With some of the most explosive, offensive former Ducks on a bye week this past weekend — most notably Penei Sewell and Justin Herbert — let’s take a look at how some of Oregon’s former defensive stalwarts fared this week.
Deommodore Lenoir, Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
While Lenoir’s niners are off to a rocky, 2-3 start to the season, the fourth-year veteran had his best game of the season statistically this past weekend in a narrow 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Lenoir tallied eight tackles — the most he has all season — and defended one pass, as he again helped anchor what continues to be one of the league’s best defenses. Lenoir has impressed all season, building on his incredible 2023 campaign.
Evan Williams, Safety, Green Bay Packers
The rookie safety hadn’t been given the opportunity on the field all that much in the first four weeks, but due to injuries in Green Bay’s secondary, Williams saw his chance and made the most of it. In the Packers’ close win against the Rams on Sunday, Williams totaled 10 tackles, which was five times his previous best of two against the Colts in Week 2. Williams also added two pass deflections, with the second being the most important of the game. On a 4th-and-5, with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Williams stepped in front of Matthew Stafford’s pass, forced an incompletion and gave the Packers the ball to kneel the clock out.
Christian Gonzalez, Cornerback, New England Patriots
Gonzalez seems to improve every week. In just his sophomore season, Gonzalez has already carved out a clear role as the top corner in New England, and is well on his way to becoming one of the finest corners in the NFL. Gonzalez tied his season-best in tackles with six, added two pass deflections and picked up his first interception of the season after perfectly cutting under a slant route and making an incredible diving catch. Gonzalez spent most of the game shadowing Miami’s All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and holding him to a relatively quiet day — an impressive feat for any defensive back, let alone someone in their second year.
Jamal Hill, Linebacker, Houston Texans
Hill saw his first action of the season this Sunday in a 23-20 win against the Buffalo Bills. The rookie linebacker made the most of his first professional opportunity, as he made his first career tackle and even got all the way to Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen for a QB hit. The Texan’s finally found their use for him, as they played a very mobile quarterback in Allen, and Hill can slot in to help curb that due to his speed and size for his position.
Arik Armstead, Defensive End, Jacksonville Jaguars
The 10-year veteran has had a quiet start to the season in 2024, but he just helped his Jaguars win their first game of the season. Armstead accrued two tackles in the close win against the Colts, but only registered five in the previous four games. Armstead also has only recorded one sack so far this season, and it is evident that his improvement could be a major key to the Jaguars’ improvement, as they currently sit at 1-4 on the season.
