Steelers to a 44-38 win over the Bengals.

The 14th-year NFL veteran recorded five total tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack in Sunday’s game.

Heyward tied his season-high with five total quarterback pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and also tipped a Joe Burrow pass that was intercepted by his Steelers teammate Donte Jackson.

Justin Fields also played a notable role in securing Sunday’s victory for the Steelers. While he didn’t throw a pass in the game as Russell Wilson threw for a whopping 414 yards against the Bengals, Fields sealed the game for Pittsburgh when he came in for 3rd-and-4 with just 1:54 left to play and ran 7 yards for a first down that allowed the Steelers to run out the clock.

Togiai, Stroud have strong showings in Texans win

The Houston Texans added Tommy Togiai to their 53-man roster last week after being elevated from the practice squad for their previous three games, and the former Ohio State defensive tackle took advantage with one of the most productive games of his NFL career.

Togiai, who did not play in any NFL regular-season games in 2023 and did not play in any games until Week 10 of this season, tied his career-high with five tackles in the Texans’ 23-20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

C.J. Stroud had his first interception-free game in four weeks as he completed 22 of his 34 passing attempts for 242 yards and one touchdown to lead the Texans to victory.

Smith-Njigba’s success continues

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the Seattle Seahawks’ leading receiver for the fifth week in a row as he helped lead Seattle to its third straight win by catching four passes for 74 yards in their 26-21 fourth-quarter comeback victory over the New York Jets.

Smith-Njigba’s efforts included a pair of 25-yard catches on the Seahawks’ first touchdown drive of the game and a 24-yard fourth-down catch on the final play of the third quarter to keep a field goal drive going.

With another productive day in Week 13, Smith-Njigba now ranks ninth in the NFL in both receptions (70) and receiving yards (829) this season.

He got the best of a battle of Ohio State receivers on Sunday as Garrett Wilson, who shared a moment with his former Buckeye teammate pregame, had only 41 yards on five catches (though he should have had a 9-yard touchdown on an ankle-breaking sluggo route if not for an overthrow by Aaron Rodgers).

Quick Hits

  • Tyquan Lewis forced the second fumble of his NFL career and recorded three tackles in the Indianapolis Colts’ win over the New England Patriots. He played 23 total snaps off the bench for the Colts’ defensive line and received a game grade of 92.3 from Pro Football Focus, the fourth-highest grade of any NFL defender in Week 13.
  • Jonathon Cooper got in on a pair of sacks in the Broncos’ Monday night win over the Browns, though he was only officially credited with one, his eighth of the season.
  • Jordan Fuller had a season-high eight tackles with a pass breakup in the Carolina Panthers’ overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • The Los Angeles Chargers placed J.K. Dobbins (knee) and Eli Apple (hamstring) on injured reserve with the injuries they suffered in Week 12. Both of them will remain sidelined until at least Week 17.
  • The Philadelphia Eagles re-signed Parris Campbell to their active roster last week and he played 28 snaps off the bench in their win over the Baltimore Ravens, but they released him for the second time this season on Monday.
  • The Minnesota Vikings signed Jake McQuaide to their 53-man roster after elevating him from their practice squad for the previous three games.
  • The Patriots released Michael Jordan last week but re-signed him to their practice squad and elevated him from the practice squad for Sunday’s loss to the Colts, in which he played one snap off the bench as an extra offensive lineman.

Week 13 Stats

The following table, compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge, includes statistics for this week and the entire 2024 season for every Buckeye who has played in at least one game this season. (Note: The table only includes players who finished their college careers at Ohio State.)

Buckeyes Around the NFL
PLAYER POSITION TEAM WEEK 13 STATS SEASON STATS
ELI APPLE CB CHARGERS Injured reserve (hamstring) 2 tackles, 1 PD
JEROME BAKER LB TITANS 6 tackles 54 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
VONN BELL S BENGALS 1 tackle 49 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 2 PD
JOEY BOSA DE CHARGERS 1 QB hit 15 tackles, 3 sacks (16 yards), 4 TFL, 9 QB hits
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS Inactive 36 tackles, 7.0 sacks (40 yards), 10 TFL, 15 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS 3 catches, 27 yards 35 catches, 453 yards, 1 TD
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 3 tackles, 1 TFL 12 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 QB hit
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR EAGLES Played at WR 6 catches, 30 yards, 1 TD
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 3 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards) 49 tackles, 8 sacks (40 yards), 8 TFL, 14 QB hits, 1 FF
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Inactive 10 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB CHARGERS Injured reserve (knee) 158 carries, 766 yards, 8 TD; 23 catches, 123 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS Played on special teams 11 tackles
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT RB COWBOYS 1 carry, 4 yards 59 carries, 189 yards, 2 TD; 6 catches, 31 yards
LUKE FARRELL TE JAGUARS Started at TE 9 catches, 55 yards; 1 tackle
JUSTIN FIELDS QB STEELERS 1 carry, 7 yards 106/161, 1,106 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 61 carries, 281 yards, 5 TD
JORDAN FULLER S PANTHERS 8 tackles, 1 PD 34 tackles, 1 PD, 1 FF
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS Injured reserve (knee) 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hit
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 5 tackles, 1 TFL 40 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 QB hit
JOHNATHAN HANKINS DT SEAHAWKS Played at DT 24 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 1 PD
MALIK HARRISON LB RAVENS 2 tackles 38 tackles, 1 sack (6 yards), 2 TFL
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS 1 tackle 13 tackles, 1 TFL
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 5 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD 41 catches, 606 yards, 7 TD
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 5 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 PD 50 tackles, 6 sacks (53 yards), 8 TFL, 17 QB hits, 8 PD
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 3 tackles 27 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 PD, 1 FR
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS Played at DE 11 tackles, 1 sack (5 yards), 3 TFL, 2 QB hits
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 4 tackles 55 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 QB hit, 3 PD
SAM HUBBARD DE BENGALS 1 tackle, 1 QB hit 38 tackles, 2 sacks (6 yards), 3 TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF
JONAH JACKSON OG RAMS Did not play 2 starts at C, 1 start at LG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Started at LT 12 starts at LT
CAMERON JOHNSTON P STEELERS Injured reserve (knee) 2 punts, 51.5 average, 1 inside 20
DAWAND JONES OT BROWNS Injured reserve (ankle) 5 starts at RT, 3 starts at LT, 9 games played
DRE'MONT JONES DE SEAHAWKS 1 QB hit 21 tackles, 4 sacks (35 yards), 6 TFL, 11 QB hits, 1 PD, 1 FF
JAMARCO JONES OT LIONS Played at OG 2 games played
MICHAEL JORDAN OG PATRIOTS Played at OG 11 starts at LG, 1 FR, 12 games played
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS Inactive 30 tackles, 2 PD
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS 3 tackles, 1 FF 20 tackles, 1.5 sack (9.5 yards), 2 TFL, 4 QB hits, 1 FF
TANNER McCALISTER S BRONCOS Practice squad 1 tackle
LIAM McCULLOUGH LS FALCONS Played at LS 12 games played
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 8 catches, 83 yards, 2 TD 61 catches, 906 yards, 9 TD; 2 carries, 2 yards; 1 FR
RAEKWON McMILLAN LB PATRIOTS Practice squad 45 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit
JAKE McQUAIDE LS VIKINGS Played at LS 4 games played
THAYER MUNFORD OT RAIDERS Played at OT 4 starts at RT, 9 games played
JOSH MYERS C PACKERS Started at C 11 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB TEXANS 2 tackles 4 tackles
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS Injured reserve (head) 32 catches, 400 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 7 yards; 2 tackles
NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE OT TITANS Started at RT 7 starts at RT, 9 games played
ISAIAH PRINCE OT TITANS Practice squad 1 game played
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS 1 catch, 3 yards 14 catches, 76 yards; 1 tackle
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS 1 carry, 7 yards 21 catches, 185 yards, 1 TD; 4 carries, 13 yards
TREY SERMON RB COLTS Played at RB 47 carries, 131 yards, 2 TD; 12 catches, 75 yards
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB JETS Practice squad 3 tackles
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 4 catches, 74 yards; 1 carry, 5 yards 70 catches, 829yards, 4 TD; 2 carries, 13 yards; 1/1 passing, 35 yards; 1 tackle
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS 1 catch, 4 yards 13 catches, 128 yards, 1 TD
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 22/34, 242 yards, 1 TD; 5 carries, 7 yards 253/397, 2,885yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 42 carries, 194 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 5 tackles 10 tackles, 1 sack (9 yards), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 PD
NICK VANNETT TE TITANS 1 catch, 6 yards 12 catches, 90 yards, 2 TD
SHAUN WADE CB CHARGERS Practice squad Has not played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 3 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PD 28 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 INT, 18 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 8 tackles 57 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS 5 catches, 41 yards 74 catches, 763 yards, 5 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Injured reserve (ankle) Has not played
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 1 QB hit 20 tackles, 3.5 sacks (20.5 yards), 6 TFL, 16 QB hits, 1 PD, 1 FF
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