Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons in the NFL - Week 1
9/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2010
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
Week 1 of the NFL season came with plenty of surprises, like the Chiefs' 21-14 upset of the Chargers or Pittsburgh coming away with a victory against the Falcons without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger. For Wake Forest, its number of active players in the league dropped to thirteen following the final preseason cuts, with two more on practice squads and three others still out of work. Many of the younger players, like second-year players Aaron Curry and Alphonso Smith, are still focused on the progression of their talents and are in good positions to do so with their respective teams.
Here is a player-by-player look at how the Deacons fared in Week 1.
LB Stanley Arnoux, New Orleans Saints
Arnoux did not see any playing time in the first week of the season during the Saints' 14-9 victory over the Vikings. He figures to be in a backup role for most of the season unless another injury hits the New Orleans linebacker corps.
OT Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons
Clabo received his 33rd straight start at right tackle for the Falcons in Week 1 and continues to be a bright spot along the offensive line. After this season he will be able to hit the free agency market, and his consistent play at a high level should earn him a big contract. The Falcons suffered a 15-9 overtime loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday.
TE Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears
In the Bears' Week 1 19-14 win over the Lions, Clark came off the bench behind starter Greg Olsen. As expected in offensive coordinator Mike Martz's new system, he was used primarily as a blocker for QB Jay Cutler and was not the target of any passes.
LB Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
Curry had a very solid season debut in the Seahawks' surprising 31-6 thumping of the division rival 49ers. He notched three tackles and got the start at strongside linebacker, a clear sign that coach Pete Carroll has been impressed with his progression over the offseason.
OG Chris DeGeare, Minnesota Vikings
In a somewhat unexpected move, DeGeare did not see any action in his first regular season game with the Vikings despite starting the final two games of the preseason. This may be explained by the Vikings' need to have their most experienced linemen in the game to counter the Saints' strong pass rush. The Vikings fell in the NFL's season-opening game, 14-9, in New Orleans.
CB Brandon Ghee, Cincinnati Bengals
Like Arnoux and DeGeare, Ghee also did not play on opening weekend. The Bengals sufferd a 38-24 defeat at the Patriots on Sunday.
FB Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons
Mughelli held down the fullback spot for the Falcons in Week 1, but the former Deacon found himself on the wrong end of a penalty flag to start the overtime period. Mughelli was called for holding on the opening kickoff of overtime, pushing the Falcons' starting field position back. After a three-and-out, the Steelers won the game on a 50-yard TD run by Rashard Mendenhall.
LB Calvin Pace, New York Jets
As expected, Pace was not active for the Jets' opening Monday night game against the Ravens. He is still rehabbing his broken foot suffered in the preseason and should return within the next couple of weeks. The Jets fell to the Ravens, 10-9.
DT Fred Robbins, St. Louis Rams
Robbins put together the game of the week for former Deacons in the NFL. Against the Cardinals' offense, he piled up four tackles and a sack of QB Derek Anderson, along with getting the start at defensive tackle. His next sack will give him a total of thirty for his career. The Rams fell to the Cardinals, 17-13, in St. Louis.
CB Alphonso Smith, Detroit Lions
He didn't get the start, but Smith did get playing time and had two tackles in his debut for the Lions. Last season with the Broncos he had only fourteen tackles in fifteen games, so he seems to be in line to have a bigger season than his rookie campaign. The Lions dropped a 19-14 setback at Chicago.
LB Jyles Tucker, San Diego Chargers
Shawne Merriman did not play in Monday night's opening loss against the Chiefs, but that did not open the door for Tucker as expected. He received limited playing time and had no tackles, as the Chargers dropped a 21-14 decision at Kansas City.
OG Steve Vallos, Cleveland Browns
Despite being picked up off waivers from the Seahawks following the preseason, Vallos did not get any playing time in the Browns' opener against Tampa Bay. He still figures to be a versatile backup along the offensive line, but it would likely take an injury to one of the starting linemen for Vallos to earn a starting spot. The Browns suffered a 17-14 loss at Tampa Bay.
LS Joe Zelenka, Atlanta Falcons
Zelenka served as the Falcons' long snapper during Week 1, and the kicking game was stable with him at the position. Kicker Matt Bryant went 3-for-4 with a long of 49 yards, his only miss coming on a 46-yarder. The Falcons lost at Pittsburgh, 15-9, in overtime.
Players on practice squads:
LB John Russell, Buffalo Bills
S Chip Vaughn, Philadelphia Eagles
Players still looking for work:
CB Eric King (last with the Detroit Lions)
OL Steve Justice (last with the Carolina Panthers
WR Kenneth Moore (last with the Carolina Panthers)
DT Boo Robinson (last with the Philadelphia Eagles)
