Week 1 of the NFL season gave Baylor plenty to point to, with Josh Cameron, Jalen Pitre and Terrel Bernard all making their mark right out of the gate. It also put two Baylor NFL names on opposite sidelines, with Pitre in Houston and Bernard in Buffalo.
Cameron had the kind of debut that turns heads fast. The rookie wideout caught two passes and scored a touchdown in Jacksonville’s opener against the Browns.
That score was his first in the NFL and also marked Trevor Lawrence’s 100th career touchdown. Cameron, who began at Baylor as a walk-on, is already showing why his blend of size and speed could make him a problem for defenses for a long time.
Pitre picked up where he’s been for Houston, steady and involved. Now in his fifth NFL season, all with the Texans, he remains a dependable piece of that defense and has grown into a leadership role over the last couple of years. Against Buffalo, he posted a 76.0 PFF grade, one of the better marks on a Texans defense that gave up 36 points.
Bernard was just as busy on the other side of that matchup. The Bills linebacker played every snap against the Texans and finished with a 72.6 PFF grade, which was the second-best mark on Buffalo’s defense.
He’s also entering his fifth season, and the Bills are counting on him to be a major part of their push toward the Super Bowl. For now, though, he’s dealing with an injury and could miss Week 2.
The Baylor connection kept showing up elsewhere, too. Ross Mastick turned in the top long-snapping grade in the league for Week 1 with a 79.3 PFF grade. He handled eight punt snaps cleanly for the Jaguars and will be looking to get back to the Pro Bowl after making it last season.
Jon Weeks also got off to a solid start for San Francisco, earning a 77.7 PFF grade after snapping five field goals without error. The veteran long snapper is aiming for another Pro Bowl year.
Elsewhere, Tyquan Thornton was on the field for 47 of the Chiefs’ 69 offensive snaps in Monday’s win over the Broncos, but he didn’t catch a pass and was targeted only once. James Lynch had several tackles for the Bears in their high-scoring game against the Panthers. Jackie Marshall and Andrew Billings were inactive for the Titans and Cardinals, respectively.
In Other News...
Baylor Suddenly Has A Defensive Line Question Slug Mitchell Could Answer
Baylors defensive front has a new wrinkle after fifth-year lineman Traevon Mitchell, better known as Slug, was granted a temporary injunction by Judge Alan Bennett that makes him eligible to play for at least the rest of the regular season. With the next trial date still estimated to be about 90 days away, the Bears suddenly have a veteran body back in the conversation at a position group that can use all the help it can get.
Dave Aranda has already been asked about what Mitchell could mean after a season-ending injury thinned out the rotation, and the timing makes the situation especially relevant for Baylors defense. For a team trying to stabilize its line depth in the middle of the season, Mitchells availability adds another layer of intrigue, even if the legal process around his status is still far from finished. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Heads Into La Tech With One Big Problem Up Front
Baylor is trying to steady itself up front as it heads into Louisiana Tech with one of its most important pieces suddenly gone for the year. Fifth-year senior Devonte Tezinos season-ending lower body injury leaves a hole on the defensive line, but there is at least one bit of relief in the room: fellow fifth-year senior Traevon Mitchell was granted a temporary injunction that allows him to play the rest of the season. With Kyler Jordan and others now expected to absorb more of the workload, the Bears will have to find answers quickly on the line of scrimmage.
There is better news on the other side of the ball, where starting center Koltin Sieracki is expected back after missing a game with an injury. Baylors larger focus, though, remains on cleaning up the mistakes that have slowed it down, especially penalties, as it tries to look sharper heading into the Louisiana Tech game. The Bears have enough talent to get by, but the way they handle these issues up front could go a long way toward deciding whether the next stretch feels like damage control or a reset. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has A Week 3 Problem It Needs To Fix Fast
Baylor heads into its Week 3 matchup at McLane Stadium tied at 1-1 with Louisiana Tech, and the early-season tone around the Bears is clear enough: there are fixable issues, but they need fixing quickly. The cleanest path to a win runs through the basics, with turnover margin, time of possession and penalty control all sitting near the top of the list as Baylor tries to sharpen up before the schedule starts demanding more from it.
The Bears have already stressed the need for discipline and consistent effort on both sides of the ball, and that emphasis is no accident after the first two games. Against a Louisiana Tech team that will be looking for the same kind of early momentum, Baylor cannot afford sloppy stretches or self-inflicted setbacks if it wants to leave Saturday with the kind of performance that steadies things rather than complicates them. [Read more 🡒]