After each week, Buckeye Sports Bulletin will look at how former Ohio State football players performed in their NFL games over the previous weekend. From Justin Fields to Malcolm Jenkins, there are quite a few Buckeyes around the league. We offer updates on all of them.
CINCINNATI BENGALS vs. DENVER BRONCOS
Cincinnati defeated Denver 15-10 on Sunday afternoon behind a strong performance from former Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning.
“He’s 110 miles per hour,” Broncos linebacker Kareem Jackson said of Browning. “If anybody’s in his way, he’s running through them.”
Browning led the Broncos with 10 tackles (6 solo, 4 assists) — two more than Jonas Griffith, who finished with eight takedowns. Former Buckeye Jonathon Cooper also added five tackles.
On the other side of the ball, Bengals safety Vonn Bell had six solo tackles in the five-point victory. Defensive end Sam Hubbard remained quiet in Denver, recording one assisted tackle, while cornerback Eli Apple added a solo tackle.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
It’s not often that future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady loses a football game, and it’s even more rare when his offense fails to score a point.
Still, the New Orleans Saints managed to make both happen on Sunday night when they defeated the Buccaneers 9-0 in prime time.
Former Ohio State cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Malcolm Jenkins both recorded four tackles, with Lattimore adding multiple pass breakups in the secondary. Cornerback Bradley Roby totaled two tackles and linebacker Pete Werner added another in the Saints’ shut out.
MIAMI DOLPHINS vs. NEW YORK JETS
The Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets, 31-24, as former Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker shined.
Baker caused headaches for the Jets, finishing with seven tackles and two sacks. He’s put together an impressive 2021-22 campaign, including 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and three sacks.
According to Pro Football Focus, Baker has generated 24 quarterback pressures this season, which is the second-best total for a linebacker in the NFL. Tampa Bay’s Devin White leads the league with 34.
DALLAS COWBOYS vs. NEW YORK GIANTS
The Cowboys defeated the Giants, 21-6, on Sunday afternoon, continuing their ascension to the top of the NFC.
Former Ohio State safety Malik Hooker looks like the first-round player the Indianapolis Colts drafted him to be in 2017. He had six tackles and an interception in the NFC East win.
Hooker has 38 tackles and one interception this season as his role within the Cowboys defense gradually expands in the closing weeks.
CHICAGO BEARS vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Chicago quarterback Justin FIelds’ frustrating season continued as the Bears lost to the Vikings, 17-9, on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
The former Ohio State signal-caller completed 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown while adding 35 yards on the ground. Several of Fields’ throws were dropped by Bears’ receivers, causing Fields numbers to take a significant hit. He also threw a fourth-and-goal pass to Cole Kmet for a touchdown, but an official review revealed the tight end to be short of the line, causing the Bears turned the ball over on downs.
Fields has some impressive flashes, including a 23-yard scramble down the left sideline, giving his team a first down and keeping a fourth-quarter drive alive.
Fields has 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first season with the Bears. However, it is widely understood that 2021-22 will be Matt Nagy’s final season in Chicago, and the organization will look elsewhere for a new head coach. The NFL franchise might even come to Columbus in an effort to bring in Ohio State head coach Ryan Day despite his comments revealing the opposite.
