Huskers in the NFL: Week 15

Week 15 of National Football League action was highlighted by dominant performances from a former Husker specialist and several former Blackshirts.

 

Houston place-kicker Kris Brown was 3-for-3 on field goals and connected on all three of his extra point attempts, as the Texans defeated the Cardinals, 30-19. Brown connected on field goals of 26, 27 and 41 yards in helping Houston earn its second victory of the season. Offensive tackle Zach Wiegert started for the Texans in the win.

 

Defensive end Grant Wistrom recorded four tackles in Seattle’s 28-24 win over Tennessee. Place-kicker Josh Brown connected on all four of his extra point attempts for the Seahawks while missing on his only field goal try. Titans' defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch recorded two tackles in the losing effort. Vanden Bosch’s season sack total remained 12.5, a figure that places him tied for second among the NFL leaders in that category. With its 10th consecutive win, Seattle improved to 12-2 on the year and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs.

 

Tampa Bay rookie linebacker Barrett Ruud recorded three tackles in the Buccaneers’ 28-0 loss to the Patriots. Center Russ Hochstein logged his third straight start for New England in the win. The Patriots improved to a division-clinching 9-5 on the year with their third consecutive win, while the Buccaneers, 9-5, fell one game back on the Panthers for the NFC South Division lead.

 

Kansas City cornerback Eric Warfield recorded four tackles in the Chiefs’ 27-17 loss to the Giants. Offensive guard Will Shields recorded his 205th consecutive start for the Chiefs as Kansas City lost its second game in a row, falling to 8-6 on the year.

 

Defensive end Chris Kelsay had two tackles for Buffalo in the Bills’ 28-17 loss to the Broncos.

 

Cornerback DeJuan Groce started for St. Louis, recording two tackles and intercepting a third-quarter pass, in the Rams’ 17-16 loss to the Eagles.

 

Safety Mike Minter recorded five tackles and had a second-quarter interception that set up a field goal in the Panthers’ 27-10 win over the Saints. Carolina defensive end Mike Rucker recovered a fourth-quarter fumble in the victory. Rookie safety Josh Bullocks recorded six tackles for New Orleans in the loss. Carolina improved to a division-leading 10-4 on the season.

 

Vikings' cornerback Ralph Brown recorded one tackle in Minnesota's 18-3 loss to Pittsburgh. The loss was the Vikings' first in seven games, and dropped the team to 8-6 on the season.

 

Jets’ defensive end Trevor Johnson played but did not record any statistics in New York’s 24-20 loss to Miami.

 

Bengals' punter Kyle Larson punted once for 51 yards in Cincinnati's 41-17 win over Detroit. The win was Cincinnati’s fourth straight and improved the Bengals to a division-clinching 11-3 record. Lions’ fullback Cory Schlesinger had one reception for eight yards in the loss. Dominic Raiola started the contest at center for Detroit.

 

Rookie cornerback Fabian Washington recorded four tackles for Oakland in the Raiders’ 9-7 loss to the Browns.

 

Linebacker Scott Shanle recorded five tackles in the Cowboys’ 35-7 loss to the Redskins. With the loss, Dallas fell to 8-6 on the year.

 

Atlanta linebacker Demorrio Williams turned in another solid performance for the Falcons, recording six tackles during the Falcons’ 16-3 loss to the Bears. Williams' team-leading season tackle total is now 119, a figure that ranks eighth in the NFL. Safety Mike Brown was out injured in the Bears’ loss.

 

Overall, a total of 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.