Deacons in the NFL - Week 5
10/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 13, 2010
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
Week 5 seemed to follow the same trend as the rest of the season so far in the NFL: a sense of "Did that really just happen?" The Raiders ended their 13-game skid against the Chargers by winning 35-27, the Cardinals defeated the Saints 30-20 while starting undrafted rookie Max Hall at quarterback and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 3-1. Not even the experts could have expected the season to take this many crazy turns so soon.
For former Wake Forest players, it was another solid week. Alphonso Smith remains the true standout of this season, with his three interceptions in just five games including one for a touchdown this past weekend. Calvin Pace also returned from his injury and played an immediate role in the Jets' Monday Night Football win over the Vikings.
The number of former Deacons on active rosters across the league increased to fourteen this week (counting Jyles Tucker, who is on IR) as Kenneth Moore was added to the Colts' active roster. Once again, though, only John Russell is left on the practice squads, as Boo Robinson was cut by the Browns.
Here is a player-by-player look at how the Deacons fared in Week 5.
LB Stanley Arnoux, New Orleans Saints
The former Wake linebacker saw action in his fourth game of the year in Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Cardinals that dropped the Saints to 3-2 on the year. He notched one tackle on special teams coverage and continued his solid play there. He remains a viable option as a full-time player should one of the starters go down with an injury.
OT Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons
In this week's 20-10 win over the Browns this week, the Falcons (4-1) played unspectacular yet solid football. Clabo, who remains the mainstay at right tackle, gave QB Matt Ryan great protection yet again on Sunday. Despite Clabo's solid play this season, the line has given up ten sacks in five games, mostly due to inconsistent play on the left side. Assuming Clabo stays healthy, he is on schedule to make his 40th consecutive start on November 7 against the Buccaneers.
TE Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears
For the second week in a row, Clark was benched by Lovie Smith with no explanation. Greg Olsen appears to have won the starting tight end job for the Bears (4-1), who defeated the Panthers, 23-6, even while starting veteran Todd Collins at quarterback in Jay Cutler's absence. If Olsen keeps up his steady pace of play (fifteen catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns in five games), it would not be surprising to only see Clark on the field in situations where blocking is the priority.
LB Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks (2-2) had their bye week during Week 5 and will return to action on Sunday afternoon against the Bears in Chicago.
OG Chris DeGeare, Minnesota Vikings
The rookie saw playing time for the second time this season, albeit fairly limited. He is now officially listed on the depth chart as a left guard and the backup to Steve Hutchinson, who has been to seven straight Pro Bowls dating back to 2003 when he was with the Seahawks. Despite the acquisition of Randy Moss and a big fourth-quarter comeback, the Vikings (1-3) were defeated by the Jets, 29-20.
CB Brandon Ghee, Cincinnati Bengals
Ghee finally saw his first professional action in Sunday's 24-21 loss to the Buccaneers, and had his first NFL tackle as well. He saw action as a member of the special teams unit, but remains listed as the fifth cornerback on the depth chart and is yet to see defensive action in a game. The Bengals are now 2-3 for the season.
WR Kenneth Moore, Indianapolis Colts
After being signed to the Colts' practice squad last week, Moore was promoted to the active roster for Sunday's 19-9 win against the Chiefs as the primary return man. He fielded three punts for a total of four yards and had two kickoff returns for 41 yards. After that performance, he may have won the return job and will likely continue to field kicks when the Colts (3-2) visit the Redskins this week.
FB Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons
The seven-year veteran played a big part in Atlanta's blocking schemes once again on Sunday. Like Tyson Clabo, he has been fairly consistent this season and was once again rewarded with a carry this week, bringing his total to eight on the year. If he manages five more carries in the Falcons' final eleven games, he will have a new career high for carries in a single season.
LB Calvin Pace, New York Jets
Pace finally returned from his time missed due to a broken foot, and he immediately made huge contributions to the Jets (4-1) defense. He started in Monday night's 29-20 win over Minnesota, had three tackles, and most impressively had 1.5 sacks of Brett Favre. Considering that he might have still been shaking off some rust, Pace could be in line to put up big numbers for the rest of the season.
DT Fred Robbins, St. Louis Rams
St. Louis's anchor along the defensive line had a solid game despite his stat line in an unexpected 44-6 domination by the Lions. He notched only two tackles but helped to hold rookie running back Jahvid Best in check, forcing the Lions to go through the air for the majority of their points. Next week's matchup with the Chargers, who have a faltering offensive line, has the potential to be a big game for Robbins.
CB Alphonso Smith, Detroit Lions
Another week, another interception for the second-year former Bronco. Not only was it just an interception, he also returned it 42 yards for a touchdown in the Lions' 44-6 win over St. Louis. Smith now has had one pick in each of his last three games, all of which were starts. His career rebirth has been nothing short of amazing, as he now has sixteen tackles on the season as well, two more than he had in fifteen games last year. He is solidly entrenched as a starter in the secondary for Detroit (1-4).
OG Steve Vallos, Cleveland Browns
Vallos was held out of action once again for the fifth game of the season as the Browns (1-4) fell to the Atlanta Falcons, 20-10.
LS Joe Zelenka, Atlanta Falcons
Zelenka's solid play as the Falcons' long snapper continued in their win over the Browns, as kicker Matt Bryant made two of his three field goals, with his long coming from 30 yards. His one miss came on a block, though, and cannot be attributed to Zelenka's play.
SB/WR Chris Davis, Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
Davis had no catches in Winnipeg's 47-35 win over the BC Lions on Monday. Following up on last week's quarterback situation, Alex Brink was handed the reins of the offense, but after completing just four of 18 attempts, Steven Jyles replaced him and went 11-for-19 for 211 yards and two touchdowns. He has likely re-earned the starting quarterback position.
Players on NFL Practice Squads
LB John Russell, Buffalo Bills
Players Still Looking for Work
OL Steve Justice (last with the Carolina Panthers)
DT Boo Robinson (last with the Cleveland Browns)
CB Eric King (last with the Detroit Lions)
S Chip Vaughn (last with the Philadelphia Eagles)
Players on Injured Reserve (out for the season)
LB Jyles Tucker, San Diego Chargers
