Deacons in the NFL - Week 2
9/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 22, 2010
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
In Week 2, the main league storyline seemed to be that Week 1 was not a real indication of what many teams actually are. The Jets' dominant win over the Patriots, the Cardinals' drubbing by the Falcons and Peyton Manning's victory over his brother Eli showed that some teams are still developing early in the season, for better or worse.
The best way to describe the experiences of former Demon Deacons this week would be very solid. There were no spectacular plays, just solid consistency across the board. The number of former players in the league held steady at thirteen, with two more on practice squads that could be called up at any time.
Here is a player-by-player look at how the Deacons fared in Week 2.
LB Stanley Arnoux, New Orleans Saints
After over a year of waiting and spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve, Arnoux finally made his NFL debut in Monday night's 25-22 victory over the 49ers. He played in special teams coverage throughout the night and was also the backup at the weakside linebacker position. He notched his first professional tackle late in the game on kickoff coverage.
OT Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons
Clabo continued his high-end consistency at right tackle on the Falcons' line during their 41-7 demolition of the Cardinals this weekend. "I felt like we had a little more success with our double teams. I honestly feel that's one of the things that the 3-4 does differently. It's a lot harder to get double teams against a base 3-4 defense," said Clabo when addressing the state of the offensive line after the game.
TE Desmond Clark, Chicago Bears
In a trend that's almost sure to continue for the rest of the season, the Bears utilized all three of their tight ends as blockers in offensive coordinator Mike Martz's pass-heavy system. Clark's veteran blocking skills gave QB Jay Cutler great protection in the pocket though, allowing him to gash the Cowboys' defense for 277 passing yards and three touchdowns in Chicago's surprising 27-20 victory.
LB Aaron Curry, Seattle Seahawks
Curry is continuing to adjust to his new pass-rushing role with the Seahawks and had a very solid game on Sunday with six tackles in a 31-14 loss to the Broncos. Through two games, both starts, Curry now has nine tackles but no sacks, something that will surely improve as the season progresses.
OG Chris DeGeare, Minnesota Vikings
Just as in Week 1, DeGeare was inactive as the Vikings were defeated by Miami, 14-10. His stellar play in the preseason does not seem to be translating into game time for the young guard, who will likely continue to be inactive unless the offensive line suffers an injury.
CB Brandon Ghee, Cincinnati Bengals
Ghee was inactive for the Bengals in their 15-10 victory over the Ravens in Week 2. Like DeGeare's situation, Cincinnati is too deep at cornerback to have Ghee on the active roster each week, and it would probably take an injury to grant him any extensive playing time at this point.
FB Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons
Despite generally being used as a blocker in the running game, Mughelli enjoyed a few carries of his own in the Falcons' big win on Sunday. He had five carries for sixteen yards, and two catches for another nine yards from scrimmage. With two more carries this season, Mughelli will have his most rushing attempts since joining the team in 2007 after leaving Baltimore.
LB Calvin Pace, New York Jets
Pace was again listed as inactive for the Jets' 28-14 win over the Patriots this week as he continues to heal from his broken foot. He told the media that he does not believe he will be ready to play in Miami this coming Sunday either, so it may be Week 4 or later before Pace sees the field.
DT Fred Robbins, St. Louis Rams
The ten-year veteran is still enjoying his opportunity with a new team, tallying three tackles in the Rams' 16-14 loss to the Raiders. Unfortunately, Robbins was flagged on a roughing-the-passer personal foul penalty late in the fourth quarter that dashed any hopes of a Rams comeback. Despite the mistake, he will be looking to build on his momentum in the coming weeks.
CB Alphonso Smith, Detroit Lions
Smith is continuing to adjust to life with the Lions, and like last week, his stats seem to be very much improved over his one-year stay in Denver. After three more tackles in Week 2's narrow 35-32 loss to the Eagles, his season total now stands at five. He is still being used primarily as a kickoff coverage man and occasionally as the nickel or dime back on the defense.
LB Jyles Tucker, San Diego Chargers
Like some of the other former Deacons, Tucker's playing time is limited because of his position on the depth chart as a backup. He did, however, make two tackles in his short amount of time during the Chargers' 38-13 defeat of the Jaguars.
OG Steve Vallos, Cleveland Browns
Vallos was once again held out of any action this weekend in the Browns' 16-14 loss to the Chiefs. Despite his versatility, Coach Eric Mangini seems content to keep him as a backup rather than a starter.
LS Joe Zelenka, Atlanta Falcons
Zelenka remains the anchor of the Falcons' special teams unit and is bringing an added sense of stability to it as well. In Sunday's win, kicker Matt Bryant went 2-for-2 on field goals and added another five extra points.
Players on NFL Practice Squads:
LB John Russell (Buffalo Bills)
S Chip Vaughn (Philadelphia Eagles)
Players Still Looking for Work:
OL Steve Justice (last with the Carolina Panthers)
CB Eric King (last with the Detroit Lions)
WR Kenneth Moore (last with the Carolina Panthers)
DT Boo Robinson (last with the Philadelphia Eagles)
