Another week of NFL action brought another mixed bag for Gophers across the league, with a few names making real noise and others stuck on the inactive list or working through injuries.
The biggest injury news came with Antoine Winfield Jr. in Tampa Bay. Winfield recorded 6 tackles in the Buccaneers’ loss to the Packers, but he left late in the fourth quarter with what was later announced as a fractured rib. The injury is expected to sideline him for 2-4 weeks, a tough blow for a Tampa Bay team that is now winless through four games.
In Jacksonville, Eric Murray put together a four-tackle day before his afternoon ended early. He exited in the third quarter after trying to break up a touchdown pass to Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki, then was ruled out for the rest of the game after being evaluated for a concussion.
Justin Walley had one of the cleaner stat lines of the week, and one of the biggest plays. The Colts corner led Indianapolis’ defense in London with 8 tackles, 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss against the Commanders.
That sack came at a key moment in the third quarter, knocking Washington out of field goal range while the Colts protected a 20-13 lead. The play also came against former teammate Athan Kaliakmanis, who Washington turned to after Marcus Mariota went down with an early injury.
Up front, Tyler Nubin’s day with the Giants had a rocky start before turning around. After sitting out last week with a calf injury, he got burned early as the Cardinals jumped out to two first-quarter touchdowns, which led to him being benched.
He returned after Jason Pinnock left with a concussion, and his play picked up enough that head coach John Harbaugh praised his “outstanding football” after the fact. Nubin finished with 4 tackles and 2 pass deflections.
Blake Cashman kept rolling for Minnesota. He led the Vikings with 8 tackles against the Dolphins, marking the second time in four weeks he has paced the team in that category. At this point, he’s Minnesota’s leading tackler.
Jack Gibbens also turned in another busy day at linebacker, leading the Cardinals with 8 tackles in their 36-24 loss to the Giants. The source described him as especially strong as a run stopper this season.
Danny Striggow picked up the first full sack of his career in Jacksonville’s win over Cincinnati, bringing down Joe Burrow. It was a milestone moment for the Jaguars defender, who had previously recorded only a half sack last season. He did it in limited work, too, playing just 9 defensive snaps after having reached double-digit snaps in every game before Sunday.
Bengals edge rusher Mafe also made his presence felt, posting a sack and finishing with a team-high 3 tackles for loss as part of a 5-tackle day. His pressure helped create more trouble for the Jaguars’ offensive line beyond the box score.
In Baltimore, Bateman’s role stayed limited once Zay Flowers returned. Bateman was targeted only twice, though he caught both passes for 46 yards. Flowers was the clear focal point, drawing 10 targets and catching 8 for 118 yards.
The tight ends and special teamers had quieter box-score weeks. Brevyn Spann-Ford set a season high with 31 offensive snaps for the Cowboys, but he was targeted just once and did not record a catch.
He did chip in 3 tackles on special teams coverage. Ko Kieft was inactive for Tampa Bay because of an elbow injury, and Kallerup also landed back on Seattle’s inactive list after getting some run the previous two weeks.
John Michael Schmitz missed Week 4 after he and his wife welcomed their first child. With him out, Bryan Hudson started for the Giants, and after the game John Harbaugh said, "He didn't have a lot of rest.
It just made sense, and I think it paid off. It's not a long-term thing.
I mean, we just have two centers we really like." Hudson drew strong marks from PFF and was not charged with any pressures allowed.
The situation could be worth watching, especially with rookie Francis Mauigoa struggling badly and the possibility that one of the centers could move to guard.
Ersery continued to handle left tackle duties for the Texans and has shown growth in his second pro season. According to Jacob Barzilla via Next Gen Stats, before Week 4 he had allowed just 1 quick pressure on 133 pass blocking stats, which ranked fourth-lowest among 35 qualified left tackles.
On special teams, Cody Lindenberg kept his role with the Raiders. After being inactive in Week 1, he has now spent three straight weeks as a core special teams player, logging 19 special teams snaps and 2 tackles. He still hasn’t taken a defensive snap this season.
Benjamin St-Juste stayed in that same lane for Green Bay, playing 15 special teams snaps and none on defense. On the year, he has played only 1 defensive snap.
In Other News...
Minnesota's Run Game Problem Looks More Specific Than Fans Feared
Minnesotas rushing issues have drawn plenty of attention this season, and the frustrating part for the Golden Gophers is that the problem does not look like some broad, unsolvable collapse. Offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. has already made schematic tweaks in an effort to get the ground game moving, but the results still trail where the program wants them to be in both the Big Ten and nationally.
The film points to a more specific culprit than many fans might have feared, with run blocking from the tight ends becoming a recurring issue. On a few key plays, Minnesota did not get the kind of edge help it needed, and those missed blocks helped derail runs before they had a chance to develop. For a team trying to reestablish its identity on the ground, narrowing the problem is only the first step. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Faces A More Dangerous Purdue Test Than The Standings Suggest
Purdues 24-17 win over Illinois did more than snap a long conference drought. It gave Barry Odoms team a badly needed breakthrough and offered a better read on a roster that had spent too long searching for one in Big Ten play. Ryan Brownes 255-yard passing day and Fame Ijebois steady work on the ground were both part of a performance that looked more like a team starting to settle in than one merely hoping to survive another Saturday.
Now Minnesota gets the next look, and the matchup comes with more edge than the standings might suggest. The Gophers are 4-1 and have won three straight, including a recent win over Michigan, but Purdue is no longer the kind of opponent opponents can treat as an easy breather. For Minnesota, the challenge is not just staying hot, but dealing with a Boilermakers group that has already shown it can drag a conference game into uncomfortable territory. [Read more 🡒]
Minnesota Just Got A Little More Satisfaction Out Of Michigans Slide
Minnesotas win over Michigan already carried the kind of satisfaction that lingers in the Big Ten standings, but it picked up a little extra shine this week when Urban Meyer weighed in on the Wolverines early-season slide. Michigan is off to a 3-2 start and has dropped games to Iowa and Minnesota, leaving plenty of room for outside criticism as the program tries to steady itself after a rocky opening stretch.
Meyer, speaking on a podcast, said he does not see passion, energy or toughness in this Michigan team and suggested the problems run deeper than quarterback Bryce Underwood. He also said he did not see the competitive edge that usually shows up in successful teams while reviewing Michigans recent games, which is the sort of assessment Minnesota fans will be happy to hear attached to a win they already enjoyed. [Read more 🡒]