Huskers in the NFL: Week 11

Week 11 of National Football League action was highlighted by solid performances from several former Blackshirts.

 

Kansas City cornerback Eric Warfield returned an interception off Houston quarterback David Carr 57 yards at the end of the first half for a touchdown, to provide the Chiefs with a 31-7 halftime lead. It was his first interception of the year, and one of two turnovers Warfield gained for Kansas City in the second quarter, as he also recovered a fumble in the Chiefs 45-17 win over the Texans. Warfield finished the game with nine total tackles. Offensive guard Will Shields recorded his 201st consecutive start for the Chiefs, while Texans place kicker Kris Brown connected on his lone field goal attempt for Houston and was 2-for-2 on extra points.

 

Titans' defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch increased his season sack total to 8.5, a total that ranks third in the NFL, as Tennessee fell to Jacksonville, 31-28. Vanden Bosch recorded five total tackles in the losing effort.

 

Atlanta linebacker Demorrio Williams turned in another solid performance for the Falcons, recording seven tackles in the Falcons 30-27 loss to the Buccaneers. Williams' team-leading season tackle total is now 86, a figure that ranks seventh in the NFL. TampaBay rookie linebacker Barrett Ruud played, but did not record a tackle.

 

Former Blackshirts Mike Minter and Mike Rucker of Carolina and Mike Brown of Chicago locked up in a defensive struggle, as the Bears defeated the Panthers 13-3. Minter recorded nine tackles from his safety spot for Carolina, while Rucker a tackle from his defensive end position. Brown recorded five tackles for the Bears. Division-leading Chicago improved to 7-3 on the year with its sixth consecutive victory, while division-leading Carolina dropped to 7-3 as its six-game winning streak came to a close.

 

Rookie cornerback Fabian Washington recorded one tackle for Oakland in the Raiders' 16-13 win over the Redskins.

 

Linebacker Scott Shanle recorded one tackles in his sixth-consecutive start for the Cowboys, helping Dallas to a 20-7 win over Detroit. Detroit fullback Cory Schlesinger ran the ball once for a gain of one yard in the losing effort. The Cowboys won their third consecutive game in improving to 7-3 on the season, while the Lions dropped to 4-6 on the year.

 

Jets' defensive end Trevor Johnson recorded three tackles for New York, as the Jets lost to the Broncos, 27-0. New York linebacker T.J. Hollowell was inactive for the contest.

 

Offensive lineman Russ Hochstein recorded his first career start at center for the Patriots, helping New England improve to 6-4 on the season with a 24-17 win over New Orleans. Saints' rookie safety Josh Bullocks had four tackles in the loss.

 

Vikings' cornerback Ralph Brown recorded three tackles, as Minnesota's Paul Edinger connected on a his second-straight game-winning field goal to give Minnesota a 20-17 over the Green Bay. It was the second time this season that Edinger connected on a game-winner against the Packers, and the fourth consecutive Packers-Vikings game that was decided by a field goal. Offensive guard Toniu Fonoti recorded his first start for the Vikings, but was forced to leave the game with an injury.

 

Defensive end Chris Kelsay had four tackles for the Bills, as Buffalo lost to San Diego 48-10.

 

Bengals' punter Kyle Larson punted once for 18 yards in Cincinnati's 45-37 shoot-out loss to Indianapolis.

 

Seattle place kicker Josh Brown was 2-for-3 on field goals and connected on both of his extra points in the Seahawks' 27-25 win over the 49ers. The victory was Seattle's sixth straight, and served to build their division lead over St. Louis to four games. Seahawks' defensive end Grant Wistrom added four tackles in the win.

 

Rams' cornerback DeJuan Groce recorded two tackles in St. Louis' 38-28 loss to Arizona.

 

Overall, a total 33 former Huskers are on NFL rosters, including three players on injured reserve and three players on NFL practice squads. A total of 27 former Huskers are currently on active rosters.