#ProDeacs: Week 18 Recap
1/9/2023 2:06:00 PM | Football
Demon Deacons impress as NFL regular season wraps up.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The NFL regular season concluded on Sunday and former Wake Forest players made an impact across the league, whether it be for playoff positioning or to close out the season on a high.
Here's a look at how the #ProDeacs did this week.
Bates III Records Fourth Interception
Bates III and the Cincinnati Bengals took down the Baltimore Ravens, 27-16, at home to clinch the No. 3 seed in the AFC and set up a rematch with Baltimore in the wild card round. Wake Forest alumni safety played a huge role in the victory as he tallied eight tackles in addition to a first quarter interception to set up a Bengals touchdown on the following drive. He put himself in position to pick off former Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown and returned it into Ravens territory to give Joe Burrow and the offense a short field to work with.
Cincinnati finished 12-4 and claimed its second-consecutive AFC North title, marking the first time in team history it captured back-to-back division titles.
Masterson Finishes Strong
Despite a disappointing 6-11 season, the Las Vegas Raiders have found a bright spot over the last few weeks in Luke Masterson. The undrafted rookie led the Raiders in tackles for the fourth time in the last five weeks on Saturday. The linebacker tallied nine tackles and a QB hurry in the 13-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Masterson recorded a team-high 41 tackles in the final five weeks of the season after earning his way to a starting role.
2022 Draft Picks Update
The two Wake Forest draft picks in the 2022 NFL draft each had a chance to shine in the final week of the regular season.
Fourth-round pick Zach Tom wrapped up his rookie campaign playing right tackle on Sunday Night Football against the Detroit Lions. He was the best performer on the Packers offensive line once again according to ProFootballFocus. The versatile linemen played four-different positions (LT, LG, RG and RT) and finished third among NFL rookies with a 78.1 PFF pass block grade this season.
Ja'Sir Taylor recorded a season-high 52 defensive snaps in the Chargers' secondary in the 28-31 loss to the Broncos. The sixth-round pick tallied five tackles and allowed just three catches in the season finale. Taylor and the Chargers will be heading to Jacksonville on Saturday night for a battle with the Jaguars in the Wild Card round.
#ProDeacs Results and Wild Card Round Slate (All times eastern)
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Phil Haynes - SEA (9-8)
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Last Week: Los Angeles Rams 16 at Seattle Seahawks 19 (OT)
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This Week: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (Saturday, 4:30 p.m., FOX)
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Ja'Sir Taylor and Sage Surratt - LAC (10-7)
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Last Week: Los Angeles Chargers 28 at Denver Broncos 31
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This Week: Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars (Saturday, 8:15 p.m., NBC)
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Carlos "Boogie" Basham Jr. - BUF (13-3)
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Last Week: New England Patriots 23 at Buffalo Bills 35
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This Week: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)
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Luiji Vilain - MIN (13-4)
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Last Week: Minnesota Vikings 29 at Chicago Bears 13
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This Week: New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., FOX)
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Jesse Bates III and Nate Gilliam - CIN (12-4)
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Last Week: Baltimore Ravens 16 at Cincinnati Bengals 27
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This Week: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday, 8:15 p.m., NBC)
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Alex Bachman - HOU (3-13-1)
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Last Week: Houston Texans 32 at Indianapolis Colts 31
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This Week: N/A
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Justin Strnad, Essang Bassey and Kendall Hinton - DEN (5-12)
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Last Week: Los Angeles Chargers 28 at Denver Broncos 31
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This Week: N/A
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Greg Dortch - ARI (4-13)
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Last Week: Arizona Cardinals 13 at San Francisco 49ers 38
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This Week: N/A
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John Wolford and Jaquarii Roberson - LAR (5-12)
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Last Week: Los Angeles Rams 16 at Seattle Seahawks 19 (OT)
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This Week: N/A
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Zach Tom - GB (8-9)
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Last Week: Detroit Lions 20 at Green Bay Packers 16
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This Week: N/A
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Luke Masterson and Justin Herron - LV (6-11)
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Last Week: Kansas City Chiefs 31 at Las Vegas Raiders 13
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This Week: N/A
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Scotty Washington - NE (8-9)
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Last Week: New England Patriots 23 at Buffalo Bills 35
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This Week: N/A
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