Week 4: Auburn Players in the NFL – Cam Continues to Struggle
By Ty Roush
Five weeks have been consumed through the college season, where Auburn players in the NFL are grinding through their fourth.
Auburn, following a demolition of Louisiana-Monroe, is now just three wins away from clinching a bowl berth. The Cleveland Browns, however, who now lead the league with five Auburn football alumni, are still looking for their first.
Certainly however the athletes perform on the Plains does not correlate at all to how their counterparts look to thrive professionally, but they fight for the same cause.
Here is a look at Auburn action in the NFL in week four of play:
Carolina Panthers
The man who brought a national championship to Auburn continued his struggling ways Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, leaving the game following concussion protocol. Prior to the shot on his head as he pushed into the end zone, Cam Newton completed 14 of his 24 pass attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown. He also gained ground in the running game with 30 total rushing yards.
Cameron Artis-Payne, who took more snaps the previous week in a disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings, took fewer snaps this week for 12 total yards on six carries in the loss to the Atlanta Falcons 48-33.
Cincinnati Bengals
Supply of defense was plenty for the Bengals on Thursday night, stifling the Miami Dolphins to just one touchdown in a 22-7 victory. Karlos Dansby completed four combined tackles alongside defensive tackle Pat Sims’ two tackles to shut down the Dolphin offense.
C.J. Uzomah has been seeing considerably more action, much like his wide receiver counterpart Sammie Coates, and produced 54 yards on four receptions.
Cleveland Browns
If Cleveland had the same level of success that Auburn had on Saturday, maybe things would be different. Alas, Cleveland will continue its Cleveland ways. With newcomer and former pro-bowler Cody Parkey as the new placekicker, things are looking more positive. On special teams, that is.
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Parkey booted field goals from 51 yards and 45 yards to tie the game 17-17, yet it was not enough to keep the offense ahead in a 31-20 loss to Washington. Ricardo Louis, former wide receiver, tallied his second tackle on special teams and managed three receptions for 28 yards.
On defense, Corey Lemonier, linebacker, totaled three combined tackles and defensive tackle Gabe Wright also had a tackle.
Rushing the ball now a progressively stronger part of the Cleveland offense, Shon Coleman is now an impact player on the offensive line as he assisted in the Browns pushing for 163 yards and a score.
Jacksonville Jaguars
A game played that was considered home field territory for the Jaguars, London was the site of a matchup against division rival Indianapolis. Earning their first victory over the Colts 30-27, Jacksonville boasted a potent offense with maturing weapons and a growing defense as well.
Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks earned a sack and two combined tackles in the win with cornerback Nick Marshall still not taking any part of defensive snaps.
On offense, offensive lineman Patrick Miller helped his team push ahead for 136 total rushing yards and a touchdown, which continues to lack any output from running back Corey Grant.
Kansas City Chiefs
The relationship between the emotions of Kansas City fans and the performance of their team is a bit awkward. A week one victory which featured the largest comeback in franchise history, week four saw the Pittsburgh Steelers taking advantage of the Chief defense in a 43-14 win.
Dee Ford, linebacker, performed at very high level with six combined tackles and a half sack, yet was not enough for the Steeler onslaught.
Los Angeles Rams
Football in Los Angeles is going considerably well for how poorly their first week went. Now 3-1 following a victory over both the Seattle Seahawks and now the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams are surprisingly at the helm of the NFC West at the quarter mark of the season.
In the 17-13 win over the Cardinals in week four, offensive tackle Greg Robinson assisted the struggling running game to 41 rushing yards, but was a factor in protecting his frustrated, former third-string quarterback.
New Orleans Saints
Much like Kansas City, New Orleans is having difficulty defining their football team. A loss in a comeback bid from the Oakland Raiders and a last second New York Giants team only built upon frustration. With a week three loss to the booming Atlanta Falcons offense 45-32, the Saints could not find any breakthroughs.
However, week four involved more than enough relief. In a comeback victory against the San Diego Chargers 35-34, defensive tackle Nick Fairley had a field day with three combined tackles and 1.5 sacks. With a rejuvenated defense, which the Saints have needed for years, New Orleans has hope for the rest of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Can we please find Sammie Coates another football team? His full potential is just cracking the surface with Pittsburgh, who has slowly added him into the receiver rotation, and he appears to be able to do more than what they’re giving him.
Honestly, just throw the ball up in the air and he looks like he’s going to get it every time. With six receptions for 79 yards in the 43-14 win over Kansas city, Coates will continue to become a devastating weapon on offense.
San Diego Chargers
The outcome, a 35-34 loss to the New Orleans Saints, was not a proud moment for the struggling Chargers. What the Chargers have going for them is a running game and rushing output that wasn’t seen for all of last season, with Melvin Gordon having six touchdowns already this season. He had none for all of last season.
King Dunlap, offensive tackle, aided his sophomore running back to adding two of those scores onto his total, but only helped his team manage 38 yards as a team.
San Francisco 49ers
Chris Davis has been an unknown as a member of the 49ers defense, but has seemingly woken up the past two weeks. He has managed a tackle at cornerback each week, and this week managed a half sack in the loss to Dallas 17-24, which brings his sack total on the season to one.
Next: Season on Line Against Mississippi State
Here’s looking forward to a win over Mississippi State, and the health of Cam Newton in the following week.