Across The Shield: Nick Bosa Records Four Tackles for Loss, Garrett Wilson Tops 1,000 Yards for Third Straight Season and J.K. Dobbins Scores Touchdown in Return from Injury

By Dan Hope on December 31, 2024 at 10:10 am
Nick Bosa vs. the Detroit Lions
Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK via 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.

Our Week 17 recap is highlighted by a dominant performance by Nick Bosa, Garrett Wilson surpassing 1,000 yards for a third straight season to start his NFL career, J.K. Dobbins scoring a touchdown in his return from injury and impressive performances by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jonathon Cooper.

Bosa dominates on Monday Night Football

Nick Bosa had one of the most dominant defensive performances of the entire NFL season during the San Francisco 49ers’ Monday Night Football clash with the Detroit Lions.

Against one of the league’s top offensive lines, the former Ohio State defensive end filled up the stat sheet by recording eight total tackles with four tackles for loss – tying his career-highs in both categories – including two sacks.

While the 49ers lost the game 40-34, it was not due to any lack of effort from Bosa, who recorded six total quarterback pressures (per Pro Football Focus) including four quarterback hits even though he had to leave the game briefly to be evaluated for a head injury.

His dominant performance earned him our Pro Buck of the Week award as Ohio State’s top NFL performer of the week for the third time this season, making him the year’s first three-time recipient of the award.

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
14 Steelers DT Cameron Heyward 5 tackles, 2 sacks
15 Commanders WR Terry McLaurin 7 catches, 73 yards, 2 TD
16 Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba 8 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD
17 49ers DE Nick Bosa 8 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 QB hits

Bosa’s two sacks in Week 17 bring him to nine sacks for the season, leaving him in need of one more sack in the 49ers’ season finale against the Arizona Cardinals to record double-digit sacks for a fourth straight season.

Wilson tops 1,000, snags one-handed touchdown catch

Garrett Wilson has now topped 1,000 receiving yards in all of his first three seasons to start his NFL career.

The former Ohio State wide receiver reached the quadruple-digit threshold for the third time in three NFL seasons as he caught seven passes for 66 yards in the New York Jets’ loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. With one week to go in the regular season, Wilson has now caught a career-high 97 passes for 1,053 yards this year.

He became just the fifth player in NFL history to surpass 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in all of his first three seasons in the league.

In a game that went otherwise poorly for the Jets, Wilson’s seven-catch outing was highlighted by a one-handed 9-yard touchdown catch on a throw from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, good for his seventh score of the year.

Dobbins scores in return

J.K. Dobbins had a successful return to action on Saturday after missing four weeks with an MCL sprain.

Dobbins ran for 76 yards on 19 carries, including a 2-yard touchdown run, and caught one pass for 7 yards in the Los Angeles Chargers’ 40-7 rout of the New England Patriots.

The return of Dobbins, who has now rushed for 842 yards and nine touchdowns on 177 carries this season, helped the Chargers clinch a berth in the NFL playoffs with their 10th win of the season. And the former Ohio State running back left no doubt with his pregame attire about who he’s rooting for to win the College Football Playoff.

Marv has strong Saturday night showing

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s first NFL season hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that he entered the league with, but the former Ohio State wide receiver reminded everyone in a nationally televised Saturday night game against the Los Angeles Rams why he was a two-time All-American for the Buckeyes and the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft.

Harrison caught six passes for 96 yards for the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, highlighted by a spectacular spinning catch on the sideline for a 24-yard gain despite being tightly covered by Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

That catch was one of three receptions of 20-plus yards for Harrison on the night. Overall, his six receptions tied his season-high while his 96 yards was his third-highest total of the season, bringing him to 57 receptions for 822 yards for his rookie year with one game to go.

Coop takes Burrow down twice

Jonathon Cooper had his second multi-sack game of the season on Saturday as he recorded 1.5 sacks in the Denver Broncos’ overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The first of those sacks forced a turnover on downs as Cooper fought his way off of a block by Bengals right tackle Amarius Mims to take down Joe Burrow on a 4th-and-goal pass attempt.

Cooper combined with Zack Allen to sack Burrow for a 7-yard loss in the third quarter on his way to recording four total tackles against the Bengals. 

The former Ohio State defensive end has now recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks for the season.

Quick Hits

  • Nick Vannett caught his third touchdown pass of the season, tying his career-high, on an 8-yard catch in the Tennessee Titans’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
  • Pete Werner tied his career-high with 13 tackles in the New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
  • Malik Hooker recorded a season-high nine tackles, including one tackle for loss against Saquon Barkley, in the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Tommy Togiai recorded a career-high seven tackles, including an opening-drive sack, in the Houston Texans’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
  • The Titans signed Raekwon McMillan to their active roster on Saturday. He joins his former Ohio State teammate Jerome Baker, who he also previously played with when they were both Miami Dolphins, in the Titans’ linebacker corps.
  • The Arizona Cardinals added former Ohio State offensive lineman Matthew Jones to their practice squad on Thursday.
  • The Cardinals placed former Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. on injured reserve before their Week 17 game, ending his second NFL season.

Week 17 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 17 STATS SEASON STATS
ELI APPLE CB CHARGERS Injured reserve (hamstring) 2 tackles, 1 PD
JEROME BAKER LB TITANS 6 tackles, 1 sack (0 yards), 1 PD 60 tackles, 2 sacks (0 yards), 2 TFL, 3 QB hits, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
VONN BELL S BENGALS Played at S 51 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
JOEY BOSA DE CHARGERS 1 tackle 22 tackles, 5 sacks (24 yards), 5 TFL, 11 QB hits, 2 FF
NICK BOSA DE 49ERS 8 tackles, 2 sacks (16 yards), 4 TFL, 4 QB hits 52 tackles, 9.0 sacks (56 yards), 15 TFL, 22 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
NOAH BROWN WR COMMANDERS Injured reserve (kidney) 35 catches, 453 yards, 1 TD
BARON BROWNING LB CARDINALS 1 tackle 19 tackles, 2 sacks (7 yards), 5 TFL, 2 QB hits
PARRIS CAMPBELL WR EAGLES Practice squad 6 catches, 30 yards, 1 TD
JONATHON COOPER LB BRONCOS 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks (6.5 yards), 1 TFL, 2 QB hits 56 tackles, 9.5 sacks (46.5 yards), 10 TFL, 19 QB hits, 1 PD, 1 FF
TAYLOR DECKER OT LIONS Started at LT 13 starts at LT
J.K. DOBBINS RB CHARGERS 19 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD; 1 catch, 7 yards 177 carries, 842 yards, 9 TD; 24 catches, 130 yards
TOMMY EICHENBERG LB RAIDERS Played at LB 12 tackles
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT RB COWBOYS 3 carries, 2 yards 74 carries, 226 yards, 3 TD; 8 catches, 44 yards
LUKE FARRELL TE JAGUARS Played at TE 11 catches, 63 yards; 1 tackle
JUSTIN FIELDS QB STEELERS Inactive 106/161, 1,106 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 62 carries, 289 yards, 5 TD
JORDAN FULLER S PANTHERS Inactive 46 tackles, 1 PD, 1 FF
MIKE HALL JR. DT BROWNS 1 tackle 12 tackles, 1 sack (5 yards), 3 TFL, 5 QB hit
DAVON HAMILTON DT JAGUARS 1 tackle 54 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 QB hits
JOHNATHAN HANKINS DT SEAHAWKS Played at DT 28 tackles, 1 sack (8 yards), 4 TFL, 2 QB hits, 1 INT, 1 PD
MALIK HARRISON LB RAVENS 1 tackle, 1 QB hit 48 tackles, 2 sacks (8 yards), 3 TFL, 3 QB hits
ZACH HARRISON DL FALCONS 1 tackle 22 tackles, 1 sack (2 yards), 3 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 PD
MARVIN HARRISON JR. WR CARDINALS 6 catches, 96 yards 57 catches, 822 yards, 7 TD
CAMERON HEYWARD DT STEELERS 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit 70 tackles, 8 sacks (62 yards), 12 TFL, 20 QB hits, 8 PD
RONNIE HICKMAN S BROWNS 6 tackles 42 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 PD, 1 FR
JALYN HOLMES DE COMMANDERS 1 tackle, 1 TFL 15 tackles, 2 sacks (11 yards), 5 TFL, 3 QB hits
MALIK HOOKER S COWBOYS 9 tackles, 1 TFL 76 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 1 QB hit, 3 PD
SAM HUBBARD DE BENGALS Inactive 40 tackles, 2 sacks (6 yards), 3 TFL, 9 QB hits, 1 INT, 2 PD, 1 FF; 1 catch, 2 yards, TD
JONAH JACKSON OG RAMS Did not play 2 starts at C, 1 start at LG
PARIS JOHNSON JR. OL CARDINALS Injured reserve (knee) 14 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 tackle 27 tackles, 4 sacks (35 yards), 7 TFL, 11 QB hits, 1 PD, 1 FF
JAMARCO JONES OT LIONS Practice squad 2 games played
MICHAEL JORDAN OG PACKERS Practice squad 11 starts at LG, 1 FR, 12 games played
MARSHON LATTIMORE CB COMMANDERS Inactive 34 tackles, 5 PD
TYQUAN LEWIS DT COLTS 2 tackles 22 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 16 games played
TERRY McLAURIN WR COMMANDERS 1 catch, 5 yards 74 catches, 1,044 yards, 12 TD; 2 carries, 2 yards; 1 FR
RAEKWON McMILLAN LB TITANS Played on special teams 45 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit
JAKE McQUAIDE LS DOLPHINS Played at LS 6 games played
THAYER MUNFORD OT RAIDERS Played at OT 4 starts at RT, 13 games played
JOSH MYERS C PACKERS Started at C 15 starts at C
JEFF OKUDAH CB TEXANS 1 tackle, 1 PD 9 tackles, 1 PD
CHRIS OLAVE WR SAINTS Injured reserve (head) 32 catches, 400 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry, 7 yards; 2 tackles
NICHOLAS PETIT-FRERE OT TITANS Inactive 10 starts at RT, 12 games played
ISAIAH PRINCE OT TITANS Practice squad 1 game played
JEREMY RUCKERT TE JETS Started at TE 17 catches, 100 yards; 1 tackle
CURTIS SAMUEL WR BILLS Inactive 24 catches, 201 yards, 1 TD; 5 carries, 14 yards
TREY SERMON RB COLTS 1 catch, 10 yards 56 carries, 159 yards, 2 TD; 15 catches, 90 yards
KENDALL SHEFFIELD CB JETS Inactive 8 tackles
JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA WR SEAHAWKS 3 catches, 32 yards 96 catches, 1,121 yards, 6 TD; 4 carries, 22 yards; 1/1 passing, 35 yards; 1 tackle, 1 FR
CADE STOVER TE TEXANS 1 catch, 1 yard 14 catches, 129 yards, 1 TD
C.J. STROUD QB TEXANS 17/31, 185 yards, 1 INT; 1 carry, 7 yards 311/493, 3,445 yards, 18 TD, 10 INT; 51 carries, 228 yards
TOMMY TOGIAI DT TEXANS 7 tackles, 0.5 sack (1.5 yards) 22 tackles, 1.5 sack (10.5 yards), 2 TFL, 2 QB hits, 2 PD
NICK VANNETT TE TITANS 1 catch, 8 yards, 1 TD 15 catches, 109 yards, 3 TD
SHAUN WADE CB CHARGERS Practice squad Has not played
DENZEL WARD CB BROWNS 4 tackles 48 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 2 INT, 18 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
PETE WERNER LB SAINTS 13 tackles 92 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 PD
GARRETT WILSON WR JETS 7 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD 97 catches, 1,053 yards, 7 TD
LUKE WYPLER C BROWNS Injured reserve (ankle) Has not played
CHASE YOUNG DE SAINTS 3 tackles 29 tackles, 5.5 sacks (29.5 yards), 8 TFL, 21 QB hits, 2 PD, 1 FF
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