Each week, from here on out, the Duck Season blog will recap the weekend that was for Oregon alumni in the National Football League. This past weekend, the fourth of the 2011 NFL season, saw the usual suspects play starring roles (namely, LeGarrette Blount and Haloti Ngata):
Haloti Ngata (defensive tackle, Baltimore Ravens): 2 tackles (both solo), a sack and a forced fumble in a 34-17 victory over the New York Jets
I missed most of this Sunday night prime time game, but did manage to catch Ngata’s first sack of the year in the second quarter. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez snapped the ball, and Ngata almost immediately broke through the pass protection. He rumbled into Sanchez from the blind side, knocking the ball loose in the process. Baltimore’s Jarret Johnson pounced on it, and ran all the way into the end zone for a touchdown. It was the perfect example of how, in a single play, Ngata can swing the momentum of any given game.
On another note, Ngata appeared on the Dan Patrick Show last week.
LeGarrette Blunt (running back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers): 127 yards on 25 carries, one touchdown in a 24-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts
It’s kind of amazing how far Blount has come since leaving Eugene. He went undrafted after graduating from Oregon, got picked up and subsequently cut by the Tennessee Titans, then somehow rushed for more than 1,000 yards with Tampa Bay in his rookie season. Now, he’s racking up 100+ yard games like it’s nothing, and blazing his way into the highlight reels on a weekly basis. Honestly, did anyone expect to see this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8EeF3iNiLA
Jonathan Stewart (running back, Carolina Panthers): 52 yards on eight carries, 4 catches for 33 yards in a 29-24 loss to the Chicago Bears
Pretty ho-hum game from J-Stew, but there wasn’t much more he could do with so few touches. You’re not going to be getting the ball much when Cam Newton is slinging it for 374 yards.
Jairus Byrd (safety, Buffalo Bills): 7 tackles (5 solo) in a 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
A 4-0 start wasn’t in the cards for the Bills, though Byrd had a solid game on the defensive end. In the end, losing to the Bengals is like dropping a game against Washington State. Byrd can’t be happy about how this game turned out.