Deacons in the NFL - Weeks 11 and 12
11/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 30, 2011
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
With only five weeks remaining in the season, two playoff berths can already be clinched as early as this weekend with wins from Green Bay and San Francisco. Aside from that duo, however, the postseason picture remains murky throughout the rest of the league, as many divisions feature ties at the top or multiple teams within striking distance of the leaders. Although some teams are much longer shots than others, 29 of the 32 teams in the NFL remain mathematically alive heading into Week 13.
If the playoffs were to begin today, four of the eight former Demon Deacons on active rosters would represent their teams in postseason play: Aaron Curry, Brandon Ghee and the Atlanta duo of Tyson Clabo and Joe Zelenka. Two more, Calvin Pace and Alphonso Smith, play for teams that are very much in the hunt for wild card spots.
Here is a player-by-player look at how the former Deacs performed in Weeks 11 and 12.
OT Tyson Clabo, Atlanta Falcons
Clabo and the Falcons, who have won six of their last eight contests, have surrendered just nine sacks over that span as QB Matt Ryan continues to put together a stellar season in his fourth year as a pro. In the last two weeks, Atlanta picked up consecutive victories over Tennessee (23-17) and Minnesota (24-14) in two games that were must-win scenarios for the team in order to stay in playoff contention. RB Michael Turner cracked the 100-yard mark for the fifth time in 2011 against the Titans in addition to adding his eighth rushing touchdown of the season. Clabo, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2004, made his 70th consecutive start at right tackle against the Vikings and remains one of the most experienced veteran players on Atlanta's roster. The Falcons (7-4) are in second place in the NFC South and trail the Saints by a single game with another showdown between the two rivals looming on Dec. 26. They will face the Houston Texans (8-3) and former North Carolina QB T.J. Yates in one of Week 13's early tilts.
LB Aaron Curry, Oakland Raiders
Winners of three straight, the Raiders have taken the driver's seat in the AFC West with a 27-21 win at Minnesota and a 25-20 victory against Chicago in the last two weeks. Curry continues to be a solid starter on Oakland's defense, racking up four tackles in each of those two games to bring his season total to 49. He also recorded his first pass breakup as a Raider against the Bears. With four tackles for loss in the last four games, Curry now sits just one shy of his career-high mark in that category. As previously mentioned, the Raiders (7-4) are in first place in the AFC West and are in prime position to have a winning record and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They will travel to the East Coast to take on the Miami Dolphins (3-8) in another early afternoon game this week.
CB Brandon Ghee, Cincinnati Bengals
The second-year defensive back was activated from the practice squad following Week 10 due to major injuries in the secondary. Cincinnati dropped a closely contested game against Baltimore by a 31-24 margin in Week 11, but followed up with a 23-20 win over Cleveland to sweep the Battle of Ohio for the first time since 2009. While Ghee has yet to record any statistics, he has been an active participant on the kickoff coverage team during his first action this year. The Bengals (7-4) hold third place in the AFC North and are set to clash with the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at historic Heinz Field in Week 13.
LB Calvin Pace, New York Jets
The 2003 first-round pick picked up his fourth sack of the season and a forced fumble in a 17-13 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night in Week 11 and followed up with a solid four-tackle performance in a tight 28-24 win against Buffalo last Sunday. With one more sack in his final five games, Pace will earn his fifth straight season with at least five sacks. His 50 total tackles ranks third on the team, and his three forced fumbles tie him with Aaron Maybin for the team lead. The Jets (6-5) are in second place in the AFC East but trail the Patriots by two games. They will travel to the nation's capital on Sunday afternoon to face the Washington Redskins (4-7).
DT Fred Robbins, St. Louis Rams
Despite dropping two straight divisional games to the Seahawks (24-7) and the Cardinals (23-20), Robbins kept his streak of consecutive games with multiple tackles alive with two tackles in the first contest and three in the second. The run now stands at seven games, the defensive tackle's longest since 2004 when he recorded two or more tackles in the final 10 games of the season. St. Louis (2-9) has underwhelmed offensively this season, as second-year QB Sam Bradford was expected to improve upon his excellent rookie year. They will make the trip west to take on the San Francisco 49ers (9-2) in one of the late afternoon kickoffs this week.
CB Alphonso Smith, Detroit Lions
The ACC's all-time leader in interceptions returned to the active gameday roster in Week 11's 49-35 barnburner win over the Panthers, but was declared inactive just prior to the Thanksgiving Day loss, 27-15, to the undefeated Packers. When active, he continues to be used in kickoff coverage and in Detroit's dime package in the secondary, and he has collected six tackles and a forced fumble thus far on the season. The Lions (7-4) are tied with Chicago for second place in the NFC North and will attempt to become the first team to defeat the Saints in the Superdome this season in Week 13's Sunday night matchup.
OT Steve Vallos, Cleveland Browns
The former four-year letter winner at Wake has been inactive for the last two weeks, which the Browns have split with a 14-10 win against Jacksonville and a 23-20 loss at Cincinnati. The offensive line helped unheralded RB Chris Ogbonnaya notch the first 100-yard game of his career in Week 11, and the running game as a whole, thanks to the return of RB Peyton Hillis, collected 134 yards on the ground in the showdown with the Bengals. Cleveland (4-7) will trek to Maryland to face the Baltimore Ravens (8-3) late in the afternoon in Week 13.
LS Joe Zelenka, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta's special teams unit, especially on field goals with Zelenka and kicker Matt Bryant, has been stellar over the last two weeks. Bryant is a perfect 4-for-4 on his attempts and his hit all five of his extra points. For the season, he is third in the NFL in field goal percentage with a 19-for-20 (95 percent) mark and trails only Dan Bailey and Mike Nugent in that category. Four of Atlanta's final five games will be played inside domes as well, giving Bryant a chance to shine in the environment that he is most accustomed to.
Deacons on NFL Practice Squads
OG Chris DeGeare, Minnesota Vikings
Deacons on Injured Reserve (out for the season)
FB Ovie Mughelli, Atlanta Falcons
