Although Kevin Hogan struggled in his start for the Browns, many Cardinal players in the NFL helped make their mark on their teams in Week 6.
Hogan had shone in previous stints as the Browns quarterback, but he struggled on Sunday in his first career start against the Houston Texans. He completed 20-of-37 passes for 140 yards in the 33-17 loss and passed for one touchdown and three interceptions. He also rushed for 36 yards but fumbled once and caused a safety after an intentional grounding call in the end zone. Despite a scoring drive in the last minutes of the game, Browns head coach Hue Jackson is now debating his starting quarterback next week. Maybe Hogan gets another chance to prove himself, as the Browns are 0-6 so far.
Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz had two receptions for 18 yards in the Thursday game against Carolina, both of which ended up as touchdowns. These scores helped bring the Eagles win 28-23 over the Panthers. Ertz only had five targets this game, which is surprising given his previous average of 9.6 per game.
On the Panthers side, running back Christian McCaffrey scored in his second straight game, catching a one-yard pass in the fourth quarter to score. The Panthers utilized quarterback Cam Newton heavily as McCaffrey only rushed four times for eight yards but was targeted 14 times during the game and catching 10.
Tight end Austin Hooper finished the Falcons’ 20-17 loss with a career-high seven receptions for 48 yards. With a steadily increasing number of targets, Hooper is on track to get a similar amount next Sunday against a porous New England defense.
Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Blake Martinez has totaled 11 tackles three times in the past four weeks, eight of which were solo in Sunday’s game against the Vikings. He also came up for a pass deflection, helping cement his status as a dominating linebacker for the Packers.
Teammate Ty Montgomery lined up in his usual slot as starting running back after his rib injury kept him out last week, but split carries with Aaron Jones. He ended the game with 10 carries for 28 yards and one reception for three yards, less than usual, which might be explained by the rib protector he was still wearing. As he gets healthier, he’ll probably see more action as Green Bay figures out its offense without Aaron Rodgers.
Defensive end Solomon Thomas led the San Francisco 49ers in tackles and sacks on Sunday, ending with nine tackles and the only sack of the team during their 26-24 loss to the Redskins. His performance in the recent weeks has showcased why he was a first-round pick for San Francisco.
Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin did not play this week thanks to Seattle’s bye week, but both remain on track to play after their separate groin injuries earlier in the season.
Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck is still out after having offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to return by the end of the season as the Colts remain in the playoff hunt.
Contact Ariana Rollins at arianar ‘at’ stanford.edu.