Huskers in the NFL: Week 4

Dominant efforts by former Blackshirts again highlighted week four of National Football League action for ex-Huskers.

 

Rookie safety Josh Bullocks made his first career start for New Orleans, and responded in a large fashion. Bullocks recorded six tackles in helping the Saints limit the Bills to only seven points and 67 yards passing, as New Orleans defeated Buffalo, 19-7, to improve to 2-2 on the season. Buffalo defensive end Chris Kelsay logged one tackle for the Bills in the losing effort.

 

In Atlanta, linebacker Demorrio Williams turned in another monster performance for the Falcons, racking up two sacks and eight total tackles to bring his team-leading season total to 34, a figure that ranks 10th in the NFL. Cornerback Ralph Brown recorded four tackles for the Vikings, who fell to the Falcons, 30-10. Atlanta improved to 3-1 on the season, while Minnesota dropped to 1-3.

 

Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch continued his solid play for Tennessee, recording three tackles for the Titans in their 31-10 loss to the Colts. Vanden Bosch held steady with five sacks on the season, a total that ranks second in the NFL.

 

Punter Kyle Larson continued to put up big numbers as the Cincinnati Bengals remained undefeated, beating the Houston Texans, 16-10, to improve to 4-0 on the season. Larson punted twice for an average of 47.5 yards per punt with a long of 53 yards and one punt inside the 20-yard line. Place kicker Kris Brown was 1-for-1 on field goals and 1-for-1 on extra points for the Texans, nailing a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter to tie the game early on.

 

Place kicker Josh Brown kicked a 53-yard field goal for the Seahawks, and connected on both of his extra points as Seattle fell short of Washington, losing to the Redskins, 20-17. Defensive end Grant Wistrom recorded a tackle for the Seahawks in the losing effort.

 

Dallas linebacker Scott Shanle recorded 0.5 sacks and four tackles in the Cowboys 19-13 loss to the Raiders. Oakland rookie cornerback Fabian Washington recorded a pass breakup in the Raiders first win of the season.

 

Cornerback DeJuan Groce had four tackles for St. Louis, but could not help the Rams avoid falling to the 3-1 Giants, as New York defeated St. Louis, 44-24/.

 

Offensive guard Will Shields continued his 195-game consecutive-start streak for the Chiefs, as Kansas City dropped its second game in a row, losing to Philadelphia, 37-31.

 

In Green Bay, former Huskers Mike Minter and Mike Rucker helped Carolina to a 32-29 Monday night win over the Packers. Rucker recorded one sack, a forced fumble and four total tackles from his defensive end position while Minter recorded four tackles from his strong safety spot. Running back Ahman Green carried the ball 14 times for the Packers, gaining 36 yards on the ground, while catching four passes for 23 yards.

 

Overall, a total 31 former Huskers are on NFL rosters, including two players on injured reserve and two players on NFL practice squads. A total of 27 former Huskers started the 2005 NFL season on active rosters.