Brett Ludwiczak
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A guide to all the former Buckeyes still in the NFL playoffs
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, six teams have a least one former Ohio State player on their roster
Jacksonville has two former Buckeyes on their roster in this game, while the Kansas City Chiefs are one of two teams left in the NFL playoffs that don’t employ any Ohio State alums.
If Kansas City not playing with any former Buckeyes wasn’t enough to make you root for Jacksonville in this game, then finding out the Chiefs roster three former Michigan players should add to your Jaguars fandom on Saturday afternoon.
Luke Farrell - Jacksonville Jaguars
Don’t expect to hear Farrell’s name called all that often this afternoon. The tight end only has four receptions this year. Maybe Farrell sees some snaps because of his blocking ability at tight end, but there’s no question that if Trevor Lawrence is going to throw to a Jacksonville tight end, it will likely be Evan Engram.
DaVon Hamilton - Jacksonville Jaguars
The defensive tackle had a great game against Tennessee to close out the regular season, helping to bottle up Derrick Henry, which allowed Jacksonville to earn a playoff spot. Hamilton had a little different task last week against the Chargers, with the Jaguars shifting to facing a pass-heavy offense.
The former Buckeyes and his mates of the defensive side of the football will face an even bigger challenge today when they take on the elusive Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.
Nick Vannett - New York Giants
Much like Jacksonville’s Luke Farrell, Vannett only had four catches this season. The former Ohio State tight end wasn’t even signed by the Giants until Nov. 22 when he was added to the practice squad. Vannett was elevated to the active roster a couple weeks later, and his best performance of the year came on the final day of the regular season when he caught two passes against Philadelphia when the Giants were resting their starters.
Wyatt Davis - New York Giants
Just a couple years ago, Wyatt Davis was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Now Davis is playing for his fifth team. Davis was released by the Vikings in the team’s final round of cuts before the season. The offensive lineman then joined the Giants’ practice squad before being signed by the New Orleans Saints, who released Davis in early November. Then Davis signed with Arizona before being released two days after Christmas. The Giants resigned Davis the next day.
Trey Sermon - Philadelphia Eagles
It feels like the only way Sermon will see any carries tonight is if the Eagles either blow the Giants out, or are getting blown out. The only two carries of the season for Sermon came in early October against Jacksonville. Philadelphia has strong depth at running back with Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott.
A lot of people want to claim Joe Burrow as a Buckeye, and while I can understand the sentiment, I’m not going to include him in this section. If you want to claim him as an Ohioan, then that’s a whole different story.
Sam Hubbard - Cincinnati Bengals
The Ohio State defensive end was the hero of the game for the Bengals against the Ravens. Hubbard will likely never have to buy another drink or meal in Cincinnati after returning a fumble 98 yards with 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter to give the Bengals a 24-17 lead. The touchdown would end up being the game-winning score for Cincinnati, securing a showdown with Buffalo on Sunday.
Hubbard has quietly carved out a role as a consistent defensive end for the Bengals, notching at least six sacks in four of his first five seasons in the NFL.
Vonn Bell - Cincinnati Bengals
Against Baltimore, Bell recorded four tackles. While Bell doesn’t put up huge stats when it comes to tackles and interceptions, he does a great job at making big plays when they matter most. The safety is a steadying force in the defensive backfield, which is more than can be said about another Ohio State alum that is part of the secondary of the Bengals.
Eli Apple - Cincinnati Bengals
The former first round pick had a solid performance last week against Baltimore, finishing the game with six tackles. Apple will see the difficulty upped this week, as he’ll be tasked with trying to keep Josh Allen from getting the football into the hands of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Drue Chrisman - Cincinnati Bengals
After starting the season on Cincinnati’s practice squad, Chrisman was elevated to the main roster after the team released punter Kevin Huber in early December. Much like the Buckeye punters before him, Chrisman has found success in the NFL, dropping nearly half of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard-line during the regular season. Chrisman continued his strong kicking on Sunday night, with two of his three punts against the Ravens being downed inside the 20.
Isaiah Prince - Cincinnati Bengals
The offensive lineman is currently a member of Cincinnati’s practice squad, but with the rash of injuries the Bengals are dealing with on the offensive line, he could be called up to the active roster.
Ezekiel Elliott - Dallas Cowboys
We all know the shelf life of running backs in the NFL is short, and it’s obvious that Elliott doesn’t have much left in his legs. This year the former Buckeye rushed for a career-low 876 yards. Elliott was bottled up in the 31-14 win by the Cowboys over the Buccaneers on Monday night, finishing with 27 yards on 13 carries.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24375279/usa_today_19803124.jpg "NFL: NFC Wild Card Round-Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers")
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
This week Elliott will be taking one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, so it’s hard to imagine Zeke finding much room to run on the ground. It’s not all bad news though, as Elliott does have some value down near the goal line, since his physical running style has allowed him to score 12 rushing touchdowns this year.
Noah Brown - Dallas Cowboys
This season was a bit of a breakout year for Brown, who caught 43 passes after nabbing just 39 passes in his first four seasons in the NFL. The return of Michael Gallup has cut into some of Brown’s snaps, but the wide receiver is still a threat in the red zone, with his height and hands making him an attractive target for Dak Prescott.
Johnathan Hankins - Dallas Cowboys
Hankins started the season with the Las Vegas Raiders before being traded to the Cowboys in late October. The defensive tackle looks to be getting a little more comfortable with each week. In Monday night’s game, Hankins recorded a sack of Tom Brady, which was his first sack with the Cowboys.
Malik Hooker - Dallas Cowboys
Hooker looked like he was going to be a fixture with the Indianapolis Colts before injuries slowed his growth. The Cowboys took a chance on Hooker, and it has played off, with the safety becoming a big part of the team’s secondary. This season Hooker made 62 tackles, picking off three passes and forcing a fumble. Hooker will be tested on Sunday evening trying to slow the talented San Francisco receiving corps.
Kendall Sheffield - Dallas Cowboys
Sheffield is currently a member of the Dallas practice squad.
Jake McQuaide - Dallas Cowboys
The long snapper suffered a torn left triceps in a game against Washington early in the year and is currently on injured reserve.
Nick Bosa - San Francisco 49ers
The younger Bosa had an outstanding season on one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, recording 18.5 sacks. Unlike Joey, Nick had a game to remember on Saturday, making five tackles and recovering a fumble in San Francisco’s 41-23 win over Seattle.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24375277/1456444327.jpg "NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Seattle Seahawks v San Francisco 49ers")
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Now Bosa will be looking to add to his career playoff sack total. In 2019 and 2021, Bosa recorded four sacks, playing in three playoff games in each of those years. With the Cowboys having injury issues on their offensive line, it seems likely Bosa should be harassing Dak Prescott throughout Sunday night’s contest.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Of the eight teams remaining in the playoffs, six teams have a least one former Ohio State player on their roster
Jacksonville Jaguars v. Kansas City Chiefs - Saturday 1/21 4:30 p.m. ET - NBC
Jacksonville has two former Buckeyes on their roster in this game, while the Kansas City Chiefs are one of two teams left in the NFL playoffs that don’t employ any Ohio State alums.
If Kansas City not playing with any former Buckeyes wasn’t enough to make you root for Jacksonville in this game, then finding out the Chiefs roster three former Michigan players should add to your Jaguars fandom on Saturday afternoon.
Luke Farrell - Jacksonville Jaguars
Don’t expect to hear Farrell’s name called all that often this afternoon. The tight end only has four receptions this year. Maybe Farrell sees some snaps because of his blocking ability at tight end, but there’s no question that if Trevor Lawrence is going to throw to a Jacksonville tight end, it will likely be Evan Engram.
DaVon Hamilton - Jacksonville Jaguars
The defensive tackle had a great game against Tennessee to close out the regular season, helping to bottle up Derrick Henry, which allowed Jacksonville to earn a playoff spot. Hamilton had a little different task last week against the Chargers, with the Jaguars shifting to facing a pass-heavy offense.
The former Buckeyes and his mates of the defensive side of the football will face an even bigger challenge today when they take on the elusive Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.
New York Giants v. Philadelphia Eagles - Saturday 1/21 8:15 p.m. ET - FOX
Nick Vannett - New York Giants
Much like Jacksonville’s Luke Farrell, Vannett only had four catches this season. The former Ohio State tight end wasn’t even signed by the Giants until Nov. 22 when he was added to the practice squad. Vannett was elevated to the active roster a couple weeks later, and his best performance of the year came on the final day of the regular season when he caught two passes against Philadelphia when the Giants were resting their starters.
Wyatt Davis - New York Giants
Just a couple years ago, Wyatt Davis was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Now Davis is playing for his fifth team. Davis was released by the Vikings in the team’s final round of cuts before the season. The offensive lineman then joined the Giants’ practice squad before being signed by the New Orleans Saints, who released Davis in early November. Then Davis signed with Arizona before being released two days after Christmas. The Giants resigned Davis the next day.
Trey Sermon - Philadelphia Eagles
It feels like the only way Sermon will see any carries tonight is if the Eagles either blow the Giants out, or are getting blown out. The only two carries of the season for Sermon came in early October against Jacksonville. Philadelphia has strong depth at running back with Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott.
Cincinnati Bengals v. Buffalo Bills - Sunday 1/22 3:00 p.m. ET - CBS
A lot of people want to claim Joe Burrow as a Buckeye, and while I can understand the sentiment, I’m not going to include him in this section. If you want to claim him as an Ohioan, then that’s a whole different story.
Sam Hubbard - Cincinnati Bengals
The Ohio State defensive end was the hero of the game for the Bengals against the Ravens. Hubbard will likely never have to buy another drink or meal in Cincinnati after returning a fumble 98 yards with 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter to give the Bengals a 24-17 lead. The touchdown would end up being the game-winning score for Cincinnati, securing a showdown with Buffalo on Sunday.
Hubbard has quietly carved out a role as a consistent defensive end for the Bengals, notching at least six sacks in four of his first five seasons in the NFL.
Vonn Bell - Cincinnati Bengals
Against Baltimore, Bell recorded four tackles. While Bell doesn’t put up huge stats when it comes to tackles and interceptions, he does a great job at making big plays when they matter most. The safety is a steadying force in the defensive backfield, which is more than can be said about another Ohio State alum that is part of the secondary of the Bengals.
Eli Apple - Cincinnati Bengals
The former first round pick had a solid performance last week against Baltimore, finishing the game with six tackles. Apple will see the difficulty upped this week, as he’ll be tasked with trying to keep Josh Allen from getting the football into the hands of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Drue Chrisman - Cincinnati Bengals
After starting the season on Cincinnati’s practice squad, Chrisman was elevated to the main roster after the team released punter Kevin Huber in early December. Much like the Buckeye punters before him, Chrisman has found success in the NFL, dropping nearly half of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard-line during the regular season. Chrisman continued his strong kicking on Sunday night, with two of his three punts against the Ravens being downed inside the 20.
Isaiah Prince - Cincinnati Bengals
The offensive lineman is currently a member of Cincinnati’s practice squad, but with the rash of injuries the Bengals are dealing with on the offensive line, he could be called up to the active roster.
Dallas Cowboys v. San Francisco 49ers - Sunday 1/22 6:30 p.m. - ET - FOX
Ezekiel Elliott - Dallas Cowboys
We all know the shelf life of running backs in the NFL is short, and it’s obvious that Elliott doesn’t have much left in his legs. This year the former Buckeye rushed for a career-low 876 yards. Elliott was bottled up in the 31-14 win by the Cowboys over the Buccaneers on Monday night, finishing with 27 yards on 13 carries.
This week Elliott will be taking one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, so it’s hard to imagine Zeke finding much room to run on the ground. It’s not all bad news though, as Elliott does have some value down near the goal line, since his physical running style has allowed him to score 12 rushing touchdowns this year.
Noah Brown - Dallas Cowboys
This season was a bit of a breakout year for Brown, who caught 43 passes after nabbing just 39 passes in his first four seasons in the NFL. The return of Michael Gallup has cut into some of Brown’s snaps, but the wide receiver is still a threat in the red zone, with his height and hands making him an attractive target for Dak Prescott.
Johnathan Hankins - Dallas Cowboys
Hankins started the season with the Las Vegas Raiders before being traded to the Cowboys in late October. The defensive tackle looks to be getting a little more comfortable with each week. In Monday night’s game, Hankins recorded a sack of Tom Brady, which was his first sack with the Cowboys.
Malik Hooker - Dallas Cowboys
Hooker looked like he was going to be a fixture with the Indianapolis Colts before injuries slowed his growth. The Cowboys took a chance on Hooker, and it has played off, with the safety becoming a big part of the team’s secondary. This season Hooker made 62 tackles, picking off three passes and forcing a fumble. Hooker will be tested on Sunday evening trying to slow the talented San Francisco receiving corps.
Kendall Sheffield - Dallas Cowboys
Sheffield is currently a member of the Dallas practice squad.
Jake McQuaide - Dallas Cowboys
The long snapper suffered a torn left triceps in a game against Washington early in the year and is currently on injured reserve.
Nick Bosa - San Francisco 49ers
The younger Bosa had an outstanding season on one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, recording 18.5 sacks. Unlike Joey, Nick had a game to remember on Saturday, making five tackles and recovering a fumble in San Francisco’s 41-23 win over Seattle.
Now Bosa will be looking to add to his career playoff sack total. In 2019 and 2021, Bosa recorded four sacks, playing in three playoff games in each of those years. With the Cowboys having injury issues on their offensive line, it seems likely Bosa should be harassing Dak Prescott throughout Sunday night’s contest.
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