Week 6 didn’t do the Baylor Bears in the NFL any favors. Between Baylor’s lopsided loss to TCU on Saturday and a Sunday slate that featured several Bears dealing with injuries or limited chances, it was a quieter weekend than usual for the pro alumni.
Tyquan Thornton is still sidelined after ankle surgery a couple of weeks ago, and Jalen Pitre was ruled out ahead of the Texans’ game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pitre’s injury came in last week’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans and was described as an AC Joint/Shoulder issue that is not severe. He is expected back this weekend against the New York Giants in Houston.
For the Baylor players who did suit up, the numbers were mixed.
Josh Cameron didn’t get a target in the Jaguars’ loss to the Texans on Sunday, even though he logged a 50% offensive snap share. Trevor Lawrence never found him in the passing game, but Cameron still made an impact on special teams with a 46-yard kick return. With the Jaguars heading into the bye, Cameron will have time to recover, and he could be in line for a bigger role in the passing game as the Jaguars staff seems to be fed up with Brian Thomas Jr.
"The size, the speed, and the rare combination of having a player with that type of strength with that type of speed."Coach Udinski on the growth of Josh Cameron through his rookie season. pic.twitter.com/9v9BkYUzPI
Terrel Bernard turned in another busy day for Buffalo, finishing with nine total tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders. He posted five solo tackles and four assists, even as the Bills’ defense continues to have its issues. Josh Allen keeps bailing them out, but if Buffalo wants to make a serious push for a Super Bowl, the defense still has work to do.
Terrel Bernard (8) using his hands & movement to beat the RG backdoor and make the stop pic.twitter.com/NIc1OBwq6S
James Lynch also had a solid outing for the Chicago Bears. He didn’t record a tackle in the 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons, but he did come away with a key pass deflection.
Ross Mastick and Jon Weeks stayed steady again, getting through another week with no mistakes on long snaps. Both are still chasing another straight Pro Bowl nod.
Texans S Jalen Pitre avoided major injury on Sunday. He does not need surgery and will not be placed on IRHis status for Sunday is in doubt, but this is overall great news(Via @AaronWilson_NFL) pic.twitter.com/0RLyLp9OhC
Overall, it was a slow weekend for Baylor’s pros. Thornton is hoping to get back before the playoffs for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Pitre’s shoulder situation remains worth watching as it plays out for him and the Houston Texans’ defense this season.
In Other News...
Baylor Has A Special Teams Weapon Getting National Attention
A Baylor special teams standout is drawing national notice in a place teams usually hope never to think about much: the punters role. Senior Palmer Williams has been named to The Sporting News Midseason All-America Second Team, another sign that his leg has become one of the more reliable weapons in the country and a steady asset for the Bears as they move through the season.
Williams is currently leading the nation with a 51.4-yard punting average and is on pace to top the Big 12 for the third straight season, which helps explain why he has already picked up multiple preseason All-America honors and landed among the finalists for the Ray Guy Award. For Baylor, having that kind of field-position edge matters in tight games, and Williams keeps giving the Bears something every opponent has to account for. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads To Baylor With One Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Kansas is heading into its Big 12 matchup at Baylor still trying to clean up the issues that showed up in its loss to Kansas State, where Lance Leipold pointed to a lack of physicality and too many missed tackles. The Jayhawks were gashed for 359 rushing yards and never found much rhythm offensively, which makes this trip even more important as they try to steady things against another conference opponent.
Baylor arrives with some questions of its own after a loss to TCU, and the Bears have had their own offensive line concerns to sort through. For both teams, this is more than just another league game on the calendar. It is a chance to show whether the problems from last week were a one-game setback or something deeper that still needs fixing. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Let TCU Find An Offensive Formula Fans Wont Like
TCU spent much of its game against Baylor searching for the right offensive rhythm, and the adjustments they made were hard to miss. Jaden Craig repeatedly leaned on wide receiver Jordan Dwyer, while the Horned Frogs also dipped into some creative wrinkles, including a Wildcat look with Kari Ashley, to keep the Bears from settling in.
The bigger issue was how fragile the rest of the operation looked once injuries started to affect the running game. TCU tried to manufacture momentum with a trick play, but the call backfired and ended in an interception, a reminder that the margin for error shrinks quickly when an offense is piecing things together on the fly. [Read more 🡒]