Detroit cornerback Johnson Bademosi’s first career interception and three tackles headlined another strong week for former Stanford defenders in the NFL, as Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, Indianapolis defensive tackle David Parry, Arizona defensive tackle Josh Mauro and Green Bay linebacker Blake Martinez also added notable contributions in Sunday’s games.
Making the most of a rare opportunity to start on defense with starting corner Darius Slay sidelined with an injury, Bademosi, normally a standout on special teams, intercepted a pass, broke up a pass and almost forced a fumble in Detroit’s 20-13 loss to the Texans.
The interception came with time winding down in the first half, when he maintained inside position on a Brock Osweiler throw to the sideline targeting top wideout DeAndre Hopkins, and was able to undercut the pass and return it for three yards. The momentum-swinging play also gave the Lions points, as it set up an eventual 47-yard field goal by Matt Prater.
Elsewhere on defense, Sherman registered eight tackles for the Seahawks in a 25-20 loss to the Saints, while Parry had three solo tackles on defense for the Colts and Mauro registered 1.5 tackles for loss in a 20-30 Cardinals loss to the Carolina Panthers. Martinez, who has been a budding rookie sensation for the Packers after being selected in the fourth round, registered six tackles in a loss to the Falcons.
On the other side of the ball, Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck didn’t quite meet the high bar he’s set over the first few weeks of a career year, only going 19-for-35 for 210 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 14-30 home loss to Kansas City. He didn’t get much help from his offensive line, as he was sacked six times, but he also had a lapse in concentration, fumbling a shotgun snap, which was recovered by the Chiefs.
The Colts dropped to 3-5 and continue to underperform while falling further behind Houston in the divisional race.
Meanwhile, Luck’s Stanford successor, quarterback Kevin Hogan, didn’t earn the start for Cleveland with Josh McCown healthy again, but he did get into the game on a few plays, finishing 2-for-2 for 4 yards through the air but no rushing yards. Safety Ed Reynolds made his first tackle of the season for the Browns, who dropped to 0-8 after taking a 31-28 loss to the Jets.
Among the tight ends, Atlanta’s Austin Hooper caught five passes on five targets for 41 yards, including a 17-yard catch in the red zone to set up a Falcons touchdown just before halftime. The Falcons rallied in thrilling fashion to beat the Packers 33-32 at home with a touchdown in the final minute. Fellow tight end and Stanford alumnus Levine Toilolo did not accumulate any stats. Coby Fleener also caught four passes for 36 yards in the Saints’ victory over the Seahawks. Finally, Zach Ertz caught all four of his targets for 19 yards as Philadelphia fell to Dallas in overtime.
Running back Tyler Gaffney was signed from the New England practice squad to the 53-man roster, but did not see any time in the team’s 41-25 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Contact Jamie MacFarlane at jamiemac ‘at’ stanford.edu.